th1stleandr0se Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I find it baffling how so many people don't know how to boil an egg. I did cook a rather complex rice dish a few months ago, as well as a chocolate orange sponge pudding. I'm not exactly masterchef material, but I'm probably better than most people. The thing that's off putting is the time consuming nature of it, as well making sure you have all the correct ingredients. How long do you boil an egg for? Everybody has their own preferences. I usually end up with cracked shells releasing meringue all over the kitchen but that's probably because I keep my eggs in the fridge, against all advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I find it baffling how so many people don't know how to boil an egg. A problem I frequently have is not remembering numbers so having to refer to Google for cooking times for various things. What happens however is that instead of somebody saying "X minutes for runny or Y minutes for hard boiled" you get the likes of "well, I quite like my eggs poached and I find that a bit of pepper and some herbs over them make it far better etc etc etc". Shut up and answer the fcuking question bitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbornbairn Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 More to the point, how do you cook your chips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmothecat Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 More to the point, how do you cook your chips? Put the chipped potatos in cold water for about fifteen minutes before taking them out and drying them (takes the starch out). Then fry with a little oil for about five minutes before placing in the oven on a high heat with more olive oil. Check and turn them every five minutes for aprox 30 minutes. Amazing chips, go perfectly with a nice medium-rare rib steak. Had steak and chips tonight. Fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doulikefish Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 More to the point, how do you cook your chips? Actifry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one m in Motherwell Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I'm not bad, but probably better in a 'follow instructions to the letter' kind of way rather than being able to batter on without a recipe book. Our kitchen is a shitehole at present so opportunities are slightly limited until we move house. Dusted off the bread maker over the weekend so that's taken a bit of a beating over the past couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shandon Par Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Fairly sure there's a TV programme or two for those too thick to pick up a basic life skill by themselves. The BBC have kindly given us Lorraine Pascale to provide inspiration for the non-cook to knock out something at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAFC Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I can do stir fries and stuff but generally can't be arsed with anything that takes more than half an hour to make. This, plus if you make loads it's a major hassle if you stay on your own. Putting it into tubs and freezing etc. Single mans kitchen. Blender, microwave, frying pan and pizza tray. Everything else it's easier just to buy healthyish ready meals. Been able to do the basics since I was about 12 though, was amazed when someone I knew didn't know how to make scrambled eggs at the age of 18. When his mum went away overnight she would leave bacon in a frying pan so that all he had to do was switch it on!? Would like to be able to cook amazing stuff but as mentioned it's just not economically worth it and I don't have time to prepare it. Buy potatoes, boil them, skin them, mash them, add butter. Taste lumpy. Or Buy mash potato, heat it up, eat it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kincardine Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 If you're good at cooking: is it either that you're really good at effectively following a cookbooks instructions or are you just creative at throwing things together? I think it starts with the former and, if you're interested, moves on. When I got married for the first time all I'd ever cooked was baked beans on toast and Vesta curries. I thus followed Delia Smith's book slavishly. Weighing everything meticulously and ensuring that each dish had the ingredients as described by the recipe. 30 years on? I'm a fairly adventurous cook. I have no problem, for example, in skinning, paunching and jointing a rabbit and making rabbit casserole based on whatever 'stuff' I have in the kitchen. In fact all of my kids love rabbit, hare, pheasant and partridge although sourcing it 'down here' isn't that easy compared to Aberdeenshire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Archer (Raconteur) Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Ya want sum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergie's no1 fan Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I can stick stuff in the oven and add sauce ect to it. I'd like to be able to make my own sauces though, instead of using jars of stuff which is full of salt ect. Surely jars of sauce ect is cheating, to say your a good cook everything should be made from scratch? I can do a decent Lasagne using fresh pasta sheets but I use dolmio so I can't take all the credit. Problem is by the time you buy all the ingredients and take the time