Cooking Mini Poll

mocha beans

Yes. Part watching my parents, part wanting some variety, part having actual useful cooking equipment. Mom and dad both eat from scratch, so there was plenty of chances to watch and help. But it never sunk in until I got my own place. Apt kitchens and cheap tools sucked, so most things were simple and easy, sprucing up a jar of spaghetti sauce type stuff. Getting a house with a useable kitchen, and a set of awesome pots and pans and other utensils, really go me interested. I hung out on a specialized cooking forum and picked up a lot there. And buying good cookbooks helped, the types that explain clasic techniques and recipes.

missy68

Beatles, I think it does - J got me a Kitchen Aid stand mixer last year for Christmas (his sister told him she'd be pissed if he got it for her as a Christmas gift), which he thought of on his own, after I used my mom's at Thanksgiving.I think it makes you "feel" more like a cook in the kitchen, and more willing to try recipes, too.  I'm adding a springform pan to my collection, and trying a cheesecake this year. I do lots of casseroles - I like to be able to have "all-in-one" meals that are easy to reheat, since I eat dinner alone. Makes for good leftovers to reheat and take for lunch, too. Cooked vegetables are infinitely easier on my tummy than raw, as well.

brookelynpaisley

Night, I'd be happy to share recipes. I'm seriously not very adventurous. I use very simple recipes and DH usually kicks them up a notch. Message me on FB if you want me to send some over, or email me at brookelynpaisley at gmail dot com

mwhitson14

So y'all think having good cooking stuff makes a difference? Because I had one shower before the wedding was pushed back and got some amazing cookware and other fun stuff, I'm actually really looking forward to using it!

beatlesgirl25

Anna, don't think I won't do it. I'm about to make another batch. It's a 2-day process, so I make it about twice a year and end up getting 3 huge jars that take up the entire back of my fridge. Night, here's a quick, easy, and very tasty recipe. We actually had it tonight, it's one of my favorites. The fish stays crispy even after reheating, so you can make it with a pound or two of cod and have leftovers for later in the week. I didn't make the mashed potatoes, but they look delicious.Roasted Citrus-Crumbled Cod with Sage Cheddar Mashed Potatoes: http://tinyurl.com/yajw68x

brookelynpaisley

Aw, thanks Fish

NotNumbers

I can cook, but I'm not super-great at it.  And don't really enjoy it that much. I learned from mum, from recipes and from trial & error.  From the time we were about 12 we had one night a week we had to cook.  It could be anything we wanted to make (within reason), so long as we got a meal onto the table. 

MeaghanandMichael

Double nothat's what I have a husband for

squirrly

Yes.  From my mom and my grandmothers as a child.  I was always in the kitchen if they were.  I flung cake batter in the ceiling (accidentally) with the kitchen aid in my grandmother's kitchen when I was 4.  By the time I was 14, I was the only one in the family who could make my great-grandmother's coconut cake for my grandfather's birthday.  I've also spent tons of my time in front of the TV watching Food Network & attempting to learn something from them. 

anna.oskar

Beatles:  I'm in South Dakota.  No Korean food what so ever.  Not even an asian market. it would make my Christmas.  Heck, people around here think chinese food is just egg rolls and sweet & sour chicken.dang.  Now i need to travel somewhere that has dim sum

sarah0725

Lazy grad student casserole recipe for Night:Ingredients:Boneless skinless chicken breast, maybe 2 pieces, cut up into little chunks that fit in your mouthSome amount of pastaA jar of vodka saucePackage of shredded cheese1. Preheat oven to 350.2. Pour half of vodka sauce into Pyrex dish, dump in chicken and pasta, then the rest of the vodka sauce, and stir it around a bit so everything is coated in sauce. You might want to add a little bit of extra water to get the last of the sauce out of the jar.3. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake in oven for 40 minutes.4. Take out of oven, and dump cheese on top, artfully if you so choose.5. Put back in oven for 20 more minutes.6. Try not to burn your face on cheesy chicken goodness.

beatlesgirl25

CS, Missy, Whit - ITA about good cookware. I had mismatched, scratched-up, thin-bottom aluminum pots and pans. Then when I moved in with FI, he dusted off a box of brand new Wolfgang Puck cookware that his mom had given him for graduation a billion years ago. I didn't even know how the shape and material of a pan can make such a difference in cooking exactly the way you want things to be cooked. Well, that and gas stoves. I love cooking with gas. Whit, you should take your new cookware for a test drive! I totally used our registry for higher end kitchen appliances, and a Le Creuset, which my sister actually got me (I just wanted to get it with the registry completion discount after the wedding). I love that thing.

