Any crappy cooks out there?

[Anonymous]

I am a crappy cook. I own a zillion cookbooks. I watch the food network. I have tried but my food never tastes very good. I would love to be able to cook better and cooking just doesn't strike me as a genetic sport.

Anyone else out there?

[Anonymous]

Have you ever tried taking a basic cooking class. My mother was not much of a cook if any but when I graduated college before grad school began she gave me ten cooking classes at L'academie du cuisine in Bethesda. That was the gift that keeps on giving and my husband is the first to thank God I learned to cook.

[Anonymous]

Me too, OP. I'm such a bad cook that my kids think school lunch is great food. They will often ask me if they can make eggs or quesadillas themselves instead of eating something I'm planning on serving. And, like you, I have an entire cabinet full of cookbooks.

[Anonymous]

Hand raised here!! I've tried, but it's hit or miss for me. I have found a few (very few) dishes that work at home - but cooking for anyone else is hit or miss. Even if I've mastered a dish, when I cook for company I always manage to screw it up some how.

[Anonymous]

Amazing. Just 5 minutes ago I was thinking about posting the very same topic on DCUM. Yes, I am a bad cook because I don't understand a lot of technique. I ruin every piece of fish or meat I make, save for chicken.

I am a good baker, though, because that involves far less skill IMO.

fwiw, I have found more than once that women who consider themselves to be solid cooks are actually not impressive. So I wonder how we are defining our terms here.

[Anonymous]

I can be a decent cook IF (and there are a lot of IFs):
* I'm not pressured. Trying to get multiple items on the table at the same time while entertaining (be that children or inlaws) and setting the table, can frazzle me and lead to all sorts of mistakes.
* I've read through the recipe a few times and gotten everything out and ready (again, time and focus)
* I truly have the right ingredients and don't try to substitute low fat sour cream for real sour cream or some other substitution
* I buy the right cut of meat for the recipe
* I've written out the timing if it is more complicated than the average weeknight dinner
* I have good tools such as sharp knives and good, heavy pots and pans, an oven that is the right temperature.
* all adults are enjoying a cocktail or glass of wine
* I have an audience that will appreciate my cooking. Unfortunately, DH doesn't always have the same taste in food as I do. I'm more Mediterranean, he's more Southern. In other words, I love garlic, cheese, olives, capers... he loves BBQ sauce, BBQ seasoning, bacon, and all meats are grilled, all of which are fine in moderation but not every night.

Also, somehow when DH cooks dinner, I set the table, make the salad, cook the green vegetable, and pour all the drinks. When I cook dinner, I also set the table, make the salad, and cook the green vegetable, and pour all the drinks. For some reason, when I cook I am exhausted by the time we sit down and there's a good chance that something was forgotten or didn't come out at the right time.

[Anonymous]

Watch America's Test Kitchen--this is the best show on TV for teaching technique. It's on PBS.

Simple recipes are the best--IF you use top quality ingredients.

Also, be sure to use all your senses when you cook--smell, sight, taste, touch, and even hearing (sizzles, pops).

Finally, don't panic. This is what gets DH every time. It's like watching an old person on a laptop--he is terrified of making a mistake or "hurting" the food.

[Anonymous]

OP,

Maybe you should identify three things you want to cook well and practice, practice, practice.

Is there a pattern to where you go wrong?

Do you like seafood?
Here are two of my favorites.

OVEN SHRIMP
One pound medium shrimp, fresh, peeled.
Heat over to 450 degrees. (Yes, that hot.)
Put spring in a large pan.
Coat in olive oil and fresh lemon juice and a little salt and lemon zest.
Cook for 10 - 12 minutes.
Serve with rice or pasta.
(This is from Amanda Hesser on food52.com, who was inspired by Mark Bittman of the NYT.)
BAKED SALMON
Heat oven to 400.
Cover in olive oil.
Put fresh orange juice over it.
Add salt and paper.
Cook until done, depends on thickness.
I was doing this for a few years, saw that it's one of Sara Moulton's standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amazing. Just 5 minutes ago I was thinking about posting the very same topic on DCUM. Yes, I am a bad cook because I don't understand a lot of technique. I ruin every piece of fish or meat I make, save for chicken.

