NationStates Jolt Archive

We're talking about cooking regular meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner (and yes, I've heard of second breakfast). Just an unscientific survey to see who is able to do more than heat a can of beans...

I am a great cook. I can make a killer Spicy Alfredo Sauce.

If it's not microwaveable, it's too much effort.

I can make a great microwave lasagne.

I think I'm a really good cook and friends,family-people I've cooked for have told me many times.
I also plate it up well-it tastes good and looks good

My pecan-crusted salmon kicks ass.

When I can be bothered, I'm above average. Wouldn't say great, though. When I can't, I don't even cut the pizza before I eat it.

My pecan-crusted salmon kicks ass.

Shouldn't it stop moving after you cook it?

I think I cook very well, but I stick to basic foods like Yankee Pot Roast, Meatloaf, various soups, and stuff like that. I'm not a gourmet.

Shouldn't it stop moving after you cook it?
Naw, you just chuck a few nuts into the tank and hop in. You get the thrill of the hunt, and a delicious snack once it's over (provided you win).

well....i just put a pan of popovers into the oven. they wont actually come out right but as god is my witness i WILL perfect the recipe for high-altitude popovers!

I think I cook very well, but I stick to basic foods like Yankee Pot Roast, Meatloaf, various soups, and stuff like that. I'm not a gourmet.
I can cook "stuff in a puddle" that looks like artwork, but I don't like to eat it.

Naw, you just chuck a few nuts into the tank and hop in. You get the thrill of the hunt, and a delicious snack once it's over (provided you win).

If you lose, you really, really wish you hadn't wasted those nuts.

Nice to see that all female cooks can't not cook, but are automatically average...wierd...

On the verge of compiling a cookbook for Christmas Favors...

Cook like a sumbitch and eat like a condemned man.:D

We should have an NS Recipe exchange.

We should have an NS Recipe exchange.
You go first...:gundge:

I can make toast.

Gah...I got messed up by the polls typo. Clearly the pattern indicates that the bottom option was supposed to be chicks who can't cook, but I read from the bottom up so I checked that since I'm a dude who can't cook.

When I'm not cooking at my restaurant, I do some great cuisine at home. I've won a couple of online cooking competitions too. It's both my job and my hobby. I'd say I'm pretty good at it. I could share the recipe for my Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake if you like...

The things I can cook, I can cook well. There's a whole load of stuff I can't cook but want to learn to cook.

When I'm not cooking at my restaurant, I do some great cuisine at home. I've won a couple of online cooking competitions too. It's both my job and my hobby. I'd say I'm pretty good at it. I could share the recipe for my Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake if you like...
I like! please do.

I know far more men that can cook well than women.

From the poll results, you would think this was a cooking forum for men.

we went to a "Melting Pot" fondue restaurant last week. It was decent, but I'm not impressed with that type of fancy pants bs that you cook yourself and pay too much for it.
Anyway-ny wife said she wanted a fondue pot. I ordered her one and it looks like I'll be learning how to do that now too.

I know far more men that can cook well than women.

I worked in a kitchen for a while. The majority of cooks there were male. Strange that society says it's the other way round.

From the poll results, you would think this was a cooking forum for men.

We wish...

From the poll results, you would think this was a cooking forum for men.
yeah - no kidding. I can't help but think that either people are outright lying, or that NS particularly has an exceptionally desirable aggregation of domestic Gods on hand. Or maybe only people that are into cooking are bothering to answer; most of the guys I know are "average" at best.

I'm actually quite good at cooking (and baking too) :D
Cooking is a men's job anyway, whichever retard said that women should always be at home and cook should be shot! :mad:
Look at all the famous cooks, they're practically exclusively all males! :D

We're talking about cooking regular meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner (and yes, I've heard of second breakfast). Just an unscientific survey to see who is able to do more than heat a can of beans...
If they got rid of microwave ovens and canned food today, by tomorrow I would be starving!

I am a culinary student...and I compete at the state level in my state. I cook very well (I bake even better) and I am a guy.

