The Asian hotpot favoured in countries like China, Korea and Vietnam encourages diners to practically cook their own meal from scratch.
These are dishes so easy and reliable that they practically cook themselves, allowing you the brain space to obsess over your crummy day, daydream about the perfect suede boots or chat on the phone, your dinner progressing all the while.
It practically cooks itself.
Compared with all this, a pork chop practically cooks itself.
Winter is easy, a stew practically cooks itself.
Be it as simple as spaghetti with jarred marinara sauce, or something far more exotic or involved, the steps have become so ingrained that the dish practically cooks itself.
Zapped in the microwave, the tamales would have ended up dry and hard, just like practically everything else cooked in that other time-saving device.
Maslin uses the stuff in practically everything she cooks--this tea is practically a religion for the couple.
At most places, it's a highly refined little presentation: "The chef would like to welcome you with these special flavors," a waiter will say, handing you a bit of smoked salmon on a transparent cucumber slice, or a teaspoon of eggplant cooked down practically to jelly.
I grew up in a house where my mother was both an educator and politician which was the equivalent of 2 full time jobs but still somehow managed to make a home cooked meal practically every night.
To thicken the gumbo, he combines the Creole technique of using okra, cooked until it practically dissolves, and the Cajun method of using file powder, made from sassafras leaves, which the Cajuns learned from the Choctaw Indians.
