re: "I can cook"

I've also had canned potatoes and like Martini said they're not too bad. I don't mind most canned veggies if you can't get fresh.

Besides, some folks who"cook"can do some real tasty things with canned veggies!



Although some veggies probably should never be canned, like lettuce or eggplant!

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According to the OT cooking involves taking a jar of Ragu spaghetti sauce and "doctoring it up."

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You say that like it's a bad thing.

I don't expect them to be an amazing chef but the meals should be halfway decent.


I know some people who buy the macaroni and cheese in the cups where you just have to add water and nuke it because they can't, or think it's too complicated, to boil the pasta and drain it. Then add the cheese.

I'm no chef but I enjoy cooking.

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I know someone who screwed this up every time.

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How does a person not know how to boil water? If they do that much of a bang up failure of cooking I wouldn't let them in my kitchen for fear of a fire in about twenty minutes.

Had an old aunt that would wrap canned asparagus spears in a flaky puff pastry, brush with butter and bake until golden...made awesome hors d'oeuvres...guess she could cook.

Creativity and execution

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Posted by Message madamsquirrel "I can cook" Only acceptable way to cook canned potatoes (sliced ones) is sauteed in butter with onions until browned. Damn fine camp food.

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But does it go better with speckled trout or sac a lait?

When I started dating Lucy I told her I could cook. So, I had her over to my house for dinner. The menu was rib eye, steamed broccoli and wild rice with a nice red wine. She immediately realized I was telling the truth.

She then told me that she cannot cook anything. I found out quickly that she was telling me the truth.

I fashion cooking skills into two categories.

1) COOKING GOOD: The knowledge ability, and execution to pull off solid techniques in executing what most people in the business would consider legitimate takes on various dishes. Like building a house, it all rests on a foundation and is built in stages.

2). COOKING EXCEPTIONAL: Same as above, but time in the kitchen, knowledge of flavors and textures that lead from cooking acceptable to going that next level.


Truth is, when I hear someone talk about cooking as if they have arrived I tend to think they are either stuck in a rut or have no clue what cooking is all about.

Nobody ever arrives. When you think you have you have been passed by and become irrelevant. Cooking is a skill set and all of us are just students.. Some more advanced than others, but we are all just students of the culinary arts. If you aren't learning and improving upon your knowledge, your techniques, exploring and being daring in attempting new things, or if you talk more than you cook, then you aren't doing it right, lost your passion and more importantly, you've lost the best thing of all, the wonder, and love for it.


BE YE PASSIONATE TO A FAULT.

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I fashion cooking skills into two categories. 1) COOKING GOOD: The knowledge ability, and execution to pull off solid techniques in executing what most people in the business would consider legitimate takes on various dishes. Like building a house, it all rests on a foundation and is built in stages. 2). COOKING EXCEPTIONAL: Same as above, but time in the kitchen, knowledge of flavors and textures that lead from cooking acceptable to going that next level.

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You left out No. 3... COOKING BAD.

The biggest problem I've had is very common. I tend to rotate the 6 to 8 dinner menus. Exacerbating the problem is that when I experiment with something new and it comes out great, Lucy will not try it.

A good example is today's dinner. I marinated some thin pork chops cut up bite size in Srirachi red sauce and a bit of fajita marinade and a few squirts of lime juice. In the fridge for 2 hours.

Then I browned a small yellow onion chopped thick in olive oil and set aside. Then chopped a carrot in thin slices. Chopped 2 pieces of celery.

Heated a wok up to really high heat. Threw in the carrots, celery and pork. Stirred constantly. Then added the onions, some green peas and some water chest nuts.

Stirred at high heat and then added Thai Red Pepper Sauce and Sweet N Sour Sauce. Turned heat off, put the dome on and let simmer while cooking steamed rice.

Came out great. When Lucy wakes up she will say "No, it has too many things in it. I'll just have some pasta."