I am a good baker, though, because that involves far less skill IMO.

fwiw, I have found more than once that women who consider themselves to be solid cooks are actually not impressive. So I wonder how we are defining our terms here.

I think baking requires just as much skill -- but it's a different type of skill.

I am an adequate, though by no means stellar, cook. Having good cooking tools helps. Prepping all my ingredients beforehand in order to only concentrate on the recipe also helps (it also makes sure I use the exact quantity called for in the recipe without estimating). I got the 10-piece glass bowl prep set from Williams-Sonoma to encourage me to do this.

Good spices are also key. OP, if you're in Montgomery County, take a trip up to Penzeys.

[Anonymous]

Something that I've noticed. . . people whose moms were good cooks tend to be good cooks themselves and people who helped out in the kitchen preparing dinner, etc. as a kid also tend to end up being good cooks. I grew up being my mom's sous chef so learned a thing or two.

Some things that have helped me:
1.) If trying out a new recipe, give yourself plenty of time!
2.) Do all prep work before hand and have everything in little bowls ready to be thrown in as needed
3.)Delegate responsibilities! Make your DH wash/chop veggies and set the table. If that's not possible, consider doing prep work the night before.
4.) If you have older kids, make them into your sous chefs-I was mincing garlic with a cleaver by age 7 (not saying you should do that, but my mom had no problem showing me how to use a knife)
5.) Get yourselves some good equipment. I can't tell you how much more motivated and how much more fun I have now that I got some nice cookware and knives.
6.) Your food processor can be your best friend

Happy cooking!

[Anonymous]

12:27 here. I taught myself how to cook starting in my 20s. My mother was a terrible cook! So there's hope for those who didn't have that.

[Anonymous]

My grandmother was a TERRIBLE cook and once my Aunt was old enough to do the cooking for the family (around age 10, she says) she learned how to cook because she hated her mother's cooking! Now she's a fantastic cook so you can definitely learn how

[Anonymous]

Experiment. There is a basis for each recipe and all the other similar recipes are just variations of that basic recipe. If you're looking for a particular dish recipe find few variations and try to identify what basis is. Then add to that basis according to your taste. If you aren't sure and have plenty of time and clean pots, divide it in 2 or 3 portions and experiment with each portion.

Few things to remember: avoid using canned ingredients as much as possible. If using canned, try to use good stuff: like using whole canned tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. Or plain canned beans instead of seasoned. Never ever use canned soups as an ingredient. This rule also helps to weed out crappy recipes from good ones.

Onions: they make all the difference. You can make a potato soup without potatoes but not without onions. Almost all recipes start out with sauteing onions.

If you're using any spices, be sure to add them at sauteing onions stage. It brings out flavor and aroma.

Disclaimer: I don't know if I'm a good cook, probably not, but I do enjoy cooking and my kids like what I make.

[Anonymous]

I am a crappy cook mostly because I don't enjoy it, I'm very impatient, and I just want to take shortcuts, and the key to good cooking is often the details.

I'm a snob about food though - mostly because of nutrition and I really do see food as fuel for health and energy, so I've gotten to where I hate eating out because it's salty and I don't know what quality ingredients they are using. Does my husband find me annoying for this reason? Most definitely.

Luckily, opposites attract and he enjoys cooking so he does the bulk of it. We have a pretty good system going where he makes two big meals per week that does four nights, and then we have some simple meals we put together that I can do or help with. I like baking more, so I will make big batches of bran or flax seed muffins for breakfast and my mom has taught me a couple of simple recipes I like to make on the weekends and freeze - tomato sauce, casserole, etc.

I prefer to have people over for brunch because I can make a really good egg casserole and a delicous pumpkin bread loaf. Otherwise if we have people over for dinner, my husband cooks.

[Anonymous]

Did somebody call me? Here I am. Crappy Cook.

I hate cooking. I do it out of neccesity. Sometimes it tastes good. Sometimes everything goes wrong. I'd like to think I do more good than bad, but my husband keeps offereing to cook when we have guests over. I guess I should be offended, but - hey - why fight that?

I think the poster that said everything is in the details is probably right. Who has time for details? I just want to get food on the table.