Where Am I Going Wrong With Cooking?

10past6

Hello peeps :hello:

I've only recently started home cooking, however, my OH always complains my meals are to dry.

Just a small example of some dishes, curries, sweet & sour, cheese & potato pie, pasta dishes, fish pie, veggie burgers, cakes, muffins, rice pudding, everything comes out dry.

I've reduced the temperature in the oven, still no good, cooked for a shorter period of time, still no good, as I say, I'm a complete novice re home cooking, I'd hate to lose the enthusiasm to continue because my food is not right, any idea's please?

Stephen_Leak

Is it just the things you do in the oven? What are things just done on the hob like? How do they taste to you? Have you tried pouring a bowl of water over the OH?

Have a search through the forum for any of my recipes: the instructions are designed to be "bloke-proof". Not only do I always test them before posting them, but also I then use them on a day to day basis.

klare_2

could the simple solution be to add more liquid? even if its a shop bought sauce, u can still add more water / cream etc to make it more moist.. and the key is to taste all the time when you are cooking until you get more experienced and learn to understand what you are looking for when cooking each receipe. It could be that he also happens to like food with more of a liquidy side to it... what about serving the food with an additional side of sauce that you have prepared recently.
I would say ask same as previous poster.. what sort of stuff are you cooking..or rather where.. is it same results hob or oven?
Try not to panic, you will get there... when i think of some of the cooking disasters that i have had in the past!

studentgirl_2

Disasters me to I always say well if you dont like it theres a chippy round the corner. I find that things can dry out quite quickly in an electric oven, and that by cooking on the top is easier, as above you could try adding veg stock to things to make then slightly wetter.Try a diffrent recepie book I like ainsley H true goof proof cooking. It really is trial and error. Maby suggest that you cook a meal togeather at the weekend. If not theres always onion gravy.

10past6

Thanks peeps for your tips

I do cook both in the oven, and on the hob, we have a fan electric oven, all the recipes I use are form this site, that's why I'm not understanding why my food is turning out dry.

The alternative tips suggested, brought a smile to my face :rotfl:

MrsTinks

Serve him soup! Problem solved! :rotfl:
Why not pick a couple of examples of what is turning out "too dry" and if YOU agree they are too dry?

Ianna

remember to adjust the oven temp when using a fan oven. make sure you're putting things on the right shelf. Tell partner to naff off and cook for himself.

These are my only suggestions, hope they help

2cats1kid

Tell him you are doing your best to learn and you'd learn a lot better if he was a bit more blumming supportive. I'd soon enlighten DH if he was constantly criticising - he'd find himself on cheese sandwiches soon enough.

Do you like what you're cooking - if he said it was good would you be happy with it? Is he just over-critical?

Larumbelle

I was going to ask the same sort of thing as 2cats - is your other half used to home cooking? If people live on processed food, fast food and ready meals their taste buds get used to the tastes and textures of that. Processed food tends to be rather 'gloopy' - sauces, added water to meat etc are after all a lot cheaper than 'real' ingredients - so your OH may simply need to readjust his taste buds.

Have you involved him in the cooking? A few days of having to cook for himself might persuade him that it's not so easy!

If you think that your food is dry too, maybe get a good 'beginners' cookbook or a neighbour/relative who is happy to help, and start learning from scratch? Delia's done some good books, and you can pick them up for next to nothing. At the end of the day cooking is a skill that has to be learnt like any other. I used to be pretty terrible, but by cooking every day (and occasionally telling OH where to stick it if it wasn't to his pleasing) I got a lot better.

FairyElephant_2

as others have said, fan-cookers tend to cook faster,so make sure you adjust cooking times.

You can always add more liquid to a dish during cooking (wine is good, or beer/cider depending on the dish!:beer: )

If cooking in oven, use a casserole with a good lid to prevent too much evaporation. using lids on saucepans makes the contents cook quicker (save electric) and creates less condensation in your kitchen too!

Failing that, as others have said, make him cook a few times and see if he can do a better job!!!!!

FE

belfastgirl23

I tend to keep gravy granules on standby so that if something comes out a bit dry I can just put some gravy on top. Doesn't work with pizza obviously but does work with a lot of stuff. Otherwise putting the lid on mostly works...