NationStates Jolt Archive

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.


I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

I can make beans on toast. :fluffle:

not only can I cook but I can bake.

I can cook anything with a recipe, and have gotten pretty good at making up my own recipes for things.

I however still have timing problems.......for example at least once a month my meat is done before my potatoes. :( that's okay though, I am getting better, now that only happens when I have had a stressful day.

Can I cook? That's like asking the Pope if he believes in God.

i can cook, it's really not hard. the only difficulty i find is working out quatities, i always make too much, although i'm getting better.

Can I cook? That's like asking the Pope if he believes in God.

So you're just lying about being able to cook? :p

I can't cook. Even microwaving pushes me to my very limits!

There are a few things I cook well, but in general I'm not much of a cook. But the main thing is I hate doing anything in the kitchen. The only things I really use are the fridge and the microwave.

So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?I'm too obnoxious for TV, but yes, I'm a pretty good cook. I know a handful of trained professionals & they all say so. I've worked as a cook-underling a couple of times as well & never had any major complaints.

I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

I can cook pretty good, and love to do it too!

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.


I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

cooking for one is depressing too. as is trying to cook in student kitchens with no worksurface and rats eating all your damn pasta :mad:


but yes, i like to think i can cook. i can't cook that much but i like to think i have an aptitude for it, and what i can cook i do well :)

I learnt to cook this week in fact and thus have been eating everything:D

So you're just lying about being able to cook? :p

:eek:

Heeeey! I can cook! And I am damn good at it, too!

I can cook decently if its required of me. The only thing I don't need a recipe for is pancakes, someone once gave me a pancake cookbook for my birthday many years ago, and I became a pancake master. If such a thing exists.

I can cook decently if its required of me. The only thing I don't need a recipe for is pancakes, someone once gave me a pancake cookbook for my birthday many years ago, and I became a pancake master. If such a thing exists.Ah, but can you make vegan pancakes? :p

I need recipes for everything, even if I only vaguely follow them. I tend to experiment with alterations, most recipes aren't nearly as good as they could be with just a couple touches.

I worked as a cook in a breakfast kitchen in a hotel for a month.

So yes and no, seeing as I got fired for total incompetence. In my defence I didn't lie on my application; more perverted the truth. QUESTION: Have you had prior experience. MY ANSWER: Yes.....TRUTH: No....

Still I'm actually a very good cook; as long as I can make it up as I go along.

Yes indeed. I greatly enjoy cooking, and am quite good at it. I'm actually munching on a homemade currant scone as I type. :)

Yes, and I'm quite good at all of the verbs to do with heating up or cooling down ingredients to make them edible, too.

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.


I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

When people question me, its not the manner in which I cook, it is what I cook...I just love human flesh...and....especialy little children....then I'd probably have to mix that with whale...or baby seals...or ripe tigers...oh yeah bald eagles! indeed!

I can make beans on toast. :fluffle:

Yay! Beans on Toast!

I like putting peanut butter on my pieces of toast and then melting cheese over the beans.... yum!

Trilby63;12041936']Yay! Beans on Toast!

I like putting peanut butter on my pieces of toast and then melting cheese over the beans.... yum!

You disgust me. :(

You disgust me. :(

indeed beans need pepper!

Ah, but can you make vegan pancakes? :p

I have (I think, or at least something pancake like thats vegan) but I can't do it off the top of my head, as I don't know what rules they follow, and I'm out of practice.

Trilby63;12041936']Yay! Beans on Toast!

I like putting peanut butter on my pieces of toast and then melting cheese over the beans.... yum!

That's a bit...odd...

I love cooking. I'm not so good at the baking, I can never figure out how to convert the temperature and timing for high altitude baking. My cookies are usually burnt on the outside and weird and gooey on the inside. :(

indeed beans need pepper!

Beans disgust me. Pepper disgusts me. AAAAAAAAAAAH!!

You name it, I can cook it. :)
I normally create my own recipes, so I normally slightly alter (read : improve) recipes I read or dishes I try elsewhere.
Right now, I'm getting my head around vegetarian cooking, as my boyfriend is vegetarian.. so far, he's impressed :D

Pancakes, eggs, tacos, pasta, biscuits, bluberry muffins. And most importantly, I make the best tuna melts ever (excluding my mom's).

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.

So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

I can cook anything given a recipe and the necessary ingredients, and make very good, though simple, dishes with whatever I happen to have on hand. I cook about as often as I eat restaurant food.

I can cook and I can bake (pie, cake), and I suppose on average I do both once a week these days.
The rest of the week I mostly throw stuff in the microwave, or use the oven to finish baking something otherwise premade (neither of which, imo, qualify as cooking).

Pancakes, eggs, tacos, pasta, biscuits. And most importantly, I make the best tuna melts ever (excluding my mom's).

I thought this thread was about cooking food?

I can cook decently if its required of me. The only thing I don't need a recipe for is pancakes, someone once gave me a pancake cookbook for my birthday many years ago, and I became a pancake master. If such a thing exists.
There is such a thing as a crepe master.

