you know how to cook?

[adrian]

After reading this article about how people pass ready made meals as their own (http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=10793148&src=rss/oddlyEnoughNews), I like know who can cook?

And I mean someting else instead of rice, eggs, hotdogs, and saimin.


I no can cook if my life depended on it (actually, maybe I can if I get the camping equipment).

[1stwahine]

small kine stuff. nuff to survive...me makule already! :p

auntie lynn ;)

[helen]

My issue is not cooking the stuff but rather cleaning it up afterwards.

[lavagal]

I have some favorites I like to make and people like to eat:
African beef curry
Chicken picatta
Chicken with olives and lemons
Beef Stew
Grilled boneless leg of lamb
Grilled steaks, chicken, salmon, shrimp, burgers
Roast salmon
Spaghetti sauce with Italian sausage and/or meatballs
California rolls & guacamole with our avocados
Italian sausage sauted with rapini and red chili flakes
Stuffed cabage, stuffed peppers
Spaghetti Carbonara

Stuff like that. I love the Greek sandwich at Safeway because it's as close as you can get to a good East Coast hoagie as possible.

[Sayuri]

My issue is not cooking the stuff but rather cleaning it up afterwards.

I have that same issue. I love cooking and most of the time homemade taste best and is healthiest. Yet lots of time the prepping and clean up wear me out. I usually cook a lot for special occasions but for everyday I tend to cook simply, go to costco and pick up take out.

[AbsolutChaos]

I like know who can cook?

Not me. Thank goodness my boyfriend can! His specialty is Italian and desserts.

If I can't put it in a microwave oven/toaster oven or have it ready in five minutes, I am not interested in making it. I'll gladly pay others to do it for me.

[scrivener]

I am of the firm belief that if you can read, you can cook. It helps to have something of an adventurous spirit and a little bit of creativity, but even those are really just gravy.

I don't consider myself to be awesome in the kitchen, but I'm confident enough to have cooked for dates, and my friends often call me on the phone for advice on fixing dishes that didn't go quite as planned (somehow, I have a bit of experience with that).

One embarassing problem I have is that I don't know how to select dishes that keep well for potlucks, picnics, and get-togethers, so stuff that's terrific coming out of my oven ends up kinda unimpressive when it's time to eat.

Some of my favorite dishes:
wine chicken
hummus
black bean chili
beef stew
pepper steak
roasted tomato soup
squash soup

And this isn't exactly cooking, but one of my favorite inventions is kim chee English-muffin pizzas.

[alohabear]

I have some favorites I like to make and people like to eat:
African beef curry



Do you use ZEBRA or ELEPHANT in that? :p
Just kidding ....post the recipe please.

I am a great cook . I have an AS degree in Food Science and that helps.

[tutusue]

I know how to cook! Not gourmet style but fast and tasty! I refuse to cook for one, tho', so tend to cook 'in bulk', loading up the freezers at home and in the office. Yikes...I have to get back to work but 3 of my faves are:

Breakfast brownie
Crustless quiche...it's not a quiche but I don't know what else to call it!
Turkey soup

[LikaNui]

My issue is not cooking the stuff but rather cleaning it up afterwards.
I'm the opposite. I had two older sisters, so they learned how to cook and I learned how to clean up.
My deal with girlfriends has always been that they cook and I'll do all the cleanup. It always seemed to be a very popular deal.
:p
When asked if I can cook, my usual answer is "No, I don't even know how long to boil my corn flakes in the morning."
:eek:

[Miulang]

Do you use ZEBRA or ELEPHANT in that? :p
Just kidding ....post the recipe please.

I am a great cook . I have an AS degree in Food Science and that helps.
There's a great Ethiopian beef stew called sik sik wat (http://www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_po_dorowat.html) that I've made (a cousin to the more familiar doro wat, which is made with chicken) . There's a Gambian beef stew called shoko (http://www.dianaskitchen.com/page/meats/shoko.htm). There's also a beef stew from Senegal that's made with peanut butter called Mafe (http://www.africawithin.com/recipes/african_beef_peanut_butter_stew.htm).

I've sampled both the siksik wat and mafe because at one time I was working for a world relief organization and we had projects in Ethiopia and Senegal. I like a lot of Ethiopian ethnic foods.

Miulang

[Pomai]

Boiled Corned Flakes.. he he. Yeah.. I "cook" a mean Cup-o-Noodle too. :p

I agree about what was said earlier - if you can read, you can cook.

Understanding the basics of culinary arts & food science is also a plus. Mother sauces, cutting and food prep. Proper cooking temperatures and storage. That kinda' stuff.

