|
|
|
|
|
| How does one become a "better" cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 6:17:11 AM | OK, so here it is. I live alone and have for a long time. I cook a mean cheese quesadilla and can warm the daylights out of leftovers--when i have them--but I want to do more. My mother never taught me to cook and I get depressed watching cooking shows because those folks were obviously born with a major cooking gene.
I have good knives and good pans and a nice kitchen, but I do NOT know how to put them all together to make nice food. I especially would love to know how to make good sauces.
So, cooks, how do we who live alone do this?
 | |
|
*Tee*
|
Joined: 9/4/2005
Msg: 2 | |
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 6:31:02 AM | When I first got married I really didn't know much about cooking, but wanted to learn everything I could. I bought every cookbook imaginable, and now have quite a collection. Thats what helped me the most, although you do have to find books that are simple and recipes that are tested to be accurate. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that just because it looks like a good book with lots of info, it doesn't mean the recipes were tested and true.
I would strongly suggest the Jean Pare series of books called Company's Coming, simply because they're easy to read, and VERY accurate. She has books on pretty much anything from desserts to main courses to appetizers.
If you don't want to spend the money, you can search online for recipes that you might be interested in. The only site I ever refer to, again because of its accuracy is the All Recipes site...
http://allrecipes.com/
Use the search at the top of the page to direct you to any recipe you might be interested in. The recipes are rated by people that have used them, so it gives you an idea of any problems anyones come across while following them..
Hope that helps..Happy Cooking! | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 6:41:22 AM | Learn techniques, their results, and how to duplicate them. The master here is Jacques Pepin, specifically his video series on techniques. Google might show something but they used to be on PBS regularly. Also his worldwide award winning cookbook.
These are short but they are freebies from his site and cover the basics, chopping garlic and parlsey, setting up a cutting board.
http://search.live.com/video/results.aspx?q=%22Jacques%20Pepin%22&FORM=BVRE
by "their results" I mean look at really good food you get at a restaurant and examine it -- how did they get it this way? I always ask myself. A good cook not only has tools and utensils but is familar enough with the RESULTS of techniques to be able to identify them even when others have done it. How will a meat look different when braised compared to roasted? Using what technique will the carrots get sweet w/o adding sugar?
practice, practice,practice
Those guys with shows weren't born with anything you can't learn. But passion for it sure helps take/get you there!
But for a person like you I'd guess your main downfall would be lacking techniques. Learn their differences and then the reverse... when to apply what technique to get the result you desire. That is where analyzing restaurant food can help. Do the same thing with taste. Try to guess what is in it. Also do the same with texture. Can you tell basmati rice from regular? converted from basmati? | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 8:19:41 AM | It's not really genes. It's really getting a feel for the chemical changes that happen as you apply more and more heat. The best way to improve as a cook is to think things through while you are cooking in order to understand why the recipes call for you to do the things you're doing. They're all designed to create some sort of effect, otherwise we'd just eat everything raw!
Starches break down into simple sugars. Simple sugars then carmelize into complex sugars with aromatic components. Those complex sugars mimic the flavor nuances in ripe fruit, which is what makes them taste so good to us--our evolutionary ancestors were fruit eaters and fruit is the original comfort food. To understand sugars, experiment with making simple syrup, rock candy, and caramel.
Proteins get firmer. The degree of firmness depends on the specific internal temperature. When overdone, the protein matrix gets wound up so tightly that it squeezes out all the juice (water). Then the meat gets dry and tough, egg yolks get dry and crumbly. When you baste a roast, you are using water evaporation to temporarily reduce the heat that enters the meat. To understand proteins, experiment with eggs. Then, use a meat thermometer to see what temperatures correspond to the colors and textures of meats at different degrees of doneness. If you apply sufficient heat for a long-enough time, connective tissues within meats eventually break apart and the meat gets stringy (like pot roast).
Fats and oils liquefy but do not mix with water. When fats and oils overheat they start to smoke and turn rancid.
