Farmgal asked why I'm such a lousy cook. It's kind of hard to explain, but I'll try.
My mom was an average cook. Spaghetti sauce came from a jar, but she "doctored" it to make it fairly tasty. She tried more recipes as I grew older, but she just didn't have the knack for it.
I, too, suffer from the same "lack of knack." My gravy turns out lumpy. My soups are either over- or under-seasoned. Meats often end up dry (I am paranoid about meat being cooked completely, and thus overcompensate by cooking it to jerky.). Typically my meals turn out bland. Every once in a while, one particular spice or herb will be too overwhelming.
I can bake. I can do a pretty decent homemade pizza, an ok loaf of homemade bread, and yummy cakes and cookies. I just can't cook everyday meals.
Some of it is my (oft mentioned) problem of laziness. I take shortcuts because it's easier, and it results in mediocre food. Some of it is because I don't taste food while I am cooking. Some of it is because I just don't have a natural instinct for flavors or a natural feel for the process.
I can cook rice and boil pasta, but that's about it.
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7 comments:
First of all, the gravy. Don't let lumpy gravy determine that you're a bad cook. I'm a very good cook and I still end up with lumpy gravy occasionally. It just happens.
Now, the meat...have you ever considered a pressure cooker? For cuts of meat, like stew meat or chicken breasts, you're looking at 10-15 minutes to perfection. It takes just a bit of water or broth and a few seasonings and you end up with fall-apart tender meat that is extremely juicy. Throw in a few noodles after the meat is done and you have a main dish in under 20 minutes. And you can pick up a pressure cooker at Walmart for $40, give or take.
Or, have you considered a crock pot? That's just the lazy-womans saviour!
I don't think anyone is born with a natural instinct, but through trial and error (lots of error) you begin to figure out what flavors go together.
PS-My best friend Suzanne can't cook and I didn't know it till this year. It takes a lot of courage to admit that you can't do something well.
Thanks for answering my question,
As for the gravy, are you making it with flour, if so consider moving over to thickening with corn starch, so much easier to work with, and if you are just wanting to thicken up a dish like a stew or soup, you can also consider adding in a small amount of instant mashed potato's flakes, if lightly sprinkled on top an then stirred in they will just melt in and naturally thicken the stew up.
Better to be underspiced at the end of cooking and then being able to add a little extra on top, then to be overspiced and trying to figure out how to reduce it.
I agree with andrea, if you are worried about the meat being properly cooked, I would look to either of her idea's, using a slow cooker is great but if you are in a hurry, can I highly recommend a meat thermometer, so you can check the temps, and know they are safe without needing to make Jerky :)
Can't do a thing about the urge or need to take shortcuts that turn out medioce food but tasting the food as you cook is something that needs to be done all the time, as for the knack, If I could offer some advice that fits in nicely with some of your earlier posts, go find seven new meals or recipes that are versions of meals you and your family like and make them the first time, to the letter, and make them at least four more times within the month, even if you need to freeze some for later meal use, the key is to make the same recipe over and over again in a fairly short time frame, once you can make those recipes so that they turn out, say you got it down pat on the third time you make it, then challange yourself, throw in a common side dish or a salad, and see if it still turns out perfectly, if not, add one more making time to it.. keep at it, until, you still get good results will multi-tasking.. Then pick another Five recipes and repeat, with one of the first seven still being made on a rotating basis every second or third day etc.. Get up to the point that you have at least 30 of these under your belt meals, that you can make from memory, this helps you figure out how to buid your pantry, it helps with the though of "o god, what do I make for supper" and the more you make them, the better they will be, and the you can tweek the side dish's therefor offer both a good solid well-liked basic menu plan while seeming to produce this or that new dish, but the new dish is really a side or a salad or dessert etc
Hope that helps a little and thanks for being so honest in your reply..
Thanks for the advice! I really should practice in the kitchen more... you guys have helped me realize I don't have to be doomed to total cooking failure. :)
Darnit. Where did my roast chicken comment go?
Okay. Let me try this again. If I can make a suggestion, whole roasted chicken is a great dish for newbies. It's inexpensive, delicious and almost impossible to mess up. One 5-6 pound bird will get you (me) 3-4 meals so you're only really spending one day 'cooking' and the other days are just reheating or recombining the leftover meat. It's the first meal my non-cooking friend Suzanne learned to cook...and she makes it nearly weekly now.
If you want more details email me: arlynch@woh.rr.com
I agree that cornstarch is better for gravy. Add the cornstarch to water in a separate bowl and mix until smooth. Then add the mixture to the gravy. I was going to suggest a crock pot as well. You can make really great meals with a crock pot. The meats are cooked a long time, so no worrys, but they are juicy and delish.
The easiest crock pot recipe I know is to brown a roast (chuck or whatever) add it to a crock pot with a package of onion soup mix and one can of cream of mushroom soup, add enough water to cover all and cook all day. About 2 to 3 hours before it is done you can add carrots and potatoes. So easy but tastes wonderful.
it all comes with practice.
The crockpot is your lazy best friend. check out Stephanie's blog: Crockpo365.blogspot.com
She only cooked with her crockpots for a year and has some really great recipes.
Lastly, master one recipe and build from there. When I first started cooking, my now husband and i ate a lot of Hamburger helper. I realized how disgusting they really were and started working on my own recipe for Chili Mac.
Conquering that really gave me the confidence to try other recipes and become a good cook.
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