Cooking.

[Adam Altmann]

I'd like to become a better cook. As it is, I can follow a recipe like nobody's business. I can also just make simple things up and have it be edible, but that's about as far as it gets. You know, cook meat with some spices and boil vegetables type stuff...nothing too fancy. My skillz aren't cutting it for me anymore. I'd like to make better and more varied meals.

Normally, when the urge strikes me to make something different I simply google some recipes and pick one that has a pretty picture, or doesn't look too difficult, or whatever. That's about it. Most of the time it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

I'd like to know what spices and ingredients work well together. I'd like to gain a better understanding of cooking techniques. I'd like to know different cookware is going to perform. I'd simply like to know more than I do.

How have you done it? Are there certain books I should look out for? I own Cooking for Dummies, at it covers some very basic stuff and has some good recipes, but I don't think it's really gotten me anywhere. I prefer to learn things from books, so if anyone has any suggestions that would be great.

There are some local restaurants and other places that offer cooking classes, but some are very expensive and others are very focused. I need to build a sturdier foundation before I start getting crazy, and I'd prefer to not spend $85 for a single session. Has anyone taken classes at a local community college or anything? How has that turned out?

Thanks.

[wahoo]

Two options:
Since you like to learn from a book, go to your local library and check out a bunch of Julia Child stuff. She basically explains a lot of complicated cooking techniques in a relatively straight-forward (if a bit old fashioned) way.

2nd: Experiment with spices. Instead of blowing money on a cooking class, cook somethings with similar herbs and spices. depending on your taste, you can try to work with a basic tomato sauce and then add various herbs, spices, and then vinegars...scrambled eggs is another dish that you can taste and learn spices. then ground beef or a plain white fish that carries favors. I've learned a bit teaching myself how to combine some spices to imprint flavors.

There's probably about 5 different herbs(thyme, basil, parsley, rosemary, cilantro) and 10 different spices that you should know pretty well. I'm still learning how they all interact but it's really helped my dishes.

[Dirt]

Take classes.

[wonderpug]

I'm in a similar boat. I've been really tempted to pick up Jacques Pepin's technique book (http://www.amazon.com/Jacques-Pepins-Complete-Techniques-P%C3%A9pin/dp/1579122205/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/103-4666514-3515020?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179765196&sr=8-3), which might be up your alley.

[Major Icehole]

I subscribe to Cook's Illustrated magazine. They are the pople who do America's Test Kitchen on PBS (PBS has a bunch of great Chefs). I recommend it highly, not only do they provide great recipies, they describe in detail how they developed them. They also provide a lot of detail on technique.
I'd also recommend The Joy of Cooking. an actual Tome of classic recipes and techniques.
I've been cooking my whole life and really there is no way better than just jumping in. If you want to experiment with spices I suggest you grab an ethnic cook book, one you're not exactly familliar with and give some of the recipes a try. For expample grab a latin cook book if latin cooking is out of your comfort zone, and you'll find a bunch of flavor combinations you may enjoy. Idian and Etiopian will also open a bunch of new flavors to you.

[Matthew Gallant]

http://www.shtoink.com/html/motd/porksand.gif

[Houngan]

I second Cook's Illustrated, it's like Good Eats without the dorkiness.

H.

[skedastic]

Some books to consider:

On Food and Cooking (http://www.amazon.com/Food-Cooking-Harold-McGee/dp/0684843285), Harold McGee.
Food science standard. Everything you ever wanted to know, and them some, about the properties of various foods and how cooking changes them.

I'm Just Here for the Food (http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-Food-Version/dp/158479559X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1506355-8391822?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179850145&sr=1-1), Alton Brown.
Sort of a much simpler and user-friendly version of McGee. Plus, you should buy it because Alton Brown is awesome.

A New Way to Cook (http://www.amazon.com/New-Way-Cook-Sally-Schneider/dp/1579652492/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1506355-8391822?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179850187&sr=1-1 ), Sally Schneider.
Fantastic modern general cookbook. In addition to specific recipes, also includes lots of general discussion of technique. Also consider the aging standard, The New Basics Cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/New-Basics-Cookbook-Julee-Rosso/dp/0894803417/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1506355-8391822?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179850324&sr=1-1) by Rosso and Lukins, and/or The New Best Recipe (http://www.amazon.com/New-Best-Recipe-All-New-Recipes/dp/0936184744/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1506355-8391822?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179850355&sr=1-1) by the aforementioned Cook's Illustrated guys. (Apparently, it's the law that any decent general cookbook title must include the word "new.") I notice while finding links that Schneider has a newish book called The Improvisational Cook (http://www.amazon.com/Improvisational-Cook-Sally-Schneider/dp/0060731648/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-1506355-8391822?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179850187&sr=1-2) which looks good.

Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating (http://www.amazon.com/Zingermans-Guide-Good-Eating-Chocolate/dp/0395926165/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1506355-8391822?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179850392&sr=1-1), Ari Weinzweig
Useful guide to high quality ingredients.

