Can't Cook?

[lizinginholland]

yes. its true, i cannot cook, ... anything. lol. its very pathetic i know.

i just never learned my mom and i it had just never came across our minds to teach me haha..

my mom is a rather nervous cooker haha, she is a perfectionist and every measurement has to be exact, i did learn how to bake,... some..

i just never tried to see if thats a talent of mine or not, but now that im starting on my own so to speak (being a live-in nanny for a year) im afraid i will starve haha! if not live off chips and all that good stuff , anyhow, i did learn how to clean like none other i am a the miricle cleaner haha even if i do say so myself jk,

so yes this is sad haha, but can anyone tell me how to cook simple things like.. potato's.. and beans.. vegetables... the only thing i know how to do is brown meat haha and thats because thats what i had to take over when the phone would ring, and it was one of my older sisters needing to talk to my mom.

can anyone provide like a DETAILED very detailed, as in every aspect of cooking certain things? like what i gave as an example?

any tips would be great!

thankyou!

--Elisabeth

[FunkyTown]

Sure! Here is an example of fantastic mashed potatoes - They're easy and they're good.

First, with mashed potatoes, the most important thing is the type of potato. Ever since I watched The Food Network on making mashed potatoes, I have started using Yukon Gold potatoes. They mash up easy and don't leave as many lumps. This depends on how many you're making for, but here's a decent size for a big meal with numerous people.

1) Take out three pounds of potatoes and peel them. Make sure to wash them thoroughly. I'd recommend a potato peeler, since if you're new a knife will result in a lot of wastage.

2) After peeling the potatoes and washing, slice them in to quarters.

3) Place all potatoes in a medium pot, with just enough water to cover the tops of the potatoes.

4) Put 1/2 a teaspoon of salt in the water.

5) Place the pot and potatoes on a burner on your stove and turn up the heat. Put the lid on. IMPORTANT: I always leave just a bit of an opening to let the steam out. It lets me see when it's boiling and helps prevent overboiling(Which causes a real mess)

6) When the pot boils, reduce heat to 'Simmer'(That's where the heat is turned to just enough that the water has bubbles still coming, but it hasn't yet hit the bubbling frothiness that is boiling - Probably a 4 would be enough).

7) Continue simmering for about 15-20 minutes. You can test this with a fork. If you press it in and the potatoes are easily lanced without you really pressing, they're done.

8) Turn off the oven and remove the potatoes. Strain out the water.

9) Put the hot potatoes in to a bowl. Add 8 tablespoons of heavy cream, 4 tablespoons of butter and add in a few dashes of salt and pepper.

10) Some people would have you use a potato masher. I, on the other hand, use a mixer. I put it in, turn it on the second lowest setting, and I mix it up until I can feel no lumps in the mix. Don't overmix or it becomes this weird gluey thing.

This'll serve from 6-8 people. If you want to serve less, just cut the numbers back accordingly. If you're dividing the the number of people being served by four, divide the number of ingredients by 4.

[Over43]

yes. its true, i cannot cook, ... anything. lol. its very pathetic i know.

i just never learned my mom and i it had just never came across our minds to teach me haha..

my mom is a rather nervous cooker haha, she is a perfectionist and every measurement has to be exact, i did learn how to bake,... some..

i just never tried to see if thats a talent of mine or not, but now that im starting on my own so to speak (being a live-in nanny for a year) im afraid i will starve haha! if not live off chips and all that good stuff , anyhow, i did learn how to clean like none other i am a the miricle cleaner haha even if i do say so myself jk,

so yes this is sad haha, but can anyone tell me how to cook simple things like.. potato's.. and beans.. vegetables... the only thing i know how to do is brown meat haha and thats because thats what i had to take over when the phone would ring, and it was one of my older sisters needing to talk to my mom.

can anyone provide like a DETAILED very detailed, as in every aspect of cooking certain things? like what i gave as an example?

any tips would be great!

thankyou!

--Elisabeth

Don't feel bad. My wife has cooked dinner maybe once year since we've been married. It's OK. There is a cook book you can find "out West" in many truck stops and even Deseret Store called: Mormon Cooking. It has simple, useful recipres that use potatoes, rice, burger, etc. They take about an hour to make.

Also there is the : I Don't Cook Syndrome cook book which is also very good.

Personally I like "A Man A Can A Plan" by Rodale Press. My kids like the Cowboy stew. A can of turkey chili, a can of baked beans, a pound of browned burger, mix it all together, top with cheese and a dolop of sour cream, and you're off.

Another recipe in that particular book calls for a pound of burger, two cans of Spaghetti-O's, and a 10 oz. box of frozen brocolli. It actually turns out quite tasty.

