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- therippa, on 10/12/2007, -2/+39Instructions to learn how to cook...
1. Watch Good Eats religiously
2. Cook
I don't pray to god, but I do pray to Alton Brown - holmes101, on 10/12/2007, -8/+29Ctrl-Alt-Chicken FTW!!!!
- omelette, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Its true. Thinking about the resulting dirty dishes is what keeps me from cooking 90% of the time and I really enjoy cooking.
- kwago, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Hah! Speak for yourself Rodriguez. I don't do either!
- craive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Good Eats = My favorite cooking show.
He is the reason I started brewing beer, which has a lot more to it than what he goes into on the show. But he shows you the basics and leads you on the right direction to learning more for yourself. FANTASTIC show, imo. - gengisPhat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6My wife got the Joy of Cooking for xmas. I started reading it and got hooked. I made homemade pancakes for the first time, they were freaking awesome (burnt the first one to hell though).
Next on the list: Oysters Rockefeller - baalzebub, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6well, when you own ten acres of woodland of mostly oak and a few hickory...
i cut my own :)
sometimes around thanksgiving i go to a place and buy some apple wood for the turkey, yummy... - crawfishsoul, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Rule #1 of homemade pancakes. Use a cast-iron skillet. Period. No teflon, no fancy stainless steel *****. Just pure, unadulterated cast-iron.
edit: and make sure you keep it seasoned! - VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6"I made homemade pancakes for the first time, they were freaking awesome (burnt the first one to hell though)."
That's common. It's know as the Sacrificial Pancake. - EricAnderton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6"Don't let cooking become a chore."
Yup. It's called survival skills folks - and it doesn't just apply to food. Buy the right tools and learn to make things for yourself, or forever pay the "idiot tax"
that manufaturers will happily slap on the garbage and shoddy service that you'll inevidably need.
Take the following *dead simple* comparison, for a pasta dinner (no sides):
Example:
Microwavable Pasta Dinner: $5.00
- Serves: 1
- Cost per serving: $5.00
DIY Example:
I bag of pasta: $0.99
I jar of pasa sauce: about $2.50
- Serves: 3-4
- Cost per serving: $1.17 - $0.88
And this recipe is easy: if you have a pot to boil water in, you're in business. The only thing that the DIY example costs you is a little time and maybe a few cents more energy on your end for the actual cooking part.
(* the above are my estimates, and based on my personal experience - YMMV) - tdp05, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I have always liked cooking, since I was a little kid and helped my mom in the kitchen.
If you want to learn how to cook, I second the sentiments about Alton Brown's Good Eats. He just makes sense.
Also, for different recipe presentation that strikes a cord with me, check out http://www.cookingforengineers.com. (not affliated at all, just a fan) The guy has book reviews, recipes and techniques. Pretty cool site. - Bluejaye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I couldn't agree more with the sentiment that you should learn to cook, because you will eat very well, even if money is tight. It seems to me that Home Economics is a dying art.
The best cookbook I own is "From Julia Child's Kitchen" followed by Alton Brown's "I'm just here for the food" and then "Joy of cooking" - Miyazaki, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Cooking is a lot like *****, you have to do both for the rest of your life. So you might as well learn to do it well.
~Robert Rodriguez - fotodevil, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Boo Hoo. Grow up and wash the dishes. I have a dishwasher, but I hand wash everything unless I make dinner for more than just myself and the wife. And clean as you go, it helps!
I shouldn't give anyone a hard time for not wanting to clean dishes because it is tedious (and is why my wife doesn't like to cook). But cooking is such a great pleasure and is so much fun that to not do it because of the dishes is just silly. - riah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4If you quickly rinse right afterward it's a breeze.
- msashlay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Might I suggest http://www.allrecipes.com?
Most recipes are submitted by users but there are also reviews, so you can avoid a crappy recipe.
I think there are nutritional facts for most recipes too. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I own more cookbooks than I've cooked recipes, I'll admit it, find them at the used book stores.. who can pass up a $4 hardcover book with pictures of food? Not me apparently.. Messing around with indian food at the moment, great book from Julie Sahni called Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking.. I'm no vegitarian by any stretch, but I figure if anyone knows how to make a vegetable taste good, it's probably indians. :) Also a great way to get your fill of healthy lentils.
My best friend lives a few doors down, never cooks, orders out pretty much daily, and we have a 24 hour grocery store across the street from here! Then he whines about how he has no money, doesn't know what he's going to do, etc. Hard to have much pity when the next day they're non-chalantly discussing where to order from. Sometimes he'll walk across the street, buy wine and cigarettes, and not even go into the grocery store! Gotta wonder sometimes. - hakukaji, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4good eats = amazing (peep demonoid for 9 seasons)
- eric0213, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I love his shows for his science and explanations. Though I prefer to use other recipes and just take the concepts he teaches.
- CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4the best way to learn to cook is out of necessity. this is a skill i am picking up due to the fact i have to get creative since i dont have lots of money to blow on all sorts of convenience foods.
- EricAnderton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4From one ameteur to another: welcome to the club.
If you're starting out from having zero cooking skill: plug yourself into Food Network for about a month if you have cable. Barring that, just what you can online of Rachel Ray and (as others have mentioned) Alton Brown on Good Eats. Their books aren't bad either. Either way, pay attention to knife technique and the differences between boil, *broil*, bake, fry, simmer and sweat. The rest is up to your palette.
Thrift stores and yard sales are also great places to pick up old/used cookbooks. Unless their diet/health oriented, the recipies within never go bad - although you might have to read around the occasional grease stain or two. ;)
Pro Tip: Don't turn your nose up at the international/hispanic section of the local Safeway. Anything with "Goya" printed on it is going to cost cents to dollars less than the same domestic product. - EXreaction, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Most things that take a long time don't need constant attention.
Like the BBQ ribs we make, they take just a few minutes to prepare(if you count the total time and divide it by how many we do, it does take a little longer 1 at a time). Cover the raw ribs in a mixture we call "rib rub" ( its a secret what is put in it ;-) ) fill the bottom of the pan with beer, cook it for 4-6 hours at about 200 degrees F(I dont know the exact info on that, I never did that part before). Take them out, wrap them up and throw them in the cooler. To heat for a meal just throw it in the oven for a few minutes(what works great is a pie tin, put a little water on the bottom, and put the ribs over it). Then pour some warm BBQ sauce over it.
A very tasty meal that doesn't take much time to make. Cooking time is quite long, but you don't need to watch it during that time. - eric0213, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I prefer using a fruitier wood, like apple. Pecan is nice one too.
- baalzebub, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5i love cooking, i just made some homemade chili, plus there is nothing more tasty as hickory smoked BBQ pork...
- VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"There are plenty of great recipes, but more importantly, the recipes are explained in simple everyday terms"
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't pretty much all recipes? I can't remember the last time I was confused by a recipe. - TheWorkz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Homemade pancakes are the best!! Makes those Krusteaz mixes not so appealing..
I was turned on to VideoJug recently from a Digg post, and they have some awesome recipes and it is easy to follow. That is where I got my pancake recipe..
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-american-pancakes - ExSlashdotter, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4just make sure you get one that knows more about cooking than you do.
- inquebiss, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I really don't understand our complete disconnect with food. Nobody even knows what they are eating anymore, let alone how to cook actual fresh ingredients. How many people don't know that flour comes from wheat, where sugar comes from, or how to make mac and cheese without velveeta? So few people can even make a mayonaisse and, in fact, have no idea what is in it.
Instead, we eat $.99 burgers and chicken mcnuggets, or indulge in psuedo-italian cuisine at chain restaurants, completely clueless that those burgers are bone scrapings from industrial grade animals (really old milk cows that are past their prime), or that not every italian dish has a cream sauce slathered on it. Food is not only a part of survival, but of happiness. One would think more people would take in larger interest in it. - tdp05, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3no, because I don't eat *****.
- NanoStuff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"If work takes up so much of your time, I'm hard pressed to see how you're finding fulfillment in your life."
I have things to look forward to. Death or a utopian singularity, either one :) - KissTheRing, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6Ctrl-Alt-Chicken makes me feel better about my cooking as an casual cook. I'm glad I'm not the only one to screw up from time to time in the kitchen, but really, good show.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You don't even need to buy a pasta sauce!! There are tons of great no-cook pasta sauces for those without enough time, energy or money to buy store-bought sauce. Besides pasta sauce is simple and a great way to make your place smell great all day. Heat oil, fry onions, squeeze a can or two of tomatoes into a pot, some salt, pepper and a bay leaf and you're good to go. Optional additives: sugar, ground beef (paid $4 for 3 lbs the other day canadian), wine, fresh herbs.. I like lots of basil and a bit of dry oregano.
- harleyfrog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Another "Good Eats" geek here. In addition to the show, I keep a copy of "Joy of Cooking" handy (it's my bible) and buy issues of "Cook's Illustrated" http://cooksillustrated.com (a great cooking mag for the terminally geek ;).
