Courage in the Kitchen with Chef Rootatouille

     Now, there are already more cookbooks and recipes about than you could shake a stick at, so we’ll leave those specifics to the likes of Chef Bonju, for now. Besides, you’ve got to stand before you can bounce! So for our very first chat like, how about we talk more about how you get started? Then, once you’ve got the basics under your belt, you can look for them fancy recipes and be whipping up your own Mynci Cristos and Yurble Pot Pies in no time!

     First thing, you’ve got to go out and collect your ingredients. Don’t be shy! Whether you’re fishing up a fresh catch off Krawk Island or bobbing for the finest apples in the Haunted Woods, there’s food everywhere! Are you lucky enough to live in Meridell? Then head on over to that infamous hill where them cheese wheels race, and see if you can snatch yourself a goodun! Sweltering on Mystery Island? Take a walk jungleside and see if a Lemwart or even a Doughnutfruit happens to conk you on the head!

     The goal here is to let your local fare and your rumbling tum do the talking. The best ingredients are usually the freshest, and the freshest are right outside your own front door. The best part is, some tasty grub-in-the-making might not be all you come away with!

     For one, fishing and foraging and even apple bobbing are valuable skills that might net you more than a bit of a snack. Now, I’m in it for the food, but I won’t say no to imp-roo-ving myself! The long walks I take back home on Roo Island are doing wonders for keeping me young, and you might even stumble yourself into something worth a little clink.

     But that’s not all! Even if you go out and spend your hard-earned Neopoints on ingredients, you’re buying more than just your meal. Them people what make the cheese, or grow the fruit or even hunt down them Bargasaurus love to natter about their work. Ask questions! You’ll come away with a full basket, a little know-how and maybe a friend or two. And when you cook up something mighty good out of what you’ve found, it never hurts to share! (How do you think I have an in with that funny-haired fella what sells the potatoes in Meridell, eh? He can’t get enough of my mash!)

     So, now you’ve got plenty of raw foodstuffs to work with. Fair dos! But what’s next? Well, it’s time to head on home with your bounty, and get cracking! If you got eggs. Elsewise, you’ll chop, peel, dice, julienne, whatever needs to be done to get your ingredients ready for pot, kettle or pan!

     Now, before we go any further, I want to talk to you lot about safety. One, make sure your knife is good and sharp. Believe it or not, a dull knife is more likely to get you hurt! It’s true! See, a dull knife might just bounce off your Tigerfruit and wind up giving you a nasty poking, but a good, sharp blade will cut right through, smooth as you please! So keep your utensils sharpened, and you’ll be mincing your way through whatever you fancy.

     Secondly, when you’re working in a kitchen, you’ve got to keep nice, clean surroundings. Now, you can probably tell by looking, am no spic and span Roo, am I – in fact, making a bit of a mess is half the fun, in my book! But some mess might pose a risk to you and yours, and good food just doesn’t taste as happy when you’ve had a thump on the noggin. So, keep an eye on any spills on the floor that might send you skidding like you’re playing Rink Runner, and keep any pots and pans out of the way so nobody trips.

     Thirdlike, you gotta keep your food safe, too, and not just from any grabby hands trying to sneak a spoon from the pot before the dinner bell’s rung! Some foods, especially meats and dairy, don’t take so well to being left out in the warmth. Now, some of us got tougher stomachs than others, but as a rule, it’s usually best to make sure you keep your fresh foodstuffs nice and chilled until you get cooking and cook it all the way through. Of course, if you’re whipping up Ransaurus Steak for your Tyrannian friends, you might want to lean more on the rare side. Know your audience! That goes for allergies and any dining choices your mates might be making, too. Part of sharing any good meal is making all at the table feel welcome.

