My “Learn How To Cook” Missive for the New Year

Posted by Mel on Dec 6, 2010 in I'm HUNGRY! | 7 comments

I’m so horrible at this that I can’t even come up with a decent list of 25 items of what I want to learn how to cook. I can bake fairly well and make salads. I do especially well with dressings, so I suppose that makes me a stellar prep cook. Or something. See? I don’t even know proper kitchen terms. And I make sandwiches like nobody’s business. Oftentimes, opting for the use of the toaster and microwave rather than dirty another hand-wash only pan for something grilled. I am nothing if resourceful.

A lot of what I attempt is a giant fail. Regardless of my return attempts. Or following directions to the T (whatever does that mean, by the way? Why “T”?).

There are some general sweet things I’d like to make:
Bark
Klotchkes
A Pie

But those won’t feed my family of two. It will feed ME, but boyfriend doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth.

Cook Chicken (I know how to do the brine, which is one step in the right direction)
Learn How to Chop, Cut Foods

But those things are lame. And besides the chicken haven’t entirely prevented me from cooking.

I can make baked macaroni and cheese, moussaka and even manicotti, if I wanted to make such an effort. But I need some dinner ideas — simple and otherwise — that will encourage me to want to prepare dinner, rather than wait for the boyfriend to arrive home from work when I am all kinds of starving.

So… readers. Suggestions to add to my list of recipes and my impending monthly blog challenge? Pictures and accounts of the challenges will be posted for your entertainment.

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http://atomiclibrarian.blogspot.com Kerry

Well, what do you eat? What do you like? Do you want to learn how to make a general roast chicken and really simple things? Because “Putting Protein In The Oven And Turning It On” is pretty simple and covers almost all large roasted things. (Mmmmm, pork shoulder with white beans!) I can help you out with the list if I know what you eat.
http://heisschichelp.blogspot.com jess

Risotto isn’t hard… while it is decently time consuming to do it right, it’s my go-dish when i feel obligated to try to impress anyone.

salmon w/ kalamata olives, lemon, and dill can be fancy depending on the quality of the fish.

annnnd that’s all I’ve got. good luck.
.-= jess´s last blog ..Ornament P0rn =-.
http://pursuitofyourboyfriend.com Mel

Great questions! I probably should have been more specific. Since this is a blog challenge, I’d like to get out of my comfort zone of making extremely simple things. Like, pouring a jar of sauce over a plate of fresh pasta (too easy). I want to feel as though I’ve accomplished something — or majorly failed.

Also, I’ll need an actual recipe to post with the blog. I’ll include variations, if I decide to make them.

I love spicy food. Mexican and Asian are my top food cultures! I also can NOT cook anything that has a carcass. So, shoving a whole poultry in the oven with the expectation of me pulling it apart is OUT. I’m not a steak person either. In fact, if I receive recommendations of vegetarian dishes, I would be excited to try them!
http://atomiclibrarian.blogspot.com Kerry

Okay, I think I can help you out…
http://themoderngal.com The Modern Gal

Make something like a veggie soup or minestrone from scratch. It requires a lot of chopping, simmering and time but it’s not so challenging as to turn you off of cooking altogether. And this time of year, it’s really cozy to have a pot of soup simmering on the stove.

If you want to get really serious about cooking invest in the Joy of Cooking book. It’s like an encyclopedia for the kitchen — a recipe for every dish under the sun, plus explanations of how to do kitcheny things like slice, chop, roast, carve, etc.
.-= The Modern Gal´s last blog ..Slacktivism =-.
mindymin

Grilled or pan seared salmon w a avocado butter – sounds hard but really isnt. or with a spicy tartar sauce, honey dijon sauce.

CousCous – a terrific side dish that is hella easy to make and can be dressed up with chopped vegetables and vinaigrettes.

Pork Tenderloin – great reasonable priced piece of meat that can be cubed up & seared with mushrooms & beer or roasted whole w creamy dijon sauce.

Bone in Chicken Breasts – can be made any number of ways & are easy

Tilapia – firm white fish, easy to cook and good with soy & ginger or cilantro & lime

I can give you more specifics on anything up there that strikes your fancy. Also would need to know what kind of recipes you need, ultra specific or generalizations.

Happy to help…one of the simplest pleasures of my day is coming home and creating dinner out of things in my fridge…its calming to me.
http://www.mynonprofitparadise.com Jess

I’m going to try to get inspired by your efforts, Mel — so far, my forays into cooking anything other than pasta have just set off the fire alarm in my apartment. It’s been discouraging.

Also, I’m lazy.
.-= Jess´s last blog ..Here Comes The Cheese =-.
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