- fotodevil, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Alton Brown's "I'm Just Here for the Food" is a great source. It teaches you how to cook, not just to follow recipes (though there are recipes in the book). Not to sound snobby about cooking (I'm no pro, but just enjoy it), but cooking is more of an art. There are certain rules and methods to apply, certain combinations that work well together, etc. But you have to have some creativity and a willingness to experiment. AB's book, as well as his show Good Eats, will arm you with those basics.
I used to love Legos, too. I would spend hours building a set. Once I built it, I would knock it down and build something on my own. That was always much more fun. - AdrianRice, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I would like to be a good cook, but I also like Lego! The reason I liked Lego was the clear visual instructions, therefore I was getting constant confirmation I was on the right track. Alas, I am yet to find a good recipe site (or book) that doesn't look like an essay or have step-by-step pics. Once I get supreme confidence surrounding the basics, I'll be off experimenting myself.
- josak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'm in the process of learning to cook. After almost two years of constant fast food and takeout... time for something new.
- inquebiss, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That's why there are so many male professional cooks.
- fuggo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I will never knock Good Eats. He is the Bill Nye of the culinary world. I've got 20 or so on perma-save on the tivo, and 8 seasons in avi on dvd. From a lesson about food, food history, food science, etc... Alton cant be beat. But I prefer the recipes featured on America's Test Kitchen (especially Julia's).
The testing corner is not bad either, just like Alton, if a $5 doohickey out performs a high priced / high end brand name whatzit, they will tell you. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I already cook. wtf. Do other ppl NOT cook?
- omnithought, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2This is much better than Rachael Ray. At least they're teaching cooking techniques rather than making chili mac and calling it a cooking show. And no horse-toothed, snort-laughing, raspy, cackling, drunken, catchphrase-laden idiocy!
- tito13kfm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I love the domain name, I have always been reluctant to expand my love of cooking because of confusing recipes and unknown terms in cookbooks. This site seems to be a no-nonsense guide to cooking good food easily.
I also love the fact that unfamiliar terms are linked directly to directions on how to do it. I have no idea how to saute, but the site links to a page on the recipe telling me how to. - VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yep, the ONLY way to dice an onion, as far as I'm concerned.
- amandaw33, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They do this on cooking shows and I always wanted to try it... It def takes me way too long to dice an onion
http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/cut_onion.htm - VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Good for you! The best part is discovering new things that you've never even had before. I had goulash for the first time a couple of weeks ago, just from browsing a cookbook.
- VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I know a lot of people who do not cook. They literally eat out or get the Ralph's pre-made Chicken Dinner or equivalent EVERY NIGHT. These are grown-up, married couples, even! I know a couple of roommates who didn't even bother to get gas service (a paltry 12 bucks a month!) the entire time they lived in their apartment. You'd be surprised to what degree home cooking is on its way out.
- washcapsfan37, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1For more "exteme" homemade pancakes, sacrifice a little water and add Jack Daniels (about 1 shot per 4-5 pancakes). Most of the booze will cook off, leaving a nice flavor behind. Great way to nurse a hanover the next day (or just continue from the night before)
- Shilov, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1One of the best reasons to develop cooking skills is to better-control what you eat and in what quantities, along with the quality of the material and how it is cooked. A lot of 'convenience food' has too much salt, cheese, or fat to cover up over-cooked mystery meat and mediocre vegetables. It's definitely a skill that people should teach their children from childhood, so that they aren't forced to learn from scratch later on.
- bluness, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I used to be like all your non-cooks out there.. always too impatient to cook or lazy to do dishes so I'd go for Ramen noodles, spaghetti with store-bought sauce, tv dinners, uncle ben's and food from a can.. then I went to study-abroad in Germany where a lot of that stuff is way more expensive or non-existent... I had to learn to cook or eat out all the time.
Now that I'm back.. there's no way I'd ever go back to the pre-processed, high-fructose corn syrupy food I used to eat. I was already pretty skinny guy before I started to cook and just by cutting out all that american pre-processed food, cooking my own meals, buying fresh stuff... I lost all sorts of extra fat and FEEL way healthier. The food TASTES 10 times better and doesn't COST nearly as much. Yeah, you're not going to cook perfect food the your first time you start to cook, its a bit of a skill... practice a little, see what works, experiment a little. You'll impress your friends, girls (or guys) and feel all over better about it. - LostOnion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I could not agree more! She is the most irritating human on the planet.
- Shilov, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If you don't mind paying a restaurant to wash your dishes I'm sure you could employ some local youth to do it for you at home and still come out with pretty decent savings if you eat at good restaurants. Doing dishes doesn't really take that long, though, unless you put it off.
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