Emulsions are mixtures of oil, water, and a third substance called an emulsifier. An emulsifer can be a starch or protein that binds with both oil and water. Sauces, batters, doughs, custards, jellies, are all emulsions. So are foams such as whipped cream and beaten eggs, which incorporate air. Pancakes, cakes, and pie crusts are air emulsions in which the water is driven out through evaporation caused by heat and the structure is frozen in place by the hardening of proteins within the mix. Sometimes air is introduced by beating (whipped cream). Sometimes it's introduced by yeast action (bread dough). Sometimes by chemical reaction (pancakes). Sometimes by water evaporation alone (pie crusts, puff pastry). To get a sense of emulsions, play with roux as a thickener (equal parts flour and butter cooked to different degrees of brownness). What causes that brownness as you apply more heat?
When you cook vegetables, first the cell walls rupture, releasing sugars, proteins, and starches. At this stage the veggies turn a bright color or go translucent. If you apply more heat, the sugars start to carmelize. More heat and the starches break down (they go soft and lose color). You can stop the cooking process at any point by immersing the veggies in an ice-water bath. Blanched vegetables are "shocked" this way just after they brighten in color.
Every food item has a certain density, and the more dense an item is the longer it takes to cook. So, when you stir fry or otherwise prepare items with different cooking times, add the firmer ones first, and allow them to to soften to the same degree of density as the next item to add. To get a sense of this, play with stir fries.
The last component of cooking is flavorings from herbs, spices, and extracts. Many experts say that dried herbs have more flavor than fresh, but I don't think that's true. With these sorts of flavorings, it's just a matter of adjusting to your taste.
Speaking of tastes, there are five flavor components and all the other nuances are actually aromas. The tastes are: sweet (sugar), salt (careful here, see below), sour (acid), bitter (can be good!), and savory (glutamate, or "imami"). You want to strike a balance with these.
Salt is a bit of an issue. We don't instinctively know how to regulate our intake, and so people can really overuse table salt. My crackpot theory about it is this: When we crave it, it's often because we're really craving trace minerals that we'd normally get from eating sea vegetables or ocean fish. If you add a tiny bit of kelp when seasoning, you need much less salt. Plus, kelp is high in glutamate so it adds a savory component to your dishes. You don't have to add so much that it affects the flavor, but it is much healthier than dousing everything with vast amounts of salt. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 10:42:31 AM | | I think Tee is right with recommending the Jean Pare cookbooks. Very easy to make and understand. I also watch tv shows to gain info. Just trial and error I think. If one doesn't try, then one cannot improve. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 10:59:12 AM |
practice, practice,practice
For the majority of us, like anything less it's call practice,failure,and more practice.
I'm a good cook and one of the first accomplishments which took months and a lot of practice was to flip a fried egg without breaking the yoke.
And to know and understand fire and heat in how it changes what to be you cook. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 11:10:39 AM | a couple things to keep in mind, off the top of my head:
you need patience, and lots of it. being on both the teaching and learning end of cooking techniques for many years now, I cannot even say who needs more: the person who wants to step in and fix it or the one trying so hard to get it right.
the other is that there is a rather big difference between gas ranges and electric ones. an electric one takes time for the temperature to change as the coil has to heat up or cool down after you change the setting, with gas its near-instantaneous because its open flame. You have to get a good feel for what you're working with, and it can be tricky to switch if you get put in that position.
oh yeah, don't go for the hard stuff right away, I think you already know that but I thought I'd just toss it out there. Work your way up. And the more of a recipe you can memorize, even short-short-term, the easier the process will be. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 11:21:03 AM | Well, ain't an expert, but good enough a cook that some folks have asked me for years to open a restaurant....so I must be doin somethin right! I took my advice from great grandmothers, some people who's food I really enjoyed, a few tips from mom and dad...and the rest I learned as I went...and I'm still learnin'. The most basic thing I learned is...ya gotta wanta cook. Otherwise, it seems like things just go south in a hurry. Once the desire is there, practice all ya can. Find somethin ya wanna make, and do it....taste it...is it right? Does it look as it should? What could make it better in presentation or taste?
Most of my cookin was learned from family, friends, and a few recipes I saw and wanted to try....I have found that allrecipes.com is a good source, but I also like goin' to cooks.com.....it's pretty loaded with good recipes, and some from well known establishments. Good luck! Oh, and if ya use iron skillets and don't know proper care of them....go to:
http://www.lodgemfg.com/useandcare.asp
I had told an ex sister in law how to take care of hers, but she kept forgetting and found that this site helped remind her. Happy cookin'! | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 11:24:22 AM | Well, it wasn't the ingredients or all the cookery books and lovely recipes that got me into cooking. It was a man and his hungry stomach and my desire to satisfy hunger that turned into a wonderous passion which released the mutual energy for  .
