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Post by puffy on Mar 16, 2021 20:51:07 GMT -5
As far as cooking goes I can fry an egg.That's about it..If I were alone I would be eating out of the micro wave..So to all you cooks here you have my admiration.
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 16, 2021 22:02:56 GMT -5
I learned to cook in the Boy Scouts and I can cook most anything that I will eat. I learned to rebuild an engine about the same time. You can do anything that you want to do.
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Post by Gandalf on Mar 16, 2021 22:14:29 GMT -5
My mom taught me some, but I learned in Boys Scouts like Ronv69 . Of course, cooking over an open fire is a little different - as well as using reflector ovens and Dutch ovens. I remember a lot of parents were amazed that their son had been cooking for himself all weekend. Later in life, I decided to try it as a "hobby", learning to fix specific dishes. After a while I could cook about anything. |
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Post by trailboss on Mar 16, 2021 22:22:42 GMT -5
In Jr. high we had a bachelor's survival class that was required...it was what sparked my interest.
My grandmother on my mom's side had a wood stove, she cooked tortillas, red chile, fried trout, beans and many other dishes at the same time.
my mom really nailed it.
Lived with my grandmother (grandma white-eyes) on my father's side for a few years, she was an extraordinary baker and her baked beans were to die for as was everything else.
Creative chefs are in a league all their own. For me I follow some principles guided by mistakes and common sense and avail myself of great recipes penned by others. It is hard to mess up if you follow directions.
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Post by username on Mar 16, 2021 22:24:58 GMT -5
My dad taught me how to cook. As he says the choice when my parents got married it was “the kitchen or the kid” so he did the cooking when I was kid mostly. We also took a few classes together as a bonding experience. I can follow a recipe and not burn the house down so I guess I’m doing it right. Also did my fair share of campfire cooking in scouts as well.
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Post by toshtego on Mar 16, 2021 22:26:03 GMT -5
Boy Scouts.
Take hamburger, add potatoes and carrots diced with Scout knife. Wrap in foil. Place in fire coals for an hour. take out, open and eat.
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Post by bigwoolie on Mar 16, 2021 22:50:04 GMT -5
I got a job as a kid in a Sizzler Steak House and that got me started. Moved across town to a family restaurant where the kitchen was run by 3 elderly ladies who cooked like they were home feeding the family. I learned a lot from them. Took what I learned in those kitchens and moved it outside and modified it as needed when I started cowboying. I taught Shweetie to cook when we got married
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Post by taiguy66 on Mar 17, 2021 7:46:47 GMT -5
Boy Scouts for me too. After that, when I was a young bachelor, it was either cook to survive or starve.
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 17, 2021 9:28:30 GMT -5
The Boy Scouts was a great organization while it lasted. 😕😭
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Post by exbenedict on Mar 17, 2021 9:34:33 GMT -5
Boy Scouts and grandmother. I can make almost anything from scratch and whip up a 5 course meal with pantry left overs.
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Post by pepesdad1 on Mar 17, 2021 12:06:02 GMT -5
Learned to cook when I ran restaurants...never know when the cook wouldn't show up...now I am too old to stand up in the kitchen for hours, but I still love to cook when I can.
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Post by mrlunting on Mar 17, 2021 12:34:05 GMT -5
From my mother. She used to get mad when I threw spaghetti noodles against the ceiling, and shouted "al dente!" 😁
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Post by taiguy66 on Mar 18, 2021 11:37:16 GMT -5
Coming from you, why doesn’t that surprise me? Hmmm....
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Post by mrlunting on Mar 18, 2021 11:50:28 GMT -5
Coming from you, why doesn’t that surprise me? Hmmm.... Things only got worse when she got me acting at the local theater. 😁🤪😁 |
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Post by oldcajun123 on Mar 18, 2021 12:25:05 GMT -5
 I was the cook on the Shrimp boat, taught my wife how to cook, now it’s hard for me to boil water.
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Post by Legend Lover on Mar 18, 2021 13:19:21 GMT -5
I love cooking. It's one of those creative things that you can do whereby you can eat your creation...awesome.
I recently learned how to cook salted chilli chicken and it's identical to the Chinese takeaway version - I'm so happy about that. I think it's the first time I've been able to recreate something from a Chinese takeaway. Credit goes to the recipe and not me. I just follow the instructions.
