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Chefs

Duetsche_Doggen

Well-Known Member
Are there any Chefs out there? Since my cooking from scratch spree has taken off wonder if there is anyone else who makes out of this world home cooked meals. So far I"ve made my own bread, pancakes, biscuits, flour tortillas, pizza dough, sauces ( taco, alfredo, chili, tomato) , stock, pork sausage, icecream, and my latest addiction made from scratch Red Velvet Cake YUM!!!! SO Moist. Its time consuming but honestly its worth it!

I feel that cooking its becoming a lost art, my last generation of elders have passed and it seems none in the family has obtained the cooking skills from them. There's a few that cook but not like what are forefathers have done. Which got me to remember I don't think they even teach HE anymore. I never took it in high school, and I kind of regret it. The things I could have learned.
 

northernmastiff

Well-Known Member
I hate my own food but people say it is amazing. Right now I am making homemade turkey, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie. The only thing that I really like that I make is a spinach/roasted pepper dip with pita wedges baked in garlic and my poppy seed cake. But I think I am the biggest critic of my own food. I am also the biggest critic of my writing. Oh, and I love my pepper steak...oh, and my Shish Kebab marinade...but the pepper steak is so good. I make the steak and the pepper sauce that goes with it and it is just melt in your mouth good. The kids say my turkey, ribs and potato salad are hands down the best. Hubby says it is my ribs, roast and meatloaf that wins. For desserts, they prefer my cheesecake but it is such a pain in the butt to make. They also like my donut cupcakes. I have made just about everything though, give me a recipe book and I will try it and make it really well. The worst process was when I made Peking Duck...everyone loved it but man, that is a lot of work, especially when you start making the doilies.
 

Duetsche_Doggen

Well-Known Member
Nothern that sounds AMAZING pre Thanksgiving ;) mos of the food I prepared so far I actually liked. My bread could use some work but I'm working on it. I'm not s fan of cheesecake yeah I know you know what they say about people who don't like cheesecake. I'm planning to make homemade cheese next. My yogurt skill is a flop so I'm trying something else. I hope to get some more ideas for cooking from reading everyone's experience
 

northernmastiff

Well-Known Member
Yours sound amazing too DD. I should rephrase, I think they taste good but I don't think they are as great as people say. It must taste good though, most people want to come to my house for any holidays. LOL
 

Rugers-Kris

Well-Known Member
I cook from scratch most everyday. I am not a fan of fast food and I don't like processed (canned, boxed) stuff. I make my own bread because store bought bread sucks!
 

northernmastiff

Well-Known Member
LOL. You're welcome to come DD. I should mention, my mom owned 5 restaurants when I was growing up, I learned to cook in one of them so I am probably not your average housewife chef. LOL. Probably the reason why I don't think my food is that great because I am constantly judging it against my mom's food.

I would love to make my own bread. I have done monkey breads and things like that but every time I get down to make bread, I lose the incentive to. I don't have a bread machine so that might be the problem.

Do you make your bread in a machine or in the oven?
 

Duetsche_Doggen

Well-Known Member
I cook from scratch most everyday. I am not a fan of fast food and I don't like processed (canned, boxed) stuff. I make my own bread because store bought bread sucks!

I'm not a fast food person but I did purchase boxed items ie side dishes. Now I don't. Lol yeah and the bread is expensive!!!! For nearly $4 a loaf I could make twice as much if not more from home.
 

Duetsche_Doggen

Well-Known Member
LOL. You're welcome to come DD. I should mention, my mom owned 5 restaurants when I was growing up, I learned to cook in one of them so I am probably not your average housewife chef. LOL. Probably the reason why I don't think my food is that great because I am constantly judging it against my mom's food.

I would love to make my own bread. I have done monkey breads and things like that but every time I get down to make bread, I lose the incentive to. I don't have a bread machine so that might be the problem.

Do you make your bread in a machine or in the oven?


Wow that says a lot. That's great you learned from your mom my grandmothers were the cooks in our family and sadly few spent time to learn from them including myself. Now I understand you yeah I can't match my grandmothers dishes either. WIP

I'm not sure what Kris uses but Im too poor to afford a bread machine. So I use good old fashion hands.
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
I've been cooking more and more from scratch lately. I've always done my own bread, but the last couple years I've been expanding. Just found a pizza dough recipe I love, now I just need to find a sauce recipe.....
 

northernmastiff

Well-Known Member
Okay, I am going to have to get some bread recipes from you guys. :)

Oh, dinner was delicious tonight by the way DD, you should have drove all the way up here for it. :D
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
Okay, I am going to have to get some bread recipes from you guys. :)

Oh, dinner was delicious tonight by the way DD, you should have drove all the way up here for it. :D


This one's a favorite here, with a couple substitutions lol: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/king-arthurs-classic-white-sandwich-bread-recipe

I usually exchange a cup of white flour for a cup of whole wheat, and I usually add in a cup of whole oats about half way through kneeding. They give instructions for one long loaf, but it fits two more standard loaf pans no problem. And instead of the dry milk I reduce the water by 1/3cup and add 1/3cup of milk instead.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
My husband's the chef around here... I'm just a line cook.

I do the weeknight meals - he does the weekend extravaganzas. LOL.

We do avoid packaged and processed food, though. And we also get a box of organic veggies delivered every two weeks with seasonal stuff - which has really gotten us eating better. Never knew kale and chard would become a favorite... but that stuff is good in just about everything!

My latest home-made recipe: little red or yellow potatoes, sliced in half and browned in coconut oil, toss in a bunch of julienned kale or chard to wilt... add a dollop of brown mustard once everything is cooked (check that the potatoes are soft). Then, just before serving, pull from the heat and add a BIG dollop of sour cream, mix well.
Easy and tasty. That's my kind of cooking. :)

The potatoes are normally served along side a slab of fish...
I'll put the fish skin side down in an oiled baking dish, add a schmear of something (mustard, pepper jelly, mayo, garlic spread, etc.) then spice up with pepper and some spice mix and cover with panko bread crumbs. Spritz the crumbs with "i can't believe it's not butter" butter spray so they brown up nice in the oven... cook at 425F for 12-15 minutes (+/- depending on thickness of fish).

Between the two dishes, I can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes, start to finish.

DH, on the other hand, plans meals a few days in advance, dirties every dish in the kitchen, and makes a MARVELOUS 5-star dinner... in... about 3 hours. But, man, they ARE worth it. :)

DH's Grandma ran a restaurant - which he basically grew up in, and his Mom is a good cook, too.
I learned everything I know from "Great Chefs" on PBS and the FoodNetwork. :)
 

voidecho

Well-Known Member
I can hold my own pretty well in the kitchen. I really got into cooking about seven years ago. Took a series of classes at the Viking store out here about five years ago. Loved it. I used to be more of a Food Network junkie, but I still watch it from time to time always trying to pick up new techniques, tips and ingredient combinations that sound like they work.

Part of me really wants to open a bar and grill, but then there's another part of me that enjoys taking vacations and not working 12-16 hours a day seven days a week.
 
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neona

Well-Known Member
I hate cooking, really hate it. DH does all the cooking. I do the meal planning. We try to eat dinner at home and usually manage 5 or 6 times a week if not all week. Mother earth news has some great, easy, bread recipes, no machine needed. A couple nights ago he made some kind a chicken thighs baked in the oven with a glaze made from agave syrup that was to die for. Teriyaki salmon is another fave. He makes his own teriyaki. I'll see if I can get recipes tomorrow.

Sent from my phone please excuse to typos.