The French Laundry Cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/French-Laundry-Cookbook-Thomas-Keller/dp/1579651267/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1506355-8391822?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179850433&sr=1-1), Thomas Keller.
To keep you humble once you gain some kitchen skills.

Also, watch Alton Brown's show on Food TV. Also, Giada DeLaurentis's show, which I think has something to do with cooking.

[Dirt]

After a 'New Rules' segment on Real Time, I can't see Giada DeLaurentis' face in my head without an O face.

That didn't come out quite right....

[Hawkeye Fierce]

I second Cook's Illustrated, it's like Good Eats without the dorkiness.

The dorkiness is at least half the point of Good Eats. It's a cooking show for geeks.

I do like Good Eats a lot because it usually explains the why of doing various things, rather than just the how. Once you know the why, it's easier to improvise.

[Ergo]

Another vote for anything Cook's Illustrated. We've yet to make any of their recipes that didn't turn out to be outstanding. I recommend buying any of their recipe compilation books.

[Houngan]

The dorkiness is at least half the point of Good Eats. It's a cooking show for geeks.

I do like Good Eats a lot because it usually explains the why of doing various things, rather than just the how. Once you know the why, it's easier to improvise.

I'm all for the dorky attention to detail and scientific information, it's the little skits and characters I can do without.

H.

[Athryn]

All the aforementioned, plus I also recommend Cooking for Engineers (http://www.cookingforengineers.com/). It's a great cooking website for the analytical minded person.

[XtienMurawski]

Ditto what skedastic said about I'm Just Here for the Food by Alton Brown. Alton's show "Good Eats" and that book have done a great deal to make me into a better cook. What I learned from him about how to treat my cast iron skillet alone, to say nothing of his episode on how to make a decent steak in it, has been worth its weight in gold. Also, Good Eats Roast Turkey FTW.

Yeah, the skits are dumb, but I enjoy them because I get the sense that I'm watching a television professional who just can't leave the inveterate high school theatre geek in his past.

Also, Giada De Laurentiis. Yowza. (I have a female friend who refers to her as "Skinny Bitch".) Easy on the eyes and her recipes really work well. Her show is called "Everyday Italian" although I heard a rumor she's going to be hosting an hour of Good Morning America or something. Careful you don't Rachel-Ray yourself, Giada.

Seriously, the best thing you can do is concentrate on your technique. Simple things like when to put the food in the pan, how to sear properly, when to use high heat and when to use lower heat, when to season your food (not just with what), will do a great deal to make you a better cook with your current repertoire, then you can build from there.

Finally, I have to add my favorite cooking book, The Joy of Cooking (http://www.amazon.com/All-New-Purpose-Joy-Cooking/dp/0684818701/ref=sr_1_1/103-8874222-9915837?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179786489&sr=1-1). I remember seeing an old battered version of this book forever on the shelf in our kitchen growing up. I received the "all new all purpose" iteration several years ago and it became the first "cook book" I read like a novel. Even after all these years it is still the most indespensible book in my kitchen, and there's still about a hundred recipes in it I'd like to try.


"This is what started it. Left the Sunday joint cooking all night, didn't we?"



-Amanpour

[John E. Motion]

Larousse Gastronomique!
Absoulutely essential!
Double it with some Escoffier and really start rocking out shit in aspic.

[Alan Dunkin]

I think Giada is already showing up on GMA quite a bit.

--- Alan

[barstein]

"Joy" is the only food book I have on my shelf at the moment and I use it more encyclopedically than anything, so I can't wait to see how the recommendations above play out. I have been told that newer editions of that particular title are not nearly as good as older ones (mine's from 1996).

Anyone else use Bragg (www.bragg.com) instead of Soy? My meals are still very simple so that and Crumbled Seaweed (Korean style) are common ingredients to make basic dishes a bit more interesting. I've only been cooking regularly for a couple of months now and it's actually going much better than I had expected. I was considering starting a thread similar to this before, but decided to hold off and was happy to see it show up anyway.

[nixon66]

I've used Bragg before in foods, and once you get over the feeling that you are putting some sort of liquid plant food into your meal it's worked out quite well.

[SlyFrog]

I have this: How to Cook Without a Book (http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Without-Book-Techniques/dp/0767902793/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-6983343-1805757?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179791714&sr=8-1).

She occassionally drifts too far into the how to cut corners because you don't have time and have a hungry family camp. I want to know how to cook well, and while I appreciate tips of how to make something that tastes almost as good in 30 minutes, I also want to know the real technique that takes 2 hours.

That being said, I think it is a minor flaw, and the book is solid. Her fundamental point throughout the book is learning how to cook with ingredients, and not recipes. Learning how different foods go together, learning proportions for soup, for example, so that you know the percentage of vegetable to stock, and can swap out vegetables, meat, and stock at will.