If they got rid of microwave ovens and canned food today, by tomorrow I would be starving!I'm surprised! I would have thought that you'd be a pro Eut, with your long years of experience with a family and whatnot.

i love cooking and thought of studying to be a chef.... but it didn't follow through:( . perhaps i might someday.....

1 lb Extra Sharp NY Cheddar, grated
1 Stick Butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
Healthy pinch, crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups GP flour
1 tsp baking powder

Pre-heat oven to 300. In food processor, blend cheese and butter to an orange paste, pushing down sides to get uniform, thorough blend. Sift together all but the pepper flakes. Add to processor 1/3 at a time, blending and pushing down sides to get an orange cookie dough like mixture. Toss in the pepper flakes toward the end.

With a cookie press and a "star" tip, press misture onto a Pam sprayed cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes until light brown. DO NOT OVER COOK! allow them to cool on a flat surface with papertowels. Break up into 3-4 inch straws. Store in air tight container.

I'm a great cook... I love cooking and baking. And boy, does it show ;)

I'm female, by the way.

I am an excellent cook, generaly cooking chinese, but quite good at just about every style I've tried. My baby brother's the same way although his specialty is Japanese.

I'm a great cook... I love cooking and baking. And boy, does it show ;)

I'm female, by the way.


Nice to meat you.



(I know you like that one)

Ingredients:

For Sponge cake

6 ea egg whites
3 ea egg yolks
2 oz granulated sugar
3 oz ground hazelnut powder
1 oz cake flour
2 tbl cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 375 F

In a mixer with the “paddle” attachment, (or just a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer) beat together egg yolks, hazelnut and cocoa powders, and flour until well combined, then remove from mixer bowl and set aside.

Wash and dry mixer bowl thoroughly (if you don’t the egg whites wont foam), then add egg whites. With the mixer’s “whip” attachment begin whipping the egg whites. When they begin to get foamy add the sugar and make a soft meringue by whipping the mixture to “soft peaks”

Gently fold meringue into the other ingredients until combined, but not so that the foam looses all its air.

Spread batter on a half-sheet-pan and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until done in the middle. (you can tell by inserting a toothpick, if you can pull the toothpick out without having anything on it, it’s done)


For Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

1 lb bitter-sweet chocolate
6 ea eggs
3 oz granulated sugar
1 c heavy cream

Melt chocolate over a double boiler

While chocolate is melting, separate egg whites and yolks. Place whites in a mixer bowl, and, using the “whip” attachment, begin to whip them into a foam. When they begin to get foamy add the sugar and make a soft meringue by whipping the mixture to “soft peaks”.

When chocolate is completely melted, add the egg yolks and whip them together thoroughly.

Genly fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture, making sure not to let all the air out.

Then clean and dry the mixing bowl, and whip the cream to “stiff peaks”, and fold into the mixture as well.


For Chocolate Ganache topping

Ingredients:

1 lb bitter-sweet chocolate
2 c heavy cream
4 oz butter

Bring cream just to a boil, but do not burn.

Add chocolate and butter, then cover for 5 minutes.

Uncover and stir until all ingredients come together.


For Final assembly

Take a 9” springform pan, and line the sides with buttered parchment.

Cut a disc of sponge cake to fit into the bottom of the pan, and place it inside.

Pipe or spoon mousse onto the cake and fill the pan up to ¼” from the top, making sure not to leave any large spaces of air.

Ladle ganache on top to fill the final ¼” and place in a freeze. Allow everything to set for at least an hour, then slice and serve.

Suggestion: More warm ganache over top as a sauce, and a light dusting of powdered sugar for presentation.

I'm really good at making breakfast. I hear that goes over well with the ladies.

Nice to meat you.



