Five things about cooking. From a non-cook who's trying to learn...

[annwfyn]

So, one of my huge accomplishments in 2016 was somehow, miraculously, transitioning from 'possibly the worst cook in the world' with a repertoire of exactly two dishes which didn't involve 'put in microwave, press button' to someone who currently cooks from scratch around four times per week, using proper ingredients

Comments

[borusa]

Over the years I've gone from someone who really couldn't cook at all to someone who cooks... maybe five days a week. I'm not amazing, still (for example: If it involves pastry, you might end up with something that looks like dough has been thrown at it from about five yards), but I can do quite a number of things

[annwfyn]

I agree with all of that. Especially the 'fry it in butter'. There is almost nothing that can't be improved by frying it in butter. It is the ultimate get out of jail free card.

I'd possible add 'and then grate some parmesan over the top'. That and butter covers up a multitude of sins.

Also super agree with the company. One of the huge game changers for me was moving into a house with a kitchen large enough for someone to come and perch on a chair and chat to me as I cook. I don't even need them to help. But conversation makes such a difference. Because, as you said, chopping is very very dull. Audio books are my other support and prop. It turns out everything is better if you have an animated Brian Blessed in your ear.

[pmp]

As one of those "miraculous" intuative cooks, I learnt that through reading the backs of store bought sauces and spice mixes, plus reading menu descriptions

[eniel]

Yes yes yes to the part that food has no moral value. I swear if my colleague tells me once more that avocados are "sinful" I might scream.
I also wonder whether the abundance of celebrity chefs has also created expectations of what home cooking should look like our involve - thereby scaring those of us who don't have the equipment or spices or ingredients mentioned.

[annwfyn]

Yes - I think so. I think there's a lot of cook books out there which also add to this, mostly because they're really written for either advanced cooks, or as glamorous but impractical coffee table books. They have a lot of glossy pictures, a sexy chef on the front cover and instructions that I can barely even follow on the page let alone in practice.

[borusa]

My mother once got a Robert Carrier cookbook. The first recipe she tried had the following instruction: "Take half a pint of venison stock"

Her reaction:

1) "From where?"
2) "Actually, that sounds like an oxo cube to me."

I have a similar reaction to "julienne the carrots": "That sounds like batons to me."