Jon

[Gwen]

i recently decided to try this to cut down on some of my dinner stress..... e-mealz.com....still to early to know how it will work out but so far i like it.

[Wingnut]

When I got married, I was still living at home with Mom and Dad, so I hadn't done a lot of cooking on my own. I was interested in cooking, and had spent time int he kitchen with my mom, but I really didn't have a big repertoire. As my husband can attest, I quickly discovered that I had a talent and a penchant for cooking. It seemed to come naturally. I am now to the point where I am starting to be able to cook by smell and taste, without having to adhere strictly to a recipe. I'm having a lot of fun with it. I understand that not everyone is like that though.

While I don't have any specific recipes to share with you, I do have some tips. When it comes to cooking, you do not have to be a huge stickler with measurements. With baking, you should be a little more stringent. Rachael Ray's cookbooks are designed to go either way (she'll write her recipes with versatile directions...like "1 Tbsp olive oil, or once around the pan"). There is a cookbook that I do and don't recommend for you. It's called The New Best Recipe Cookbook. The authors made at least 30 different versions of each thing in there, and created/chose the BEST recipe of everything. Here's why I DO recommend it: it's got a huge variety and in addition to recipes, it gives a lot of information about the food, which it sounds like could be useful to you. Here's why I DO NOT recommend it to you: it might be calculus when you're still in pre-algebra. It just might be too much.

There are also a lot of food blogs and websites out there that can be very helpful.

[piper]

Ok, guess i'm a bit weird I like to cook. This is where I go for basic recipes of all kinds and I do mean all kinds lol. This site has tens of thousands of recipes all arranged by region, country, type etc. It's a great site and most of the recipes are very easy to follow. RecipeSource: Your Source for Recipes on the Internet They even have recipes from Star Trek

[StrawberryFields]

When I was growing up I had the best cook in the world... my mom. She did most of the everyday cooking and I did the baking. I didn't cook very much with her and now I wished I had because she cooked by smell and taste like Wingnut.

After I got married I stressed over meals wanting them to be as good as my moms but they never really measured up. My husband told me to quit worrying about it that we could do simple things like sandwiches or soup that he really didn't care. For years now we have been eating simple things and my family has been perfectly satisfied. Now my daughter has started dating a guy who makes things from scratch and is a better cook than I am. I am getting pointers from him now.:)

[Wingnut]

After I got married I stressed over meals wanting them to be as good as my moms but they never really measured up. My husband told me to quit worrying about it that we could do simple things like sandwiches or soup that he really didn't care.

Husbands are great like that when they don't compare you to their (or your) mothers, huh? Everyone should be so lucky. I know I am.

[StrawberryFields]

Thanks Wingnut

I think we are all blessed with talents or area where we excel. I just had a arguement with my daughter because she wanted to know if I was going to make a dinner or just throw something at them like I usually do. I told her she had not starved and she is old enough to be on her own.

[WANDERER]

May I recommend videojug: it's a how to website (sort of like youtube meets lifestyle channel) where they give video instructions on how to do a whole lot of things (change lightbulbs, clean and lots of basics). I used it for "Can't Garden" LOL.

Food & Drink - advice videos on Food Recipes, Drinks, Cooking Tips & Techniques

1707 how to cook *whatever* short vidguides...have fun : )

[sherikiml]

I totally think you should approach your RS president and ask if they can start a basic cooking group through Enrichment. I've done this in the past couple wards I've had, and it has helped sisters immensely. You could learn the basics, and so could other sisters...I promise you there are others around that want to learn!

Good luck!!!

[melissar]

That is a good idea. My husband does most of the cooking at our house. I can cook more now than when we got married, but my husband is still way better at it.

[zookeeper]

Best recipe book that I know of...Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. Thanks mom! (Christmas present from my mommy) Easy and healthy!!

[Guest DeborahC]

I discovered this one day when I was too lazy to "roll" enchiladas. It is VERY easy and VERY good!

You will need:

A baking dish (or pan) like you bake brownies in - not as big as a lasagne pan - about 8" x 8"

No-stick spray (PAM)

1 dozen CORN Tortillas

1 small can of sliced olives (optional)

2 chicken thighs or about 1 cup of chicken meat cooked (you can buy those cooked chickens at the market and use a breast or a couple of thighs. Cut it up into 1/2 inch chunks.

1 can of enchilada sauce (the red kind)

1 cup of grated cheddar or jack cheese

1 medium onion, diced

DIRECTIONS:

Ok.. first turn your oven to 350 degrees.