Ah, but can you make vegan pancakes? :p
We used to have Pancake sundays.
Was great for seeing people you hadn't seen in ages. We just made pancakes every sunday and have a different small group of friends over every week. Was awesome cause no one is ever doing anything on a sunday morning,... well at least no one we know :)

So yeah I had to make vegan pancakes occasionally.. they work pretty well too. I was surprised how well they worked considering the major three ingredients are non vegan :)

Oh .. and yes I can cook..pretty well I am told. Desserts give me the Heebeegeebees though. My brother always did the desserts so I never really learnt at home. Plus I don't really like them. So my wife does all the desserts. Means she gets to feel like a contributor at dinner parties as I am a bit of a kitchen Nazi.....

I thought this thread was about cooking food?

Meh, pasta is not too bad if you make your own and don't use that dried shite.

Ah, but can you make vegan pancakes? :pNo milk, no eggs, that doesn't leave much. I mean, flour and salt is the only two basic ingredients left.
You'd be better off making flatbread, I think..

Can I cook? Oh, yas! :D

not only can I cook but I can bake.

I can cook anything with a recipe, and have gotten pretty good at making up my own recipes for things.

I however still have timing problems.......for example at least once a month my meat is done before my potatoes. :( that's okay though, I am getting better, now that only happens when I have had a stressful day.

That is the tough part, isn't it, Smunkee? That's why when asked if there's "anything I can do" by my Lady or other spectators, the answer if often a snarl. And I find that some things, like broccoli and cauliflower and such, get cold almost immediately. What's up with that?

That's a bit...odd...

I love cooking. I'm not so good at the baking, I can never figure out how to convert the temperature and timing for high altitude baking. My cookies are usually burnt on the outside and weird and gooey on the inside. :(

It's not odd..

It just so happened that one day I couldn't decide whether to make a cheese sandwich, a peanut butter sandwich or make some beans on toast. It was only logical to see what they'd all taste like together.

Trilby63;12042010']It's not odd..

It just so happened that one day I couldn't decide whether to make a cheese sandwich, a peanut butter sandwich or make some beans on toast. It was only logical to see what they'd all taste like together.

Strangely enough, my dad has similar tastes. He prefers peanut butter and bean dip sandwiches. With a glass of tomato juice and beer.

indeed beans need pepper!
Posh beans on toast::
How to make crazy-spiced fava bean crostini:

1. Soak dried fava beans for 12-24 hours. I make about 1 pound at a time. One pound of beans makes about 6 servings.

2. Skin the beans. I make a small tear along the rim of the bean and then push the inside out. Takes a few seconds per bean. Discard the skins.

3. Cook the beans. I put them in a crockpot on high for 3 hours covered in water but any cooking method is okay.

4. Mash the beans, adding finely chopped onion and your favorite oil. I usually use flaxseed oil. The onion is for texture. At this point I have several meals worth. I store it in the refrigerator.

5. Slice a ciabatta-like bread into long thin pieces. Toast.

6. Add random spices to the beans. I use 4 or 5 Penzey’s spice blends. If the beans have been refrigerated I warm them in the microwave before this step.

7. Spread the bean mixture on the toast.

8. Add an interesting topping, which can be almost anything. I have used tomatoes, cooked mushrooms, and chopped arugula.

Yes, and I'm quite good at all of the verbs to do with heating up or cooling down ingredients to make them edible, too.

That's the trick with cooking, isn't it? It's like a giant secret society, but once you find out which verbs mean "make hot" and which verbs mean "stir" you're sorted!

I like cooking, and people like eating what I cook. Sadly there's nobody near me to cook for most of the time, so I just knock up stuff to make me full when I get hungry. I very rarely eat out.
I do have a pair of Christmas cakes that I made maturing, though (and waiting to be wrapped in a kilo of marzipan each :D ).

My dad can't even make instant noodles reliably. That takes talent.

That is the tough part, isn't it, Smunkee? That's why when asked if there's "anything I can do" by my Lady or other spectators, the answer if often a snarl. And I find that some things, like broccoli and cauliflower and such, get cold almost immediately. What's up with that?

I don't know but it annoys me to no end.

I have a thermal bowl with lid, but I tend to use it for my rolls, because gluten free rolls don't taste right if they cool at all, in fact if they aren't hot they tend to fall apart :(

I think that part of my current problem with timing is due to our stove and oven being craptastic.

I refuse to buy another one just yet though, we might move soon and I don't want to have to move the darn thing, I already have to move a washer, dryer, fridge, and deep freeze, I refuse to rent a bigger truck.

That's a bit...odd...

I love cooking. I'm not so good at the baking, I can never figure out how to convert the temperature and timing for high altitude baking. My cookies are usually burnt on the outside and weird and gooey on the inside. :(

I recommend Pie in the Sky by Susan G. Purdy. She experimented at various altitudes up to 10,000 feet above sea level and has tailored recipes for 3000, 5000, 7000 and 10000 feet. She says it's not always intuitive what will work and what will not work. At 3000 feet you might need to add an egg, but not at 5000 feet and then again at 7000 feet. I've made a number of her recipes and they've always turned out well.

Yes, I can cook. I also bake. Can't follow a recipe to save my life though, I'm always adjusting or substituting things.

Sort of.

Yes, I can cook. I also bake. Can't follow a recipe to save my life though, I'm always adjusting or substituting things.

