KS cooks, how/where did you get your kitchen skills?

[ChuckBecker]

Over a campfire. Really. I was a Scout my whole childhood and adolescence. It was the dawning of the freeze-dried era. Bunch of hungry Scouts, a pan, some ingredients, a campfire, that was the start. You can cook a great egg in an whole orange rind. Cut off the top, use a spoon to scoop out the meat, break the egg(s) into the orange rind, place on campfire coals for 4-5 minutes while you're eating the innards of the orange. Dutch oven baking with bisquick dough, uhmmmm. From there on just trying to figure out how people cooked whatever it was that I was eating that I liked.

 

[T-1 Thunder]

I don't know what all this is about, but all I gotta say is if you're into kitchen stuff like a lot of you folks are - you'd be an awesome roomate!

 

[Cyclone]

I think the best show that helped me understand cooking and not just plop and stir recipes is Good Eats on the food network. He explains in greater detail methods of cooking and the reasons why. Sometimes the guy is a little annoying and childish, but most of the time it's informative and entertaining.

 

[///M3lissa]

I learned how to cook growing up watching my Mom and Grandmother. The learning really accelerated when I attended a 3 week course at the CIA in Hyde Park, New York, then went on to secure a job as a chef on a sailing yacht in the British Virgin Islands. I had almost no experience, so I sat down and studied cookbooks and learned as I went. I learned on my own for many years cooking professionally as a chef on private yachts. I finally broke down and went to Dubrelle French Culinary school in Vancouver, BC after cooking full time for 7 years. I attend both their culinary and pastry/dessert program, working under one of three Master pastry chef's in Canada. It was a great experience and I am so glad that I did it. I worked in the Culinary industry for about a year after that, then changed careers to become an IT Geek

I don't have much time to cook now, my life is so busy with work and college. I'd like to have the time to do it more... I miss it

 

[Idontdotrix]

I don't know what all this is about, but all I gotta say is if you're into kitchen stuff like a lot of you folks are - you'd be an awesome roomate!

whoever cohabitates with me is a happy person.....I do all the cooking. I still have ex BF's, old friends, everyone, call me for foodings.
shoulda seen my guy's eyes light up over dinner last night when we started talking about holiday meals and what I make for them.
such a win win situation. I love to cook and my best efforts are when someone truly appreciates it.

all that aside, once in a while it's just meatloaf night around here. creative is great, but simple comfort food is awesome too.

 

[frozenuts]

whoever cohabitates with me is a happy person.....I do all the cooking. I still have ex BF's, old friends, everyone, call me for foodings.
shoulda seen my guy's eyes light up over dinner last night when we started talking about holiday meals and what I make for them.
such a win win situation. I love to cook and my best efforts are when someone truly appreciates it.

all that aside, once in a while it's just meatloaf night around here. creative is great, but simple comfort food is awesome too.

Best potato salad I have ever had!

 

[r6diva]

i live in the kitchen; it's my creative time and my therapy. today, my well-fed housemate asked me where i learned how to cook. and it dawned on me that i have no idea. none of my family's elders are foodies. my brother is a quasi-chef with no formal training, but the only thing he ever taught me was how to forge our father's signature. it appears i just make it up as i go (and sometimes i fail miserably).

so what about you guys? did a member of previous generations teach you? restaurant experience? i'm no baker, so i'd love to hear a story or two from those who learned to bake bread the hard way (hopefully wendy will catch this thread, though i've never met her).

stories?

Ditto... My mom taught me what not to cook. No skills (to be nice). I love cooking now...food network is my friend. Some nights I'm REALLY creative...some not-so-much. Somehow my cooking has taken a turn and I've acquired some rockin' capabilities. Not sure how...

 

[n10sive]

Mom worked...so I cooked for me and my brother starting at 8. When I saw the Top Chef episode where they had to make a meal from crap out of a vending machine, it reminded me of cooking as a kid

Moved on to a Sambo's (remember them?) and got all my mad cooking skillz there

What's fun is to go to a restaurant and if you like a dish, go home and try to copy it.

 

[puckputter]

Some folks call it being a Super Taster.

This is ment as no offence to the poster, we all have our uniquenessses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjzEgUhXstA

 

[Idontdotrix]

Best potato salad I have ever had!

thanks Max!!!!!!! I'll PM the recipe to you, pretty simple really, its just the technique

 

[F4iChic]

(hopefully wendy will catch this thread, though i've never met her).

stories?

awwwww

hmm, where did I learn to cook Well, I pale into insignificance compared to other cooks on barf, but with that said:

I did *not* learn from my stepmother For the most part I learn from my mistakes

I used to watch a lot of the food cooking shows, I didn't really care which ones, but I never paid attention to the recipes, just how they used ingredients together. I read cookbooks, again not necessarily for the recipes, although I do use them

For the most part it really is having an imagination, but based on a solid foundation. I went to the Home Chef twelve class "the basics of cooking" series. Shows you how to make different sauces, roux based etc etc. Different ways of cooking meats (braising versus broiling etc - which I knew already coming from a poor background alls we did was braise cheap meat ) I skipped the baking ones cos I can't bake to save my life, and have no real desire to.

Now I just make things up as I go along. I use the basics (things like mire poix) in all sorts of cheap meat dishes which turn out fantastic, I don't cook things in a hurry. I plan ahead and think of the timings of each dish. Then get drunk and it all goes out the window

Rule of thumb at my house if you come for dinner is that I will cook, you are on your own for serving

Get the basics, use your imagination, and don't be afraid. F00k it, if it is crap, who cares, you're drunk anyway

 

[JadedOne]

When I was a kid my mom would always watch Saturday morning Channel 9 cooking shows which fascinated me. I never thought anything of it until I moved in with hoax and we had cable. I watched Food Network religiously and picked up a lot of skills and tips. I eventually started cooking easy recipes and then challenged myself to do harder ones. I got positive feedback from people that tried my food so ever since then I've cooked as a hobby. Now my mom and I both have food blogs heh.

 

[cat_in_sf]

My parents, Food Network, lots of time in the kitchen. I am really good at substitute cooking and cooking for large groups, which is a funny match. My favorite food testers (haha, guinea pigs) are Pete and Morgan.

 

[m_asim]

Inspired by all these cooking threads rampant on BARF these days, I cut two onions yesterday. Now I can't seem to get the onion smell off my hands HALP!!

 

[Janna]

Inspired by all these cooking threads rampant on BARF these days, I cut two onions yesterday. Now I can't seem to get the onion smell off my hands HALP!!

Have you tried washing your hands?

Seriously, rub your fingers on stainless steel. The non-sharp part of a stainless steel knife, or even a stainless steel kitchen sink. It works. They sell "stainless steel soap" now for that purpose. Basically a piece of s.s. in the shape of soap that you can run your hands over under running water.

If not, try rubbing a cut lemon all over them and rinsing well.

 

[kneeSparX]

"how/where did you get your kitchen skills?"


Books, web, but most importantly, trial & error

 

[StreetRacr 67]

Step Mom and pops....he taught me the basics of the grill and she taught me everything else....she was from Mississippi so I got to learn how to make some really good food.