     And last but not least, you got to have the right tools for the job. I don’t mean no fancy, Virtupets twelve-speed ultra-juicer (though if that’s what takes your fancy, fair dos!) Neopia’s a marvellous place, and we who live here come in all shapes and sizes, don’t we? So if you’ve painted a precious wee bab, or maybe you’ve not got a lot in the way of limbs, look for a nice, light frying pan you can tote about in your mouth without worry. Find a wooden spoon with a wrapped handle that you can grip in your teeth (that’s especially for you fine Jetsam chefs-to-be!) and get yourself a sturdy stool that lets you reach where needs reaching. Remember, anyone can cook!

     Now things get exciting. Like I said, I won’t be giving you recipes today, but how’s about we talk about the why of recipes? Of course, the reason you set about all this in the first place might be as simple as a grumbly tummy, but often there’s a little more to it. Entertaining, mayhaps? Want to celebrate beating your owner at hide and seek with a banquet of invisible food? Or do you just got a busy week ahead and want to get cracking on some meals now to enjoy later?

     It’s all good and dandy, I promise you. Whether you’re whipping up something special for someone special, or just treating yourself on a gloomy day, we all got to eat! And remember all those recipes I mentioned? There’s something for everybody, anytime. Whether you’ve got a sweet tooth, love your cheese or only eat organic, whether you’re new to the stewpot or you’d put the cooks at Kelp to shame. Once you’ve figured out what you’ve got to work with, you can follow along with whatever dish happens to catch your eye and your nose, or even try whipping up something yourself freehand like!

     With that in mind, a few tips what help me when I’m experimenting, and keeps my dinner friends coming back. Course everyone’s different and don’t that make Neopia spin, but there are a few general techniques that usually appeal to most. For example, a little contrast in your dish goes a long way. My lovely potato mash has a few secrets, and one is these fancy cheese laces I put on the top for a little crunch with all that lovely, buttery smoothness. (And cheese laces, let me tell you – nothing fancies up a bit of home cooking in a flash! Just melt some nice cheese in a pan until it’s all crisped up at the edges, then let it cool and stick it on your dish. Don’t it turn even a simple chip butty into a gourmet affair!)

     That goes the other way, too. Serving up something breaded crispy-like? Try pouring on a thick, creamy sauce atop, or contrast a bowl of homemade ice cream with some toasted nuts. And it goes for flavours! A pinch of coffee powder in your b-roo-wnies – sorry, force of habit – really makes that lovely chocolate pop, and if you’re making something with caramel, a few flakes of crunchy salt atop makes it shine all the brighter! Spice goes well with something a little refreshing, and you want to pair your greasy meals with a bit of acid like Lemwart juice to brighten things up.

     Now, I got one last tip for you all, and it’s far and away the most important. Never give up! You’re likely to have a few kitchen mishaps, slip-ups and even disasters, like old Roo here has had time and time again. I have been cooking for years, and still don’t I find ways to get it wrong? Now, it’s alright to feel a little frustrated. Few things rougher than trying to fill an empty belly and ending up even hungrier with a mess to clean. But the good thing about a mistake is always learning from it. Was the heat turned up a bit too high? Did you get distracted by your Kadoatie caterwauling and forget to add the salt? Or maybe you did every step just right and proper, but it simply isn’t the dish for you.

     Repeat after Roo– that’s all grand! Now you know for next time, and the great thing about cooking is there’s always a reason to try again just around the corner. If you need a little time, fair dos – there’s no shame in taking a break and calling my buddy at Pizzaroo. (And he’ll thank you for the business!) But don’t be down on yourself, even if things don’t work out as planned. You tried, and even if that don’t fill your belly, it’s a fine thing regardless, and you ought to be fair proud. Take a breather, then give it another crack when you’re ready.

     I think that’s a fine place to leave things off for this one. Here’s hoping maybe I could give someone a little help, maybe the courage to get started or the push to keep going because let me tell you, I won’t say no to more friends who can cook around Neopia! And if you’re ever in my neighbourhood, stop on by, and maybe you’ll see old Roo make his mistakes in person, or else get something tasty for your trouble.

     May your spoons never splinter, and remember – I’m roo-ting for you!