With cooking that's not a problem, cooking is more an art, but baking is a science, if the recipe says "1 tablespoon" you better use just the one. I need to get back to making bread on the weekends. *sigh*

SNIP

congratulations you have succeeded in making toast a complicated and time consuming endeavour :mad:

I was a cook for approx. 5 years that worked under several chefs in different states on the west coast as well as in Iowa. I worked in greek, italian, chinese, american and czecheslovakian restaurants. I've cooked on the line for breakfast lunch and dinner as well as learned the basics about soups and sauces. I also did quite a bit or prep cooking and baking of the breads and pastries.

So basically the answer is ... no, I cannot cook.

With cooking that's not a problem, cooking is more an art, but baking is a science, if the recipe says "1 tablespoon" you better use just the one. I need to get back to making bread on the weekends. *sigh*

funny story that you might appreciate....

when I was first learning to bake my husband bought me a Big Red cookbook and I didn't want to get it dirty so I had it in the dining room and kept running back and forth to add ingredients (laughing yet? keep going) well, I seem to have added one Tbs. of baking powder instead of 1Tsp. and you know what happened then, the cake is baking and it's rising....and rising.......and rising........and then I go to check it right and I look through the oven door and it's way big, so I open the oven, and it explodes and falls at the same time......cake was everywhere.

it was so funny.

With cooking that's not a problem, cooking is more an art, but baking is a science, if the recipe says "1 tablespoon" you better use just the one. I need to get back to making bread on the weekends. *sigh*
Even when I bake things I change amounts. I nearly always end up using more flour than the recipe calls for when making pie crusts, for example. There are also several recipes that turn out too sweet (in my opinion) if followed exactly, so I'll use less sugar. I'll often use a smidge more vanilla extract than called for, just because I like it so much. Things like that.

funny story that you might appreciate....

when I was first learning to bake my husband bought me a Big Red cookbook and I didn't want to get it dirty so I had it in the dining room and kept running back and forth to add ingredients (laughing yet? keep going) well, I seem to have added one Tbs. of baking powder instead of 1Tsp. and you know what happened then, the cake is baking and it's rising....and rising.......and rising........and then I go to check it right and I look through the oven door and it's way big, so I open the oven, and it explodes and falls at the same time......cake was everywhere.

it was so funny.

I saw that movie! You're married to Oliver Hardy?!?!?

I think it's a mark of distinction to have my cookbooks as messy as possible, but I guess for a new book, I can see the impulse not to get it besmirched.

I saw that movie! You're married to Oliver Hardy?!?!?

I think it's a mark of distinction to have my cookbooks as messy as possible, but I guess for a new book, I can see the impulse not to get it besmirched.

I have many......what my husband calls "Lucy and Ethel" moments. :)

He realized his mistake, and bought me page protectors for my big red, and now I have all my recipes printed out and in page protectors in binders that are seperated by type of recipe.

funny story that you might appreciate....

when I was first learning to bake my husband bought me a Big Red cookbook and I didn't want to get it dirty so I had it in the dining room and kept running back and forth to add ingredients (laughing yet? keep going) well, I seem to have added one Tbs. of baking powder instead of 1Tsp. and you know what happened then, the cake is baking and it's rising....and rising.......and rising........and then I go to check it right and I look through the oven door and it's way big, so I open the oven, and it explodes and falls at the same time......cake was everywhere.

it was so funny.
Lol, that's great Smunkee. I did something similar once - I doubled the amount of baking powder - but I caught my mistake and just doubled the rest of the ingredients too. Brought the extra cake to work. :p

Even when I bake things I change amounts. I nearly always end up using more flour than the recipe calls for when making pie crusts, for example. There are also several recipes that turn out too sweet (in my opinion) if followed exactly, so I'll use less sugar. I'll often use a smidge more vanilla extract than called for, just because I like it so much. Things like that.

Well, duh. You always add more vanilla extract. They put too little on the recipies on purpose, I think.

With cooking that's not a problem, cooking is more an art, but baking is a science, if the recipe says "1 tablespoon" you better use just the one. That's mostly true in as much as ingredients that are measured in tablespoons are involved, like yeast, salt, baking soda etc.
If you make an apple pie and use 1.5 kilos of apples instead of 1, the biggest problem is that it won't fit well in the tin, but baking wise it's no problem.
Use to much baking soda or salt though, and it'll be crap.

I recommend Pie in the Sky by Susan G. Purdy. She experimented at various altitudes up to 10,000 feet above sea level and has tailored recipes for 3000, 5000, 7000 and 10000 feet. She says it's not always intuitive what will work and what will not work. At 3000 feet you might need to add an egg, but not at 5000 feet and then again at 7000 feet. I've made a number of her recipes and they've always turned out well.

Thank you for the recommendation! I'll check it out this weekend. =^_^=

A messy kitchen is the sign of a good cook.

Strangely enough, my dad has similar tastes. He prefers peanut butter and bean dip sandwiches. With a glass of tomato juice and beer.
My father likes mayonnaise and raspberry jam on toast.

I can't even bring myself to try it.

My father likes mayonnaise and raspberry jam on toast.

I can't even bring myself to try it.

What about ketchup and cheese on bread?

