cooking?

i'm thinking of making this blog much more about cooking. i've been quite obsessed lately with what to make for lunch. when i'm not working, i eat whatever there is: leftovers, frozen pizzas, frozen meals, sandwiches, soups, and even breakfast fare. i can cook whatever because i have access to my full kitchen; i could make a 7-course meal if i wanted to. but now that i work and usually only have access to a microwave, i've become a lot more conscious of what i eat. when i used to work (years ago at this point) i would buy fancy vegetarian frozen meals and bring those every day. i have since realized how expensive those are. i do keep one in the freezer for the odd day where i just don't have time or energy to pack a lunch.

anyways i've accumulated a couple of cookbooks and recipes here and there for delicious take-to-work lunches. that i don't always take to work. i thought i should start sharing them here. there are plenty of blogs about bento lunches and lunches for toddlers and what-not. but i feel like there's a complete lack of sites for people who just want a good nutritious easy-to-make adult lunch.

i'm starting with the basics. i've made a few sandwiches, bought a glass tupperware (for use in the microwave), and am getting into the habit of making my lunch. as i discover good lunch recipes or dinner to lunch recipes, i'll let you know. i'm also looking into a few lunchboxes. we'll see how this all goes.

ideally, i would want to create a cookbook of sorts. where you start with 20-30 ingredients (most of them condiments) and you can create an infinite number of recipes. that way you can stock your kitchen and not get bored with what you're eating.

tonight i'm going with the suggestion of preparing more of my dinner so that i can reuse it as a lunch. tonight is pasta with an artichoke pesto. (which i wish i could say i made by hand. maybe when i get a food processor.) tomorrow will be pasta with either a tomato sauce or more of the pesto. i'll take my camera to work and photograph my food there. to show what it looks like after reheating. also since i have school twice a week i'll have to bring things there to eat for dinner. this will be super interesting.

i will need to note the prep time (how long it takes just to get it to work) and the reheat time, if necessary. all ingredients and equipment needed. since i own very little equipment, these will be quite basic: a sharp knife, a bowl, a peeler, etc. i hope this comes in handy to anyone who is in the same quandary i am. how to make delicious lunches with minimal expense (of time and money).