[Bill]

Lots of good cookbooks recommended here--I especially find Julia Child and Cooks Illustrated helpful. But like anything else, practice, practice, practice. Experimenting is great too; throwing out a pot of soup or loaf of bread (that you've watched rise all day!) because it's awful definitely teaches you some lessons.


"This is what started it. Left the Sunday joint cooking all night, didn't we?"

Time Bandits?

[wahoo]

Some books to consider:


The French Laundry Cookbook, Thomas Keller.
To keep you humble once you gain some kitchen skills.



That cookbook is just insane. The techniques and concepts are a bit intimidating. I'd worry less about gaining humility and more about being overwhelmed!

[DeepT]

I have been picking up some of those cooking / recipe magazines in the store check-out lines. I have had mix results, more bad then good. The big problem is that I live in an apartment with a crappy electric range. I have no grill and the broiler doesn't do such a good job.

I have found out that there is a huge difference how food tastes depending on the cooking method. For example, I bought some shish-kabobs at a local supermarket. I have some standard spice mixture I put on them. The way I used to cook them was to pull them off the skewers, put them in a pan, cover it, then rotate the meat cubes once, and cover again.

This provided well cooked meat and veggies, but really was kind of 'blah' on taste. If I broil them, they taste vastly better, but that produces tuns and tuns of smoke. I now pan fry them again, on high heat, which does a decent job, but still produces a lot of smoke, although not as much as broiling does.

I really look for recipes with a short prep time, but those are hard to find. Some things want to marinate for like 2 hours. They don't work because I am at work all day and when I get home I do not want to wait 2 more hours to eat. If I put them in the marinade in the morning, then they are sitting in the stuff for like 9 hours.

They few things I can cook that are quick and taste good, I am sick to death of. The other problem I find in recipes is that they are geared towards 4 or 6 people typically. Its hard to cut them down to one portion. If something calls for 1 tablespoon of something for 6 people, what is that for 1? Its worse if its like 1/2 teaspoon, how do you divide that?

It would be nice to have a recipe book that measures everything by weight, it would be easy to scale up or down the portions using weight.

[BaconTastesGood]

For me cooking breaks down into prep, technique, recipes, and then instinctive meal creation. The last part is kind of a holy grail, where given X ingredients you just sort of know how to make something good.

I think the most important thing to learn first is proper technique -- how to cook a steak, how to braise a roast, how to broil some kabobs, how to grill, etc. These are the foundation abilities that allow you to follow anything but the most "throw everything in a pot" recipes.

To answer, I've always learned by watching TV shows. Back in the day it was the Frugal Gourmet, and today I watch How to Boil Water, Food 911, and Tyler's Ultimate, along with the standard Good Eats. I used to try to stomach Rachael Ray but just can't handle it any more. Everyday Italian also has some good recipes, but not as much explanation as I'd like.

As for Giada -- man, she does nothing for me. Huge head on a little tiny body, and she kinda looks like tweety bird.

http://www.ruhrgebiet-regionalkunde.de/homeregionalkunde/MM_25/Tweety.jpg
http://www.kforester.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/giada_de_laurentiis_02.jpg

[Adam Altmann]

@DeepT: My mother sent me a slow-cooker as a gift last year, and it's awesome for simply throwing a bunch of crap into, turning it on, and leaving it while you're at work. You come home and dinner is ready! I've tried about half a dozen recipes in it so far, and it's worked out pretty well...small prep time, little mess, easy stuff. I agree that it's hard to cut the recipes down sometimes. I have absolutely no need to serve six people, ever.

Anyone have any recommendations on cookware? I read the article on Cooking for Engineers, which was interesting, but it doesn't really help with what brand to buy. I need some decent cookware if I'm going to start taking this seriously. Has anyone tried All-Clad, Calphalon, Anolon, etc? I'm looking at stainless steel stuff over non-stick action right now, but mostly for aesthetics. Also, knives?

Let me tell you dudes a story! You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll become one with it...

Saturday night I'm jonesin' to try something new, and am feeling like something with shrimp. I dick around online for a while and come across several paella recipes and the accompanying photos look fantabulous, so I decide that's what I'm going to try. I find one particular recipe that looks perfect. I print it off and head to the store.

Saffron is some expensive shit! Eighteen dollars just for that. I pick up some chicken drumsticks, shrimp, italian sausage meat, asparagus and other produce, some fancy rice, and I also needed more paprika as I ran out last time I made blackened catfish. My total for this experiment runs about $40. Goddamn.

I head home and start the preparations. I'm supposed to preheat the oven to 400 degrees. The initial cooking is done on the stovetop, then it's baked in the oven for a while. I didn't have any sort of pan I could bake at that temp, but the recipe said you could use a casserole dish or whatever and be just fine. I always underestimate how much time getting everything "ready" will take. I assume things would go faster if perfectionism wasn't constantly in my way. I chop up veggies, de-skin the chicken, cut the tails off the shrimp, set everything into little bowls corresponding to what phase I add it, yadda yadda.