(I know you like that one)

Carnivore by name, carnivore by nature, eh?

cooking can be a very simple thing. it should not require being a slave to kraft's prepared food products.

this is a very simple and traditional recipe. unfortuately, I do everything by sight, so you're not going to see much in the way of measures. it should be easy enought to figure out, though.

i) take one four cup liquid measuring cup or any bowl of similar size. preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. you will be using the middle rack. take enough ripe roma (a.k.a. plum) tomatoes to fill it about 2/3s and cut these tomatoes in half.

ii) chop a medium size onion - more if you like it. mince about 3-5 cloves of garlic depending on how much garlic you like. add as much chopped pancetta (italian bacon - you can use regular side bacon, if you like) as you think is appropriate - anywhere from none to maybe a quarter pound.

iii) mix all this with the tomatoes and enough virgin olive oil to coat the whole mess. stir well and add any more of the above you think it might need to "even-out" (appear that there is enough of any one thing). toss a little salt and fresh ground black pepper into the mix and give it a final stir.

iv) toss the lot into a baking pan (I use a glass pie plate - works well). let it cook in the oven for about an hour. you'll need to stir it every twenty minutes or so. you want the tomatoes to reduce down into the sauce.

v) when finished, mix (stir into) a suitable pasta. penne is a good choice. something with ridges and hollow. you want the sauce to have a pasta it'll stick to.

do not over cook your pasta, it should be firm. this is usually about 8 minutes under boil. it will vary slightly depending on the pasta itself.

do not rinse your pasta after cooking it. this removes the starch that the sauce uses as an adhesive.

always add salt to the water you are going to boil for your pasta. you should be able to taste the salt in the water. the pasta needs this. it also raises the boiling temperature of the water.

well, that's it. anyone should be able to do this and impress their friends. this makes about 4 servings or two main course servings.

I nearly burnt my house down making toast doest that answer your question?

I can cook very well, I don't like to cook though. I didn't cook at all before I got married so now when people find out that I cook they are shocked and then make jokes about dying from eating my cooking..........until they taste it, then they accuse me of "cheating".

My husband's favorite thing that I cook is oven fried chicken. My kids really like my chili and my super spicey cheese enchiladas. Whenever I have people over for dinner though I almost always either make spicey pork chops or meatloaf. People who don't like meatloaf ask for seconds of mine, because it is so good.

I have the recipe if anyone is interested. ;)

1lb Ground Beef (or Ground Turkey)
1 egg
1 box Stove Top stuffing
1 chopped onion
1 chopped Bell Pepper

mix together above ingredients, form into a loaf and place in a 9x13x2 glass pan.

cover the loaf with spaghetti sauce and cook at 350F for 1 hour or until done.

slice and serve with garlic bread and pasta side dish :D

Carnivore by name, carnivore by nature, eh?


Absolutely. Thats the point. :fluffle:

I'm surprised! I would have thought that you'd be a pro Eut, with your long years of experience with a family and whatnot.
You would think so, yes. But for one thing, I'm just not that interested in learning how to cook, and for another everytime I try to follow a recipe I get frustrated for a wide variety of reasons: most recipes assume you know the correct terminology for all the pots and pans and things; they say things like "blend" which totally baffles me; they assume you have all the necessary utinsils and ingredients; they assume you have patience with the process; and they think you can just start all over after you burn the first attempt! :D

I was raised by Southern women .... what do you think? ;)

Absolutely. Thats the point. :fluffle:

Any tasty meat recipes in your book? ;)

Um does grilled cheese and ramen noodles count? :D

i'm not sure what qualifies as "good" or average, so i put myself as the latter. i can do a shitload more than just open cans/packets of things, i cook "from scratch" (from raw veggies etc), all the stuff i cook is always very well received by those scoffing it down (compliments to the chef abound), but my repertoire is quite limited. i'm just not that adventurous cos if i learn how to cook something i'll keep doing that dish for weeks till i've got it right - till it tastes how i think it should.
my repertoire extends to: excellent bolognese, delicious cheesy lasagne, carbonara, different currys (my tikka massaala is almost finished), chineese food (yellow bean sauce is good), and then more domestic stuff like (tasty) scrambled egg, fry ups and things like that. plus some cakes and ability to make a rue and an excellent (non-lumpy) cheese sauce.