Hmm ... my ignited interest for cooking is still here and although I cook just for myself and my son, whatever is left over is either going into freezing containers or is gradually eaten within a few days.
OP, maybe you should invite some of your friends for a simple lunch (you could muster) and these gatherings might take in turns. And while digesting and sipping a cup of tea one can exchange tips how to make dish slightly different or maybe offering a help when someone else is cooking. 'Hand-on' experience is the best teacher.
Good luck! | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 12:16:17 PM | | Practice, trial and error, and I ask other people. I actually thought I wasn't that great at cooking, but then talked to some other people that have some really scary methods :) I have picked up a lot of ideas and techniques from cable. Cook for some friends, and keep the pizza delivery number handy as a backup! You'll be fine. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 12:25:37 PM | Go rent "Once upon a time in Mexico" - the version that has the five 10 minute special features with Robert Robriguez. One of them is "how to cook".
I've never seen anybody explain the answer to your question as well as this. I promise if you watch it you'll go "oh!".
Seriously. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 2:53:27 PM | | Invest in a copy of The Joy of Cooking. I can't say that I've used a lot of the recipes in the book but the information I've gleaned about basics and technique have been invaluable. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 3:09:13 PM | | some schools offer basic culinary classes. Or barter lessons for something you have .............wait I think that is what dating is ............. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 3:25:21 PM | If you like pasta with tomato sauce, I can give you the easiest simplest way of making the best tomato sauce in 30 minutes or less....Eat your heart out Rachel!!!
You must email me directly; I sure do not want to divulge my best sauce for the world.
Lastly, always begin your cooking with the best and freshest ingredients you can possibly find and or afford, and do not overcook most foods.
A clue for the tomato sauce, one can't ever put too much fresh basil in tomato sauce. (You should be able to find it in the produce section if bunches, use what you want and freeze the rest.)
Starches break down into simple sugars...Proteins get firmer...Fats and oils liquefy...Emulsions are mixtures of oil... Ace, too much info for a novice to absorb. Wouldn't mind having you in my kitchen though, it could be fun, but I don't want to make rock candy.  | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 4:14:17 PM |
Hand-on' experience is the best teacher.
Yes and there are so many good articles in the newspapers, on tv and from friends,relatives,the list goes on and on.
And when you get the feel and passion in what you try to cook your senses can be endless in trying many different things.
Like making love ~smile~ | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 4:44:24 PM | | I was always in the kitcken at a young age and learned from my mother I always liked to eat a lot lol so I learned very young how to cook .Now I love to prepare great meals from scratch , so just trial and error and some errors are really a great meal as well ;) Good Luck ,Jim | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 5:17:57 PM | Practice ,Practice,Practice........I used to be the same way,,But now I love cooking....It took me a year to learn how to make gravy..LOL...But you gotta try cookin for people and ask what it needs....You know,,to much of this,,not enough of that,,,but you pick up on things..Read some recipes..but alter them to your taste..You will learn,,its fun too... | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 6:40:53 PM | Good comments here , and as Lanfear57 said , learning to "manage" heat is overlooked in books .
Her comments apply to ovens as well , my electric runs about +25° hotter than the knob says .
Not much ? Add 25° and go the same time , and your biscuits just became hardtack . 
Aluminum/light colored vs dark colored (non-stick/brown pyrex) matters also in an oven (dark absorbs heat)
Skillet too hot ? Turn it down , but don't wait on the burner if it's electric , slide it off for a minute ...
Baking = formulas , not much room for error
Cooking = taste it as you go along , it ain't rocket surgery , have fun & don't burn it .
 | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 8:07:56 PM |
Can you tell basmati rice from regular? converted from basmati?
Yes. In fact, the only rice I eat is basmati. Well, some jasmine, too, I guess. I was brought up on curried rice, but I can't make it the way the Indonesians or Jordanians do and get frustrated when I try!
| |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 8:11:53 PM |
Get you spouse to cook for you.......
CUT YOUR TONGUE OUT, LIGHTLY BREAD AND SAUTEE IT, AND EAT IT!! Never use the "S" word again!
| |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/9/2008 8:53:01 PM |
have fun & don't burn it
Yeah, about that. Here's a tip: never leave the room when you're cooking rice.