I begin. I brown the chicken, set that aside. Brown the sausage meat, add some veggies and cook for seven minutes, stirring constantly. I decide I'm going to bake it in a Pyrex lasagna dish, so I turn two burners on and set it across them to warm it up. I add the rice, chicken broth, and other stuff to the pan and bring it to a boil. It's a sloshy mess, but it smells fantastic! All this work and expense is really starting to pay off. I'm getting really excited. I shut off the burner for the pan, wait a minute and ladle everything into the lasagna dish. I cover it with tin foil, and shove it in the oven. Awesome! Fifteen more minutes and I'll be having a feast!

I sit on the couch. A minute or two later, I hear something from the oven. Sucks. I assume it's spilling over a little bit, so I go over to investigate. I poke the oven light button and peer in! Turns out, the glass has shattered, and the entirety of my dinner is sloshing around on the bottom of the oven. Awesomesauce! Swearing up a storm, I open the oven and realize there's nothing I can do. Nothing to salvage without possibly eating glass, and I can't clean it up because the oven is hot. So I spend the next hour weeping while my dinner sits in the bottom of my oven, smelling fantastic and taunting me. Yeah.

I had peanut butter pie and a bottle of wine for dinner.

[wahoo]

Cookware: I use Calphalon, which is solid, for my skillets and some pots.

My current favorite piece of cookware is my Le Creuset, covered French oven cooking pot. It's expensive but does everything for me from skillet work to stews to casseroles. It would have cooked your paella.. http://www.cookswares.com/individual.asp?n=26433 or other creuset at Amazon. Highly recommend a cast iron pot.

[Elton]

Excellent story, Adam. That sounds like the kind of thing I would do.

I aspire to own some Le Creuset cookware someday.

On topic, I consider myself a decent cook, although my repertoire is not very broad. A lot of what I have perfected I learned from How to Cook Everything (http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Simple-Recipes/dp/0028610105/), which is fine for a basic starting cookbook. It has a recipe for damn near everything and the author also has sections describing the basics of different ingredients and techniques. Still, I'm eager to try some of the books skedastic mentioned because I suspect they'll help me level up my cooking skills. (Also, the pages in my cookbook are all falling out/stuck together from all the pancakes and brownies and pizzas and pastas I've made.)

[Major Icehole]

My current favorite piece of cookware is my Le Creuset, covered French oven cooking pot.

I got a 9qt for Christmas a couple of years ago. It's totally my favorite pan. Not cheap. But if you watch The Food Network or cooking shows on PBS you'll almost always see one. I love it.

[Nellie]

Also, knives?


Where to start? Other than to say that out of anything you can buy for a kitchen, a good quality knife or two comes out top for me.

The hard part is determining whether you like the knife before you shell out £100 for it. I've got a Sabatier cleaver that I don't use much any more as my day to day knife despite it costing more than the entire set someone gave me a while back because I just prefer the style of blade and handle on a couple of knives in the cheaper set. once they start down the inevitable path to dullness I'll replace them with better quality versions of the same kind of style. Though being anal about my knives help, I sharpen them after they've been washed and before I use them again and I don't use them to open packaging, cut string, dig the garden or other daft crap that kitchen knives get used for which help s knacker the blade edge.

In addition to the books recommeded above, I'd also second the suggestion of glue yourself to the food channel. Chefs like Gary Rhodes (don't know his US equivalent) make a lot of food that I wouldn't probably try myself, but I've learnt an incredible amount about what goes with what and how to prepare things by watching his stuff.

[Timemaster Tim]

On the slow cooker front, we picked one up and it's great for having a meal ready when you get home from work and don't have time to cook. Instead of trying to scale back the recipes, what i do is take the leftovers and freeze them in containers. They can then be pulled out and taken as lunch to work or a frozen dinner on a day when nothing else is prepared.

[Glenn]

As for Giada -- man, she does nothing for me. Huge head on a little tiny body, and she kinda looks like tweety bird.And now I want to fuck a canary.

[Ergo]

Adam:

Excellent story. Paella is one of the most deceiving dishes out there. Looks really easy on paper, but the prep time and cost will bite you on the ass. Still one of my favorite foods, though, so we give it a go once or twice a year.

[Athryn]

Cookware: I would highly recommend something nonstick, for anyone that is shopping for it. When I was married, I had come Circulon, but my ex kept it when I left him. Those or Anolon pans are both excellent, but costly investments.

I was given a set of mid-level nonstick pans a couple of years ago, I can't remember the name, but I think they're the Tools of the Trade brand or whatever house brand is Macy's. Nonstick pans clean up much more easily than standard pans, and for those of you who are working a lot and don't want to spend a lot of time preparing .... I am pretty sure you don't want to spend a lot of time cleaning up, either. You also don't need to use as much oil when sauteeing, which is of course healthier.