Also, if you watch the Food Network often enough, that just may help too. It certainly has for me.

Cooking can be a fun and creative process once you have the basics down.

Now ask me to bake? No way. That's a science I prefer not to learn. I'm not one for pastries and desserts anyway. Need bread? IMO it's more practical to choose from a variety that are readily available at the supermarket deli.

[i-hungry]

I am of the firm belief that if you can read, you can cook.

sort of agree. it does take some understanding of chemistry whether its naturally learned or from school or from tutu tutelage. :)

practicing and experimenting helps for some people. for others, its just repeated opportunities for calling on emergency personnel to tour your home.

i knew how to cook since i was a keiki but i learned a lot more over the years. only recently, i would consider my grub as food that would not embarass me. well at least as not much. i understand more about how heating this and mixing that will taste later.

i am reading a lot more cookbooks now. it helps to get more ideas. some of those dummies recipe books can be pretty plain or borderline bad though.

[lavagal]

Do you use ZEBRA or ELEPHANT in that? :p
Just kidding ....post the recipe please.

I am a great cook . I have an AS degree in Food Science and that helps.


Darlin' it's BEEF. Here's the recipe. It's from Sunset Magazine. I'm not proud. I see something that's worth trying my hand at and I do it. This recipe has incredible wow factor. And not only that, leftovers are incredible. Meld factor.

South African Beef Curry

When Nancy Sephton lived in South Africa in the '50s, lamb curry was as ubiquitous there as hamburgers and hot dogs are in the United States. On a return visit a number of years later, she came across the curry made with beef, which has become a favorite with her family.

3 pounds boned, fat-trimmed beef chuck
2 onions (1 lb. total), peeled and chopped
1/4 cup curry powder
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
2 cups fat-skimmed beef broth
1 1/4 pounds Roma tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño chilies
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 firm-ripe banana (about 5 oz.), peeled and thinly sliced
About 1/2 cup mango chutney
About 1/3 cup sweetened shredded dried coconut
Cucumber yogurt sauce
About 6 cups hot cooked rice
Salt

1. Rinse beef, pat dry, and cut into 1-inch chunks. In a 5- to 6-quart pan, combine beef, onions, and 1 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover, turn heat to high, and stir often until liquid evaporates and meat and onions are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Spoon out and discard any fat.
2. Add to pan the curry powder, mustard seed, garlic, and turmeric; stir until spices are more fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes, chilies, and ginger; stir to free browned bits. Return to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

3. Put banana, chutney, coconut, and cucumber yogurt sauce each in separate small bowls.

4. Ladle beef curry over rice on plates. Add banana, chutney, coconut, cucumber yogurt sauce, and salt to taste.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 559(26% from fat); FAT 16g (sat 5.8g); PROTEIN 40g; CHOLESTEROL 111mg; SODIUM 337mg; FIBER 4g; CARBOHYDRATE 63g

Nancy Sephton, Kensington, California
Sunset, FEBRUARY 2001

[alohabear]

Thanks ....sounds yummy. I like the fact that it has a exotic blend of flavors.
I'll give it a try :)

[Pomai]

Lavagal's recipe brings up an important point regarding the subject of this thread, "you know how to cook?"

One of the biggest challenges in cooking is understanding ingredients, and most importantly, knowing where to buy it.

For instance, that recipe asks for Cucumber Yogurt Sauce. Where on earth do I get that? Well, obviously in South Africa, but where in Hawaii can you buy that?

Chung Choi is another good example. If I wasn't guided properly on what and where to get that, my Jook would have eternally suffered the proper flavor.

Many foreign recipes are bound to ask for ingredients that are unfamiliar and sometimes unaccessible.

Food for thought (pun intended).

[Miulang]

For instance, that recipe asks for Cucumber Yogurt Sauce. Where on earth do I get that? Well, obviously in South Africa, but where in Hawaii can you buy that?.
Cucumber yogurt sauce is called "raita (http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/240)". It's easy to make. Raita and curry are East Indian dishes, and were probably brought over to South Africa by the East Indian servants of Boer South Africa. It goes especially well with any spicy curry.

Miulang

[AbsolutChaos]

Cucumber yogurt sauce is called "raita (http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/240)". It's easy to make. Raita and curry are East Indian dishes, and were probably brought over to South Africa by the East Indian servants of Boer South Africa. It goes especially well with any spicy curry.

