Interview with Gosia Klimowicz

November 8, 2012 by  
Filed under Blog

Gosia Klimowicz - Food Portions

We interviewed Gosia Klimowicz for the tip on Cook And Order Just Enough, here’s the full interview:

Describe yourself and what you do.

I’m a PR consultant by profession, home cook by passion. I love hawker food in Singapore but I have decided to make most of my meals at home to be more sustainable, health-conscious, save money and cut waste. I bring my own lunch to the office and cook dinner after work. Cooking helps me to wind up after a stressful day and empowers me as an individual as I can make my own healthy decisions, control the amount of food I eat and track spending more efficiently.

Why is it important to consider food portions before cooking? Is there influence from your family?

My mum always taught me that one should never waste food. I live by this rule and it upsets me a lot when people throw away food because they order too much or don’t store it properly. Cooking the right portions means that you not only cut waste but it also makes your food tastier, as you are using just the right amount of ingredients and can serve it food fresh. It can help you to save a lot of money as well.

How do you decide on the correct portions? Who taught you?

My mum usually cooks meals using organic and home-grown ingredients and makes sure the portions were just right for everyone.There are hardly any leftovers even though she rarely freezes the food for later, being an ‘eat everything fresh’ advocate.

I try to follow her style of cooking while adjusting some measures – I cook for one or two people now, not for a whole family. My style of cooking is also a bit different since a lot of ingredients are more expensive in Singapore than in Europe, and storing food in the fridge and freezer is a must given the climate here.

Do you use any measuring tools or websites to help you? Any special tips?

I hardly use any measuring tools when I cook the food I know well. If I cook something new, perhaps trying a new cuisine, I look up the recipes and measures on trusted blogs rather than culinary magazines. They tend to be more accurate and give more useful tips than the commercial publications.

I also enjoy watching culinary programmes such as MasterChef Australia, where the professional chefs share a lot of tips on how to prepare, portion and store food. I also make sure that the food I cook lasts me for a few meals instead of just one. It saves a lot of time and money. I cool it down and portion before I store it in the fridge in plastic containers or small bowls.

I also use a weighting scale and measuring cups when I need to be very specific with the amount of ingredients I use.

Is it difficult to cook just the right amount for your family?

I left my home town for uni when I was 19, and spent most of my adult life living on my own. It can be hard to adjust the portions if I cook only for myself and it is also easy to overspend while grocery shopping. Hence, it is important to have your pantry stocked with the basics: rice, pasta, flour, spices, onions and garlic, root vegetables, some canned tuna or other fish, and buy the exact amount of fresh ingredients you need.

Interview and Image credit: Gosia Klimowicz