i have an excellent sense of taste (compratively to the people i know), and same with sense of smell. i live, breathe, and think food, so in time i want to become a good cook - might be going on some kind of catering course sometime soon :)


edit: i almost forgot about my delicious bbq chicken grill... ok the sauces come from packets/bottles but its the way they're cooked and mixed that's the key. its fucking awesome! the secret is to actually burn it for just the right time, heh
i also forgot to say i really enjoy cooking. put on planet rock radio station (classic rock & blues) and i can while away many hours messing about with flavours and that sort of shit :)
another edit: don't bother with recipes. just eat some of what its supposed to be and work out the flavours yo! ;)
last edit: god i sound pompous in this post, heh

You would think so, yes. But for one thing, I'm just not that interested in learning how to cook, and for another everytime I try to follow a recipe I get frustrated for a wide variety of reasons: most recipes assume you know the correct terminology for all the pots and pans and things; they say things like "blend" which totally baffles me; they assume you have all the necessary utinsils and ingredients; they assume you have patience with the process; and they think you can just start all over after you burn the first attempt! :D

http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Logical_20Cooking

"I think graphs would help. Lots of graphs. Like pasta softness v. time in boiling water. One line for each type. Boil untill pasta reaches a Brinell hardness of 2"

You would think so, yes. But for one thing, I'm just not that interested in learning how to cook, and for another everytime I try to follow a recipe I get frustrated for a wide variety of reasons: most recipes assume you know the correct terminology for all the pots and pans and things; they say things like "blend" which totally baffles me; they assume you have all the necessary utinsils and ingredients; they assume you have patience with the process; and they think you can just start all over after you burn the first attempt! :D

I had the same problem when I was learning to cook. my husband bought me the Big Red Cookbook (http://www.bettycrocker.com/BettyStore/Store/CatalogDetail.aspx?oid=7645&Catalog=BettyCatalog) one year for Mother's day, it has a chapter that explains all that stuff with pictures :D I don't use recipes anymore (well, other than ones I make up myself) I just see what I have and make it work. It turns out good about 99% of the time.

Really funny, you're telling that every woman at least can cook? I beg to differ! I know several ladies that don't even touch a dish let alone touch a raw food. :D

i can't open cans, and after some bad microwave experience i avoid that one too, so i kinda fail to meet the standard "i truly suck at cooking" criteria.meh.

see, it's not all that bad. i do rice very well. and i know how to cook pasta. eggs, i do those, too. problem is that i eat all three of the above plain, without any fancy stuff like sauces or whatever. makes people think i'm.. a gross eater on top of being an abominable cook?

I cook a really nice 'trip to the burger shop'..

Well, I haven't killed myself yet.

I've been cooking since... well ever since I could lift my mom's cast Iron Frying pan One handed.

I can cook very well, I don't like to cook though. I didn't cook at all before I got married so now when people find out that I cook they are shocked and then make jokes about dying from eating my cooking..........until they taste it, then they accuse me of "cheating".

My husband's favorite thing that I cook is oven fried chicken. My kids really like my chili and my super spicey cheese enchiladas. Whenever I have people over for dinner though I almost always either make spicey pork chops or meatloaf. People who don't like meatloaf ask for seconds of mine, because it is so good.

I have the recipe if anyone is interested. ;)

1lb Ground Beef (or Ground Turkey)
1 egg
1 box Stove Top stuffing
1 chopped onion
1 chopped Bell Pepper

mix together above ingredients, form into a loaf and place in a 9x13x2 glass pan.

cover the loaf with spaghetti sauce and cook at 350F for 1 hour or until done.

slice and serve with garlic bread and pasta side dish :DI was wondering what to make tonight... I think I'll Try this. :)

There's one thing I know how to make better than anyone else... and it's really simple (hehe):

Wisconsin Cheesehead Cheddar Lover's Mac and Cheese:

Needs:
5 tablespoons of butter
One-third cup of milk (whole milk, preferably)
Large handful of grated cheddar -- Carr Valley (Wisc) 5-year works very well
Two slices of Kraft (or other) American cheese
Regluar box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
Salt/pepper to taste

Steps:

1)Bring water to a boil in a saucepan

2)Cook the macaroni in the saucepan... cook until al-dente. (approximately 7-9 minutes)

3)Place the cooked macaroni in a colander and set it aside to drain in the sink

(Turn the heat down to low or medium-low)

4)Combine the milk and butter in the saucepan. stir the butter into the milk until it is completely melted.

