Hey, welcome to “Cooking with Keith”
The whole reason for this site is to help you cook better food.
First, let’s get this straight –
This is not about healthy food, not vegan, vegetarian, paleo, diet, or any of those other labels. Yes, there will be some of all of those types of food, but this site is about one thing, and one thing only –
Cooking Great Food!
My plan is to show you in simple steps, all you need to know, to be able to cook great food.
Have you ever been out to a swanky restaurant and had an amazing meal? Then wished you could go home and be able to cook like that?
Then stick with me, and I’ll show you everything you need to know, to be able to recreate those ‘restaurant’ dishes.
It doesn’t matter what stage you are at in your culinary journey. Whether you have been cooking for years, or are just starting out. I’m going to be showing you all of the skills and techniques that you need to be able to create any dish in your kitchen.
Of course, some of them will need practice to get them right. You won’t be at “Masterchef” standard straight away. But over time, you will develop the skills, techniques and confidence to be able to tackle any dish.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should be slaving away in the kitchen for every meal. In fact, if you follow my techniques and take on board the hints and tips I will be showing you, “slaving over a hot cooker” will never, ever happen.
I’m going to show you how ‘timing’ is key to a good meal.
I’m also not saying that you should be eating “restaurant quality” food all of the time. What you are going to learn will allow you to create any dish with skill and confidence.
From a poached egg on toast, to lamb chops in a balsamic reduction.
From egg and chips to eggs benedict!
You see, all food has a time and a place.
Now, what you’re about to read may shock some people, so don’t go shouting it from the rooftops,
but
There’s nothing wrong with a takeaway once in a while!
Some of the worlds best chefs enjoy a good kebab occasionally, or just want baked beans on toast when they’re too tired. There has to be variation in the food you eat.
If you are always eating at the best restaurants, then your palette will soon become jaded. Sometimes ‘simple’ has its place.
So, who am I? I hear you asking yourself.
It’s okay to be asking that, as you have probably never heard of me. I’m not a famous chef. I’ve never owned a restaurant. What makes me qualified to be teaching you how to cook?
Well, I grew up in a single-parent family in the 1960’s. In those days, there was very little help for single parents, so our Mum had to go out to work full-time. This meant that we had to do a fair amount of the cooking and cleaning. Nothing wrong with that, perhaps more kids nowadays should be doing more of that themselves π
Anyway, we had very little money, and Mum had one rule – if you cook it, you eat it. We couldn’t afford to waste food. We all soon learned what foods went with each other; what tasted good, and what didn’t!
We learned how to make the most out of what we had.
Food was also more ‘seasonal’ then, so we found out what was available when, and the best ways to utilise it.
This was the start of my culinary journey. Out of all of us kids, I was the one that seemed to develop a love of cooking. To me it wasn’t a ‘chore’, to me it was fun.
It got to the point where everyone that knew me, believed that I would become a chef. That I would leave school and go to catering college, I loved cooking so much.
Unfortunately, that never happened, but over time you’ll see why not
But the love of cooking has been the same for me ever since then.
For the last 40-odd years cooking has been a pleasure for me. I could work a 12-hour shift, but coming home and cooking would feel relaxing to me.
Over the years, I have bought many, many cookbooks. Signed up to countless publications on a monthly basis. Read and tried so many recipes and cooking styles and cuisines, I don’t think there is much I haven’t tried.
I have attended a number of cooking schools, to improve my knowledge and skills. Sought out professional chefs whenever possible, and picked their brains for little tid-bits of knowledge
Even now, at the age of 58, I am still a chef at heart.
But I have found that I’m also a teacher.
In my career, I have discovered another thing about myself; I love to teach.
In my day to day business, I instruct people how to use the machinery that I install and repair. It’s not officially a part of what I do, but I’ve unconsciously been doing it for over 30 years
I also found that whilst bringing up my four children, I loved to take them into the kitchen and have them help me. I loved to impart my love of food to them, to show them how food can be so different raw and cooked, yet still as beautiful. How something that they thought they didn’t like, could be transformed with another cooking style into something they loved.
I would make it fun, but also instructional.
I’m proud to say that all four of my children are accomplished cooks.
Well now, at the age of 58, I feel that I’m finally in a position where I can start imparting that knowledge to you. I’m successful enough in my own business, that I can take the time out from it to develop a cookery course, and help you to gain the skills you have always wanted to.
I look forward to chatting with you, and helping you grow as a cook.
Keith Reilly
Next article – Spicy Pork Noodles
Love your website, looks great. I’m looking forward to checking out your recipes, they look yummy!
Great website, Chef !
I look forward to checking out your recipes & cooking knowledge.
This is lovely! Best of luck. I’ll plan to check back for more later. And thank you for the like on my post! π
Thank you for a wonderful website, packed full of great tips.
A lovely intro to yourself and your culinary view of life – and one that speaks to me having raised and home educated several kids as a single mum with a passion for good food! And yes they are all good intelligent cooks. Thanks for visiting my blog and liking what you saw. I look forward to exploring here!
This is so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your passion!
Your website looks good. Nice and Catchy. I look forward to seeing your posts and possibly trying some of your recipes. Thanks for stopping by my page, I appreciate it.
Hi Keith! It relaxes me to cook as well. I find when Iβm pissed off, I can cook and be fine after. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
Thanks for checking out my blog. Iβm always on the lookout for new tasty and quick meals so your site looks great! π
Awesome! π
Thanks for the likes and follow on my WordPress blog, “Cause It’s Like That” It’s an honor to have a professional chef read my stuff.
……The salmon benedict picture looks delicious!
P.S. Instead of professional chef, I should have said, someone with great love of cooking who went to culinary school. I can’t seem to follow or like you through Word Press otherwise I would. Probably something wrong with my technology.
Live laugh love with food! Yes indeed and as a βbyproductβ you are helping us raise health literacy and the goodness of good food combinations.
Can’t wait to try some of your recipes.
Great website, Chef! Looking forward to perusing it more – and thank you for your Carbonara Recipe – it is pretty much exactly how I learned to make it; the eggs make the sauce, truly – simple perfection…
Thank you for liking my blog post!
The website looks great, and I enjoyed reading your introduction. I’m looking forward to seeing where you go with this blog.
Thank you Sheryl, pop back occasionally to see what’s going on
That was an awesome introduction. I’m excited to learn new recipes and techniques from you as an aspiring home cook. Thank you for sharing them with us! π
Hey, I love the way your website is done, very nicely done, we will be using your website as a reference to us. Nice post my friend!
Thank you so much, I appreciate you taking the time to come and look at my site π
Thank you for stopping by my blog. Look forward to learning and reading your recipes π
Your blog looks beautiful! Stunning photography β‘β‘β‘β‘ Can’t wait to peruse some more. Thanks for dropping by my blog, honored to have you check it out!
You have a lovely blog, with some great recipes π
Hi Keith, Thanks for liking my blog post about chopsticks and for following me.
Have enjoyed reading your blog too, as Arnie would say “I’ll be back…..”
Zai jian εθ§
Herschelian
Thanks for taking the time to visit and also comment. I appreciate it π
I love this intro post and the story of how you acquired your skills. Honorary Chef!