I recommend Pie in the Sky by Susan G. Purdy. She experimented at various altitudes up to 10,000 feet above sea level and has tailored recipes for 3000, 5000, 7000 and 10000 feet. She says it's not always intuitive what will work and what will not work. At 3000 feet you might need to add an egg, but not at 5000 feet and then again at 7000 feet. I've made a number of her recipes and they've always turned out well.
Thanks for the suggestion. I grew up at about 3300 feet, and my mother often complained that standard recipes would fail at altitude.

I have many......what my husband calls "Lucy and Ethel" moments. :)

He realized his mistake, and bought me page protectors for my big red, and now I have all my recipes printed out and in page protectors in binders that are seperated by type of recipe.

Lol, that's great Smunkee. I did something similar once - I doubled the amount of baking powder - but I caught my mistake and just doubled the rest of the ingredients too. Brought the extra cake to work. :p

I envy you your book, Smunkee. We started typing up our collection of recipes but never got very far. Considering all the sitting around the kitchen table (my Lady comes from a kitchen-sitting family, I from a living room one) we do, we might as well be typing up recipes. And she wants to organize tham and index them and do all sorts of cool stuff, like making recipes and photographing them. Maybe after the holidays ...

What I tend to do is leave ingredients out. Made turkey tetrazzini the other day, left the Parmesan out of the topping. It wasn't bad, just not the same. I did have a "Lucy & Ethel" moment some years ago, back in New York. I was drying cayenne peppers in the microwave, and on the third batch I forgot to pierce them At the sound of the explosions I leaped to the microwave, yanked open the door and ... well, my sinuses were clear for a good week after that!

What about ketchup and cheese on bread?
Ketchup and cheese at least go together. It's quite common to find them juxtaposed on a burger.

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.


I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

I'm a professional chef. In fact, I'll be entering a friendly online contest this weekend that uses a similar format to Iron Chef. The ingredients I'll be using are: Cranberries, Vermouth, A sparkling liquid (i.e champagne, sparkling cider, etc.), and something "wild" (i.e. something that's literally growing wild, or something just utterly weird.)

So, I'm going with butter poached wild Alaskan king salmon with yellow pepper vermouth sauce, fried beer simmered polenta, and cranberried sugar snap peas. And, Apple (from my own tree) champagne gelee and cranberry gelee parfait with sweet vermouth caramel.

Sound good?

Thank you for the recommendation! I'll check it out this weekend. =^_^=

A messy kitchen is the sign of a good cook.

Thanks for the suggestion. I grew up at about 3300 feet, and my mother often complained that standard recipes would fail at altitude.

If you do get the book, you'll see she arranges the recipes in columns, ingredients down the left, then each altitude from left to right. I outline my altitude in a nice bold color and highlight it. That way I don't end up mixing the ingredient amounts from different altitudes.

Have fun!

I can cook. I like fried mushrooms.

I can cook better than this guy :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aasov3zTaY

I am a pretty good cook, at this point I'm trying to teach myself some baking and asian cooking.

I'm a professional chef. In fact, I'll be entering a friendly online contest this weekend that uses a similar format to Iron Chef. The ingredients I'll be using are: Cranberries, Vermouth, A sparkling liquid (i.e champagne, sparkling cider, etc.), and something "wild" (i.e. something that's literally growing wild, or something just utterly weird.)

So, I'm going with butter poached wild Alaskan king salmon with yellow pepper vermouth sauce, fried beer simmered polenta, and cranberried sugar snap peas. And, Apple (from my own tree) champagne gelee and cranberry gelee parfait with sweet vermouth caramel.

Sound good?

Show off.

The parfait sounds very interesting, especially the vermouth caramel. My taste buds are doing this trying to figure out what that would be like: :headbang:

:D

Does making Cereal count as cooking...?

I can make pop tarts. The trick if you microwave them is to not follow the box's directions of cook for 3 seconds. Go ahead check the pop tarts box, I'll wait.

I never realised you had to change recipies at high altitudes! (but then i have never lived at a high altitude so...)
Anyway, anyone can cook with a littel practice. At the moment i am just starting to learn how to make cake using only a microwave (with no turntable), no work surfaces (or at least none that are clean enough to put anything down on), limited ingredients, and only one small bowl that can be put in the microwave.
Its actually going quite well, i can do a mean lemon pond pudding.
*sigh* what i wouldnt give for a kitchen again...

I'm a professional chef. In fact, I'll be entering a friendly online contest this weekend that uses a similar format to Iron Chef. The ingredients I'll be using are: Cranberries, Vermouth, A sparkling liquid (i.e champagne, sparkling cider, etc.), and something "wild" (i.e. something that's literally growing wild, or something just utterly weird.)

So, I'm going with butter poached wild Alaskan king salmon with yellow pepper vermouth sauce, fried beer simmered polenta, and cranberried sugar snap peas. And, Apple (from my own tree) champagne gelee and cranberry gelee parfait with sweet vermouth caramel.

Sound good?
:eek: Impressive. I can't quite figure out if the fried beer simmered polenta is something I would want to try, though.

I never realised you had to change recipies at high altitudes! (but then i have never lived at a high altitude so...)
Anyway, anyone can cook with a littel practice. At the moment i am just starting to learn how to make cake using only a microwave (with no turntable), no work surfaces (or at least none that are clean enough to put anything down on), limited ingredients, and only one small bowl that can be put in the microwave.
Its actually going quite well, i can do a mean lemon pond pudding.
*sigh* what i wouldnt give for a kitchen again...

