Don Tillman's Standardized Meal System

by Graeme Simsion

  Put first tray in the oven – commence timing.

  After 8 minutes, stir the ingredients, bringing in those on the sides as these are susceptible to burning.

  After 16 minutes, remove tray from oven.

  Repeat for remaining trays.

  Immediately after removing a tray from the oven, add 1/3 of the dried fruit and stir to create a homogenous mix.

  Allow to cool and store in jar(s) in the pantry.

  COMMON RESOURCES: BREAKFAST

  Fresh fruit (I recommend berries, stone fruit, oranges, apples, bananas)

  Yogurt or other dairy product or substitute (optional)

  Coffee

  PROCESS: BREAKFAST

  Time: 3 minutes.

  Put granola in bowl.

  Prepare fruit for eating (peel; cut into pieces; remove stones as necessary).

  Add fruit and (optionally) dairy product or substitute to bowl.

  Accompany with coffee (or alternative preferred beverage).

  _________

  1 I am not a professional dietician and you should not rely on my advice. But you should trust it more than that of unqualified authors of diet books and journalists reporting research. Or anyone suggesting that diet replace medicine.

  2 If you are concerned about health: do not smoke, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy BMI, and pay attention to the quality of your relationships (preferably with a live-in companion who can provide emotional support and take action in case of accident or illness: this companion will be motivated to stay to enjoy your cooking). Statistically, these strategies are more effective than any extensions to my diet principles.

  SATURDAY

  Lunch

  Omelet with herbs and green salad

  Dinner

  Grilled asparagus

  Beer-can chicken with roast vegetables

  SUNDAY

  Barbecued flounder with steamed vegetables Mango sorbet

  MONDAY

  Chicken and roast-vegetable salad

  TUESDAY

  (guests)

  Chorizo dates

  Chermoula-spiced salmon with couscous

  Turkish delight

  WEDNESDAY

  Mushroom risotto with green salad

  Chocolates

  THURSDAY

  Tacos with salmon and guacamole

  FRIDAY

  (if eating at home)

  Pizza

  SPRING SATURDAY LUNCH:

  Omelet with Herbs and Green Salad

  Omelets are one of the world’s most flexible foods: acceptable for any meal, even emergency late-night supper if dinner has been delayed (incredibly, parent–teacher nights and public lectures are frequently scheduled during dinner time). Fillings can be changed to use leftovers and provide variety, which is important to some people.

  On a Saturday, there is the possibility that the daily schedule will be disrupted by sleeping in and related activities, even to the extent of omitting breakfast. The omelet can then be served for “brunch.” A familiar meal will help to restore order.

  If this is the first time you have made an omelet (or if previous attempts have been unsuccessful), I recommend googling1 the task and studying one or more videos. The procedure is simple but better communicated visually. Appearance improves with practice; however, the results are seldom inedible.

  By the end of your first spring using the Standardized Meal System, you will be an expert, with a useful and portable life skill. Almost everyone has the ingredients for an omelet, but many lack a non-stick pan – more specifically, a non-stick pan which has not lost its non-stick properties through use of an unsuitable spatula or cleaning regimen. If your host has a damaged non-stick pan, I recommend disposing of it – surreptitiously, because experience suggests they will react negatively to advice on the importance of proper maintenance1.

  COMMON RESOURCES: OMELET

  4 eggs

  1 tbsp milk

  1 tbsp butter

  RECIPE-SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS: OMELET

  1 or 2 varieties of herb (I recommend French tarragon and you will have basil for the salad)

  COMMON RESOURCES: SALAD

  1 tbsp red-wine vinegar

  RECIPE-SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS: SALAD

  8 basil leaves

  70 g salad greens

  EQUIPMENT

  Non-stick frying pan (20 cm diameter)

  Bowl

  Whisk or fork

  Salad bowl

  Salad servers

  Jar for vinaigrette-making

  PROCESS

  Time: 12 minutes.

  Check: ensure you have made an omelet previously or watched instructional video.

  Chop omelet herbs into pieces (1/2 cm square1) to produce 2 tablespoons of each chopped herb.

