I need a little cooking help please.

[sportschick]

That's the first cookbook I was given. I got it for Christmas when I was 15. It's still the first thing I grab when I want to cook basic stuff, although I've got a basic vegetarian one that I'm grabbing more and more these days.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

The first cookbook I bought was Craig Claiborne's New York Times Cookbook. I bought it used and I still have it. If you can get past the pretentiousness and the recipes for foods I wouldn't eat unless it was a choice between that or prison food, he has some pretty good stuff on technique that was helpful when I was learning. There was great advice in a book called A Modern Man's Guide to Life as well.

It takes practice, there's no way to avoid making some awful stuff. Don't experiment on guests -- make something you've already mastered.

 

[Barsuk]

When you start to gain confidence and want to branch out into some simple-ish gourmet stuff, surf around here a bit:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus/quickeasy/recipes

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

How To Boil Water is my favorite beginner book. It's from the Food Network's test kitchen staff.

 

[User 1019]

Thanks for the nod in the lead, Dirk. If you could see me blushing ...

Anyhoo, Slappy mentioned one of my favorites -- the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I use it all the time, when I'm not forced to eat chowhall food for six ****ing months. *Could be worse. Could be 15, huh?* The buttermilk pancakes are to die for.

But what got me interested in cooking was one of the "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes" books. All kinds of stuff. From Tony Roma's ribs to Hooters' wings to ... hell, you name it. I still cook things from it ALL the time. Lots of good deserts. You can cook it one weekend and try it at the restaurant on the next weekend and talk about how much better yours is. Who gives a darn if it isn't as pretty? They're ****'s probably all pre-made, or something.

Once I realized I was interested in cooking, and had at least some aptitude for it, I bought "Cooking For Dummies." That's my go-to guy for "how-to" and "why" questions. Taught me a TON about sauces, substitutions and different techniques, such as braising and blackening. Good info, that book.

I read the 75th edition of The Joy of Cooking, and was not impressed. Previous versions have been much, much better. They tried to get too cute with it, rather than do what they've done for YEARS. But, it's still the Bible. The best cookbook, from top to bottom, ever written. Just get an earlier edition from Amazon, or something.

The main ingredient for cooking (Ha! Get it?) is fun. Turn off the TV, get Mrs. Legume in the kitchen, tell jokes, drink beer or wine, and spend all night there. When Mrs. t_b_f and I cook, it's normally a three-hour ordeal. Hell, we usually end up on the floor while the etoufee's simmering.

Also, have a mission. Try to perfect something. Mrs. t_b_f has a great aunt, who's a charming Southern, grandmotherly figure of about 80, who tips the scales at about two-and-a-half bills. She can cook. Period. She confirms my motto: "Never trust a skinny cook." Yeah, that's her. Well, her chicken and dumplings are the best around, bar none. No one in the family ever even dares bring dumplings to a gathering. No one wants to. Hers are that good. Last time I cooked them, Mrs. t_b_f said mine were better. And she was serious. It made my week. I was on cloud nine 'cause I could outcook an old, fat, Southern grandma at her own game.

One last tip. Keep pen and paper in the kitchen at all times. Each time you cook something and change an ingredient, measurement, temperature or technique, WRITE IT DOWN. I can't tell you how many times I've tried something different with a cheesecake that worked and had no recollection of what I did.



Remember, Dirk. It's all about fun, man.

 

[User 1019]

Oh, here's another one. Watch the food channel. I've stolen countless ideas and recipes from those guys, especially Emeril.

 

[Barsuk]

Oh, here's another one. Watch the food channel. I've stolen countless ideas and recipes from those guys, especially Emeril.

Absolutely. The Food Network is one of the default channels at our house, especially if no sporting events are on. I have learned a ton just from having it on in the background. It's not so much about learning how to do things, but learning why you should do them. Alton Brown is the best at that, but Emeril Live is excellent, too.

 

[imjustagirl2]

I LOVE Alton.

 

[Barsuk]

I LOVE Alton.

Dude's mind works in mysterious ways, but he is entertaining and informative as all get out.

 

[sportschick]

I've gotten most of my Thanksgiving recipes off the Food Channel. I love the cheesy mashed potatoes recipe Rachael Ray had a coupla years ago. There's also a show that one really late at night that seem to focus on basics. I, however, haven't watched it in a while so I can't remember the name of it.

 

[User 1019]

Oh, here's another one. Watch the food channel. I've stolen countless ideas and recipes from those guys, especially Emeril.

Absolutely. The Food Network is one of the default channels at our house, especially if no sporting events are on. I have learned a ton just from having it on in the background. It's not so much about learning how to do things, but learning why you should do them. Alton Brown is the best at that, but Emeril Live is excellent, too.

Love Alton, too.