What happened to your kitchen? :(

:eek: Impressive. I can't quite figure out if the fried beer simmered polenta is something I would want to try, though.

If it tastes nasty you can always spit it out, like Tom Hanks in Big.

I'm a professional chef. In fact, I'll be entering a friendly online contest this weekend that uses a similar format to Iron Chef. The ingredients I'll be using are: Cranberries, Vermouth, A sparkling liquid (i.e champagne, sparkling cider, etc.), and something "wild" (i.e. something that's literally growing wild, or something just utterly weird.)

So, I'm going with butter poached wild Alaskan king salmon with yellow pepper vermouth sauce, fried beer simmered polenta, and cranberried sugar snap peas. And, Apple (from my own tree) champagne gelee and cranberry gelee parfait with sweet vermouth caramel.

Sound good?

It does indeed. You should post your recipes here so I can steal them. :)

I'm a professional chef. In fact, I'll be entering a friendly online contest this weekend that uses a similar format to Iron Chef. The ingredients I'll be using are: Cranberries, Vermouth, A sparkling liquid (i.e champagne, sparkling cider, etc.), and something "wild" (i.e. something that's literally growing wild, or something just utterly weird.)

So, I'm going with butter poached wild Alaskan king salmon with yellow pepper vermouth sauce, fried beer simmered polenta, and cranberried sugar snap peas. And, Apple (from my own tree) champagne gelee and cranberry gelee parfait with sweet vermouth caramel.

Sound good?

I like the sounds of the salmon (quickly writes down the idea), not too sure on the cranberried sugar snap peas tho, it could be too much of a strong flavour and drown out the salmon. Be careful with that with the ammount of vermouth aswell. The desert sounds delicious tho!

What happened to your kitchen? :(

It stayed with my mum in my house. I on the other hand went to stay in university halls of residence. They may be catered but i can do deserts so much better than they can.

It stayed with my mum in my house. I on the other hand went to stay in university halls of residence. They may be catered but i can do desserts so much better than they can.

Ah, I thought it might be so. Patience, then. :p

Ah, I thought it might be so. Patience, then. :p

Well i can go cook at christmas, and then next year im moving into a flat, probably with guys who cant (read as: too lazy to) cook, so i can completely take over the kitchen! Yay :D

Well i can go cook at christmas, and then next year im moving into a flat, probably with guys who cant (read as: too lazy to) cook, so i can completely take over the kitchen! Yay :D

:cool: Just be careful you don't get suckered into being the live-in cook.

:cool: Just be careful you don't get suckered into being the live-in cook.

But cooking is fun! and more to the point eating is fun! anyway, getting a little off topic here. Anyone can cook, some people just too lazy to do so.

But cooking is fun! and more to the point eating is fun! anyway, getting a little off topic here. Anyone can cook, some people just too lazy to do so.

Oh, I know, I love to cook. In fact, this thread's got me thinking about what to make for dinner tonight (no decision just yet). All I meant was, some of those lazy types might take advantage. Hey, you could teach them! Everyone should know how to cook something.

Oh, I know, I love to cook. In fact, this thread's got me thinking about what to make for dinner tonight (no decision just yet). All I meant was, some of those lazy types might take advantage. Hey, you could teach them! Everyone should know how to cook something.

You've just given me a brilliant idea!!!!!!!!!
Thankyou lots and lots and lots. Siggy (ludicrously hot guy in halls who i tempted into talking to me through use of chocolate cake) may be tempted into talking to me more often next year if i offer to teach him how to make chocolate cake for himself, or at least let him lick the bowl when i make it.
Not that i would ever do anything as low down as tempt guys using cake....

You've just given me a brilliant idea!!!!!!!!!
Thankyou lots and lots and lots. Siggy (ludicrously hot guy in halls who i tempted into talking to me through use of chocolate cake) may be tempted into talking to me more often next year if i offer to teach him how to make chocolate cake for himself, or at least let him lick the bowl when i make it.
Not that i would ever do anything as low down as tempt guys using cake....

Of course not, why, that would be ... unethical. Tempting men with chocolate cake, the very idea. It works pretty well on women, though. ;)

Of course not, why, that would be ... unethical. Tempting men with chocolate cake, the very idea. It works pretty well on women, though. ;)

Mind you, i think that salmon think in the pepper and vermouth sauce might be tempting for people aswell. Sounds yummy.

I'm a fairly decent cook. Not much experience, though.

I'll post pics when they're ready. But recipes will have to stay on my website ;)

I almost never have anyone else make my food for me, so yes I can cook.

Mind you, i think that salmon think in the pepper and vermouth sauce might be tempting for people aswell. Sounds yummy.

It does sound nice. Sadly, my Lady grew up away from salt water and so has no liking for seafood. The best I can do is get her to eat shrimp, as in shrimp cocktail.

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.


I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?
My mom was once a chef at a 4 star restaurant. I can outcook her. Believe me: we had a contest.

Yes. To a certain degree.
I follow recipes every now and then.

Yeah- I can cook well and I love to.

I can follow a recipe and improvise as well.

