Keep your toads in the mash and your bangers in the hole, thanks. As for the whole time thing-- it's a bit fuzzy, isn't it? I mean, If you take five minutes to clean a chicken, quarter some onions and pop it into a nice dutch oven and leave it in the oven for an hour and a half while you go jogging (or down to the pub for a couple of pints if you're in Merrie Auld) and then come home, take it out of the oven and put it on the table, did that count as five minutes or 95? I can have Instant Dinner on the table in 15 minutes-- that's cous-cous cooked in chicken broth, scrambled eggs, toasted sunflower seeds, and steamed green beans, served with butter and soy sauce (I don't know if you think it sounds good, but it's great)-- but to have something more traditional, I really need between half an hour and forty minutes. But that's not hard-- anyone can make dinner in that amount of time, and if you're cooking for more than one and the more than ones are handy and able to help, that'll knock the time down somewhat. But do we need advice on cooking from anyone in England? I've eatern English "food" and I'd say the answer is no. Actually, it's more profanely negative than that, but they are an unrefined, foul mouthed lot over there. Great beer, though.

Well, in fairness, "English" food went beyond bangers and mash and all that crap eons ago. As an example, London has the best Indian food in the world.

Did I understand that you put butter and soy sauce over your steamed green beans? I'll try that. Sounds good. I'm getting tired of olive oil and garlic.

I've never found it difficult to cook in short periods of time - 30 minutes or so - if you're going to do something fairly simple like a pasta, a piece of fish and vegetables or something.

People simply need to understand that if you're going to do a big complicated dish with lots of prep it's going to take time. Or you'll have to resort to a lot of pre-packed processed ingredients to make that "home made" dish, and it will not be cooking, but rather, assembling. That tall skinny blonde chick on the Food TV does "semi-home made" food is a hack.

Shoot, I've had outstanding Indian and Chinese food in London, though the last time I went for Chinese there I had to leave the restaurant and go to a grocery store across the street because they didn't have the right sort of vinegar to serve with one of the dishes we ordered... But yeah, great food in England, just not English is it? When my kid was in the hospital last year (appendix, ten days) we saw some cooking shows and on one of them, I think the Contessa or Rachel Someone, the chef was using more canned goods in one dish than I use in a month, I was stunned. Butter and soy yes, over the green beans which are over the eggs which are over the cous cous. It's really good. And the only thing that's semi prepared is the couscous. Everything else is fresh. Our fastest dish is sesame asparagus: in a wok with about three tablespoons of butter (okay, four) toss in the asparagus chopped into one inch pieces and toss around for 30 seconds. Add one tablespoon of sugar, toss for another 30 seconds. Slosh in two tablespoons of soy sauce and slosh for 30 seconds. Add a lot of toasted sesame seeds and slosh about for another 30 seconds. Two minutes plus the time to slice up and rinse the pound or pound and a half of asparagus. Like five minutes top, incl prep. Not too bad. Hot, fragrant, tres yum.

Hell, big and complicated can be something as simple as garlic mashed potatoes, Julia Child version. I followed her recipe once. Destroyed the whole kitchen, took nearly two hours. OMG they were good though. But really, two hours? It's the kind of thing to make when you're cooking something that needs a long time and periodic fussing with anyway and you've got someone you're sharing a bot of champagne with.

I'm considered an anomaly: a wife/mom/employee who cooks about 13 nights out of 14.

Most of our friends think hubby and I are "amazing" cooks because we have figured out how to make really basic food really efficiently and really yummy. I don't think most Americans have interest or confidence in cooking anymore, other than to be spectators (big cookbook collections, watch a lot of Food Network).

As for garlic mashed potatoes: easy peasy. Cube unpeeled potatoes, boil until soft, drain, mash in pan, add gobs of butter and some garlic powder and RealSalt (really, it's way superior), mash some more, thin with milk if you like 'em thinner. Voila, garlic mashed potatoes in a tidy kitchen in less than half an hour. We make these with marinated steaks (the secret is get thick cuts, then sear the outsides before the finishing grilling and don't overcook them) and steamed green beans and the right red wine, and people act like they got a five-star meal. It's gratifying and scary.

