| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/13/2008 4:10:55 PM | The hell with learning how to become a better cook! Keep looking and you will find a lady who is a great cook, who probably has a thread titled something like this: "I'm a great cook and yet I have no one to cook for."
I'll be keeping an eye out for one for you. | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/13/2008 6:37:07 PM | Nice one Nauti!
Hey, maybe the thing to do is go to cooking classes and meet women who will show you their private -- recipes! | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/14/2008 4:16:05 AM | No problem AK, non-alcohol wine works just fine too. Also organic apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and rice-wine vinegar all work well for sauces. If you're not opposed to buying wine, but want to keep some around for cooking just remember if you long-simmer your sauces the alcohol content of the wine will completely burn off in under 30 minutes so in essence, it becomes "dealcoholized".  Alcohol has a lower boiling temperature than water so it boils quicker and with less heat. Long simmering also allows the sauce to thicken better. Good luck in your cooking endeavors! | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/15/2008 5:19:58 PM |
The hell with learning how to become a better cook! Keep looking and you will find a lady who is a great cook, who probably has a thread titled something like this: "I'm a great cook and yet I have no one to cook for."
And maybe tall and from, oh...say, Florida?
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/15/2008 6:59:46 PM | | Have you tried your local library? They have shelves full. I have found that most cookbooks today want to use a lot of pre- made ingredients. I personally like to cook from scratch and it is much cheaper. Try to find a cook book from a church there. They have good country recipes. There are Amish cookbooks there that have really good recipes in them. There are also loads online. Go to Kraft.com ad sign up for their monthly magazine and recipes are listed online. good luck! | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/16/2008 5:52:37 PM | I've found the Le Cordon Blue Classic French Cookbook has wonderful step by step pictures for a lot of different techniques. For me, it made it much easier to follow the recipes, which are fantastic. Found my copy in my bookstore's bargin bin.
The other tip is to use good/fresh ingredients.
Have fun, the tasting as you cook is part of the pleasure. | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/17/2008 6:51:47 PM | AK
There are some basic rules that I have found that helped me be able to create meals, and I use "create" because it is an art form
1) Relax and have fun
2) Get to know your spices. Taste them before you add them, because they may not give you your desired result.
3) Best way I have found to be creative, is to pick a meat (fish, beef, chicken etc) then to pick a vegetable or two, then a starch (potato, rice, pasta etc.), and then let your mood guide you. Let your mood decide on how to prepare it, wether its baking chicken with a can of mushroom soup on top, then puting it on top of a bed of white and wild rice with steamed vegs.
4) Taste your creation from time to time so you can make adjustments with herbs and spices
5) Your creations are only limited by you.
6) Don't be afraid of cooking, you will only get better.
Good Luck
Cheers
Ryan | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/17/2008 8:08:18 PM | Makes me think of George Thorogood's: I Drink Alone!
And you're single!!! Have you considered cooking classes?-) I've done it, the lessons were great, the problem I found was I didn't get to practice anything between classes. If I were to do it again, which it looks like I may be doing "Sushi" on Sunday, I'd just take "one-off" interest classes, maybe one a month so I'd have a chance to try it on my own a couple of times before learning something new.
I can do a few dishes well and the food network is largely responsible. Watching it a lot gave me confidence, not that I can make anything more than soup when attempting chocolatte truffles. Beware the BareFoot, you'll pack on the pounds with that one. | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/18/2008 6:22:06 AM | You've got some great advice so far.
They key is practice...the more you do it the better you get at it for sure.
Once you learn proportions and what flavors go with what the possibilites are endless. If you read through recipies you will get your own ideas.
Also, the Pare cookbooks are great, but I also recommend Jacques Pepin and Alton Brown. These are the best at teaching the basics of cooking, not just laying out recipes.
Happy cooking! | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/18/2008 6:37:04 AM | You know that some of the Jr.Collage's they have Cullenary class's that you can take for free or for mimm.amount | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/18/2008 7:46:42 AM | allrecipes dot com is excellent. You can punch in what you have in the fridge(chicken/brocolli for example) and it will come up with recipes for it and ratings...go for top ratings. Also you can look up say apple pie and find several different recipes....have fun!
Since cooking/baking is what I do, I highly recommend a GARLIC PRESS and using Fresh Garlic...your cooking will change overnight!
Good luck! Practice, practice, practice. | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/18/2008 9:22:19 AM | The PBS cooking shows are really good basic shows most the time... Americas Test Kitchens is a good one it gives the best techniques for recipes, because they do all the trial and error for you. You could also hit the local school that does Community Education and take an intro cooking class... You're never too old to learn!!
Cheers | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/18/2008 9:29:46 AM | Learning how to cook is like kissing, practice makes perfect! I have a lot of cookbooks and try new recipes all the time. Some things turn out just fine and others are complete disasters, and sometimes I change things around or add some of my own ingredients and they turn out the best. On a hot summer day, I'll try new salads, and in the winter I'll try new chili recipes until I find the one that everyone likes. I filled a binder full of my favourite recipes, so now when I want to find something? it's right there. 