I can slice and dice fast and smooth-just like the pros you see on TV. I had years and years of practice-not only cooking for myself and family, but doing prep work for a nazi chef when I was a teenager. I learned a lot there.

Hehe. My cooking skills are limited to grilled stuff. I can make pizza sauce; hence yummy paninis (ham, peppers, mushrooms, sweetcorn, mozarella, parmesan, emmental, cheddar, oregano and olive oil - divine!). I can scramble eggs, make porridge, certain soups; basically I can make lunches but don't ask me to cook a 3 course meal. I can bake... a little. I can Bake cookies, muffins, rice crispy buns... simple things. My mum thinks I'm a lazy brat, though because she's one of those women who thinks I'll never get a husband until I learn how to cook. I'm a teenager; marriage is that last thing on my mind!

double post.

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.


I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

I can cook.
I can cook quite well, actually.
I as a married man, my wife prefers me to cook as opposed to her.
I enjoy cooking and I can cook thai, chinese, traditional American dishes, Mexican(real Mexican, not beans and cheese--I also make hand made tortillas, tamales, and my own mole), Lebanese cuisine, I dabble with Scandanavian dishes, I can bake to a lesser degree, and am working on candy making....I can cook just about anything that i have tasted or is clearly described. Recipes confuse me as i can never make myself follow them..I always have a "better" idea.

Yeah- I can cook well and I love to.

I can follow a recipe and improvise as well.

I can slice and dice fast and smooth-just like the pros you see on TV. I had years and years of practice-not only cooking for myself and family, but doing prep work for a nazi chef when I was a teenager. I learned a lot there.

you totally Godwined a non-debate thread :p

you totally Godwined a non-debate thread :p

I dont get it. I never understood what that means.

I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

I'm a pretty good cook. It runs in the family, skipping generations. My Nana was an awesome cook, having mastered sophisticated Southern cooking in particular. My Grandpa was a handy man in the kitchen, with a total mastery of redneck cookery. My mother (Nana's side) often ascribes me and my brother's love of and skill at cooking as having been developed in self defense. And my father (Grandpa's side) made his infamous fudge every Christmas until we convinced him to stop ruining pans.


That's why when asked if there's "anything I can do" by my Lady or other spectators, the answer if often a snarl. And I find that some things, like broccoli and cauliflower and such, get cold almost immediately. What's up with that?

That (the snarl at least) reminds me of the rather funny incident at my summer cook out this year. The wife of a friend offered to help (this being Japan, where women are more likely to be tending the grill than back home in Texas). "Me - man. Fire. Meat. Beer. Woman - no." ;)

cooking for one is depressing too. as is trying to cook in student kitchens with no worksurface and rats eating all your damn pasta :mad:

That's pretty much the reason I dion't cook most of the time here - an inadequate kitchen .

I'm a professional chef. In fact, I'll be entering a friendly online contest this weekend that uses a similar format to Iron Chef. The ingredients I'll be using are: Cranberries, Vermouth, A sparkling liquid (i.e champagne, sparkling cider, etc.), and something "wild" (i.e. something that's literally growing wild, or something just utterly weird.)

So, I'm going with butter poached wild Alaskan king salmon with yellow pepper vermouth sauce, fried beer simmered polenta, and cranberried sugar snap peas. And, Apple (from my own tree) champagne gelee and cranberry gelee parfait with sweet vermouth caramel.

Sound good?

Yep.

:cool: Just be careful you don't get suckered into being the live-in cook.

I did that voluntarily for almost a good year while I was living at home after college.

I dont get it. I never understood what that means.

It's a reference to Godwin's Law:
As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.

There is a tradition in many newsgroups and other Internet discussion forums that once such a comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically "lost" whatever debate was in progress. This principle is itself frequently referred to as Godwin's Law.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law.

It's a reference to Godwin's Law:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law.

I see-thanks.

For the record- The guy I was referring to was actually a Nazi and made no bones about it. I didnt just declare he was one myself.

Yes, I can cook. How utterly womanly.

And people buy my food as I own a restaurant.

Yep. It's not particularly difficult. I can do a great curry sauce.

Who needs anything else when you can do that?

I can cook and I also bake, would have to say that I am quite good at both things

I am a decent cook (at least my roomie thinks so..:p )..basic Indian stuff...curries..daal etc..

I am actually quite a good cook, but usually can't be bothered. I don't really like cooking if it's just for myself & my girlfriend. On the other hand, if we're entertaining, I really enjoy cooking something nice.

Pretty much all that I can cook that is actual cooking (excluding TV dinners, canned soup, canned raviolis, poptarts, etc, although I can prepare all of those, of course) is scrambled eggs. I make them for my brothers sometimes on days that we're all off from school.

I'm an excellent cook. Lately, I've been experimenting with stir fry(I got an incredible deal on a highquality wok). :)

I'm an excellent cook. Lately, I've been experimenting with stir fry(I got an incredible deal on a highquality wok). :)

I can see you as being the kind of chef that runs round a kitchen making a huge mess and throwing things in randomly, but somehow ends up with something awesome.

I can see you as being the kind of chef that runs round a kitchen making a huge mess and throwing things in randomly, but somehow ends up with something awesome.

:eek: AIEEE!!! Hidden Camera!!! *searches*

:eek: AIEEE!!! Hidden Camera!!! *searches*

You'll never find it, mwahahaha!

