Which dishes would you like to perfect?

[tcufrog]

Which dishes would you like to make well but just can't?

For me it's:
pie crust
meatloaf
Yorkshire pudding
pizza crust
bread with yeast

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Baking from scratch in general. I'm not too good at it; my cakes flop, my cookies could break a tooth, etc. I've been told to stick to dinners and make desserts from a box or not at all. Can't say I blame them.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

I'd love to better my baking skills.

And I make eally good chicken cutlets but would love to keep from sticking to pan. It's hit or miss for me with the oan sticking. Anyone have sure fire way to stop.

 

[_19disnA]

^^ Try a non-stick pan to keep food from sticking. Some have good success with cast iron, but I find them a nuisance to use and difficult to clean. Most stores sell a variety of non-stick skillets in various sizes.

 

[tvguy]

Which dishes would you like to make well but just can't?

For me it's:
pie crust
meatloaf
Yorkshire pudding
pizza crust
bread with yeast

My mom made Yorkshire pudding and gave us the recipe. Mom passed away 10 years ago, but after a few years of experimenting, my daughter has gone it down. Her biggest challenge was that she doesn't eat meat, so she had to work around the bacon grease my mom used.

 

[Aurora79]

Crepes. I used to be able to make them, and now for some reason they never turn out right.

Fried chicken. The breading never sticks right.

Pie crust. Mine is always too tough.

 

[ronandannette]

Beurre blanc and yeast bread. I can't raise dough at this elevation to save my life but it's one of those things - excellent quality bread is readily available and fairly low-priced; why would I slave over perfecting it? I'd also love better knife skills but that's going a bit OT.

 

[NannyBeBe]

Prime rib. I have never made one in my life because I am afraid I will ruin it.

 

[leebee]

Pot roast. I cannot make pot roast to save my life. I follow recipes exactly, including to buy the size/type of roast specified and bake/simmer/cook according to directions, but it's always dry, dry, dry- and even worse when I use the crock pot.

 

[RedAngie]

No desire to “perfect” anything. I know my limits and stay away from things beyond my capabilities.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Baked pork chops - I'm getting better, but they're still sometimes a little dry. (Fine line, because I grew up very afraid to undercook pork.)

 

[QueenIsabella]

Pie crust. My mom was known for her blueberry pies, specifically. My sister inherited the pie gene, I did not. My son got me a pastry mixer for my Kitchenaid for Christmas, hoping that I'll work on my pie crust (I have Mom's recipe). I haven't tried it yet.

Crepes. Again, something my mom made all the time when we were kids. They seem so simple... Mostly, we do pancakes (DD19 is a pancake rock star). I would love to be able to make crepes.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

Biscuits

 

[QueenIsabella]

Pot roast. I cannot make pot roast to save my life. I follow recipes exactly, including to buy the size/type of roast specified and bake/simmer/cook according to directions, but it's always dry, dry, dry- and even worse when I use the crock pot.

My "secret ingredient" in pot roast is a cup or so of V-8. I do it in a crockpot.

 

[Carol_]

Crepes. I used to be able to make them, and now for some reason they never turn out right.

Fried chicken. The breading never sticks right.

Pie crust. Mine is always too tough.

The first couple of crêpes always go to the animal. Then you figure out the heat and timing and the next 57 are great.

 

[PollyannaMom]

For me it's:
pie crust
meatloaf
Yorkshire pudding
pizza crust
bread with yeast

Pie crust - I'm no help. I buy the refrigerated ones

Meatloaf - before DH's diabetes, my secret was to add a jar of baby food to the mix (one of the fruit/veg blends)

Yorkshire pudding - never had it

I haven't made pizza crust or homemade bread in years, so I don't really remember any tips

 

[easyas123]

Baking from scratch in general. I'm not too good at it; my cakes flop, my cookies could break a tooth, etc. I've been told to stick to dinners and make desserts from a box or not at all. Can't say I blame them.

Same here, especially with bread.

 

[Carol_]

Baked pork chops - I'm getting better, but they're still sometimes a little dry. (Fine line, because I grew up very afraid to undercook pork.)

Wrap them in foil (or better yet parchment paper) with some rosemary and a slice of lemon.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

No desire to “perfect” anything. I know my limits and stay away from things beyond my capabilities.

 

[fla4fun]

Baking from scratch in general. I'm not too good at it; my cakes flop, my cookies could break a tooth, etc. I've been told to stick to dinners and make desserts from a box or not at all. Can't say I blame them.

Baking is a very precise science. The ingredients have to be measured carefully or the results will be different. You also need to know whether your oven temperature is accurate. When I bake a cake in my countertop oven I have to reduce the temp a few degrees and the time a few minutes to get good results. Baking requires you to be a lot more present during the time in the oven than a casserole or a roast where you can see it and forget it.

I am not patient enough to do much baking. I don’t want to be checking every few minutes to see if it’s done yet. It’s very rare for me to make a dessert from scratch anymore. Cooking savory meals is a much more forgiving process.

My mom made a great pot roast and I never got her recipe. I regret that now.