Cooking lessons

[danalwyn]

I've decided to teach myself how to cook.

This has not been easy so far in my life since real cooking is a) time consuming, b) expensive, and c) involves things that I don't have around the house. Nevertheless there seems to be a certain standard that bachelor males are expected to have in my family, and I haven't been living up to it, which is definitely a problem at family gatherings. I think the majority of the problem is that the number of things that I do know how to cook, the number of combinations, is rather limited. And even those of us with no lives and no friends should learn how to cook something. So I've been slowly building up my repertoire, an effort that's going to take some time, and cost my pocketbook a great deal.

Tonight I managed to make a quite passable version of mushroom risotto and bacon-wrapped scallops (yes I know that two appetizers does not make an entree. No I'm not going to do anything about it). This despite the fact that I seem to have lost my corkscrew somewhere. I do think I probably overcooked the risotto, but only by a bit (also just a bit too liquidy).

However, given the amount of trouble I had making that, I forsee complications when I move onto other, more difficult dishes. This isn't going to end well, is it?

Comments

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

Have you heard of Cooking for Engineers (http://www.cookingforengineers.com/)? Also, (a) there's nothing wrong in making a variety of appetizers and calling it dinner, and (b) corkscrew = essential for life.

*g*

[danalwyn.livejournal.com]

I can't drink alcohol, so I don't have much use for a corkscrew.

My problem with cooking seems to be the opposite of the problems with engineers; I'm patently incapable of following instructions because a) I don't want to buy all that stuff, and b) I'm lazy. This works really well with simple dishes like pastas and basic rice dishes, but is a lot harder with something like risotto, or god forbid, baking.

I'll have to learn how to stuff properly as my next step I think.

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

I was also going to recommend Cooking for Engineers. Failing that, you just have to get in there and be willing to screw up. That's how you learn.

Ps I also don't follow directions well. That will work ok in lots of recipes, but not in sauces and NEVER in baking. Just a word to the wise :)

[danalwyn.livejournal.com]

Attempting to find something to substitute because I don't have eggs has ended with me in trouble more then once.

I really need to figure out what to screw up before I try to screw it up; I think I've reached the limits of what I can do just by mixing ingredients together.

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

You might like this book...not a cookbook per se, more an explanation of what you can leave out and what you cannot :)
http://www.amazon.com/Ratio-Simple-Behind-Everyday-Cooking/dp/1416566112

[danalwyn.livejournal.com]

That looks interesting. Thanks.

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

Depending on what you like food wise, you might want to start out with the purchase of a Dutch oven/slow cooker. It can be used to make a wide variety of things, and for a great deal of it the instructions considist of "cut up ingredients and put in pot". Then you turn the pot on for six to eight hours, and come back to a finished meal. There are a wide variety of things you can prepare (http://www.amazon.com/Your-Mothers-Slow-Cooker-Cookbook/dp/B000Q67862/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250608786&sr=8-1) using it as well.