Night_Sprite

What is vodka sauce?

Moneypenny424

I love to cook and I'm good at it, if I do say so myself! I learned partially by watching my mom, but more just by being curious.  Cooking is like chemistry lab (I'm a nerd, I like chem), but I get to eat it.  I think it is fun to experiment with things, so I'm pretty adventurous. I'd say you can start with basic recipes to get some skills down.  From there, just try what you're interested in!  Food network online sorts recipes by skill level, so that is an easy way to find some simple dishes.

anna.oskar

Night: you can get it at hy-vee.  It's a spaghetti sauce

Moneypenny424

Beatlesgirl, my Le Creuset pans and dutch oven are the best things on Earth!  I love them so much.  I make lots of yummy stews and stuff in my big red dutch oven :)

brookelynpaisley

vodka sauce = pink sauce. Made from essentially mixing marinara with cream. And vodka.

mocha beans

Having good equipment makes aaallll the difference. Thicker pans means less hot spot, more consistent temps, ect. I started buyin Calphalon One pans and chucked all the Walmart crap, and you wouldn't believe how much easier it was to cook. Things sear like they're supposed to.

squirrly

I highly recommend allrecipes.com for recipes.  Put in the ingredients you want to use, search, and sort by rating.  Go with the top ones.  I've always had good luck.I also LOVE Southern Living cookbooks.  My mom always had a bunch of them growing up, so that's probably part of it.  Cooking Light is by the same people, and also has lots of good stuff.  I think you might like this cookbook:  [url]http://tinyurl.com/yj24vwj[/url]

beatlesgirl25

Anna, that's terrible! That must be awful to be stuck with that kind of "Chinese" food all the time.Here, maybe this will help:[IMG]http://i34.tinypic.com/2w4y983.jpg[/IMG]This was my last batch. I also made some kaktugi (radish kimchi).

sarah0725

It's a tomato-based sauce that has vodka in it in addition to the tomatoes, and I think cheese of some kind. It's a paler color than regular tomato sauce, kind of a pinky orange, and it is DELICIOUS.Anyway, that's the easiest recipe I can think of, other than:1. Put Idaho potato in oven at 350.2. Wait 1 hour.3. Eat.

beatlesgirl25

Money, does your Le Creuset ware have the black handles or just cast-iron extensions? I have the black knobs and am afraid to put them in the oven to braise anything, because you're not supposed to heat the knobs past 375 F. Do they really melt? I want to test it but I'm not that crazy.

Night_Sprite

I wish you could buy less than 4000 potatoes at a time.

Moneypenny424

I have the black knobs, but everything else is just cast iron.  I guess I've never put them in the oven at a temp higher than 375!  I also wouldn't chance it. What color do you have?

beatlesgirl25

Yeah, I only use >375 for braising or for baking fish, and I wouldn't make fish in the Le Creuset. I have the Caribbean blue round one, but I really wanted the red (they didn't have it at Macy's to put on our registry). I love the colors. What color are yours?

beatlesgirl25

Oh duh, I just saw that you posted you had a red dutch oven. I'm jealous. Also, H can't help but giggle every time he hears "dutch oven." It's so mature.

mandysmear

Yes.My mom, my grandma, my sister, my husband, my aunt, my "mama".  I learn new cooking techniques on a daily basis.

Sooles

yes. very well. the internets taught me.

beatlesgirl25

Haha, dutch oven. Thanks CS. According to my lil LC pamphlet, it says you can use it on all heat sources, which includes "vitroceramic glass." Also: "When using on any glass stovetops always follow the manufacturer's guidance for use of your cookware. Never drag pans across the glass, but lift on and off, or from one heat zone to another."I would think because the cast iron is encased in ceramic/porecelain, that's why it's okay on glass stovetops. Unless the weight is a factor.

missy68

Beatles, I'll get them out and post tomorrow. I had to adapt pot roast for Mr. Picky (no veggies in it, but I used the seasonings I'd normally use). The french silk pie is an asskicker. It has raw egg in it, but we've always made it that way. Off limits to pregnant women, though.