A good set will have, and I recommend the following:

small saucepan, for sauces
medium saucepan (2 qt) (with a lid) for small soups, rice, etc
Dutch Oven (with a lid) for Stews, soups, braises, etc etc etc. It should be ovenproof so you can start something on the stove and finish it in the oven.

10" saute pan with slightly high sides (with lid, usually shares a lid with the Dutch Oven) for sauteeing, cooking rice-a-roni, etc. I actually have 2 of these to save time, as I can them to cook a main and a side at the same time.

12" Saute pan - for the big stir fries, cooking 3 breasts of chicken at the same time, etc. This is less important for someone who is cooking just for themselves, but if you're cooking for 2 or more, this is very necessary.


A roasting pan with a rack - for broiling, baking, cooking stuff in the oven.

2 baking sheets.

A 9x9 and a 13x9 baking dish, for casseroles, brownies, etc

a 2-quart casserole for .... casseroles :P


Some wooden and plastic utensils, cause you can't use metal ones with nonstick



Hopefully this answers some questions for the curious. :D

[Sidd_Budd]

On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee.
Food science standard. Everything you ever wanted to know, and them some, about the properties of various foods and how cooking changes them.
In addition to McGee, I'd also recommend Cookwise (http://www.amazon.com/Cookwise-Secrets-Revealed-Shirley-Corriher/dp/0688102298/ref=pd_sim_b_1/103-8767835-7171845?ie=UTF8&qid=1179854563&sr=1-1) by Shirley Corriher as a reference for the science of cooking.

A New Way to Cook, Sally Schneider.
Fantastic modern general cookbook. In addition to specific recipes, also includes lots of general discussion of technique. Also consider the aging standard, The New Basics Cookbook by Rosso and Lukins, and/or The New Best Recipe by the aforementioned Cook's Illustrated guys.
The New Best Recipe is the single best cookbook I own. When I can't fiind a recipe in there, New Basics and Bitman's How to Cook Everything (mentioned by another poster) are my two back-ups.

I'll have to check out Schneider's books, but I also really like Pam Anderson's How to Cook Without a Book (http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Without-Book-Techniques/dp/0767902793/ref=sr_1_1/103-8767835-7171845?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179854251&sr=1-1) as a general reference. Anderson was (or still is) affiliated with Cook's Illustrated (not Baywatch), so her book distills techniques in New Best Recipe to general principles that can be followed for easy weekday meals.

Also, Giada DeLaurentis's show, which I think has something to do with cooking.
Giada has too big of a head for me, but I'll recommend Nigella Lawson's show for the Beautiful Woman Doing Something In a Kitchen category.

[Houngan]

And again a recommendation for CI: they have no-bullshit product reviews of everything, and half the time a 30$ item beats out a 250$ item.

As for what you need, here's the absolute essentials:

12" iron skillet
Dutch Oven
8" Chef's knife
Stainless skillet
A few pots of various sizes

That'll make about 95% of every dish ever dreamed. Particularly when it comes to knives, don't fall into the trap of buying a set. A chef's knife does every task in the kitchen except chop femurs in half or bone out a rib section. If you have to, get a boning knife next, then go to a chinese grocery and get a cleaver.

H.

[XtienMurawski]

Bill: Yes.

Bacon: Fucker. Thanks for ruining Giada for me. I'm never going to be able to unsee that.

Adam: If you're ever in Spain, be sure to pick up some saffron there and bring it back. It's much more reasonable there. In the meantime, if you're experimenting with a dish that calls for it, I'd suggest picking up "Safflower" instead. It's taste is nowhere near as intense as saffron, but it's okay as a cheap substitute (in fact it's referred to as "bastard saffron" sometimes) when you're experimenting. I typically find it in those crappy little baggies with other cheapo spices and herbs, often near the Hispanic foods section of the store.

As for shrimp, I have a shrimp scampi recipe I adapted from someone or other and my wife is nuts for it. If you'd like the recipe, let me know.

"I'm sorry that I shame you..."


-Amanpour

[SlyFrog]

Adam: If you're ever in Spain, be sure to pick up some saffron there and bring it back. It's much more reasonable there. In the meantime, if you're experimenting with a dish that calls for it, I'd suggest picking up "Safflower" instead. It's taste is nowhere near as intense as saffron, but it's okay as a cheap substitute (in fact it's referred to as "bastard saffron" sometimes) when you're experimenting.

Well, the other deal with saffron is that a little bit generally goes a long way. It's not like you are using half a pound of it in a recipe.

For reason of cost though, I love seeing shows involving chefs like Gordon Ramsey, where they seem to routinely have giant tins full of saffron, that must be worth thousands of dollars. Much like Iron Chef, where I understand that at least one of the chefs would manage to work a little caviar, foie gras, etc. into as many dishes as possible, because apparently whatever containers were opened, they were allowed to then take back to their own restaurant. So he would crack open some caviar, and either end up not using it or using a dab on something.