  Put leaves in salad bowl. Tear basil leaves from stalks and add to salad bowl.

  Put vinegar and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in jar with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Put lid on jar (important) and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.

  Pour contents of jar on salad and mix with salad servers.

  Put pan on burner / hotplate, add butter, and set to 75% of maximum heat.

  Break eggs into bowl, add milk and salt, and whisk with whisk or fork until frothy (1 minute).

  Add chopped herbs, stir, then pour contents into pan. Perform omelet-cooking procedure (6 minutes).

  Remove omelet to a plate, cut in half, and put half on second plate.

  VARIATIONS

  Vary herb choice and combinations.

  Add grated cheese, smoked salmon, chopped tomatoes, or pre-fried bacon / mushrooms / chorizo to omelet as soon as the base is firm enough to support them. You can omit the herb(s).

  SPRING SATURDAY DINNER:

  Grilled Asparagus; Beer-can Chicken with Roast Vegetables

  Recommended alcohol: wine surplus to cooking process. White wine is probably preferable for cooking, but I prefer red for drinking. Almost any wine is compatible with chicken.

  In restaurants it is conventional to order, in addition to the main course, a first course and / or dessert. Even my mother, who did not meet any of the criteria for classification as a “foodie,” always made dessert and sometimes soup. However, in researching this book, I was amazed to discover that my friends and colleagues routinely cook only a single course1.

  To accommodate this practice, I have “dumbed down” the Standardized Meal System to specify only one course on some days. However, tonight’s meal is an excellent example of the advantages of multiple courses. The chicken requires considerable time to cook, and the resulting smells will stimulate appetites, create impatience, and possibly provoke alcohol consumption. It is generally recommended that alcohol be accompanied by food.

  The asparagus takes advantage of the barbecue being in operation. A green vegetable should accompany the chicken, and there is zero net increase in effort in cooking the two items serially rather than in parallel. Coordination of cooking times is also simplified.

  It is possible to use an actual beer can and beer, but I recommend purchasing a purpose-designed utensil from a barbecue shop and replacing the beer with wine. Beer cans are designed for beer preservation rather than cooking, and I consider the taste of beer incompatible with chicken. Obviously, if you prefer chicken infused with boiled beer, you should use beer.

  The asparagusic acid in asparagus will (after processing by your body) give your urine a distinctive odor, which approximately 70% of the population is genetically configured to detect. There is evidence that a small percentage of people process asparagusic acid differently and do not create the odor at all. An interesting topic for dinner discussion and experimentation.

  COMMON RESOURCES: GRILLED ASPARAGUS

  1/2 lemon

  Parmesan cheese

  RECIPE-SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS: GRILLED ASPARAGUS

  1 bunch asparagus (I recommend thick-stemmed)

  COMMON RESOURCES: BEER-CAN CHICKEN WITH ROAST VEGETABLES

  Quantities allow for leftovers to b
e deployed

  on Monday.

  200 g potatoes

  200 g pumpkin

  200 g sweet potatoes

  Wine

  Garlic

  RECIPE-SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS: BEER-CAN CHICKEN WITH ROAST VEGETABLES

  1.6 kg1 raw chicken

  1/2 bunch herbs – preferably tarragon

  EQUIPMENT

  Commercial “beer-can” barbecue cooking apparatus or empty beer can

  Serving plate for asparagus

  Serving plate for chicken and roast vegetables

  Small plate

  Grater

  Bowl

  Meat thermometer

  Carving knife and fork

  Lemon squeezer

  PROCESS

  Time: 2 hours, including at least 35 minutes unallocated time.

  Do not start unless you know how to carve a chicken (google instructional video if necessary).

  0: Remove chicken from refrigerator.

  20 minutes unallocated time.

  21: Activate barbecue – lid on, all burners on maximum. When 200 degrees is attained, turn off central burner(s). Monitor to maintain 190–205 degrees. If necessary, supplement side burners with central burners set low.

  27: Half-fill beer-can reservoir with wine and insert herbs with stalks intact.

  Lower chicken onto vertical beer can / equipment – can goes into cavity.

  Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then 1 teaspoon of salt and product of 4 twists of pepper grinder.

