A Good Cook Sometime

Hello All,

First, let me introduce myself since I am a long-time lurker but first time poster to this group. My name is Robert, and I live in Topeka, KS where I work as a computer programmer/prepress graphics artists. One of my great pbuttions in life is cooking -- I have something like 70 cook-books!

Now, for several years I've endeavored to hone my culinary skills, and I think I've been fairly successful in this regard, but there is always still much to be learnt and perfected. Some of my more recent endeavors have been oven fried chicken (the *real* thing -- not shake and bake), home-made potato salad, Corn Beef and cabbage, tamales, peanut butter cups.... (BTW, if anyone wants the recipes to these, then let me know -- they all turned out delicious.) So, I figure I'm pretty versatile in what I'm able to make and am getting my techniques and recipes a little better over time.

The thing is that cooking takes time, and a combination of busyness (and laziness) often precludes any meaningful cooking ventures at the end of the day. During the work-week, I will often subsist on such things as canned raviolis, pre-packaged flavored rice, home-made hamburgers, etc. Although such items provide nurishment, they do little to widen my knowledge or increase my culinary repertoire.

So, my question is two-fold. First, am I the only one who is a good cook sometimes -- i.e. mainly on the weekends? Second, does anyone have any advice on how someone can still have the convenience during the week of fast meals while simultenously exercising some degree of sophistication and skill in their preparation?

Anyway, hi to all. Say hi back and tell me about yourself.

Believer