1. Spray your baking dish with the non-stick spray lightly

2. Open the enchilada sauce and put it in a pan. Put it on LOW heat and warm it up.

3. Cut up your chicken then put about 1/4 cup of the sauce on it, and stir it up, coating the chicken with sauce.

4. Now, dip a tortilla in the sauce, then lay it in the baking dish with the edges touching one side.

5. Dip another tortilla in sauce, then lay it overlapping but covering the other 1/4 of the pan.

Do this with 2 more tortillas. They'll be overlapping, but covering the bottom of the baking dish as well as they can (they're round and it's square so there will be space not covered. That's ok)

6. Now sprinkle half of your chicken on the tortillas.

7. Put half of the onions on

8. Put ONE THIRD of the olives on

9. Put ONE THIRD of the cheese on

10. Now starting with tortillas, repeat ALL of those layers.

11. End by putting one last layer of dipped tortillas.

12. Pour on any remaining sauce

13. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and olives

14. Now bake it until the cheese melts on top and its bubbly around the sides.

This is sooooo good and so easy!

To serve it, just cut it in enchilada sized slices.

My guy LOVES this!

Good luck

You can serve it alone or with a small plain lettuce salad.

You can use ANY kind of meat, including ground beef, leftover turkey, or shredded pork.

[beefche]

What kind of recipes are you looking for? Main dishes? Side dishes? Casseroles? For someone who doesn't have much confidence in cooking, I would suggest getting some casserole recipes. These are typically one dish meals that have meat, pasta/starch, and veggies (usually with cheese).

The thing I love about cooking is that there are very little EXACT measurements. Baking requires exactness. I like to cook because I like to flavor my meals differently than the recipe calls for.

Find some recipes for casseroles and then tweek them as you will. Start easy. If the recipe calls for green peppers and you don't like them, then leave them out or exchange the green peppers for broccalli or another veggie. Don't put a lot in case you don't like it (you can pick it out). And then you'll either know to add more of the veggie or less.

I've made meals that I've had to just throw out. I felt badly for wasting food, but it would have been wasted anyway once I ate it and got sick.

Also, another suggestion. Look on the back of various boxes and cans of food. For example, stuffing mixes have recipes on the back. Of course, that means you'll be using the boxed stuffing, but again, it's a place to start.

[Palerider]

here is one....make chilli the way you usually do....add your spices and before you serve it.....pour a can of Pepsi into the chili and mix it up real good......uuummm.....good stuff....:)

Edited December 22, 2008 by Palerider

[beefche]

Pale, Pepsi? Seriously?

Do you add it right before serving? Or add it and then let it simmer for a while? And do you add regular Pepsi? Diet? Have you done Coke? I want to try it, but I'm scared! What if I grab a Mt Dew instead?

[Palerider]

Pale, Pepsi? Seriously?

Do you add it right before serving? Or add it and then let it simmer for a while? And do you add regular Pepsi? Diet? Have you done Coke? I want to try it, but I'm scared! What if I grab a Mt Dew instead?

regular Pepsi .....add it right before you serve it and mix it in real good.....I got this idea from someone else.....don't make my chili any other way.... Edited December 22, 2008 by Palerider

[beefche]

Alrighty, all mighty Pale. I'll try it next time I make my chili. BTW, my chili never comes out the same. I just throw stuff in it that I have at home and make it yummy. Cumin is my favorite chili spice.

[Palerider]

I don't like my chili real spicy......and I will add a bunch of stuff with it...:)

[beefche]

Oh Pale! That's why I love Cumin. Not spicy hot, but full of a smoky spice flavor. It doesn't add heat...just tons of flavor. I'm getting old and can't tolerate spicy heat as I used to. So, I discovered herbs and spices that add flavor without heat.

[Palerider]

Oh Pale! That's why I love Cumin. Not spicy hot, but full of a smoky spice flavor. It doesn't add heat...just tons of flavor. I'm getting old and can't tolerate spicy heat as I used to. So, I discovered herbs and spices that add flavor without heat.

I just might have to try that myself next time....:)

[pam]

I have never heard of putting Pepsi in chili. Interesting.

[Palerider]

At the dealership I work at we have a chili cook off there every year....this was a chili that someone brought in....tasted it and I thought it was pretty good. I have made mine that way since....

[Guest coping]

First thing is don't be afraid to experiment. You will also mess up, it is apart of the learning curve! All of us who do love to cook and bake have really messed up, but that is how we learn. Get a cookbook, I suggest Home & Garden or a Betty Crocker one to start. Also like the previous post, use the web there is a wealth of cooking information there.

Also have fun with because that is the most important thing about it!!