As a Foodie, eating, cooking, food recipes are things I love and talk about. I also make out some time to go around Abuja to check for the very best in fine dinning (in terms of st times the fun is when am making or watching someone make something new. Best of all, I look forward to a particular meal made with different recipes than from my usually experience.
Sharing my experiences on adventures of different cuisine in Abuja would be one to look forward to on Steemit, however one of my goals on Steemit is to share my experiences with my little brother on how to cook, especially to show young ones how to prepare a simple nice meal. I would share our experience on various meal here on Steemit but let me first introduce my little brother.
My little brother's name is Jason Kelechi Iwuh, the last of five boys (no girl). He was born November 8th, 2010 and he is 7 years old. He goes to school like every other kid while at his leisure time after working on his school assignment he enjoys watching cartoons, cooking and playing football.
My experience with him has taught me that anyone even at a young age can cook. With a little effort, help and some other factors anyone can cook. I would share an experience while guiding him on how to make chips with egg over a couple of months. He did this yesterday all by himself after school, I only supervised. To be honest this isn't so much of an easy meal for a 7 year old or generally for some matured individuals not because of its recipe but because it's a bit harder than cooking noddles (indomie) and it's a little bit risky due to the heat from the Deep-fryer, skillet (frying pan) and the hot oil. But we started simple and in stages then grew.
FIRST STAGE: PEELING OFF THE OUTER LAYERS, CUTTING AND WASHING
My little brother has always had a soft spot in my dad's heart (we all know why because he is the last) so at a very young age his always seen in the kitchen despite how dangerous it could be (although we made some things beyound his reach for protection.) His first experience with frying chips (potatoes) was to peel off the outer layers that was the first stage and he was six years then. Using a knife wasn't an option so I had to find him a set of tools for safety reasons to use.
Our very first attempt using a potatoe peeler was not successful because he couldn't understand how to use a peeler despite showing how to handle it. However, I adviced him to keep on trying and be persistent. After three days he came running to me and said "I got it, I know how to peel it now." Washing raw potatoes and using a dicer was much easier and straight forward which I showed him once and he could continue on his own. Currently he can performall parts of this stage effectively.
SUMMARY
First stage he took out a little amount of potatoes into a bowl (like five or six potatoes) peeling off its out layers, cutting with a set of tools, and washing with clean water.
SECOND STAGE: ADDITION OF SALT, PREPARING THE DEEP-FRYER AND FRYING
I would say honestly, this is the stage where it's a bit technical and risky. Before Jason became good at this stage, we carefully practiced this about four (4) trials before he was able to take it on his own. There were a number of ways salt could be added. Some friends I have cooked with add salt into clean water while the potatoes are inside the bowl, some sprinkle the salt into the bowl after washing the potates, I would recommend the latter which Jason and I practiced while for him to know the right amount of salt, I told him to take a piece of sliced potatoes after sprinkling and turning, taste the salt content with your tongue. If it's too salty add water and wash away, try again whereas if it lacks salt add a little bit of salt till your comfortable with. To make it crunchy like KFC French fries add a moderate amount of flour, we rarely add flour because it would require a change of oil in the deep-fryer if it would be used again. Therefore, the tools for stage two are:
In preparing the deep-fryer I told him to first check the level of oil in it, it should have a gauge and it should be closed after gauging the oil. Then allow the oil in it to heat up after he had turned on the deep-fryer. Once the heat from the oil is hot a red light pops up and careful with the use of a scapular transfer the sliced potates into a siever and into the deep-fryer. While it's frying we take out an egg, break it into a small size bowl and turn it. [Similar with potatoes there are a number of ways egg can be fried either it's broken straight into a skillet or like the first process I show Jason, which I recommend.] Well he doesn't like pepper so we work without pepper but a little onions chopped and thrown inside, we bring out a frying pan putting a spoon of fresh oil into the pan he turns on the gas. Then to know when the oil had heated up i told him to put a pinch of egg into the skillet if it was hot enough it will fry the pinch of egg, if it was not it would slowly fry the pinch of egg. While these process was going on deep-fryer could be monitored once in a while, if he wanted it crispy he would allow it a little bit burnt, if he wants it soft he would remove it early. Then he turns the egg into the skillet, sears it a little and dishes it out once it's ready. Usually, the fried eggs are ready before the chips gets done.
SUMMARY
Second stage he took out a tip of salt, sprinkles it inside the bowl, turns it, tastes it, puts a little more till his comfortable with. He then gauges the oil content in the Deep-fryer, turns it on, waits till it beeps red, adds the potatoes from the bowl to the siever then to the Deep-fryer. He then prepares his egg with a little onions and a spoon of oil to a skillet add a pinch of egg to measure it's heat, sears it after a while and dishes it out when ready. While the chips could to dished crispy or soft depending on his preference and usually he likes it crispy (a little bit burnt)
THIRD STAGE: PRESENTATION AND EATING
Usually the easiest and best part. He cleans the dinning room, his cooking tools, and the kitchen. Then takes a plate out to dish the meal, he turns the chips from the siever into the plate after the oil has been sieved out, adds his fried eggs by the side and adds a bit of ketchup. And he is ready to eat.
SUMMARY
Kitchen must be cleaned before eating (it's not a hard and fast rule but it should be cleaned before or after meal.) Plate is served and Chips with Eggs are on the table with ketchup spilled on top and a glass of juice or milk.
O brother, He ate the egg before I could take the last picture at the dinning.
It's not easy but it's possible especially when you really want to help, so help your younger ones learn how to cook. It took a couple of months to guide my brother so be patience, persistent and most of all, encourage more than criticise.