I am pretty good cook, though I don't bother to really cook here, mostly pasta and the like. Cooking for one is a bit depressing. At least the last place, I lived that sometimes we would cook for each other so I did cook more. I am very good at making crepes. One of my favourite dishes to make for a lot of people is savoury crepes with spicy crab salad. I am good at making Italian food. I am pretty good at soups, stews, etc. as well and make very good chili, if I make it at home even if I make too much, it doesn't make it more than a couple of days because my fiancé eats it until it is gone before touching anything else. Also make lots of Asian food, that is the result of living with Chinese and Japanese people for 3 years in student housing and exchanging recipes. I wish my maki sushi was prettier, but at least it tastes right.

Nope.

I have made turkish delight, butter fudge, marangue pavalovas and chocolate gauteus with whipped cream and chocolate chips on the top. In fact I like all cooking except for local Irish recipes such as irish stew. Irish stew is of stodgy and sour taste and the stock is too watered down and tasteless.

In fact most Irish cooking is the laughing stock of the gourmet’s taste and style preferences. Most Irish recipe books are hopelessly inaccurate, miss essential points, and use as low-calibre english as a children's comic book. The range of recipes is narrow and un-exciting, the illustrations are unrecognisable, and the ends results taste like the rancid leftovers from a dog's dinner.

Irish restaurants serve the most woeful and uninviting of dishes, and serve the most bitter and tasteless of wines and cocktails. The menus are worn and poorly worded, the floors are as dirty as a hens' shed, the waiters are as impolite as hook-beaked geeses, and the cooks are so slow and badly organised that the food is already half-cold by the time it gets to you.

i can cook to feed myself ,but others may die if they eat what i cook

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.


I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?


I can't. Well I can, if I receive very detailed instructions, but usually I fail. The fault is not in me, but in other people, since many of them have some innate feeling of what is appropriate and what not. I.e. I have no idea what is "a little bit of salt". And living alone, I buy my food.

Once I tried to make boiled eggs, as I was told that it is simple. I had 4 eggs and wanted dinner. First two broke while I tried to put them in water. Last two did not boil enough because I boiled for 30 seconds. How should I know that I need to boil them much longer than to cook in oil?!

Yes, I can cook, some things better than others, of course. :p

For the record- The guy I was referring to was actually a Nazi and made no bones about it. I didnt just declare he was one myself.

A real Nazi, as in a member of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei? Or just an (overly?) strict person?

I can't. Well I can, if I receive very detailed instructions, but usually I fail. The fault is not in me, but in other people, since many of them have some innate feeling of what is appropriate and what not. I.e. I have no idea what is "a little bit of salt". And living alone, I buy my food.

Use an actual cookbook - very few cookbooks (and no good ones) will give you such vauge instructions.

Once I tried to make boiled eggs, as I was told that it is simple. I had 4 eggs and wanted dinner. First two broke while I tried to put them in water. Last two did not boil enough because I boiled for 30 seconds. How should I know that I need to boil them much longer than to cook in oil?!

Err... either consult someone who knows what they're on about or consult just about any decent cook book? (And fried eggs should take longer that 30 seconds...)

:eek: AIEEE!!! Hidden Camera!!! *searches*

Don't worry. Your affinity for mud has long since covered whatever lenses he's had in inch thick earthen layers :p

As for me, I do cook. I did some preparatory work before I ended up in the dorms so I didn't have to live on microwavables for the duration.

I can cook quite well, thank you. I do most of the cooking at home, and it's gotten to the point that I prefer my own cooking to most others' I try (at restaurants and whatnot).

Depends. If by cook, you mean sometimes being able to make a box of macaroni and cheese turn out right, then yes. Otherwise, no.

Yes, of course I can bloody cook!



Of course if the question was, "Can you cook well?" that would get a less enthusaistic and definitive answer.

-snip- My mum thinks I'm a lazy brat, though because she's one of those women who thinks I'll never get a husband until I learn how to cook. I'm a teenager; marriage is that last thing on my mind!

I didn't learn how to cook until after I was married. It really tests a man's commitment to the relationship, if he will live through your mistakes and horrible attempts at dinner without whining.

I'm an alright cook, I certainly have a better diet than most other students I know :p

My mum thinks I'm a lazy brat, though because she's one of those women who thinks I'll never get a husband until I learn how to cook. I'm a teenager; marriage is that last thing on my mind!

My mum was more practical. I had learned cooking early from my grandmother, but a few years ago, my mom took a long hard look around her, decided that girls apparently no longer learn how to cook, and so in an effort to prevent future divorces, taught my brothers and their male friends how to do a decent meal. Despite their protests. It was fun.
:D

I have made turkish delight, butter fudge, marangue pavalovas and chocolate gauteus with whipped cream and chocolate chips on the top. In fact I like all cooking except for local Irish recipes such as irish stew. Irish stew is of stodgy and sour taste and the stock is too watered down and tasteless.

In fact most Irish cooking is the laughing stock of the gourmet’s taste and style preferences. Most Irish recipe books are hopelessly inaccurate, miss essential points, and use as low-calibre english as a children's comic book. The range of recipes is narrow and un-exciting, the illustrations are unrecognisable, and the ends results taste like the rancid leftovers from a dog's dinner.