  30: Open barbecue lid; place chicken assembly over central barbecue burners; close barbecue lid.

  45: Heat oven to 220 degrees.

  47: Cut lemon (if not already cut) and squeeze. Pour juice on asparagus plate and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If asparagus is the thick variety, break each stalk at the weakest point and discard thicker part. Put asparagus in oil and lemon juice, and turn each stalk to contact the marinade. Return unused lemon half to refrigerator for drinks or future cooking.

  52: Peel potatoes and cut into 3 cm cubes. Peel sweet potatoes and pumpkin, and cut into 5 cm cubes. Chop 3 cloves of garlic into tiny pieces (1 minute); put garlic, 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, and vegetable pieces into bowl, and stir 15 seconds.

  57: Put 2 tablespoons of cooking oil on oven tray and place in oven.

  60: Open oven and pour contents of bowl (root vegetables) onto oven tray. Distribute with spatula to create a single layer.

  76: Put asparagus on barbecue over hot burners (at 90 degrees to grill bars, to prevent falling through). Do not discard marinade.

  78: Grate 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese onto small plate.

  80: Turn asparagus 180 degrees with spatula.

  82: Turn root vegetables 180 degrees with spatula.

  84: Remove asparagus from barbecue with spatula and return to marinade. Turn to coat with surplus lemon juice and oil. Sprinkle over the parmesan cheese. Eat with fingers. (Don’t forget to take time out to check the chicken – next step.)

  90: Clean fingers. Insert thermometer at thickest part of chicken thigh (not touching bone). Monitor every 10 minutes. When temperature reaches 70 degrees, turn off burners.

  Minimum fifteen minutes free time.

  Allow chicken to rest fifteen minutes or until temperature has risen to 74 degrees minimum (whichever is later).

  Turn oven temperature to low to enable potatoes to remain warm until chicken is ready.

  When chicken is ready: carve; do not discard carcass.

  Serve half the chicken meat with half the root vegetables.

  Refrigerate remainder of meat, vegetables, and chicken carcass.

  VARIATIONS

  Put 1/2 a tablespoon of truffle oil on the asparagus before adding the cheese.

  Squeeze the spare half-lemon over the chicken after carving.

  If the barbecue is sufficiently large – or you have multiple barbecues, as I do – the vegetables can be barbecued in the roasting dish.

  Rub the chicken with a spice mixture, e.g. commercial “roast chicken spice mix” or chili salt (refer margarita recipe, Spring Tuesday), instead of salt and pepper.

  Order the chicken “butterflied” and adjust barbecuing process to allow 23 minutes each side over medium direct barbecue heat. The chicken can be marinated for 4 hours in advance in 100 ml of lemon juice, 100 ml of olive oil, and 18 twists of the pepper grinder.

  If you require a green vegetable with the main course, I recommend grilling 2 zucchinis cut lengthwise into 1 cm slices on the barbecue or adding them whole to the roast-vegetable pan during the final 20 minutes of chicken cooking.

  SPRING SUNDAY:

  Barbecued Flounder with Steamed Vegetables; Mango Sorbet

  Preparation for Wednesday and

  Common Resource Maintenance:

  Roast-chicken Stock (minimum 4 hours cooking required, though only 7 minutes work)

  Other Common Resource Maintenance, if required:

  Frozen Mango (requires 6 hours to freeze – relevant if needed for tonight)

  Tonight’s meal is a perfect illustration of the adaptability of the Standardized Meal System. The fish can be virtually any variety of whole fish or fish fillets. In fact, it is possible to substitute other kinds of seafood, meat, vegetables, or even Greek frying cheese. If this is done, obviously the meal can no longer be referred to as Barbecued Flounder.

  Flounder, world’s best whitefish, has the advantage of being a flexible conversation starter. I recommend the following thirteen1 flounder-inspired discussions.

  1. Cooks are routinely advised that it is better to undercook than overcook fish. Does flounder taste better undercooked or overcooked? (Provide samples.)

  2. The flounder provides evidence of evolution: one eye has migrated from the opposite side of the head to support the flatfish swimming configuration, but not to the extent of being symmetrical with the other eye. A designer would presumably have made the eyes symmetrical1.

