Not So Much Work

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Okay, there's a discussion about foods that are too much trouble to
make. As we grow in cooking experience we sometimes try something we
thought was too much work and it turns out to be easy, or if not easy,
then do-able and worth the effort.

For a long time, I assumed that homemade egg noodles were something
only grandmothers and people with all day to cook could do. Then I
tried it, and it turned out to be dead easy and well worth the
trouble. I used to think that Chinese cha siu, usually called
barbecued pork, was something you could only get at Chinese delis or
restaurants. Then circumstances forced me to try it and again it
turned out to be easy. I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

Pastry - not puff though! e.

"aem" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Okay, there's a discussion about foods that are too much trouble to
make. As we grow in cooking experience we sometimes try something we
thought was too much work and it turns out to be easy, or if not easy,
then do-able and worth the effort.

For a long time, I assumed that homemade egg noodles were something
only grandmothers and people with all day to cook could do. Then I
tried it, and it turned out to be dead easy and well worth the
trouble. I used to think that Chinese cha siu, usually called
barbecued pork, was something you could only get at Chinese delis or
restaurants. Then circumstances forced me to try it and again it
turned out to be easy. I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

I think even complicated foods are just many different easy steps. Example:
pirogi; are they really hard? Can they be harder than ravioli or Chinese
dumplings?

The most complicated desserts are just usually compliations of simple
things, like pastry cream, cake, jams, liquors, pastries, etc.

Sometimes a basic recipe won't work for a while and you won't know why.
I've recently had problems with Yorkshire pudding. If millions of farm
woman can have made it for hundred plus years, and if I have been successful
in the past, then I can do it. As soon as I figure out why it isn't
working. I could at the same time make a raspberry grappa cake with
chocolate mousse and flop on the pudd. Cooking is not a cert.
--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com

On Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:27:09 -0800 (PST), aem <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Okay, there's a discussion about foods that are too much trouble to
make. As we grow in cooking experience we sometimes try something we
thought was too much work and it turns out to be easy, or if not easy,
then do-able and worth the effort.

For a long time, I assumed that homemade egg noodles were something
only grandmothers and people with all day to cook could do. Then I
tried it, and it turned out to be dead easy and well worth the
trouble. I used to think that Chinese cha siu, usually called
barbecued pork, was something you could only get at Chinese delis or
restaurants. Then circumstances forced me to try it and again it
turned out to be easy. I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

I think that might have something to do with what your cooking skills
were when you left the nest. Mine were absolutely zero. But the
first thing that comes to mind would be pizza. Great thread idea BTW.

Lou

aem said:

Okay, there's a discussion about foods that are too much trouble to
make. As we grow in cooking experience we sometimes try something we
thought was too much work and it turns out to be easy, or if not easy,
then do-able and worth the effort.

For a long time, I assumed that homemade egg noodles were something
only grandmothers and people with all day to cook could do. Then I
tried it, and it turned out to be dead easy and well worth the
trouble. I used to think that Chinese cha siu, usually called
barbecued pork, was something you could only get at Chinese delis or
restaurants. Then circumstances forced me to try it and again it
turned out to be easy. I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

Cranberry sauce from scratch. I made it with my sister, who had never
made it either, and we're both pretty good cooks. We allotted several
hours the day before Thanksgiving. It took 15minutes! And it's 1000*
better than that stuff in the cans.

Susan B.

aem said:

I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine.

Chicken stock
Pie crusts
Growing herbs
Pesto

Not routine but on the pleasant and doable list:
Yeast bread from scratch
Anything with phyllo

--Lia

aem said:

Okay, there's a discussion about foods that are too much trouble to
make. As we grow in cooking experience we sometimes try something we
thought was too much work and it turns out to be easy, or if not easy,
then do-able and worth the effort.

For a long time, I assumed that homemade egg noodles were something
only grandmothers and people with all day to cook could do. Then I
tried it, and it turned out to be dead easy and well worth the
trouble. I used to think that Chinese cha siu, usually called
barbecued pork, was something you could only get at Chinese delis or
restaurants. Then circumstances forced me to try it and again it
turned out to be easy. I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

Tamales are easy, cheap, and fun to make.

Char sui, the pork, has never been duplicated at my home even
though I cook a [censored] of Chinese [immigrants]. At least not
the kind I can get at the Cantonese BBQ places. I've done very
good char sui steamed buns, OTOH.

Potstickers and shumai are really very easy.

I don't know what else to contradict except for the phylo and
puff in the last thread.

-sw

sueb said:

Cranberry sauce from scratch. I made it with my sister, who had never
made it either, and we're both pretty good cooks. We allotted several
hours the day before Thanksgiving. It took 15minutes! And it's 1000*
better than that stuff in the cans.

A year or to ago I was at the check counter of the grocery store and the
woman behind me noticed my bag of cranberries and said that she would like
to make cranberry sauce but didn't know how. I told her easy it is......
dump the cranberries into a sauce ban, add some sugar and a bit of water,
bring it to a boil and cook it until the berries are all popped. It takes
about five minutes start to finish, and the recipe in on the side of the
bag. I can't stand the canned stuff, and I cannot imagine a turkey dinner
without real cranberry sauce.

aem said:

Okay, there's a discussion about foods that are too much trouble to
make. As we grow in cooking experience we sometimes try something we
thought was too much work and it turns out to be easy, or if not easy,
then do-able and worth the effort.