Anybody wanna see my blobs of aluminum that used to be a pot? I have several. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/10/2008 4:59:46 AM | If you seriously want to learn technique, I would suggest you buy an all-'round cookbook ("Joy of Cooking" would be fine) and a five-pound bag of potatoes and then:
a) bake one
b) boil one
c) nuke one
d) mash one
e) pan-fry one
f) deep-fry one
g) grill one
ad infinitum . . .
. . . and when you perfect the technique on the potatoes, you could transfer that skill to other foods using the same technique . . . . | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/10/2008 8:10:31 AM |
practice, practice,practice
For the majority of us, like anything less it's call practice,failure,and more practice.
For me, it's been more like practice, failure, quit. I'm a wee bit short on patience, you see. And it's so much easier to whip up a gourmet cheese enchilada....
The 'science' of cooking did help, though. Being a bit of an anal scientist, that techie stuff sorta makes sense. | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/10/2008 8:58:32 AM | Hi AK , Well in answer to your question this is how i went about it.
Ive alwys been into food in one way or another,mainly because i was always roped into helping my mother out in the kitchen.I was also a fan of dining out, whether it be pub grub or a birthday treat in a local good restaurant.
A special event came up and i found myself invited for dinner at one of the uk`s best country house restaurants in the lake district....Long story short i was totally bowled over and couldnt take in just how anyone could cook to such a high standard of excellence, 8 courses of sheer heaven.I drove back out of the hotel gates that evening a totally different person.
The very next morning i ventured into my local bookshop and hunted out a cookery book "Cooking - the new way to success"...basically it was the only beginners book onthe shelves.My challenge - to learn to cook to the same standards of the masterchefs of that country house.
Once again, long story short , i began to experiment inthe kitchen, trial and error but mainly good fun using the best local ingredients i could find.I also ended up writing letters to some of the best chefs in London and spent days and even a week observing and cooking in their michelin starred kitchens, all of which spurred me on and increased the passion within.Then even better , i found myself writing articles for local newspapers on food and that also led on to several t.v. programmes.
So , from such a simple venture into your local bookstore , great things and very happy memories can happen.
Oh and if u want timings for your first lesson on boiling an egg......Shout up.
Good luck matey.
Alan | |
|
| How does one become a better cook?
Posted: 1/10/2008 9:15:22 AM | If you're short on patience maybe learning more directly might help. Where you can take in all the details and maybe even duplicate the results immediately having seen some one do it. (I do this with cooking shows, BTW, I record them and play themback while I make the dish. PBS has a load of them free every week on saturday morning)I've found that almost everyone has something one can learn from them -- at least one or two things they make very well. Ever thought of taking classes through a community college or nearby culinary school?
If you are technically minded then embrace that -- I've found what works for me has changed over the years depending on my base knowledge. When I was six it was enough to count 3 eggs and match up the 1/3 cup oil to the back of the cake mix box and that got me started. Science would have done me no good. Now I love it, and you may greatly enjoy this website:
http://www.cookingforengineers.com/
But everyone is different. For instance I laugh at rsx's suggestion of not leaving the room. I always do. I set mine real low and use a bit more water for a fluffier, lighter rice. But I use a timer usually and I've been smoked out of other buildings by fellow tenants who have not. I also have an unusually acute sense of smell and will often smell when foods are done even when I'm a room away. I can't say I even know how I do it because I often get up to get them repeatably seconds before the timer goes off -- I think its smell. Obviously this isn't going to work for everyone but it does for me so figure out your strengths and utilize them.
The show you may really enjoy is America's Test Kitchen on PBS saturdays and their corresponding magazine is Cook's Illustrated. Once an awhile I find them to be a little too anal and over exacting with too many extra unneeded steps but for the most part they are on the mark and they think like you do. They're on the web, too. The cookingfor engineers site has their magazine listed on their recommended reading.
Ultimately I have to agree that a lot of cooking does come to science and if you watch little old ladies cook they will be, without knowing it, very scientifically repeatable when they cook. They know it works best one way. They act like scientists some times! Experience has taught them what they can modify and when they can do it. A lot of the old wives tales actually relate to science -- like never make divinity in the summer. High Humidity spoils divinity is the scientific explanation.
Also, search and read the past threads here as there is a lot of gold among it all -- how we helped onesimpleneed learned to make bread that he could never do before, for instance. | |
|
|
|
Home
login 