[Jonathan Crane]

The NYT had a good article providing a run down of how to set up a good kitchen on a very low budget: A No-Frills Kitchen Still Cooks (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?ei=5070&em=&en=6913fb4a8b82aab8&ex=1179979200&pagewanted=all) Still available via the web, I think because it was on the most emailed list, but it will end up behind the 'Times Select' wall eventually.

The basic trick: shop at a cooking supply store. Also a nice touch is the list of inessentials: "STAND MIXER Unless you’re a baking fanatic, it takes up too much room to justify it. A good whisk or a crummy handheld mixer will do fine."

Re: Knives:"I started with an eight-inch, plastic-handle stainless alloy chef’s knife for $10. This is probably the most essential tool in the kitchen. People not only obsess about knives (and write entire articles about them), but you can easily spend over $100 on just one. Yet go into any restaurant kitchen and you will see most of the cooks using this same plastic-handle Dexter-Russell tool. (Go to the wrong store and you’ll spend $20 or even $30 on the same knife.)"

[Houngan]

Jonathan is correct, but while there might not be a significant difference between a Sam's Club chef's knife and a Henckle, there is a damn big difference in feel between the plastic-handle knives he's talking about (you can find them everywhere, the stipply white grip and floppy blade) and a mediocre knife. That's not to say that they aren't completely useable, but while I'm a cheap bastard, I don't mind a bit laying down a few more twenties for a knife that doesn't feel disposable.

H.

[skedastic]

I'm a big fan of Forschner (http://www.northwesterncutlery.net/cart.cgi?group=5925&child=5926) knives. And I like the dirt cheap ones with the "fibrox" (textured plastic) handles best.

[SlyFrog]

The basic trick: shop at a cooking supply store. Also a nice touch is the list of inessentials: "STAND MIXER Unless you’re a baking fanatic, it takes up too much room to justify it. A good whisk or a crummy handheld mixer will do fine."

Alton Brown gives that same advice. There are supposedly some mythical "kitchen supply stores" in most cities that sell quality, industrial duty cookware for low prices to restaurants.

Only I have not been able to find one.

[Athryn]

Alton Brown gives that same advice. There are supposedly some mythical "kitchen supply stores" in most cities that sell quality, industrial duty cookware for low prices to restaurants.

Only I have not been able to find one.

Lrn2google "Restaurant supply store." :P

[Brad Grenz]

Exactly, if your town is big enough to support a few restaurants there's bound to be a supply shop. Probably in an industrial part of town.

[Hanzii]

On the Le Creuset, I can recommend the good German/Nordic tool römertopft which is a cocotte made of clay (taht you soak in water before cooking). It makes for great slow cooking and I paid $2 for mine.

Also apart from the books mentioned. I'll recommend Jamie Oliver (http://www.jamieoliver.com/bookstv/). Even if you hate his tv-personality and think he's a mockney twat, his books are great, because he's all about simple food from good raw material. Get a bunch of good stuff and toss the lot in the oven while you have beers with your celebrity friends (perhaps anybody not Jamie has to skip that last part).

All his books gives good basic info on how and what to combine and his newest book Cook with Jamie (which I haven't read yet) is about basic technique.

My first cookbook, basically "cooking for bachelors", was a cookbook for single guys who just left moms kitchen and a good starter. Something like this must be avaliable in the US as well.

[SlyFrog]

Lrn2google "Restaurant supply store." :P

Very funny. Seriously though, I have. The only one I could find was absolute crap. It had none of the stuff that you would want, and seemed more like a food novelty store than a place that sold good baseline products (e.g. colendars, baking sheets, pots and pans).

I have also asked friends who are into cooking, including a couple who have worked in the restaurant industry. That was all they could come up with as well.

I'm in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. I'm not proud. If someone has a known source I'm happy to go check it out.

[Houngan]

http://www.thecityofminneapolis.com/restaurant-supply/index.html

[Adam Altmann]

Yesterday I grilled out for the first time this year. I made swordfish kabobs, and they were great! The only downside being that swordfish is about $19/lb.

A quick marinade of a few tbsp. of olive oil and the juice of three lemons (and a little salt and pepper). Some zucchini, cherry tomatos, and yellow pepper to fill out the kabobs. I let the fish marinade for about 30 minutes, made the skewers, and then grilled them for a few minutes per side. I also grilled some corn on the cob. The kabobs went on a bed of white rice.

I'd have to say it was the best meal I've made in weeks, and it was so easy!

[Joel]

Learning to grill and smoke meats is a great place to start if you want to make good food and impress your friends. And it's not that hard to pick up, yet so many people struggle with it. I had to convince my friends the other day that making your hamburgers by hand was better than buying pre-made patties.