Miulang

Yum...I love riata. I can't eat my Indian food without raita or at least yogurt. I make the Indian restaurants here dig that up for me or I can't eat what I order. Lucky for me, my boyfriend uses yogurt everyday for his breakfast shakes, so when he makes Indian food, I always have the yogurt available. :D The need for yogurt in food is a South Indian thing.

As to recipes, at least with Indian ones with so many ingredients, the food still won't turn out right if you don't add ingredients in just the right order and give it all the proper amount of time to simmer and cook so that the spices really have a chance to really soak into the food. Indian food can be tricky to make even if you manage to find all the right spices.

[Leo Lakio]

"No, I don't even know how long to boil my corn flakes in the morning."
Oh, jeez, LikaNui --- everyone KNOWS you don't boil corn flakes! They should be GRILLED! And on your engine block, too.

[LikaNui]

Oh, jeez, LikaNui --- everyone KNOWS you don't boil corn flakes! They should be GRILLED!
Geez, now you tell me. I tried the corn flakes in the rice cooker this morning. Not so good. Was gonna go buy a deep fryer tomorrow and try that, so you just saved me a bundle. Thanks!
So, to grill the corn flakes I guess I've gotta get real agressive with 'em and ask 'em some hard questions under some real bright lights?
Man, this cooking stuff is hard.
:o

[Leo Lakio]

Man, this cooking stuff is hard.
You're telling me! (Now, where did I put that ice-cube recipe...?)

[Pomai]

So, to grill the corn flakes I guess I've gotta get real agressive with 'em and ask 'em some hard questions under some real bright lights? Man, this cooking stuff is hard.Yeah, that would be tough.

At lease when you grill a big chunk of beef, if it doesn't give you the correct answer, you can give it a hard punch.

How can you punch out a bunch of corn flakes? They might gang up on you. :p

[Leo Lakio]

At lease when you grill a big chunk of beef, if it doesn't give you the correct answer, you can give it a hard punch.
Before you punch it, do you ask "Eh, you like beef?"

[scrivener]

How is riata different from tzatziki? Indian food is something I've always approached with some caution, mostly because of my formerly timid palate. Greek food makes me dance dance 'round in circles.

Tzatziki is so yummy, it is sometimes the reason I eat Greek food. If south-Indian food uses something similar, I'm going to have to make a few forays this weekend. I'm serious.

[Miulang]

How is riata different from tzatziki? Indian food is something I've always approached with some caution, mostly because of my formerly timid palate. Greek food makes me dance dance 'round in circles.

Tzatziki is so yummy, it is sometimes the reason I eat Greek food. If south-Indian food uses something similar, I'm going to have to make a few forays this weekend. I'm serious.
Better find some good Indian restaurants in town, Scriv (ask AbsolutChaos for some suggestions)...tzaziki is exactly like raita, except it has olive oil and garlic in it (raita doesn't). And not all Indian food is spicy, depends on the region of India. If you start with tandoori and naan, that's not spicy at all. Oooh! And a mango lhassi (mango, yogurt yummy drink)!!!

Miulang

[Leo Lakio]

Miulang (hau`oli la hanau, btw) - ever so slightly to the side of the topic, let me recommend a couple restaurants in the Queen Anne area, if you've not been:
Indian - try Banjara, at the top of the hill (corner of QA & Boston)
Greek - Panos Kleftiko, on 5th Ave. near Tower Records - AMAZING place; the entrees are exceptional, but you can make a meal out of several of the dozens of appetizer choices (Scrivener - come visit for the tzatziki, stay for the saganaki!)

[newroots]

have you ever tried spam kelaguen? you probably have. try makin sometime. heres how...

get 1 can of spam , chop it up into small pieces..

(or you can just smash it up with your hands until its in a million bite size pieces)

get about half a cup of lemon , than put salt and peppers until it tastes good.. its mostly eaten with , of course , rice

[cezanne]

Mmmmmm! Spam poke! jk :D
have you ever tried spam kelaguen? you probably have. try makin sometime. heres how...

get 1 can of spam , chop it up into small pieces..

(or you can just smash it up with your hands until its in a million bite size pieces)

get about half a cup of lemon , than put salt and peppers until it tastes good.. its mostly eaten with , of course , rice

[scrivener]

Better find some good Indian restaurants in town, Scriv (ask AbsolutChaos for some suggestions)...tzaziki is exactly like raita, except it has olive oil and garlic in it (raita doesn't).
Well, I did. I never forgot this conversation, and when Spring Break kicked in, I knew I'd have to make a stop somewhere with the sole intention of trying stuff with raita.