Irish restaurants serve the most woeful and uninviting of dishes, and serve the most bitter and tasteless of wines and cocktails. The menus are worn and poorly worded, the floors are as dirty as a hens' shed, the waiters are as impolite as hook-beaked geeses, and the cooks are so slow and badly organised that the food is already half-cold by the time it gets to you.
You been going to Abberkabera ???;) Ever try places in Kinsale??

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.

Yes, in which case the old saying "practice makes perfect" applies, too.
I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.
That's how I feel. Ever once in a while I will make a great meal, but usually it's just simple meals that I cook for me, myself and I. ;)
So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?
I'd say so. But usually the occasion doesn't arise to really "show off" and make something fancy.
Besides, I've noticed that the longer I'm in front of the stove and smell all the good stuff, the lower my appetite gets.
This is especially annoying for meals that take quite a while to get done. When they're ready, I'm usually not that hungry anymore.

But overall, yes, I'd wager I'm a pretty good cook. So far, nobody has died from it, anyway. :p

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.


I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

I had a girlfriend once who couldn't cook. There was a joke around her house that she could even burn water. She left a sauce pan boiling once and forgot about it, some time later all the water have evaporated and the pan began to scorch, filling the kitchen with smoke. She asked her mother what had happened, and her mother said "well it looks like you, managed to burn the water."

On a more serious note I think that anyone can cook as well, it may not come natural to some people, and it may not be an enjoyable expierence for them, but they could learn if they wanted to.

A lot of people are embarased by their lack of natural ablity and refuse to do anything that is difficult for them, they instinctively hide from their weaknesses by saying things like 'I can't cook'. Or they have had a few mishaps in the past and are afraid of failure, so they stop trying. Either way it boils down to fear.

I can cook, with a good recipe to follow, but it does take me about twice as long as it takes most people, because precise mesurement is not something I'm good at. I'm also a bit of a prefectionist, so I tend to over do things. It took me a few oddly shaped muffins to realise that my mom was right and that I shouldn't beat all of the lumps out of the batter, even though my inner prefectionist was telling me the batter wasn't fully mixed.

So to learn to cook I suppose all you need is:

Good Directions
A Knowlege of cooking basics and terms (or a reference book to look those up)
The ability to read and follow directions
Patience
and Perseverance (because you will probably have some mishaps, but practice makes perfect)

If you want to learn to cook well, view instructions as guidelines.
Don't be afraid to experiment!




Though icecream mixed with beef gravy doesn't work too well.

I'm an excellent cook. Lately, I've been experimenting with stir fry(I got an incredible deal on a highquality wok). :)
I envy you. I wish I had the right kitchen to make stir fry in a wok, but I have to make do with a large skillet instead.

I can't cook, but I can follow directions.

A real Nazi, as in a member of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei? Or just an (overly?) strict person?




No- a self proclaimed Nazi. I usually dont parse words or ask for ID cards with Nazis.

Were he simply overly strict, thats what I woulda said.

Subject was brought up here at work about someone who only orders take-out and never ever cooks, not even while she was married. Apparently she "can't" cook. I always figured anyone can cook, you just follow basic directions.


I can cook, I just usually opt not to. Cooking for one is usually an exercise in futility anyway.


So can you cook? Basic stuff or do you belong on Food Network? If you can't, why not?

I cook better than Bobby Flay (and that's not saying much). Better than Emeril, IMHO and the opinion of others. Better than Rachel Ray.

I can't cook, but I can follow directions.

Being a good cook just comes from curiosity, When your eating a meal and taste something nice, you remember the flavour. Do this with lots and lots of different flavours and eventually you will work out what can be mixed together to get something that tastes good.
If you cant cook, you should just try out things till something tastes nice. Its really that easy.

I can cook, and rather well. Apparently the good cook gene has been passed down through the maternal side of the family for a very long time, except since my mother had no daughters, I got the cooking genes instead. Generally, I'm considered good because I can make not too complicated things that taste good, which is the primary requirement of cooks (and should also IMO be the primary requirement of writers, composers, musicians, artists etc. -- to create things that are pleasing to the eye/ear/brain, even if only in the mind of the creator).

If I can cook?

Not to save my life...

I fail at cooking, and I'll be the first one to proclaim it. It is my weak spot.

Hmm, I'm pretty fond of my spaghetti sauce. Will also cook other things that can be produced by putting things in boiling water or a frying pan. I refuse anything that will take longer than 30 minutes to boil/be fried.


I however still have timing problems.......for example at least once a month my meat is done before my potatoes. :(

The trick is to put things that seem to be going to be ready too early on lower heat, so that they stay warm put don't get dried up. Probably no big news there, but it works very well for me.

That's the trick with cooking, isn't it? It's like a giant secret society, but once you find out which verbs mean "make hot" and which verbs mean "stir" you're sorted!

I manage to stir up trouble, but can't seem to make people hot.

Yes I can cook. Very well as a matter of fact. If humans can eat it, I can cook it. (actually, if It can't outrun me, I can cook it.)

Yes i can cook, i am bloody good at it.
Mince on toast.http://209.85.48.10/3630/189/emo/cannibal.gif

I love to cook, especially the indian dishes like Tikka Masala or Kerala Curry. :)