The Cooking System
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02 June 2010
Feed the family fast with the trusted TT Cooking System. Table Tucker won't fool you into buying ingredients you don't need. The meals are fresh, healthy and full meals which won't leave you without a side dish or garnish. Cook only three times a week and come home on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to a fresh and ready made meal!
If you are cooking for one, cooking for two or cooking for a family Table Tucker is a flexible system for saving money. Budgeting is easy with groceries costing the same every week. Table Tucker supplies 52 shopping lists and seasonal pantries for buying in bulk. Simple savings are made at every opportunity and all you have to do is eat dinner!
How to Use Table Tucker
Table Tucker arranges your cooking schedule so you only have to prepare meals three times each week. By consolidating your cooking actions, you save time, energy and precious world resources. TT also works to reduce waste. Recipes repeat again in the second half of each month in different combinations, to use up left over ingredients or frozen combo meals. Shopping lists and recipes also work together to reduce waste and save money. Cooking the recipe twice allows you to learn it, so you can also whip it up on the fl y any time.
Table Tucker shopping cycles
Depending on your lifestyle and budget you will use Table Tucker differently from the next person. To take advantage of the maximum savings possible, I suggest setting up your annual pantry. It is likely you already have most of the annual pantry items. Th ese are items such as dried herbs and spices. Do the suggested seasonal and monthly shops. (See the Quick Start Guide p. 21.) Also do a weekly shop for perishable items such as fresh fruit and vegetables. Buying in bulk reduces your grocery bill, reduces the time you spend shopping, and reduces petrol costs getting to the shops. Most importantly, this method drastically reduces your food packaging. Find a spot in the garage or a spare room for bulk non-perishable items if there isn’t room in the kitchen.
If you don’t have the budget or space for a bulk-buy, TT includes the pantry items for every weekly shop. You will notice TT lists the bulk size to buy and then specifi es what quantity you will use in brackets (see Easy Measures p. 8). Th is method still allows you to buy in bulk but builds your pantry up over time.
Flexible choices for busy people
Each week there are three square meals (Serves 2) and three combomeals (Serves 4-6). Th e square meals are interchangeable. For example, if you don’t like fi sh, simply flick to Sub It, Swap It p. 12 or choose an item at the shops such as sausages. Th e square meal sides are also interchangeable. For instance, you might swap Sunday night’s salad with Wednesday night’s veggies. If you are going to spend time in the kitchen, I highly recommend cooking the combo meal at the same time. Chop up all your garlic and onions at once (see Sunday Cook-Up p. 77) and combine your cooking as much as possible to reduce energy and washing up. The best part of cooking only three times a week is that when you get home Monday, Wednesday and Friday night, your meal is waiting there in the fridge for you! Fresh and ready to go! If you like you could have a big cook-up on the Sunday. (See Sunday Cook-Up p. 77 for week prep ideas.)
No matter which way you look at it, you will still spend time in the kitchen three times a week. If you follow my method, you will find cooking two meals at once, three times a week, works well. This way dinner is fresh and you can freeze left overs for a later date on the night you cook them.
Ways you can use Table Tucker
Use Table Tucker in its entirety to save time, money, sanity and the world. It’s your best choice! You can use Table Tucker as an accompaniment to your lifestyle during busy periods when you don’t have time to work out your dinners. Alternatively, you might simply use Table Tucker as a guide to stay focused while shopping and cook up your own recipes and ideas with the ingredients. Use Table Tucker as a traditional cookbook by choosing meals from the index at the back. Use the index to find recipes for left over ingredients.
Read Table Tucker like a regular non-fiction book!
There are many Instant Inspiration topics to ponder over. Get interactive! Present your ideas online. Over time you will become an expert at using Table Tucker, and you will shop and whip up menus and meals quickly and easily.
Cooking for One
Stretch a weekly menu over a two-week period. You will have left overs for lunches and more no-cook nights. Repeat weeks 3-4 to use up ingredients and left overs.
Flatmates and Couples
You will have left overs from the combo meals to take for lunches and to heat again for more no-cook nights. Repeat weeks 3-4 to use up ingredients and left overs.
Families
You may need to double some square meal amounts. The combo meals should work out just right for you. Repeat weeks 3-4 to use up ingredients and left overs.
Single Parents
If you have your kids part-time, Table Tucker is perfect for you. You can use the combo meals for the kids every night they’re home and enjoy square meals in their absence.
Vegetarians
Easily substitute your square meals with a vegetarian item and substitute vegetarian ingredients for meat in the combo meals. Each TT meal is built around a seasonal vegetable so you will find substituting meals easy. (See the vegetarian list in Sub It, Swap It p. 12 for ideas.)