Two friends and I went to Cafe Maharani on King Street (where one of my favorite cafes, Javarama, used to be) and we just WENT TO TOWN. We ordered the three-person combination special (appetizers, bread, rice, three entrees of our choice, and dessert for $54.99). My friends and I had lamb masala curry, shahi chicken korma, and beef saag ghosat (which was kinda like chicken luau, only with beef instead of chicken, and spinach instead of luau), with some naam bread and lots of raita and tamarind sauce.

I prefer tzatziki, but man...that raita is good stuff. It made everything better, and everything was very good to begin with! *sigh*

Renee Fleming and great Indian food in the same week...that's just too much beauty in too short a time for me. Thanks for the recommendation, AbsolutChaos and Miulang!

Oh yeah...dessert. We had gulab jamun (recommended by a reviewer at HawaiiDiner.com (http://www.hawaiidiner.com), which is described in the menu as "juicy cheese balls dipped in syrup," but were really like small, cold andagi soaked in honey-sugar syrup. It was okay. Maybe I should have put the raita on it!

[Adri]

Oh, jeez, LikaNui --- everyone KNOWS you don't boil corn flakes! They should be GRILLED! And on your engine block, too.

LOL! I thought that Manifold Stew was the only thing you could cook with a car ;)

http://soup.allrecipes.com/az/MnifldStw.asp

eta: I like to cook. If I have the time and am in the mood for it *g*

[anapuni808]

I know how to cook! Not gourmet style but fast and tasty! I refuse to cook for one, tho', so tend to cook 'in bulk', loading up the freezers at home and in the office. Yikes...I have to get back to work but 3 of my faves are:

Breakfast brownie
Crustless quiche...it's not a quiche but I don't know what else to call it!
Turkey soup


You call it a "Fritatta" and enjoy the delicious taste! I love to cook and often cook just for myself. Some favorites are:

anything in my little crock pot
Pasta with a fresh tomato sauce - all fresh ingredients, a little white wine. a lot of fresh garlic & basil and its great.
baked chicken with polenta/parmesan cheese
chicken fajitas
Lime/cilantro/garlic BBQ chicken

Cooking the meal is almost as much pleasure for me as eating it - I'm just a frustrated chef.

[Adri]

If you have Gmail, the Gmail spam folder links recipes using spam *g*

[Dale]

Anybody can cook. It's called the grill. Practice cooking at your local Yakiniku restaurant, just in case you mess up, you get another chance by going back for more food. You overcook your food, that's okay, there is another round. Clean up is good too ... just pay the bill and let them remove the char broiled stain on top of the grill. Really, does anybody know how to take off those char broiled black marks after BBQing? Those Korean Yakiniku restaurants do a really good job with it all!!!

[LikaNui]

Really, does anybody know how to take off those char broiled black marks after BBQing? Aluminum foil. Crumple some up into a ball about the size of a tennis ball, then scrub. (Doesn't even take much scrubbing effort.)

[Dale]

Yup, dat works pretty good, but not as clean as some finer Korean BBQ restaurants. They clean 'um really good ... like you went buy 'um from Walmart in the box. Really clean!!! I don't know how they get 'um that clean, but somebody told me that they sent their kids out in the back to scrub all night with the soap and the brush.

No wonders dey get plenty kids. That's what I did when I was small ... work restaurant as family delivery boy. My tip was a small Icee ... that's when it was 15-cents!!!

[Glen Miyashiro]

Pumice stones. They scrub off all kinds of burnt-on gunk.

[scrivener]

another easy way to get it all off: Easy-Off Oven Spray. You spray that stuff all over the object, stick the object in a plastic bag, close it up tight, leave it overnight, and hose it all down the next morning.

This works great on burnt-on stains on Pyrex, too. Don't try it on nonstick stuff or anything with a finish.

[1stwahine]

Das bess way to clean dirty grills and no cause headache. Take it out, put it in the rubbish. Go to Home Improvement, Costco, City Mill, Longs Drugs, or wherevers and purchase new ones.

End of lecture.

A cook. :D

[glossyp]

have you ever tried spam kelaguen? you probably have. try makin sometime. heres how...

get 1 can of spam , chop it up into small pieces..

(or you can just smash it up with your hands until its in a million bite size pieces)

get about half a cup of lemon , than put salt and peppers until it tastes good.. its mostly eaten with , of course , rice

As the world's undisputed number one consumer of SPAM per capita (Hawaii is tops in the U.S. states), Guam is home to one of the more creative SPAM cooking contests. Prize winning SPAM recipes. (http://www.guamdiner.com/recipe/list.php?category=23)