Boyle - How to Cook and Keep on Cooking

Food has played an important role throughout my life. I used to run home from school to peel potatoes for shepherds pie. I learned to roast chicken at a young age because I loved the juicy flavour of the meat. And I made cakes when I should have been doing my homework. I was lucky that my parents always cooked great food and taught me what they knew.

I carried on cooking when I started an apprenticeship at the Savoy Hotel in London. In my spare time, I cooked for my brothers and friends. These occasions were filled with so much fun, laughter and love that my mantra became all about bringing people together through food.

I built a restaurant business based on this idea later in my career. I also got thinking about people who leave school, fall on hard times and become homeless. In particular, I wondered why people become homeless and stay homeless in this day and age. As Ive got older, Ive had my own children and Ive worked with everyone from vulnerable adults to working professionals. It has made me realise that food plays a vital role in each and every one of our lives. But not everyone has had the opportunity to learn about food from their parents, grandparents or at school.

As a result, I created a charity to help tackle the issue of people spiralling into homelessness when they dont have the right skills or support to fall back on. Food can and does help change lives. Ultimately, good food provides the right energy and motivation for you to look after yourself and succeed.

I wrote this book to help people start off on their own. Maybe you cant cook or are not at all confident in the kitchen. Whether youre leaving school, are off to university, getting your first home, starting a new relationship, beginning your career or simply never needed to cook until now this book is for you. Its basic and its simple. You can pick it up and put it down. Its not full of funky this and pukka that. Im not trying to create a thousand Jamie Oliver clones or a hundred Gordon Ramsay wannabes.

This isnt a book about expensive food or fancy recipes. Instead, its a helping hand to get you started with the basics. Im also not telling you what to eat or what not to eat. Yes, nutrition can be a boring topic, but its actually all about simple, good produce balanced with the nice-to-have foods. My basic recipes are easy to follow and youll gradually learn them through practice, while my meal suggestions will be fun to cook as you gain confidence. At the same time, Im sure that when you start to cook lovely food for yourself and your friends and family, itll help you grow, develop and be happy.

I hope this book will kick-start your passion and enthusiasm for cooking and you will enjoy the fruits of your efforts in the kitchen.

Happy cooking!

OTHER PEOPLE TO CATER FOR LACK OF SKILLS WORK HOURS ALWAYS KNACKERED COOKING FOR ONE PERSON NOT WORTH IT IM ALWAYS OUT MONEY CANT AFFORD IT KNOWLEDGE TOO LIMITED COOKING IS INTIMIDATING FANCY RECIPES PUT ME OFF EXPENSIVE INGREDIENTS HAVE TO COOK FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE I DONT HAVE THE SKILLS MY JOB GETS IN THE WAY I HAVE A CAREER TO THINK ABOUT MY COOKING KNOWLEDGE ISNT THERE IT SEEMS EXPENSIVE TO BE HEALTHY BORING NUTRITION TOO MUCH EFFORT I HATE WASHING UP OTHER THINGS TO SPEND MONEY ON FAST FOOD IS CHEAPER INGREDIENTS I DONT RECOGNISE BAD HABITS ARE MY PRIORITY SMOKING + DRINKING ID RATHER GO OUT ITS A CHORE

LOVE CREATING NEW DISHES FRESH IS BEST VIBRANT COLOURS, TEXTURES AND FLAVOURS CREATING NEW SKILLS FOR MYSELF TAKES ME AWAY FROM MY WORK RELAXING HAVING FRIENDS OVER SHARING THE COST SPLIT THE WASHING UP QUICKER TO COOK FOR MYSELF I LIKE TO BATCH COOK I LIKE TO COOK LIKE THE CHEFS ON TV ITS ACTUALLY FUN I CAN COOK ON A BUDGET AND SAVE MONEY GOOD-FOR-YOU FOOD CAN BE TASTY BETTER VALUE I CAN GET EVERYONE INVOLVED I DONT LIKE OVER-PRODUCED FOOD BETTER FOR ME AND MY FAMILY I LOVE LEARNING THE DISHES MY GRANDMOTHER COOKED MY MUMS FAVOURITES FOOD IS PRIMAL BETTER FOR THE PLANET ITS SOCIABLE FOOD BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER I LOVE LOCALLY PRODUCED AND NATURAL FOOD NO JUNK IN THE TRUNK I LOVE THE SMELL OF HOMEMADE COOKING

Heres a thought.

Maybe youve had a lovely childhood and have always been loved and looked after by your parents. Maybe you havent. Either way, can you look after yourself? Be honest with yourself when answering this question.

Most people who leave school, college and/or home to start work or go to university have to stand on their own two feet for the first time. But they cant cook for themselves. Cooking spaghetti Bolognese in a food tech class back in Year 8 may be a vague memory. Its certainly not a good enough base on which to start cooking on a daily basis. Sound familiar? Many people just cant cook with confidence in a way that will provide them with the energy and sustenance they need to survive properly.

Its easy enough to learn how to heat up ready-made meals; you just need a fork and a microwave. Then there are cooking sauces. Easy, right? Buy a packet of chicken and some rice or potatoes and add a can or jar of sauce. Hey presto youve got a lovely meal thats been sealed up for the best part of a year, with a load of ingredients that dont belong in there just so it lasts another year. Yum! The preservation process it has gone through kills most of the vital vitamins that your body needs. So youre just eating to fill yourself up.

Its also really easy but expensive to purchase recipe kits. There are some good ones out there and plenty of choice even the supermarkets are doing them now. A box or bag of goodies, a recipe card to follow and a serving suggestion. Theyre good, and I guess they do teach you how to cook, or rather how to heat and assemble. Its the next best thing to cooking from scratch, but it can be an expensive way to do it.

You understand actually how to cook. Not just that, but you enjoy the cooking process. You engage differently with your friends and family. You start to feel more energetic from eating fresh produce. Your motivation increases and you start to focus better at work, college or university. Youre loving life, your relationships improve and, yes, even your work is more inviting. All because you have learned to cook.

Its powerful stuff.

For me, life is about living well and being happy.

Its simple really, but we can sometimes make it very complicated. Of course, some of the complications come from the fact we have to earn money to live, put a roof over our heads and buy the things we need. Quite often we forget the things that are good for us. We replace them with the things that save us time. We trick ourselves into thinking that with the time we save we can do other, more important things. Cooking is a good example of this.

Cooking is not something we should cut out of our lives. We need to eat well, and this is important for our body, our spirit and, to my mind, our soul.

Freshly cooked food is almost always better for you. Compared to convenience foods such as ready-made meals or fast food, fresh food has more vitamins and minerals, the flavours and textures are better and more natural. As a result, eating fresh food is a pleasure and you know what youre putting into your body. With convenience meals or products, you are far less likely to know the true contents of the food you are eating.