Calling All Cooks!!

[doxdogy]

I generally half the recipe for just DH and I.

Chili recipe

2 lbs ground beef
One 29 ounce can tomato sauce
Two 29 ounce can of pinto beans (I use bush's chili beans.)
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green chiles (I use the green chiles in the can)
1/4 diced celery (I personally leave out the celery)
One 29 ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons cumin powder
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of water

Brown ground beef and drain off fat. Add other ingredients to beef. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

 

[walden]

Ok, all you cooks... I need to know: how did you get into cooking? My poor DH is forced to eat frozen chicken breasts and pasta pretty much every night of his life because that's all I cook.

I have plenty of cookbooks (Paula Deen, Better Homes and Gardens, Betty Crocker, etc) but just can't bring myself to make a meal from one of them-- either I'm scared it will turn out disastrous (I have a mild case of OCD that makes me positively terrified that things aren't perfect, that I missed an ingredient, that it "looks wrong", etc) or I don't have the ingredients at home and can't justify going to the store to buy something I'll only ever use for this one meal.

All this being said, I'm a fantastic baker. I'd serve DH cake every night for dinner if he'd let me. In addition, DH cooks but by the time he gets home at night, we're both starving. I need to step up to the plate.
I guess this thread is a vent and a cry for help! Any helpful tips or easy, quick recipes would be appreciated! Thank you, Chefs de DIS!

Oh please, sweetheart! If you can bake you can certainly cook! In baking successfully you have me in the dust!

Baking successfully is science and chemistry. Cooking is just learning how long to cook (meat/fish) to avoid food poisoning, chucking spices and flovorings in, tasting, and learning and learning how not to overcook. A work in progress.

Start with stews and soups, progress to roasts (although they can be the simplest), then go to the fancy stuff.

And, yes, always keep a few eggs around. An omelette, scrambled eggs or boiled eggs, are great if you just happen to have an epic fail!

Good luck, but I'm expecting you to share your baking recipes here . . .

 

[gdulaney]

I love the recipes on thepioneerwoman.com. They are always easy to follow and delicious. She has pictures of each step so you can see how its supposed to look. That, along with LiamsAunt's advice, and you'll be fine! Just take a breath and enjoy it.

Her cookbook totally rocks! Small pictures of every step. I love it!!

Ginny

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

My grandma taught me, kind of - I watched, never assisted. My mom can't cook to save her life! I also worked in restaurants for quite a few years in all capacities - I picked up a lot of concepts on the line.

Recipes are merely guidelines, I very rarely follow them unless I'm baking (which I don't do very well...) I enjoy watching Boy Meets Grill and iron chef - you can pick up a lot of ideas as far as what flavors go well together. Oh, and LOTS of practice

 

[Rora]

Thank you SO much, everyone!

I really appreciate all the recommendations and recipes! DH has been so sweet and said that he doesn't mind what I make but I know he's just being nice!

I'm going to check out all of the books, shows and chefs you all have recommended! Again, I truly appreciate your responses!

 

[ilovejack02]

Thank you SO much, everyone!

I really appreciate all the recommendations and recipes! DH has been so sweet and said that he doesn't mind what I make but I know he's just being nice!

I'm going to check out all of the books, shows and chefs you all have recommended! Again, I truly appreciate your responses!

I bet he doesn't mind , young love is so sweet : ). Just know that he will think you are a rock star if you master cooking on top of your baking skills. I have over heard DH tell my MIL and his friends that he is so impressed with how far I have come from the early days of cooking. He always smiles when he comes home and a yummy meal is on the stove. It is all the motivation I need : ). Good luck!!

 

[SandrA9810]

I think the biggest difference between baking and cooking, is baking requires exact measurements. Cooking on the other hand is just tossing stuff together and being creative. You have to learn what flavors go with what, and add just a little at a time till it's right. There's no real precision with cooking dinner.

 

[flamingglobessigmund]

Get a crock pot. They are virtually fool proof and magical. Dinner is ready by the time you get home.

 

[scottishduffy]

My parents never really cooked much. My mother was completely unable to cook, and my father worked very long hours so could only cook on occassion.

Because of this, I grew up eating TV dinners and fast food every single night during my childhood. When i got to college I was downright determined to teach myself to cook. I did not want to live off of fast food forever.

I used simple recipes at first. I like the Taste of Home magazines best since they used practical ingredients and were generally easy recipes. I have been cooking for about ten years now and consider myself are pretty decent cook. I started with simple recipes and just have slowly learned from there. Gotta start somewhere!

 

[LilyWDW]

I started cooking because I was tired of having the same old things every week. I wanted to switch things up and try new recipes, but it's not like I could just ask another person to do that. So, I started cooking a full meal once a week. Now, I pretty much do all the cooking (though mom does run the grill, but I do prep everything).

I also have OCD, so I understand you quite well about that. When things don't go as I have "planned", then I get the anxiety. So what I do is prep everything ahead of time and just take it step by step.

Just a few years ago, I would burn canned green beans. Now, I feel comfortable cooking a full Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings (including green bean casserole )

But I don't bake... baking scares me! I really want to learn how to though. I just need to get the nerve to do it.