[Nick Walter]

Grilling is the achilles heel of my cooking abilities. I just can't do it. The grill is such an imprecise instrument with which to cook. I can never tell if it's hot enough or too hot or which end is hotter and so I'm always undercooking, overcooking, or sometimes both in the same meal.

I may have to bite the bullet one of these days and buy one of those nice grills with the thermometer built in so I can have some sane way of telling what temp the damn thing is at.

[Ergo]

Buy an electric thermometer! You know, the kind with a probe that you push into the food. A beeper will go off when the food reaches the desired temperature. They're a lifesaver when grilling, but they're handy with any kind of cooking.

[Athryn]

Yeah a probe thermometer takes all the guesswork out of grilling.

[jeffd]

Nick: Telling which end is hotter is easy. Build your fire on one side of the grill. That end is hotter.

[Nick Walter]

Nick: Telling which end is hotter is easy. Build your fire on one side of the grill. That end is hotter.

It's a gas grill, so I have no fire building except the little igniter button and a dial for flame levels.

[jeffd]

Get a charcoal grill. :)

[Matt Perkins]

Nick, what kind of things do you have problems grilling? Steaks? Or more complicated stuff?

[Enidigm]

Grilling is the achilles heel of my cooking abilities. I just can't do it.

Turn in your man card please. ;)

Grilling is more what you might call an "adaptive learning experience". There really aren't any set rules because every grill is different. The key to any newbie griller though is to STAY THERE and watch what happens. Is it flaming up? Is it sizzling? What happens when you keep it open? What happens when you close it? How does it cook in the center? How does it cook on the sides? How does it cook with foil? Once you've learned the individual quirks of your grill you can fire and forget with more confidence.

[Talisker]

My probe thermometer died last year, but I've become grillmaster enough that I haven't really missed it. Was invaluable when I was getting started, though.

[wisefool]

I don't own a measuring cup. I can't bake worth squat but I cook pretty mean fast meals.

I do a lot of stir-frying (high temperature grilling), so I buy CHEAP non-stick pans because good non-stick pans only last marginally longer.

Rubber/Plastic skillets. Don't use any metal on the teflon or baby Jesus will cry.

Grilling: Don't flip the darn thing. Otherwise you end up with overcooked dry pieces of meat.
Wait. Wait. When you think it's ready, flip, count a bit off and eat.

my 5-minute marinate on flank steaks: They are pretty tough but a lot more affordable than T-Bones. You get a nice medium-rare steak. if you like a strip of red, you can do that, if you want just pink you can do that. (Chuck steaks at half the price work too)

Assume you have a couple of pieces of steak for proportion

Mix:
A few spoons of soy sauce
Mashed up garlic cloves. (half/one garlic bulb)
a spoon of sugar
Couple of drops of sesame if you like the korean-taste (but they use 1/3rd sesame seed oil)

Mix up your marinate. Then add some maicena (that corn starch stuff) till it looks like a starbucks latte. this makes sauce stick. If it starts to film up when you fry it it means you put too much.

Now get a big pan. Bigger means it keeps more heat. Heat it up. Add a few spoons of oil. Wait a minute or so (gas better than stupid halogen i have now) Once it's hot enough place the piece of steak down, do not slam it down or you'll burn yourself with hot oil. Wrrrrsshhh.

If you want the extra work take the garlic here now, flatten them a bit, and grill them in the oil for a minute. When brown get rid of garlic so it doesn't scorch.

Don't flip the darn thing. Otherwise you end up with overcooked dry pieces of meat.
Wait. Wait. When you think it's ready, flip, count a bit off and eat. Adjust for thickness. if you're really not sure get a knife and cut it near the middle.

[Nick Walter]

Nick, what kind of things do you have problems grilling? Steaks? Or more complicated stuff?

Everything really. The heat differences between various spots on the grill confuse the heck out of me. I mean, if I put four burgers on at the same time and cook them for the same amount of time I naively assume that they will be equally done and then discover that the grill gods have foiled me again.

[Nick Walter]

Turn in your man card please. ;)


Bah, screw that noise. I'm not worried about being a bit slow in the grilling department because unlike a lot of other grill-savvy guys I know, I can actually cook.

I make excellent burgers or steaks. I just cook them using the broiler or my little grill pan on the stove ;-)

[Raife]

Everything really. The heat differences between various spots on the grill confuse the heck out of me. I mean, if I put four burgers on at the same time and cook them for the same amount of time I naively assume that they will be equally done and then discover that the grill gods have foiled me again.

That's why you have to watch things cook until you get to know your grill. You'll find out where the hot spots are, and can shift the food around as it cooks. If you can't tell what's cooking faster by watching it, I don't know what to tell you.

[BaconTastesGood]

I do a lot of stir-frying (high temperature grilling), so I buy CHEAP non-stick pans because good non-stick pans only last marginally longer.

Yeah, be careful (http://www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3172_1295614293__langId-en,00.html) about that high heat + non-stick action there.

