Basic cooking

nmlc

Evening everyone

Hope you don't mind me joining your thread! I definitely agree about the baking cakes/pastry theory - I can make a reasonable sponge/cake, but my pastry is very hit and miss - miss mostly! Thought I'd at last got it mastered after making it in my Kenwood Chef, made some last week, that was truly horrendous and not edible, so for the moment have admitted defeat and will be buying shortcrust pastry until I feel confident enough to try again. I really enjoy cooking/baking though so will keep going and will eventually perfect the technique.

Kind regards
nmlc x

Ruby789

Thanks Sally A, will grab that book next month. I’m ok with patronising; I have no proper technical ability in the kitchen, I’ve been muddling through and happy to learn from scratch. I do have a hand blender actually; never thought to use it in floury sauces though so that’s a great idea. My cauliflower cheese the other day would have benefited from that hugely.

meritaten, yes please to the curry sauce recipe! We both love curry! Tomato based ones in the main if that works with your recipe?

Pee, I really hope I can be good at one. Always shied away from attempting any kind of dessert, they always seem to be very technical and I have so far been a chuck it in a pot and hope for the best kind of cook. But looking forward to giving it a go, wonder will I be a cakes or pastry kind of girl. Sure the eating will be fun. I know when other people give me bad cake, it’s dense, so that’s my benchmark to know if I’m ok at it.

nmlc, welcome, your input is much appreciated. Oh dear, but sure I heard on masterchef that pastry is really hard to get right. I would like to make a pecan Danish, but sure that’s probably really difficult? Have you tried anything like that?

[Deleted User]

Hi can i join the thread please :wave: At my age you would think i would know how to cook (47 ). But ive never enjoyed it at all. But now ive got more time on my hands and i dont feel that anyone who eats my food critises how bad it is (which they did in the past) i can please myself. I havnt got any recipies to add but i made a lovely soup by just chucking in veg that needed using up and i looked at it and thought Oh No another disaster. But it was actually sooo nice, i want to make it again.

Ruby789

Of course you can ImDoingItForMe .

If you're not getting complaints you are winning in my book! Love chucking stuff in a pot and seeing what happens, especially when it's great. Do you remember how you made it? I'm terrible for forgetting.

I don't get complaints, I just get 'suggestions' for how it could be comepletey different than what i've made :rotfl:. Only sometimes though, i'm very inconsistent! But I would love one day when we're deciding what to eat, for someone to say I really like your [insert meal name here], will you make that tonight. That would make me happy. I want to be more ... erm ... homely(?).

This weekends cooking agenda, scrambled eggs on toast, perfecting a chilli i've made a few times and is edible but not amazing, and my first ever cheesecake! Excited :T

maman

Great thread, hope you don't mind me joining in.:)

I think perfecting a few dishes is a good plan. My DH always tells me I'm a good cook but I still lack confidence when it somes to cooking for guests. I have perfected a range of pretty foolproof, casserole type dishes for guests (like beef in red wine or lasagne or lamb shanks). I'm a big fan of dishes I can do in advance so that I don't get stressed and can spend time with my guests.

Your OH sounds as if he's up for being supportive and helpful. When you move in together I'd suggest you plan, shop and cook together (at least at weekends) for all sorts of reasons.

When I get in a bit of a rut for ideas I look at restaurant menus to see what's popular. Basic pub food (bangers and mash, liver and onions, lasagne, curry, chilli) is good for midweek meals. Look at 'meal deals' or smarter restaurants for ideas for special meals. They're cooking for large numbers so it can't be too fiddly. Today I saw what looks like beef in red wine with dauphinoise potatoes in a newspaper ad for M&S meal deals. I'll be making that on Sunday!! (HM not M&S!;))

Ruby789

Hi maman, don't mind at all, welcome

I'm at my worst when cooking for others, I get into a right old flap! That's why I favour curries and chilli's because making them the day before is always actually better. Then if they go worng I stil have time to make an alternative.

Yes he is supportive, kind brave soul that he is! Though he hates it when i'm stressed which is why he takes over in the kitchen if i'm looking out of my depth! I am trying to learn to like more flavours just to make things easier for us too. I'm working on garlic at the moment. Don't think i'll ever like it, but it's in a huge amount of his favourite food so I need to be able to tolerate it.

That's a good idea about stealing ideas off of menu's, that would work. I have a decent storecupboard of savory stuff, next to nothing sweet so need to build that up.

Sounds like a really nice dinner you have planned there , and dauphinoise potatoes is on my list of things to learn. Let me know how it goes

sheeppappar

Hello..i would like to join too x

Like you I am a one-pot girl but I am getting better at other stuff with practice..

Just on the subject of roast dinners.. have you been introduced to aunt b3ssie?!!
She can take care of the roast spuds/yorkshires while you are getting used to timings for the other stuff and then you can replace hers with real stuff once you start to get the hang of it. Icel@nd and some of the supermarket value ranges have the same frozen spuds/puds too for much cheaper.. I am quite competent doing sunday dinner now having first tried it 2 years ago when I moved in with Mr Sheep.. but have no idea about cakes/pastry etc so have been reading your thread with interest.. thanks for all the tips xx

Ruby789

Welcome on board sheeppappar

That's a really good idea about Aunt B's! Then I can just focus on one or two components at a time so it's not a disaster.

I feel much better knowing that I'm not alone in not being a natural in the kitchen.

I think there is a latent domestic goddess trying to escape. I'm really quite excited about making food properly and it tasting really nice. Starting my chilli tonight, will see how it settles over night and serve it tomorrow if it's good.

Tish_P

This might make us all feel better:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/people-worse-at-cooking-than-you-food-fails

Ruby789

Tish_P wrote: »

This might make us all feel better:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/people-worse-at-cooking-than-you-food-fails

Ha ha, hilarious! Some really pretty bad ones in there. Though I admit, my first thought when I saw the pizza was 'how could that even happen'. I got it now, bit slow, but I got it!

Well if I manage anything worthy of that list I will post it here!