For those of you who like to cook....(just a poll)?

Question

Is there anything in the kitchen that you have not mastered but would like to? Is there something you can never seem to prepare correctly and it frustrates the mess out of you?

I love to cook and bake - they're actually my hobbies. I make 99% of my meals from scratch and I've also made some complicated dishes and desserts. Two things I am not able to master is cooking rice (that's not instant) and popping microwave popcorn. My Mum makes fun of me because those have to be the two easiest things to do. LOL.

Anyone else have a skill/ technique/ dish that eludes your mastery?

I know rice is totally easy, but I just cannot seem to do it. I am using instant rice now, but I prefer the kind that takes longer to cook. To me, it just tastes better. Thanks for all the advice too! :-D

Answer 1

I have yet to make a chicken curry that actually tastes like curry, I can't seem to get the hang of it. Also, french toast is not something I do well, it always comes out soggy. But my husband's is heaven on earth, his trick is he uses a little flour in the batter to help support the bread so it doesn't fall apart.

And you're not alone on the rice issue, I always just make Minute Rice in the micro, can't make it turn out right otherwise. Anyway, at our house rice is just a medium for putting something else on top of, and a source of carbs to fill up teenage boys. We're not really gourmet cooks, "fast and good" is our motto!

The micro popcorn works out pretty well though, in our old micro I just put it in for 3 min. and kept an eye on it. Our new one is more powerful so I can actually use the "popcorn" setting and it works great.

Baking is one of my hobbies also, love to make complicated desserts to please my family. I make a killer double chocolate cheesecake and a really moist lemon pound cake that they love.

Happy cooking!

Answer 2

Most of the microwaves I use cooks a bag of popcorn perfectly in 2:40. Try it.
Sorry for the rice, I use instant, why not? Could be you have the wrong pan for rice, when I cooked non-instant rice I had pans that had very thick heavy bottoms for even heat. Or Revere Copper bottom.
I use to make everything from scratch, now my kids are grown, I am older, work nights, so I prepare lots of "canned biscuits" & frozen food except for weekends.
I recently conquered seafood, was afraid of it my whole life-GAWD it is the easiest of all!!!!!
Good Cooking!!!!

Answer 3

Rice is absurdly easy.
For white rice (standard, NOT quick or instant), use 2x the volume of water for 1x volume of rice (1C rice 2C water)
bring water to rolling boil
add salt or seasoning if desired
add rice
reduce heat to just barely simmer
cover
simmer for about 15 minutes
turn off heat
leave cover on
leave alone for another 20 minutes or so
fluff with fork and serve

now, please tell me how to make my mother's biscuits. All I can get are dog crackers or hockey pucks neither of which tastes very good. Even my biscuit chasing dog won't eat 'em.

Answer 4

Ohmygosh, fried foods. Like chicken! I get so MAD when I make it, all the batter falls off, the meat is not done inside or it's overdone, or it partly burns.

I cook constantly, can do almost anything, but fried chicken makes me crazy!

LOL

Try rice in the microwave, follow directions exactly but add just a little extra water. For example, if it calls for 1 cup water, add 1 c plus about 1/4 cup. Works every time! Oh, and DONT STOP TO STIR, just nuke the full time.

Answer 5

I make absolutely everything homemade, including my own cosmetics, shampoos, cheeses, raw butter, (I have a cow) homemade tortilla, breads, etc. I hate the thought of strangers in a factory preparing what I eat. I also detest food additives, chemicals, artificial colors etc. I have pretty much mastered it all. A tip for you-I purchased a wolfgang puck 7 cup rice maker from hsn.com for about 25 dollars-foolproof, and not just for rice-you can make one pot mac and cheese, steam foods, etc. Worth the investment

Answer 6

My one issue that frustrates to ne end is making my own homemade gravy. I can cook, and bake anything under the sun, but I cannot make a good gravy.

Answer 7

Up until recently, it was biscuits. I'm guessing that you're English because you referred to your mother as "mum." I don't think biscuits are the same thing to us. I think your biscuit is actuall what we call crackers. Our biscuit looks like this: http://www.oldetimecooking.com/Images/biscuit.JPG

Anyway, I found a GREAT recipe recently and now I'm great at making them. :)

As for anything else--I'm thinking. I'm sure there has to be something, but I really can't think what.

Answer 8

I would love to be able to bake a really good apple or cherry pie,and I would LOVE to be able to know how to make homemade bread too! I don't own a bread machine because they tend to be very expensive,but I would love to own a bread machine so I could make my own bread!! ;-)

Answer 9

i dont have a dish but u can get a rice cooker. theyre great n they keep ur rice hot so u can avoid tha microwavin if u dont eat on time

Answer 10

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