5)Add the cheese sauce powder (from the Kraft Mac/Cheese box) and stir it into the milk/butter mixture... stir until the lumps are out or very small.

6)Add the macaroni back into the saucepan and stir, mixing it with the sauce mix.

7)Add the cheddar cheese and stir until it's stringy/melted. The product should appear pretty gooey at this point.

8)Add the slices of American cheese (tear them into smaller pieces before adding to the pan) and stir until they're melted.

At this point, the product should be gooey and have a nice sheen from the oil in the American cheese.

Serve the mac and cheese on a plate (large plate -- this makes a lot for one person) and use a rubber scraper/spatula to get all the cheese off the sides/bottom of the pan and onto the plate.

Season with salt and/or pepper to taste.

Voila, Wisconsin Cheesehead Cheddar Lover's Mac and Cheese!

To try order what may be the best cheddar in the united states (several of their cheddars have taken first or second place in the last two years), go here:

http://www4.mailordercentral.com/carrvalleycheeseco/products.asp?dept=1&pagenumber=2&sort_on=&sort_by=

Smunkeeville Meatloaf
I have the recipe if anyone is interested. ;)

1lb Ground Beef (or Ground Turkey)
1 egg
1 box Stove Top stuffing
1 chopped onion
1 chopped Bell Pepper

mix together above ingredients, form into a loaf and place in a 9x13x2 glass pan.

cover the loaf with spaghetti sauce and cook at 350F for 1 hour or until done.

slice and serve with garlic bread and pasta side dish :Dwell, I made it last night and It actually came out great. some questions tho. what type of Stuffing mix did you use... turkey? chicken? or pork?

Some variants to meatloaf that I've done...

added a packet of Taco/manwich powder to the mix to give it a unique kick.

It's simple. It even runs in my family. It's one of the reasons my nag of a mother married my father.

I'd be better than average if I just got more practice in, but being as how I love baking first and foremost and the oven kicked the crapper with my birthday cake, I've been avoiding the kitchen. I am pretty good at beverage preparation somehow though. but that's probably all in the flare of my presentation style.

The main problem with my cooking style and my father's cooking style is that we favour hardy meals in descent from the Southern fashion. And that really doesn't work too good if you're not doing a lot of field/yard work... Like Soul Food but with less frying involved.

I may be an introvert. I may never be able to get married. I may be stabbed to death by lesbians at a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show because I was suicidally depressed enough to provoke them to it. But By Golly, when I go, it's going to be with a hearty meal dangnabbit. Err. Wait, no that was with style, sorry.

At this point in time, I can honestly say that I can cook very well. I really didn't start cooking anything until a couple of years ago, and then something just happened and now I can cook anything that I want. So far, the only thing I haven't succeeded in making properly is injera, which is a grey, pancake-like bread that is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine, but I'm still working on it.

Is there a secret to cooking? Yes. Cook. You can make anything you want to and you don't have to be successful on the first try.

At this point in time, I can honestly say that I can cook very well. I really didn't start cooking anything until a couple of years ago, and then something just happened and now I can cook anything that I want. So far, the only thing I haven't succeeded in making properly is injera, which is a grey, pancake-like bread that is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine, but I'm still working on it.

Is there a secret to cooking? Yes. Cook. You can make anything you want to and you don't have to be successful on the first try.
and it's fun to try new things and to experiment. I've even corrected some of my Failures by adding more ingrediants and spices on the reheat.

I'm male and a great cook. Not only can I cook great "regular meals" but I also cook what some people consider gourmet food, although I don't consider it gourmet. My wife is also a great cook and makes some of the best curries I have ever eaten.