If you're cooking at that high of a temperature then you shouldn't need non-stick, the superheated oil on good carbon or stainless steel should make things non-stick.

[wisefool]

Wait yes, that should have been cheap non-non-stick pans :)

[ElGuapo]

Ikea has pans with a non-stick coating (not very good though) for a buck. And for a buck, you can buy a few and throw them away if they ever get carbon scorches/burns on them.

[Enidigm]

Bah, screw that noise. I'm not worried about being a bit slow in the grilling department because unlike a lot of other grill-savvy guys I know, I can actually cook.

I make excellent burgers or steaks. I just cook them using the broiler or my little grill pan on the stove ;-)

I think that's your problem - cooking is chemistry. 5000grams of substance A, 2500 grams of substance B mixed in a colloidal solution with 3 egg emulsifier, baked in round homogenous pan of surface tension just so, baked at exactly 32m 12s AND NOT A SECOND LONGER.

Grilling is like playing the guitar. You chill, have a beer, play a few chords, open the grill, rotate your tires, flip them over, close the grill, have another beer. It's virtually impossible for every hamburger patty to emerge exactly as it's companion. Variety is the spice of life and women, and you learn to not care too much about small individual irregularities.

[Athryn]

I think that's your problem - cooking is chemistry. 5000grams of substance A, 2500 grams of substance B mixed in a colloidal solution with 3 egg emulsifier, baked in round homogenous pan of surface tension just so, baked at exactly 32m 12s AND NOT A SECOND LONGER.



You're describing baking, not cooking in general. Every other kind of cooking is pretty much how you describe grilling. I follow recipes all the time, but I almost always fiddle with what's in it to suit myself or the preferences of my boyfriend.

And lack of grilling expertise doesn't make you less of a man. For the most part, grilling is handled by the women in our family. My dad likes to sit on the patio and drink beer.

One of the best Thanksgiving dinners we ever had was when the stove broke and my mom cooked the turkey on the grill.

[Enidigm]

And lack of grilling expertise doesn't make you less of a man. For the most part, grilling is handled by the women in our family. My dad likes to sit on the patio and drink beer.




You know i can't ever seem to pull off my serious face and have an occasional joke here at Qt3. :) I'll just stop trying to be jocular from now on.

[Nick Walter]

I think that's your problem - cooking is chemistry. 5000grams of substance A, 2500 grams of substance B mixed in a colloidal solution with 3 egg emulsifier, baked in round homogenous pan of surface tension just so, baked at exactly 32m 12s AND NOT A SECOND LONGER.


Not at all. What you have described is baking, not cooking. Baking is a science, cooking is an art :)

I can stir fry things to proper doneness and saute stuff and I have a few other kitcheny skillz that I had to learn through practice. Grilling seems to be a step worse because it's such an erratic and unpredictable heat source. Maybe someday I'll allocate some time to extensive practice and get the hang of it but for now it's just not worth the hassle.

[Nick Walter]

You know i can't ever seem to pull off my serious face and have an occasional joke here at Qt3. :) I'll just stop trying to be jocular from now on.

No worries, I got it and my reply was intended just as lightly ;-)

[Athryn]

You know i can't ever seem to pull off my serious face and have an occasional joke here at Qt3. :) I'll just stop trying to be jocular from now on.


http://bubba1982.jumbahost.com/main.php/d/473-1/lolcat.jpg

Yes I know you were joking, as Nick said, my reply wasn't disapproving or anything either. Maybe your funny meter is broken?

[Nick Walter]

http://bubba1982.jumbahost.com/main.php/d/473-1/lolcat.jpg
Yes I know you were joking, as Nick said, my reply wasn't disapproving or anything either. Maybe your funny meter is broken?

You didn't emoticon your funny at us

;-) ;-) ;-)

[wisefool]

You know i can't ever seem to pull off my serious face and have an occasional joke here at Qt3. :) I'll just stop trying to be jocular from now on.

It could be a congenital lack of humor. (http://www.pshrink.com/humor/Childhood.html)

Wait, forgot my smilies :):)

[Reldan]

All-Clad makes an "Emerilware" line of stainless steel cookware which I think are fantastic for the price. If you ignore the over-the-top celebrity chef endorsement, you'll find them to be very well-made for the home chef and quite affordable. I picked up an 11-piece set (it was 10-piece with a mail-in bonus of a 3-quart pan) for under $200.

Three things you're going to miss out on if you go the non-stick route:

1) Deglazing a pan full of tasty brown bits to make a sauce.
2) Searing meat on the stove and then finishing it off in the oven.
3) Stainless steel spatulas and tongs are much better and longer lasting than their wooden/plastic equivalent.

[bigdruid]

Three things you're going to miss out on if you go the non-stick route:


You left off #4:

4) Scrubbing little bits of crispy food off your pan until your fingers bleed

No doubt, as a chef stainless steel is nice for many items - just make sure you have someone else to do the cleanup :)