Australia, Food

What’s Cooking at Home

Forestwood

Are the supermarket shelves emptying of your standard pasta sauce?

The solution is to Make Your Own. It is not hard, says Nat.

‘Nat’s What you Reckon,’ will tell you how.

He is rough, ready and he hates jar sauces and processed food.

Yet, this guy can cook.

Hidden behind this tough exterior are really useful cooking tips, and you might just get a good belly laugh along the way, with his laconic comedic manner.

Which we can all use right now.

Warning: Hold on to your seats. The language is colourful. And it is a useful brush up on Aussie Slang!

Quarantine Pasta Sauce

Anyone can make this. Nat’s here to help.

Nat can also coach you in Mushroom Risotto and Carbonara Sauce. And gives you some laughs on his adventures to Cat-Con.

Catch more of Nat here:

YouTube @ Youtube.com/c/NatsWhatIReckon

Published by Forestwood

A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word. Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.

47 thoughts on “What’s Cooking at Home”

  1. If there’s one thing in particular that I find interesting about our current worldwide quarantine it is that I’ve discovered how many people who I know who cannot cook. I can toss just about anything together and make a meal of it, but apparently this is a skill that many people have never learned. My mother would be proud of me, she taught me well– but good golly miss Molly how does everyone get by if they cannot throw a meal together? [rhetorical question]

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    1. It is surprising how many people state, ” Oh I don’t cook!” The first time I heard someone say this, I was gobsmacked. I thought how could someone not know or at least be curious about learning something as fundamental as making food for oneself. It would be like saying, “I don’t wash myself.” When enquiring what this person with two children, ate, she said, Well there is McD’s one night, then…. I tuned out at this point, too horrified to listen more. Hope the language of Nat’s video wasn’t too offensive….?
      All my children learnt to cook at home – even my daughter who hates cooking, knows how to cook and does cook. One of their jobs as teens was to prepare the family meal, one day a week. It was a great opportunity to get them out of their room, away from devices and surreptitiiously teaching them cooking skills. Plus once they were up and running with basic meals, I could sit back and relax a bit. Now they all live out of home, although for how much longer, I can’t say due to the current Global Snafu, however all make meals on a regular basis – only one eats frozen pizza on a rare occasion.

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      1. I’ve heard people say that “I don’t cook” line, too– and had the same reaction as you. Gobsmacked. It doesn’t seem possible to me, but I grew up around parents who planned meals, made meals, knew about good nutrition and passed that knowledge onto little AB. I like your wording of the pandemic as a Global Snafu. That’s perfect.

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      2. You were indeed fortunate to grow up in that environment. One that valued an all round education in a variety of life skills. I aimed for that in my parenting too. Why would we have children if we don’t want to prepare them for life, as best we can? If you have children,or might consider them at some stage, would you raise your children the same manner as the way you grew up? Or change it up, somewhat?

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    1. Good quality ingredients make so much of a difference when it comes to the taste of good, Janis. It doesn’t have to be fancy it just has to be fresh and wholesome. I’m glad you like nuts video even though it is a bit bawdy with the language and all but I liked the humor simplicity. We also tend to cook at home most the time, although we have been socializing since we moved to a new place as we meet new friends, but that has all stopped for now. Do you set a menu plan each week Janis or spontaneously wing what you cook each night?

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  3. Since Nat talks in a manner slightly similar to the way I do, I can bear it for quite a while. But eventually I grow tired, as he ramps up the swearing – possibly feeling that he won’t get through to his mates unless he does so. At which point he out-swears me considerably ! 😀
    Howsomever, I am impressed that a young thug is interested in producing truly good meals. If he is a personal friend of yours, do give him my congratulations .. [grin]

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  6. I haven’t watched the video yet, but I can’t even imagine why anyone would wantant pasta sauce out of s jar. I’m lucky to find cooking relaxing and fun – is that to do with having been taught how when young? My ‘children’ do too, so maybe.