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Post by mrlunting on Mar 18, 2021 15:37:30 GMT -5
I love cooking. It's one of those creative things that you can do whereby you can eat your creation...awesome. I recently learned how to cook salted chilli chicken and it's identical to the Chinese takeaway version - I'm so happy about that. I think it's the first time I've been able to recreate something from a Chinese takeaway. Credit goes to the recipe and not me. I just follow the instructions. Still though, to be able to follow anything during these times is incredible. Good on you, eh,! |
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Post by Goldbrick on Mar 20, 2021 22:50:26 GMT -5
Growing up, much of what we ate came from our gardens. Cooking was the final part of the gardening process, if you don't count eating. I learned to value the flavor, and the beautiful color of veggies cooked the day of harvest. Meat dishes ,when I had anything do to with them, came from the grill, and Pasta dishes ,plus what little baking I do ,I learned from my wife.
Charlie summed it up for me...If you can follow written instructions, you can learn to cook.
The real key is to love cooking, and I learned that from two old Aunts who could make even simple food special...the pride on their faces made me want to learn my way around a kitchen.
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Post by Darin on Mar 21, 2021 10:49:35 GMT -5
Let's post some short, helpful tips you've picked up along the way! I'll start with an example:
Gravy ... add cold stock (or milk) to hot roux and not the other way around.
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Post by trailboss on Mar 21, 2021 13:54:23 GMT -5
Let's post some short, helpful tips you've picked up along the way! Never rely on memory that you have the ingredients on hand, physically check and verify that you have enough. If you double a recipe, you don’t want to necessarily double the spices (especially salt). When putting a recipe together, buy some small ingredient bowls and pre-measure as much as possible. Sometimes time is not your friend as you go along. Learn basic principles, example: using sugars in a homemade barbecue sauce and applying too early can easily result in burnt sugar. |
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Post by Goldbrick on Mar 21, 2021 14:24:00 GMT -5
Here's a story, but there's a tip in there somewhere...
A few months ago, a young man ,who is dating a friend of ours, wanted to impress us with his cooking skills. He was to fix a homecooked meal at our house ,and he made sure to tell us how much we'd like it.
He got to the house with two Kroger bags ,and I had the cutting board, pans, pots, knives, and even a fresh waste container ready for him. He set about ,fixing a chicken ,pasta dish ,with red sauce ,veggies and cheese.
The chicken had a slight char, the stoves fault, I was told, but the meal was tender and tasty...as he set the plates down in front of us ,he proudly said " only ten dollars a plate " Like, LOOK WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH A FEW PENNIES!
When everyone left I looked in the waste bowl at what he called compost...4 spring onions, almost a full head of garlic ,half a red ,yellow and green pepper, and a handful of grape tomatoes.
I salvaged the clean, fresh remains of his meal, and into the freezer they went. Some weeks later I had him and the little girlfriend over for stuffed shells. When I set his plate in front of him I said " JUST TWO AND A QUATER A PLATE "
He had a fine meal on what he would have tossed, while the girlfriends Mom and I had a good laugh...as you might guess, the boy's not a favorite with the Mom or me.
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Post by trailboss on Mar 21, 2021 14:35:48 GMT -5
Good on you, that guy sounds like a knucklehead.
“ The chicken had a slight char, but the meal was tender and tasty...”
Sounds like a meal that I can get for less than $8 at Pollo Loco.
And, I can part ways right after the meal has ended.
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Post by Goldbrick on Mar 21, 2021 14:57:36 GMT -5
Good on you, that guy sounds like a knucklehead. “ The chicken had a slight char, but the meal was tender and tasty...” Sounds like a meal that I can get for less than $8 at Pollo Loco. And, I can part ways right after the meal has ended. You got that right!! Waste not, want not was the tip...but the key words were yours, "part ways" , and we have...sadly, my friend and her Daughter are still stuck with him. |
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Post by toshtego on Mar 21, 2021 15:24:43 GMT -5
My 14th summer was spent as a dishwasher and prep "cook" at a summer camp for kids and some adults.
The Cook was an old Navy Chief. I learned quite a bit from him.
Went out on my own at age 17 and cooked or starved.