We have friends over this weekend, I’ll be cooking some of the meals, and both my wife and I will be cooking others. Here is the menu for tonight and tomorrow.

Supper tonight: Cajun bean soup with bacon. They wife may make Mexican Corn Bread to go with it.

Brunch tomorrow: Bacon, sausage, SOS, biscuits, and scrambled eggs with cheese. For those who don't know, SOS is white gravy with hamburger and a favorite in military dining halls.

Supper tomorrow: The wife will spice the roast beef with garlic and poultry seasoning and I'll cook it medium rare in the rotisserie. The wife will make some Jasmine or Basmati rice and I'll make the mushrooms and gravy. The wife will also do the Southern style green beans.

My pecan-crusted salmon kicks ass.

Recipe please.

I can cook, but nothing fancy. Just the basics, really.

and it's fun to try new things and to experiment. I've even corrected some of my Failures by adding more ingrediants and spices on the reheat.
Exactly. When I'm planning on making something I have never made before, I get on the computer and shuffle through about a dozen recipes to determine what the essentials of a recipe are, cooking temperatures and length, and what are just someone's personal preferences. By the time I get around to making something, it's a compilation of four or five different recipes.

My criteria for success goes something like this:
-If you can eat it without wincing, it's good
-If you can enjoy eating it, it's great

i feel like sharing. if anyone's interested i could post my recipe for bolognese - makes a good, intense, complex and meaty one :)
also makes a great base for lasagne

well, I made it last night and It actually came out great. some questions tho. what type of Stuffing mix did you use... turkey? chicken? or pork? if I am using ground turkey I use the turkey stuffing, if I am using ground beef I either use the cornbread flavor, or the herb somthing I can't remember.



added a packet of Taco/manwich powder to the mix to give it a unique kick.
I use taco seasoning sometimes on pork chops, like a rub. People really like that they are spicey and nobody thinks they taste like tacos. ;)

i feel like sharing. if anyone's interested i could post my recipe for bolognese - makes a good, intense, complex and meaty one :)
also makes a great base for lasagne
share please.

if I am using ground turkey I use the turkey stuffing, if I am using ground beef I either use the cornbread flavor, or the herb somthing I can't remember. hmmm... Tried the pork one.

next time, I'll try the others. Working on the leftovers tonight.

I cook pretty well. Fair baker too. I'm no Thomas Keller, but then, who else is?

Did my stint on the line before I got married - 2nd wok at a chinese place, commis in a nice private steak house, that kind of thing.

Here's my recipe for saffron rice.

2 tbs butter
1 tsp cumin seed
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick - I suggest the thin papery kind, not cassia.
3 cardamon pods, crushed. - green or white is best.
4 whole cloves
1/2 tsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 cup long grain rice -- my house rice is thai jasmine rice
1 tsp salt (or less, depending on your stock)
1 1/2 cup chicken stock.
1/4 tsp saffron threads.

Heat stock to a boil and take off of heat - taste for salt and add the 1 tsp of salt as needed. Stir in the saffron and cover until needed.

Fry cumin, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, pepper and bay leaves in butter - medium heat, 2 minutes. THe scent should get bigger, but stuff should not brown. Add the rice and fry another two or three minutes or so - the rice should from mostly translucent to mostly opaque.

Stir in the stock/saffron, cover and bring to a full boil. Reduce heat immediately to low and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let rest at least 5 minutes before serving.


Elicere

share please.
my sharing mood has passed (moved over to excessive tiredness, heh) but on the basis of such a convincing arguement, i shall anyway ;)



PM's bolognese of awesomeness (in 10 easy steps)

serves 3 in our family but thats cos we've got 2 fat bastards round the table (me and my dad). probably easily serve 4 'normal' people...

ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil (i use flavoured ones: one basil and one sundried tomato)
one large onion
3 cloves garlic
tomato passata (pulp)
2 tins chopped tomatoes
tomato puree
1 pound/400 grams minced beef
a bunch of carrots (usually use about 5)
celery (optional)
seasoning: oregano, basil, thyme, salt, maybe a little majoram. the Schwartz "Classic Bolognese" herb/spice mix is a good and easy choice
stock cubes/oxo cubes (i use 3 but thats cos i like it really meaty)
sundried tomatoes (optional)
red peppers if you like (don't know when to add them myself cos i've never added them.... so up to you)


prep time: 1/2 hour ish. maybe more (extra 15 mins for lasagne)
cook time: 1 hour



put on your oven to 200 C or 390 F (whatever that is in gas-mark)
chop onion finely, fry in large pan with olive oil (preferably a mix of the flavoured ones... and don't be stingy now ;)). add sprinkling of basil when roughly half done and don't forget to stir. fry till they're past the 'clear'/brown stage so they're nicely cooked and just off burning. you could add some tomato puree at this point if you like after turning down heat. put in one of the crushed garlic cloves.
add beef mince and stir till cooked. add the second clove of garlic (crushed).
add oxo/stock to your liking (i advise a lot cos this ends up quite tomato-y and the beef can be lost if you don't add enough oxo)
turn the heat up again, add more oil if need be, sir it all in and add a shitload of herbs. i mean loads! no i don't do measures - just go by how it looks and smells damnit. not too much marjoram.
keep stiring till the oil is absorbed/boiled off and its starting to burn and stick to the pan. in the meantime, add finely chopped carrots (and chopped celery if thats your thing)
throw in the tomato passata/pulp, 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, and the last clove of crushed garlic. stir and add tomato puree (again, don't be stingy - at a guess maybe 2 or 3 tablespoon-fulls)
add a load more herbs and seasoning. you want to be able to see the herbs floating about in there, so be generous. add the sundried tomatoes if you like/have them.
simmer for 5 mins, decant into a baking dish thing with a lid and stick in the oven at 200 degrees C (390 F i think) and cook for an hour or so to let the flavours meld.

cook pasta (thick spaghetti or capallini), get out of oven and serve with freshly grated parmesan
enjoy! :)



i've found its really important the order in which you do things, heh.
lemme know if any of you fancies trying this (and what you think!) :)

this also makes a great base for lasagne:

make it a little thinner (more tomato or a bit of water), don't cook in the oven
brew up some cheese sauce. start with a rue: on low heat in a seperate pan bung in a fair bit of butter (100 grams? i dunno), melt but don't allow to boil, sprinkle in flour and stir till it becomes solid 'dough'. keep stirring and pour in milk bit-by-bit. stir vigourously while you do it and keep going till it thickens up a lot.
add in a load of grated cheese to taste. keep stirring hard!
before you start on this, seperate out an egg, beat the white up [edit: till frothy]and then spoon in slowly at this stage, stirring gently
take off heat. if you've stirred enough and been patient with it, it shouldn't be lumpy. if it is, put back on the heat, stir and add more milk till it gets smooth.
in a open (and quite tall) oven-dish, spoon in some bolognese to cover the bottom. layer some lasagne pasta sheets over the top. spoon another layer of bolognese and another layer of lasagne on top (so you have two layers of meat on the bottom)
spoon some cheese sauce on top of that and cover/layer on top with lasagne.
alternate layers of bolognese and cheese sauce with lasagne sheets in-between till you reach the top of the dish or run out of bolognese. make sure the top layer is cheese sauce.
sprinkle top with more grated cheese
cook in oven at 200 C for at least an hour.
eat! (with peas...)

i am a bloody awesome cook!
It isn't just Grilled or toasted Cheese sandwiches either.

hmmm... Tried the pork one.

next time, I'll try the others. Working on the leftovers tonight.
I forgot to add that the leftovers work well as meat loaf sanwiches, or you can crumble the meat and heat it on a low heat and add some tomato sauce so that it doesn't dry out, and boil some noodles and eat them together like spaghetti.

Are there two I can cook I am male????

Anyway I love to cook and am awesome at it, now if you looked at my roomi/significant other they suck at cooking. I wouldnt even call it food honestly... When I was damaged I was subjected to it, trust me...