Sounds gnarly, Mike. I've just printed out the green beans over eggs over couscous and wok'd asparagus. Great idea. I want to eat mostly vegetables, but I run out of ways to prepare them.

I love the Contessa. She uses excellent ingredients very simply. Rachel Ray nauseates me for a variety of reasons, including her cooking.

Yes. I grill lamb chops in a broiler, drop them down on some dressed greens with a bottle of wine, and non-cooks think I just did something huge. I don't think it's hard to cook really good food quickly.

Hey EB-- Have you seen a copy of The 60 Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey? Here was a guy who was concerned with taste, appearance, and other aspects of food that we value, and who developed recipes that hit those goals in under an hour. He didn't try to do the impossible, to make food that takes longer fit in under the clock. Those things that didn't fit in the last category went elsewhere-- other cookbooks one supposes. But he wasn't straining or cutting corners, just staying with those dishes that met all the requirements including time. He didn't start with time, he ended there. I see old pb editions are available from Amazon starting at one cent. I feel like the three of us in this thread should start a blog devoted to, what would we call it-- efficient cooking? As a result of having four kids-- each and every with his own healthy appetite-- I need to produce a fair amount of good food, and because I am typically running around in the afternoon, I don't usually have or take a lot of time to cook. Note On Relativity: some people's not a lot is other people's forever. Weekends I'll fool around longer cooking, but I'm in the zone, not trying to get it done as quickly as possible. Week nights, esp Wednesday (Sunday School (WHY is it on Wednesday??) and all the other driving around fetching and dropping off) I am under some time pressure. But Wednesdays I can usually go from zero to dinner in around 25 minutes-- that's rice pilaf from scratch, unbelievably wholesome Indian dishes microwaved for on top, and salad. Damn, I'm hungry just thinking of it, and I already ate dinner!

Mike,

My hat's off to you for cooking good food for your kids, while being sucy a busy father. That's got to be rough. I can understand the tempatation for busy parents to call Pizza Hut, but that's just wrong, wrong, wrong on many levels. Your food is nourishing body and soul at the same time. And the kids will grow up to appreciate quality in other areas of their lives.

My wife and I are lucky: the extent of our offspring is three cats. I do on occasion poach some fresh chicken livers for them.

My wife has an adult son from a previous marriage who will soon begin to make babies with his new wife, and we have 8, count them, 8, God children in southern Virginia who we will be moving from LA soon to live near. I expect a house full of little kids who will need some good food.

Yes, Sundays are my main cooking day. I typically do make something that can stretch through the week and helps make other dishes. I like that you cook Indian. I love Indian food, but stick with the safe stuff like vegetable curries and the like. I need to experiement more.

Oh, sometimes there's pizza, or when we are flat out desperate the nearby Chinese joint that has a buffet (in it's defense, while it does have french fries and lasagna, most of the Chinese dishes are very authentic, and the Peking Duck is as good as any I've ever had in China) so dinner is *really* instant. But yeah, in the main it's either the wife or I at the stove. (Both of us in the kitchen, cooking, is not a great plan..).

Some say cats are people too!

Two more quick things: Salad. Roughly chop and wash (must have a good salad spinner, we've gone through three OXOs-- they're good, we just eat a lot of salad) two or three head of romaine lettuce. Add a bag of mesclun, or else get a bunch of other nice lettuces. Again, roughly chop, wash, and dry. Add raisins, dried cranberries, cooked (al dente) pasta (pretty colors and shapes), toasted walnuts, pecans or pine nuts (I usually by five pounds of pine nuts at a whack, cheaper that way), chopped apples (made sure to drop them into a bowl with the juice of a lemon or lime to prevent turning color), chopped dried dates or figs, basil, oregano, tarragon, kosher salt, pepper, diced cooked chicken or cooked shrimp. Avoid arugula as it's usually too big, and thus on the bitter side. Sounds like a lot of fiddling, but really, with the nuts toasting in the toaster oven while you do other stuff, and the chicken or shrimp and pasta planned-over, the whole deal is done in about fifteen minutes. If you haven't planned over chicken or shrimp, you can add white solid abalcore tuna still in chunks. Oh, and don't forget either some freshly grated reggiano parmesean or else some fresh mozerella chopped into nice pieces. If you have hard boiled eggs, those chopped up (toss the yolks out) those are nice too.