Eventually went to culinary school.
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Post by taiguy66 on Mar 21, 2021 18:28:31 GMT -5
Let's post some short, helpful tips you've picked up along the way! Never rely on memory that you have the ingredients on hand, physically check and verify that you have enough. If you double a recipe, you don’t want to necessarily double the spices (especially salt). When putting a recipe together, buy some small ingredient bowls and pre-measure as much as possible. Sometimes time is not your friend as you go along. Learn basic principles, example: using sugars in a homemade barbecue sauce and applying too early can easily result in burnt sugar. Charlie, I mean this sincerely, you are a wise man! |
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Post by trailboss on Mar 21, 2021 20:22:53 GMT -5
Never rely on memory that you have the ingredients on hand, physically check and verify that you have enough. If you double a recipe, you don’t want to necessarily double the spices (especially salt). When putting a recipe together, buy some small ingredient bowls and pre-measure as much as possible. Sometimes time is not your friend as you go along. Learn basic principles, example: using sugars in a homemade barbecue sauce and applying too early can easily result in burnt sugar. Charlie, I mean this sincerely, you are a wise man! Thank you that is very kind. In all honesty, it all came from trials by errors. |
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Post by Professor S. on Mar 21, 2021 20:55:15 GMT -5
Grandpa ran a motel & cafe, so dad learned from him and I learned from both of them. My Scoutmaster had been SF working with the Montagnards during Korea, so we learned a lot about trapping, gigging, and cooking things that many people don't consider food.
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Post by sparks on Mar 22, 2021 13:49:40 GMT -5
I learned how to cook from a combination of people/ places.
My Great Gram and my Mom were the main people I learned from. Traditional Italian as well as many classic American dishes. This is probably the core of my cooking experience.
My real Father – whose accomplishments were limited to donating sperm to have me, and going to culinary school and becoming a talented chef – taught me the basics of traditional French cuisine. Most of the time spent with him was in the kitchen of whatever restaurant he was the chef at, as he was either working or drinking himself into a stupor.
My time spent cooking in our local custard/BBQ stand was my hands-on experience. I would say this gave me the practical knowledge of timing, and performing under pressure.
All of those combined have instilled in me a love of cooking and good food. There is nothing better than bringing friends and family around a table and sharing good food, especially when you get to make it!
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Post by pepesdad1 on Mar 22, 2021 14:22:14 GMT -5
Good on you, that guy sounds like a knucklehead. “ The chicken had a slight char, but the meal was tender and tasty...” Sounds like a meal that I can get for less than $8 at Pollo Loco.And, I can part ways right after the meal has ended. Pollo Loco was one of the great treats when in Miami...they had a Cuban flavor that just can't be beat! |
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Post by trailboss on Mar 22, 2021 22:30:23 GMT -5
I learned how to cook from a combination of people/ places. My Great Gram and my Mom were the main people I learned from. Traditional Italian as well as many classic American dishes. This is probably the core of my cooking experience. My real Father – whose accomplishments were limited to donating sperm to have me, and going to culinary school and becoming a talented chef – taught me the basics of traditional French cuisine. Most of the time spent with him was in the kitchen of whatever restaurant he was the chef at, as he was either working or drinking himself into a stupor. My time spent cooking in our local custard/BBQ stand was my hands-on experience. I would say this gave me the practical knowledge of timing, and performing under pressure. All of those combined have instilled in me a love of cooking and good food. There is nothing better than bringing friends and family around a table and sharing good food, especially when you get to make it! I have to say Justin, there is some envy here. I do not come from Italian stock, but my years living in the bay area and working in foodservice distribution brought me in contact with several Italian restaurants that were mom and pop joints. I worked for Facciola meat company, so they had a lot of Italian customers. The smells of an Italian kitchen to a boy from Kansas was quite the deal. The slow simmering pots of marinara were heavenly. I used to get free trays of homemade ravioli from Panama Canal Ravioli in San Francisco's north beach district was just incredible. Always nice to walk in to a restaurant and be called "Paisano!"...you had an Italians seal of approval when that happened. Don't cross a Sicilian though, it can get ugly.  |
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I was the cook on the Shrimp boat, taught my wife how to cook, now it’s hard for me to boil water.