Each time I see a dish I like, I'm straight to foodtv.com.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

I like the Food Network, but I've never cooked anything from one of the shows. It's entertainment for me, and to be honest, the chefs seem like real critters. Sara Moulton seemed to be the only one remotely impersonating a normal human, and they killed her show because she wasn't entertaining enough. Emeril seems like he's from the cast of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

The Silver Palate cookbooks are great. There is some awesome food in Paul Prudhomme's Seasoned America, but they are time-consuming recipes.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

The real trick is going to the trouble to get quality ingredients -- good meat, very fresh veggies -- and then prepare simply.

 

[Highway 101]

The only cookbook you'll ever need. You'll want others eventually, but this is the one that will lead you to them.

The previous versions cover everything from entry-level to fancy-schmancy dinners I've used to impress dates. It contains some of the most basic techniques to the proper way to fillet a trout (I can't do that.)

It's a wise investment that has lasted 10 years and will likely be passed to my children (if I ever get married and have kids).

Another suggestion is to spend some of that free time at the local Borders or Barnes N Nobles in the cooking section. But don't be blown over by fancy pics or extravagant designs. Content is much more important.

Best of luck!

 

[Barsuk]

Frank, we cooked recipes we saw on the Food Network two nights this weekend, and both were fantastic, although we often alter the recipes somewhat.

We saw Bobby Flay make a Japanese lamb tenderloin with soba noodles, but we wanted to try it with pork tenderloin, and we used our own marinade recipe because we didn't like the look of his. It was great.

Last night, we made a chicken, bacon and mushroom pot pie we saw Nigella Lawson make on TV, and it was excellent.

More than anything, though, watching Food Network helps you understand how to be a cook, not just how to cook. If you watch it enough, you learn to think like a chef when you're in the kitchen.

 

[PaperDoll]

I don't cook at all, aside from occasionally boiling water and throwing frozen ravioli in.

I still own a copy of "A Man, A Can and a Microwave." However, I've never looked at it. Guess I'm waiting for the man.

I recommend "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cooking Basics," because it not only explains cooking techniques, but tells you how to stock your kitchen. (It's not cheap to buy everything on the list!) I also have "Cooking for Dummies" and "Help! My Apartment has a Kitchen!"

Now I just have to get beyond cold-cut sandwiches and sliced veggies...

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

I agree with you on that, Barsuk. I ad-lib when I cook. My wife follows every recipe exactly.

Also, I agree that watching the Food Network has helped me with technique.

But I am not a real complicated-recipe guy. I read this somewhere -- it may have been Claiborne's book -- that when chefs try to impress each other, it's something really simple, like a perfect roast chicken.

For the most part, I try to take what nature is offering at the moment. Nothing beats local produce in-season. I try not to force the issue. Take what's good now and use that instead of using inferior ingredients. So what's on TV or in a mag doesn't really dictate what I make -- what's in season or looks like quality that day at the store influences me most.

Also, we have a very good fish store here. The guy who owns it, sometimes I'll ask him how he'd cook that. And usually he has a pretty good suggestion.

Cook's Illustrated is a terrific mag, too.

 

[Highway 101]

To follow up what Frank said about fresh ingredients....

I remember my Mom going to the grocery store once a month and running up a huge bill by purchasing all of the non-perishables, then hitting it once a week for perishables.

I'm the complete opposite.

I've got a couple cans of soup, flour, sugar, spices and a couple other things that are needed regularly, like olive oil.

Then just about every night (not the late ones) I hit the grocery store. I usually have an idea of what sounds good to me. Then I look at all the meats and pick out what looks good. Then the veggies and the sides.

I guess that's more traditional (old) like folks going to the market every day for their dinner.

 

[slappy4428]

I can't remember the last can of veggies I've had..

 

[Cape_Fear]

I'll second the recommendation of the food network and the companion web site. It's almost always on during the weekend when me and Mrs. Fear are home. We'll Tivo our favorites and watch them later, too.

Put me among the Alton Brown fans, although it took Mrs. Fear a while to come around since he is just a bit goofy for her taste. She eventually did after trying his meatloaf glaze.

Start your own cookbook. We have two big (2 1/2 inch) binders with recipes that have come from all over. A bunch were from her grandmothers. My mom printed out a bunch of my favorites from my side of the family, but most are just printed ones from the Food Network and other recipe sites that we like.

Also, invest in good cookware. Luckily we loaded up the registry and got a bunch of good stuff. Until we got our Emeril pan set we never knew what we were missing with our old hand me down pots and pans until we got the new stuff.

Once you get the confidence in handling the basic stuff don't be afraid to experiment. I still don't know what possessed me to put a bit of liquid smoke (probably I just opened the cabinet and it was in the front) in the egg wash when making fried chicken one night, but it was the best I've ever had.