Pink | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/18/2008 12:11:28 PM | | all so think about buying a JOY OF COOKING book it has all the cullenary cooking terms and a step by step directions too.That was the first cook book I bought 25 years ago.And it help me quite well.Before I moved to Switzerland and went to the swiss gastronamy and cullenary inst.And got my degree in cullenary arts | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/18/2008 1:00:23 PM | How to make a sandwich:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1jXkeoAcgY
How to roast a chicken:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ohiUbQyDhk&feature=related
A PEEP of chickens!
And for fast food:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo7NhhcB3AM&feature=related
Be still my cuisinart! | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/18/2008 1:12:18 PM | | lots of gobbly gook, probably spewed from a bad cook. All you need is a good sense of imagination and a bit of pride | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 2/25/2008 2:36:08 PM | I don't know if this will help - But it's a life saver for me!
I visit the free website - www.cooks.com
From there, anything I want - I type in the keywords, and add the word "simple" or "easy" before it - Example - " Easy Roast Beef ".
I get to see the recipes people have added - look at what I have in the pantry, and do as instructed. Once if "tried" it out, I'll decide if it can be hotter or sweeter, and "tweak" the recipe I have tested. If it works :P I'll print it out and add it to my collection :)
Check the site out - You'll visit it daily - watch :P | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 2/25/2008 3:39:18 PM | There is no right or wrong here...it is about preparing foods that you enjoy...and trying new food.
I grew up with good food, my mom was a home economics teacher, I knew how to cook at a young age. I am a good cook.
I cooked for my husband for 25 years, it was bland, it had no spice, not even salt... I tried to introduce new foods to him and the children.
I cook now for me. I have discovered that I like Thai food, I make it simple.
I have bought the spice mixes from the grocery store and follow the instructions.
Keep it simple. Start with the foods you like. If you like chicken, make chicken.... instead of fried chicken try taking the skin off the chicken, season it with salt/pepper, roll it in flour. Mix up an egg and some milk in a small bowl, dip the chicken in this mixture....then coat the chicken in Panco (a type of breadcrumb from Japan)....then place on a baking sheet into the oven.
see...now you got chicken.... a different way. The key is to make sure you have all your ingredients before you start. Do all the preparation and set out everything in front of you before you start...and for heck sake enjoy yourself.... experiment.
The Thai food...real simple too... all those ethnic mixes are good starters for something different for meats and veggies. | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 2/25/2008 4:09:58 PM | To become a better cook, I would suggest you invite someone over for dinner. That will give you the incentive to bring together the ingredients, inspiration and instructions.
And it's also a great excuse to clean the house!
G | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 2/25/2008 4:57:23 PM | Uh oh. So now, not only do I have to test spices and figure out how to make a great sauce, I have to CLEAN HOUSE?!?
Oh, my. Such heavy weights to bear. | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 2/25/2008 5:32:44 PM | Personally,.....my late ex mother in law enlightened me many years ago on cooking. She was an excellent cook and she influenced me more than anyone and I was lucky in that respect. Otherwise, the ex and I would have been eating a lot at McDonalds! My Mother was an executive and cooking was not her thing.
I also collect cookbooks and I feel like that is an outlet to learn new things. I own many more than I probably should! I am also not afraid to experiement and that is a good thing! | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 2/25/2008 6:51:52 PM |
Oh, my. Such heavy weights to bear.
psssst...AK, over here. Shhhhhh, I don't want anyone to hear this....meet me in the grocery store and I'll show you where all the pre-made stuff is...boxes, cans, bottles and best of all the deli. You'll have all the time in the world to clean your house. | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 2/25/2008 10:08:41 PM | It all starts with "getting a taste."
I get food cravings like whoa. I'm still learning a lot, but I have good instinct when it comes to flavors that I like so I'm good at combining things. I think that this is a basic skill--- provided you aren't picky.
I make things in simple ways..... then I make them again and again until I "get it right."
Living alone has made it work really well-- I can eat the same thing over and over again without anyone complaining.
Thanks to a year of lifting boxes at a wine store, I also have a pretty good idea of wines that I like, and what pairs well when cooking... but you don't need stuff like that.
It's all a matter of cooking a lot, tasting what you're cooking, and knowing what flavors you want.
It also helps to have friends who will eat what you make--- because if it turns out too well too often you might overindulge. | |
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| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 2/25/2008 10:57:08 PM | ok well i can tell you that cooking good food it is not about having a nice chicken sorry kitchen or good pan it is how you mix your ingredients it is like chemistry for example if you cook spaghetti at the right temperature and timing and add cheese you will make lasagna.
you dont have to be einstein to know how to cook, you just need confidence in yourself and on your mixture and everything will go well! | |
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