to make it your just as well buying one out the supermarker which is cheaper and quicker to cook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Cuddy Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 They're probably not cheaper than jars, to be honest. Your initial outlay for herbs, spices, oils and that kind of thing would be larger obviously but you'll only be using a small amount of each so they'd last you ages and make loads of sauce. For example, a Bolognese sauce, I'd make with a tin of tomatoes, a squirt of tomato puree, basil, oregano and a little bit of ground nutmeg. The tin of tomatoes would cost around 35p, and assuming I have the other stuff in the cupboard (which I usually do) that's all I'd need to spend. How much is a jar of Dolmio (that's made in Holland and nowhere near as nice as home made)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ginger Prince Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I'm one of these lazy as f**k idiots that doesn't know how to boil an egg. Or cook anything, absolutely anything. I'd love to be able to spend a day in the kitchen preparing something amazing but I just have no motivation or patience for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergie's no1 fan Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Cooking and gardening threads. Double entendre heaven. They're probably not cheaper than jars, to be honest. Your initial outlay for herbs, spices, oils and that kind of thing would be larger obviously but you'll only be using a small amount of each so they'd last you ages and make loads of sauce. For example, a Bolognese sauce, I'd make with a tin of tomatoes, a squirt of tomato puree, basil, oregano and a little bit of ground nutmeg. The tin of tomatoes would cost around 35p, and assuming I have the other stuff in the cupboard (which I usually do) that's all I'd need to spend. How much is a jar of Dolmio (that's made in Holland and nowhere near as nice as home made)? Looking at £2 maybe £2.50 for a jar? I watched Goodfellas and it put me right in the mood for meatballs with homemade sauce but it turned out rank . Can't be that hard to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave258 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I'm a pretty good cook but as has been said by others, it probably helps that I enjoy cooking. Made a cracking chicken curry last night and tonight a salmon and king prawn pasta with a chilli and garlic cream sauce. I found that learning a few practical skills that xan help save you money as well helped keep me interested in it. For example, I'll buy a whole chicken for £3/£4 rather than spending the same on a few chicken breasts in a packet. It's easy to learn how to butcher a whole chicken and gives you enough meat for probably 3 meals rather than 1, and you can also use the carcass for stock for soup, sauces etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Cuddy Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Scary_Movie_2_11b_640x360_79405123690.jpg Looking at £2 maybe £2.50 for a jar? I watched Goodfellas and it put me right in the mood for meatballs with homemade sauce but it turned out rank . Can't be that hard to do. A good tomato based sauce is one of the easiest things you could ever make. Give it a go and you'll never go back to jars. Once you've managed a very basic sauce, you be able to adjust flavours to suit yourself, add other stuff in (bacon is superb in a Bolognese or lasagne, by the way). I think what most people lack in the kitchen is confidence and they're scared of making an arse of it. Why? It's only cooking! Recipes are invented by people trying things out. If something doesn't work, it's not the end of the world, just don't make it again and try something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heedthebaa Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I can't cook and have no intentions of learning in the near future. I've heard it no tastes the same if you cook food for yourself, f**k that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbornbairn Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 My tomato sauce is ace. Three tins of chopped tomatoes, chopped celery, carrots, onions, bit of tomato purée, chicken stock, red wine, bit of sugar, salt, pepper, basil, oregano and three drops of Dave's Insanity Pepper Sauce. Freeze it in single portions then add it to mince, meatballs or just pasta on it's own and you'll get about half a dozen meals out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unleash The Nade Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 Fairly sure there's a TV programme or two for those too thick to pick up a basic life skill by themselves. You mean like, dating programmes?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addie Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I can cook and do most of it at home. I tend to make basic meals though. I like making soups as the don't take much effort and cheap to make. Sometimes I will make my own bread but I don't have the patience for that to do it all the time. I like Anthony Boudaine (spelling?) who has a good programme on Sky Atlantic called no reservations. One of his episodes involved some of the best chefs in New York showing how to make an omelet and roasting a chicken. Can't bake yorkie puds though. Always come out flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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