  3. Non-symmetrical eyes are widely considered unattractive. Why do humans correlate symmetry with beauty?

  4. Symmetry is common in nature. Why?

  5. Are flounder(s) all asymmetrical in the same way or are some (what percentage?) mirror images of each other? Does this result apply to all flatfish species? How can it be explained?

  6. Is the flounder asymmetrical when it hatches or does the asymmetry develop?

  7. Most fish swim in an orientation rotated 90 degrees from that of the flounder. What advantages are there in the different configurations?

  8. Some people refuse to eat a fish with its head (including eyes) in place. What is the source of this revulsion? What taboos would diners break if starving?

  9. Is the plural of flounder flounder or flounders? Does this ambiguity apply to other fish? Why?

  10. Is the fish the origin of the verb to flounder? Would communication be simpler if words could not have multiple meanings?

  11. The term flounder covers several species, some only distantly related. Should we revise the naming of fish (and biological taxonomies in general) in the light of DNA comparisons?

  12. What is flounder roe? What are the differences between male and female roe? Is your meal male or female? (Roe is even more delicious than flounder flesh and the discussion may prompt other diners to give theirs to you.)

  13. How well would flounder-shaped tiles cover a floor? How could the flounder shape be modified to achieve 100% coverage?

  RECIPE-SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS: STEAMED VEGETABLES

  8 small new potatoes

  100 g green beans

  COMMON RESOURCES: FLOUNDER

  4 tbsp plain flour

  RECIPE-SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS: FLOUNDER

  2 whole flounder(s), cleaned and scaled by fishmonger

  COMMON RESOURCES: MANGO SORBET

  200 g frozen mango

  Sprig (3 or 4 joined leaves) of mint (optional)

  EQUIPMENT

  Plastic or paper bag large enough to contain one flounder

  Pla
te

  Steamer

  Serving plate for vegetables

  Food processor

  Flounder(s) require large plates: I suggest serving the fish onto them rather than centrally

  PROCESS

  Time: 44 minutes, plus 5 minutes to prepare dessert.

  0: Activate steamer and put in new potatoes (no need to peel first). Sprinkle with salt.

  Chop ends off beans.

  25: Heat barbecue plate (not the grill) to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.

  27: Put half of the flour in the bag with first flounder and shake to coat the flounder in flour. Repeat for second flounder.

  30: Put both flounder(s) on barbecue plate.

  32: Add beans to steamer. Sprinkle with salt.

  36.5: Turn flounder(s) with barbecue spatula.

  41: Serve vegetables.

  43: Serve flounder.

  When ready for dessert: put frozen mango pieces in food processor. Process until the consistency of sorbet. Put into cocktail coupes or conventional bowls. If you have mint (e.g. growing in garden), add a sprig to each. Serve.

  VARIATIONS

  Butter can be used in place of oil (or mixed with oil to prevent burning) to cook the flounder. Butter can also be added to the new potatoes (optionally with parsley) when serving.

  Add 15 ml (maximum 1/4 standard drink per person) liqueur to the mango slices before blending. I recommend coconut (Malibu) or orange (Cointreau, Grand Marnier). If using peaches instead of mangoes, I recommend amaretto.

  COMMON RESOURCE MAINTENANCE: FROZEN MANGO (4 MINUTES WORK)

  If you have exhausted your supply of frozen mango slices, schedule this task at least 6 hours in advance of tonight’s dinner to allow freezing time. Otherwise, it can be done at any time.

  The total requirement for the season is 13 serves of 200 g flesh (approximately the yield from a medium mango), 2.6 kg in total. I recommend preparing a single serve the first week to enable refining (or deletion) of the amount after eating for the first time. After that, you can prepare any proportion of the remaining requirement.

  RECIPE-SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS

  Ripe mangoes (see above for quantity)

  EQUIPMENT

  Freezer containers / bags

  PROCESS

  Cut mango flesh from stone (4 pieces per mango, once you’re familiar with the size of a mango stone, but smaller pieces are equally good). Use knife to remove flesh from skin. Freeze flesh in batches of 200 g. Discard skin and stone.