psychodelicide said:

If you're sauteeing/simmering meat, splash it in after you've browned it. Then scrape up all the bits from the bottom, stir it around, cover and simmer for a while.

I don't even eat meat, but I'm told it's delicious when I serve it.

FunkMistress said:

This would be called a "reduction." It's a pretty classic technique.

FunkMistress said:

This would be called a "reduction." It's a pretty classic technique.

Genesia said:

You would be called a "know-it-all." It's a pretty classic Org behavior.

FunkMistress said:

Wow. Sorry. I was just trying to be helpful.

I don't spend too much time in the kitchen My stuff never turns out bad BUT I always feel like there's lots of room for improvement. I used to bake (w/ directions), & usually if I'm making a savory dish I'm trying to recreate something I've had in a restaurant I bought a book on spices hoping to get better knowledge of how flavors work together & good combinations...

& Anx, boxed mac & cheese ain't so bad - at least this one's whole grain:




I like to reconstitute the dried mushrooms separately (instead of throwing them into the cooking pasta, as they suggest), saute some shitakes & make a mushroom "crust" on top (the dried mushrooms they include are too small & get lost in the water while cooking the pasta)...


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[Edited 4/7/08 11:33am]

Anxiety said:

Cooking and baking are two entirely different things. Baking is chemistry - most everything you put into a recipe has chemical properties that play a supporting role in the final product (flour or eggs provide structure, eggs or other leavening provide lift, sugar helps in browning, fat adds texture and richness, etc). It's the same with making ice cream.

Most cooking (unless you're doing some far-out molecular chef-istry) is a lot more forgiving. If you have a little more or less oregano, it won't affect the final dish in any way other than taste.

As long as you appreciate the different needs of cooking versus baking, there's no reason you can't be good at both. I am.

For things that I make regularly, yes.




I very rarely bake, so I most definitely need a recipe when I do.

Genesia said:

i think i'm a fairly decent cook, but i'm not as confident with cooking as i am with baking. i know people who can go through the fridge and collect a bunch of leftovers and dregs, and make a fabulous dish from it like some kind of culinary macguyver. meanwhile, yeah, i can bake pretty cupcakes.

All of the above

Yes I can cook and bake - by the book or not

I love to cook. My whole family comes to my house for all the holidays for food. Guess I'm the grandma already When it comes to cooking I do a lot of experimenting with different seasonings and sauces. I don't do any measuring when I cook so when people ask me how much I put in something I really can't tell them I usually make up things as I go along. I have to follow instructions when it comes to baking tho. I would like to get to a point where I can make cakes from scratch. I already know how to make frostings. I have to get those recipes from shyeye again

heybaby said:

Um, can that sister of yours cook?

i've heard a theory that people who are confident in the kitchen but still need to rely on recipes and accurate measurements tend to be better bakers than cooks. if you're good at improvising when you're making food, chances are you're better at cooking and you have more failures when you try to bake.

i don't know if that's true.

ThreadBare said:

She's alright, but she's not really into it I'm afraid.

heybaby said:

Could she learn? I'm just sayin'...

ThreadBare said:

She's a fast learner

heybaby said:

ThreadBare said:

Those wheels are turnin huh?

heybaby said:

She's not into lumbering drummers who look like Ned the Whino, is she?

CalhounSq said:

I've never been that afraid of spices. Most american spices are pretty simple and not overpowering except Salt and Sugar and Cayanne Pepper. I've never ruined a dish with too many spices otherwise. Not when I cook Indian, that's when I need to pay special attn as all of them are pretty flavorful.