Pilaf: Start with some EVOO in the bottom of a heavy dutch oven, and while that's heating whack up some shallots. Toss those in on low heat while you rinse the rice. Measure carefully, and be aware of the liquid to rice ratio suggested. Some rice takes 1.5:1 and some 2:1. Rinse well, til the water is pretty clear, shake off as much excess water as you can, and add to the shallots. Cook, on slightly higher heat stirring enough so it doesn't burn or get stuck to the bottom. When it's started to toast, then add the liquid. I generally use store bought organic chicken broth (easy, cheap) but water works fine). Toss in a reasonable amount of basil and oregano, adjust the heat to a simmer, cover and leave it for a while. Pop some pine nuts in the toaster oven, and fiddle with something else. Come back in time to keep the rice from burning. When the liquid is all absorbed, turn off the heat, and keep it in the pot a while, so it isn't too gummy. Toss in raisins and the pine nuts, as well as butter, salt and pepper to suit. This is a bit longer than the salad, about 20 minutes, maybe a smidge more. Serve plain or with anything else.

When are you moving?

Mike

Try your green beans with a little olive oil, pine nuts and lemon zest. We usually do them in a baking pan on the barbecue, beside the lamb chops.

Best barbecued lamb, and it's easy...

Butterfly a lamb leg (or buy one with the bone out) open it up, smear it with a mixture of coarse Dion mustard, chopped onion, a little garlic, tarragon and marjoram. Lay a couple of rosemary branches on top. Put it back together and tie it up.

Sear it on all sides on high heat for a few minutes, move it to a cooler part of the grill and cover it. In about half an hour to 45 minutes your guests think you are the Kitchen God(dess).

Let's hear it for the occasional fast food. Love the stuff, just am sorry to see that many live on it.

Yum to all the above recipes.

We're planning to be in the town of Pittsboro, NC, just about a 10 minute drive west of Chapel Hill, by Fall. I'm in clinical research and that area is a gold mine for someone in my business. And we can buy a huge home on a huge lot for peanuts compared to the shacks we can't even touch in LA, "real estate crisis" or not.

Great lamb idea. I do a butterflied leg of lamb the way you do, with the inside slathered with Dijon, rosemary, chopped garlic, but I put some pieces of paper thin prosciutto inside too. Tie it up and roast it on a high heat oven until the internal temperature come to 145 fahrenheit.

Make a stock out of the leg bone and perhaps some lamb neck bones if your butcher has them and drizzle that over 1 inch thick slices of lamb. Friggin' gnarly.

I'll try the green beans your way too. I love green beans. Thanks.

Prosciutto, eh? The light bulb goes on....what is it they say, anything's better with bacon? Come to think of it, what about a bit of pancetta in that lamb? Yummy fat...

Seriously, you've gotta try that on the grill - it's a completely different result.

Since we've moved to Chicago, I haven't been able to find even a marginally competent butcher. The best lamb we've found is from *gasp* Costco - they have a source of organic Australian lamb. Sad that it has to be shipped that distance, but it is good.

The legs that Whole Foods gets are what my brother-in-law calls Lambodon - some old horky ram, no doubt. No lamb has legs that big!

I learned a great short cut for garlic mash potatoes from my aunt years ago; you make instant mashed (use whole milk and real butter and they're quite good, thank you), then add a little sour cream and granulated garlic. Mix well. Absolutely delicious. And yes, just about anything you want to make from a Julia Child recipe will destroy the kitchen . . .