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    1. Perhaps for most people, having been taught when they were young, makes a difference to how they view cooking. Unfortunately, as much as I would have loved that to be so with all my kids, it didn’t work out that way. I have a son who loves cooking, another who does it because it is functional, and is neutral about it and my daughter, who is the biggest disappointment in that she hates cooking and openly admits to that. They all CAN cook, and reasonably well but only one really loves to cook and enjoys it. I had visions of baking with my daughter each and every year, especially at Xmas, but that didn’t happen. As a child, she would play with a bit of dough then run away! Not her thing at all! Now my daughter is an adult, she sits and chats to me as I cook and that is okay too, as I am still spending time with her and she is observing how I make things, I guess. To their credit, they can feed themselves and make basic good food. Nat would be proud of them I think. Cover you ears when you/if you listen to the video. There are loads of ‘f’ bombs but he is funny too! And we all need a good belly laugh – no pun intended.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. He reminds me of a younger, better looking Gordon Ramsay 🙂

    I come from of long line of good cooks who had one thing in common. We couldn’t tolerate other people in our kitchens. This included our kids. My mom never taught me to cook and when I was young, I had no interest. It was the same with my daughter. As I got older I started cooking more, as much for nostalgia as for need. Although my mother hadn’t taught me, I must have learned something by osmosis. (Now that I’m retired and quarantined, it seems like that’s all I do 😉

    It was the same with my daughter. When she moved away, she started cooking a few family favorites. She still doesn’t cook that much. She has too much going on but once in a while, I get a question about how to do this or that.

    So cheer up Amanda – you & and your daughter might still, one day, bake together !

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    1. It’s a nice thought to think that we might bake together, one day. I’ll hold on to that thought, Sandy. Thanks.
      And it’s funny to think that you’re such an avid cook now and yet weren’t interested in it at all when you were younger. My mother was like you in that she never could tolerate anyone in her kitchen and didn’t particularly like cooking, so didn’t teach me anything. I taught myself how to cook, starting with packet cake mixes and cook books, when I was in primary school. I like the creative side of coming up with a dish. My son has definitely inherited that gene. I hadn’t thought about Nat being anything like Gordon Ramsay, but then there is the swearing that they have in common, that’s for sure! I think he may have started out as a comedian and discovered that cooking is something that he’s good at, or perhaps he was trained as a chef/ short order Cook, I’m not sure. I have to look him up!

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  9. F…ing funny at first, pardon the French but I’ve just finished watching his videos, just for fun mind you. I was curious but not so much for the recipes. He could probably tone it down just a notch though. As an Italian Australian I always cook my own sauces, Stocks and risottos. My hubby is also a good cook. Nat’s videos, well let’s just say, he certainly adds an Aussie flavour to it. 😂

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    1. Yes, he is a tad over the top. I think that shows his youthful inexperience. But I am glad you got a laugh. I also know how to cook these dishes so the recipe value is more for others. I am totally in agreeance – with you and Nat. MYO sauces. I have never and could never use a carbonara sauce out of a bottle, but admit, (hiding my face in shame) to using bottled sauce on time poor occasions. Eek – will you unfollow me based on that awful transgression?

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      1. Haha, I don’t think so Amanda. If we’re being honest here I can also admit to using (horror of horrors) a can of bolignaise sauce whilst camping. But only once!

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  10. Bahhha, he is pretty cool. 😀 His recipes differ from the Italian ones, though… No garlic goes in carbonara, for example. But that’s alright, after all, you are far. Everybody is allowed to eat as they want. But yeah, no ready-made sauces.

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    1. Come to think of it, I don’t put garlic in my carbonara either. Good to know I am making it authentic. Nat seems to be a champion of garlic! And long hair! Lol.

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      2. I tend to crush it and add it into dishes, but when I roast veges in the oven, I throw a whole clove on the pan but don’t eat it when serving. If my son is over, he eats it but I prefer it mixed in with dishes.

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    1. We are still here Lorelle, and healthy so far. Some dramas as H has lost her job. Hard times for her. We are trying to get her out of her lease on the rental, but unfortunately there is no help or change to the current agreements. There are promises from the Government to help but upon application, it seems almost everyone is ineligible. It sucks! But I continue baking!

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    1. Nat makes it look easy and really it is. No need for complicated gourmet stuff, just good old hearty fare! Do you do some cooking yourself, Jason?

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