Need more time for cooking? Could speed reading help?

I was reading about speed reading today. By working at it, you can really improve your performance. Skim over sentences. Pay attention only to the important words. Let the meaning flow and you will rapidly learn to read and absorb information at a far quicker pace. I want you to try this while reading this post. To assist, I am going to put the important words in bold. Now, speed read on…

Gratuitous meat picture of sorts. Fish meat this time.

First, a bit of the back story. Recently, I have had a large number of lengthy and pretty dull reports to read and digest. I had an afternoon of trudging through them and was tired and desperate for relief from the tedium. Inspiration arrived and I started to read about speed reading. It could save me time. It could free me from this boredom. I began to get absorbed. Too absorbed. Before I knew where I was, it was 7.00 PM, and I was due home to cook the evening meal. I ran from the office, down to the car. I drove responsibly, at or just below the speed limit (honest) home.

I kissed the Wife, cooked some rice opened the fridge and found Monkfish, Sweet Red Peppers and Parma Ham.

Three red peppers. They get so sweet when you roast them. Read on. Quickly now!

I cored and sliced the pepper, cleaned the monkfish and arranged the ham on the chopping board. I added the monkfish. I seasoned it with pepper and wrapped it. I sat it on the peppers and put it in a 200 degree Celsius oven for 20 minutes.

Seasoned and ready to wrap it up. Don’t look here. Keep speed reading!

Opened a jar of sweet chili sauce (a crime but it was all I had handy). I rested the monkfish for a few minutes, I served it.

The monkfish on the peppers before going into the oven. Don’t tarry. Read on. Speed read on!

I photographed while the Wife ate hers.  All in all, it took very little time. If I had made my own chilli sauce, life would have been better but what the hell. On balance, the earthy taste of the ham worked well with the sweetness of the sauce.

Another cold dinner. Getting a half decent photo takes time. It can be hell on earth…

Shame on you reading that into the last paragraph. Perhaps speed reading is not for you.

27 thoughts on “Need more time for cooking? Could speed reading help?

      • Would love to hear about that, as I agree completely on the afwul stuff.

        Speaking of which, the organization I work for has its own conference hotel in the woods. The hotel itself is OK and the surroundings are beautiful, but the food is awful. All the meat comes in frozen and marinated, vegetables are cooked to death, potatoes are always frozen ‘potato products’ such as pommes duchesses, and last but not least everything is served with a generous splash of chili sauce… I always try to avoid eating there!

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  1. Conor you crack me up. I was trying to click all the bolded words at one point and then was reading all the bolded ones in a sentence — I am so easily distracted. And your cold meal — that’s part of the life of a food blogger — getting those photos! BTW, I love your new header photo of all those things looking at me — hilarious!

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  2. “I photographed while the Wife ate hers” – Lucky wife! I have to sit and wait for all the photos to be taken by happinessstan before I am allowed to eat! (I always get the presentation plate though!)

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    • The presentation plate is done for looks not taste and can often be inferior to the regular big bowl. Go for the regular and eat on. On Sunday, at family dinner, I have to work under the added pressure of my mother and two daughters all advising on “the shot”. They are more motivated by hunger than high art. Happinessstan and I have a lot in common…
      Best,
      Conor

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  3. Hi Conor. I’m loving your blog. Great food photography and styling. Love your use of language and most importantly you make me smile. Was a bit slow on the uptake on the speed reading. It’s early (yawn)

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