When David Carter was in college at Mississippi Valley State University , he says he was a cash strapped kid who liked to eat .
The first time he cooked by himself , away from his mother ’ s watchful eye , he made a casserole out of ramen noodles and other inexpensive items .
“ I remember I just kind of threw things in there and let it do what it was going to do ,” Carter recalled , laughing .
Later , he visited the family of a college friend and made spaghetti . The last step in his special recipe – putting cheese on top and putting the entire dish in the oven – impressed them .
“ When I came back the next time , they asked me if I was going to make my spaghetti ,” Carter said . “ That ’ s when I realized that it was something that they really enjoyed . I didn ’ t really know my cooking was all that until then . It was kind of funny to me .”
Carter , who is now approaching 50 and works as a computer network technician , can invest a bit more in his ingredients these days . He sometimes gets fresh oysters from Florida and he loves to check out different grocery stores when he is out of town to see what unique ingredients he can find .
He said there is not much he can ’ t make himself . Carter is truly able to make it all - from pig ’ s feet and turkey necks , to eggrolls , to broccoli casserole , to gumbo . He also enjoys grilling , making brisket , chicken , ribs and other items .
“ I really don ’ t enjoy eating out as much ,” he said . “ Usually , I kind of look at what ’ s on the menu and think about how I could make it myself and enjoy it at home .”
Carter is a big fan of experimentation – taking a recipe and then adding additional ingredients or doing ingredient substitutions .
“ Sometimes I just sit up late , thinking about different combinations I want to try ,” he said .
Despite his resistance to eating out at times , he said he does enjoy eating out on vacation or when on the road .
“ I like to eat the foods an area is known for ,” he said . “ For example , when we ’ ve gone to Chicago , I like to eat the deepdish pizza or Chicago dogs . In Austin , they are big on barbecue , so I had to try that out .”
Carter said he recommends that cooks start with solid recipes , including those found on sites like Pinterest . From there , he said people should figure out what works for them , and where they want to experiment .
“ Like with anything in life , there has to be some trial and error in cooking ,” he said . “ I would say if there is something you want to try to cook , make it , see how it turns out , and then decide how you want to experiment with it from there . I can be pretty hard on myself at times , thinking about how to change something , but I think it ’ s worth it to get better .”
Carter said when he eats at home , he also feels more able to ensure that meals are healthy .
“ At home , you know what ’ s in something ,” he said . “ You are in control more of what you are eating .”
On the lighter side , he said he enjoys making a vegetable soup and also a chicken soup – items far healthier than the ramen casserole catch-all he made as a young adult .
“ With soups , I think about the ingredients ,” he said . “ I like to do what I can fresh . Those ingredients matter .”
PEACH COBBLER 1 28-ounce can peaches ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1½ cups self-rising flour 1½ cups sugar ½ cup brown sugar 2 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon nutmeg 2 teaspoon lemon juice 1 stick butter ½ cup milk
IN EVERY ISSUE
Melt butter in baking pan . Pour peaches and syrup in a mixing bowl . Then add flour , sugar , nutmeg , vanilla , brown sugar , and lemon juice . Mix together and pour all ingredients in a baking pan . To make crust mix flour , sugar , and milk together . Make sure the batter is a little thinner than a pancake batter . Pour on top of peaches . Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top . Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour . continued on page 10 www . meridianstar . com
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