<snip>
I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

Yeast bread (and, consequently, cinnamon rolls and things like
Pandora's angel bread)

Candy (especially toffee)

Indian food starting with whole spices

Pie crust

Buttermilk bisquits

I still haven't tried some things that people have told me are
easier than they sound: souffle and popovers come to mind. Some day
I will.

Serene

Julia Altshuler said:

Chicken stock
Pie crusts
Growing herbs
Pesto

I don't have a problem making chicken stock, but I don't use it often
enough to keep it hanging around in the fridge until I need it. I suppose I
could freeze it, but then it would likely end up in the mystery pile at the
back of the freezer.

Pie crust is a snap. Maybe you should get someone who is good at it to show
you how.

I grow parsley, basil, oregano dill weed and a few others that are really
handy to have on hand during BBQ season.

For the amount of Pesto I use I just buy some when I need it.

Quoted message said:

Not routine but on the pleasant and doable list:
Yeast bread from scratch

I don't eat enough bread to make that worthwhile and local Italian bakery
makes wonderful bread.

Quoted message said:

Anything with phyllo

I like things with phyllo. I used to make baklava once in a while until I
developed a problem with nuts. Once in a while I bake salmon fillets in
phyllo. I also make Galaktoborito once in a while. It is a Greek dessert
with a heavy sweet custard baked in a pan lined with phyllo and a sugar
syrup poured over top, similar to baklava. I always used store bough phyllo
pastry. I wouldn't even think of trying to make it.

sueb said:

aem said:

I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

Cranberry sauce from scratch. I made it with my sister, who had never
made it either, and we're both pretty good cooks. We allotted several
hours the day before Thanksgiving. It took 15minutes! And it's 1000*
better than that stuff in the cans.

Susan B.

My aunt sent me a recipe for cranberry sauce with an addition of pears and
ginger that sounds wonderful. I may give it a go for Christmas since my
husband and I always spend that day together, sans his family. If we're
with his family, his step-father insists on the jellied canned kind, which,
tastes like the can!

kili

kilikini said:

sueb said:

aem said:

I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

Cranberry sauce from scratch. I made it with my sister, who had
never made it either, and we're both pretty good cooks. We allotted
several hours the day before Thanksgiving. It took 15minutes! And
it's 1000* better than that stuff in the cans.

Susan B.

My aunt sent me a recipe for cranberry sauce with an addition of
pears and ginger that sounds wonderful. I may give it a go for
Christmas since my husband and I always spend that day together, sans
his family. If we're with his family, his step-father insists on the
jellied canned kind, which, tastes like the can!

kili

And *looks* like the can, too! LOL Mom always served this. She'd chill
the can, open it and dump it on a plate... and there it sat, looking like a
can-shaped jell-O mold. I never ate cranberry sauce until I had the stuff
made from scratch. I like it with a little grated orange peel added.

Jill

jmcquown said:

kilikini said:

sueb said:

On Nov 19, 11:27 am, aem <[email hidden]> wrote:
> I'd be interested in hearing what others have
> first avoided and now find routine...... � � -aem

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cranberry sauce from scratch. �I made it with my sister, who had
never made it either, and we're both pretty good cooks. �We allotted
several hours the day before Thanksgiving. �It took 15minutes! �And
it's 1000* better than that stuff in the cans.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Susan B.

Quoted message said:

My aunt sent me a recipe for cranberry sauce with an addition of
pears and ginger that sounds wonderful. �I may give it a go for
Christmas since my husband and I always spend that day together, sans
his family. �If we're with his family, his step-father insists on the
jellied canned kind, which, tastes like the can!

Quoted message said:

kili

And *looks* like the can, too! �LOL �Mom always served this. �She'd chill
the can, open it and dump it on a plate... and there it sat, looking like a
can-shaped jell-O mold. �I never ate cranberry sauce until I had the stuff
made from scratch. �I like it with a little grated orange peel added.

Meatballs with canned cranberry sauce is better than with grape
jelly .

jmcquown said:

kilikini said:

sueb said:

On Nov 19, 11:27 am, aem <[email hidden]> wrote:
> I'd be interested in hearing what others have
> first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

Cranberry sauce from scratch. I made it with my sister, who had
never made it either, and we're both pretty good cooks. We allotted
several hours the day before Thanksgiving. It took 15minutes! And
it's 1000* better than that stuff in the cans.

Susan B.

My aunt sent me a recipe for cranberry sauce with an addition of
pears and ginger that sounds wonderful. I may give it a go for
Christmas since my husband and I always spend that day together, sans
his family. If we're with his family, his step-father insists on the
jellied canned kind, which, tastes like the can!

kili

And *looks* like the can, too! LOL Mom always served this. She'd
chill the can, open it and dump it on a plate... and there it sat,
looking like a can-shaped jell-O mold. I never ate cranberry sauce
until I had the stuff made from scratch. I like it with a little
grated orange peel added.

Jill

I think this might have orange peel added, too, but I'd have to check. It
sounds yummy, though, doesn't it? I like the addition of pear.

kili

In article <[email hidden]>,

Sqwertz said:

Char sui, the pork, has never been duplicated at my home even

Always worked for me, although maybe I don't have high standards.

Dave Smith said:

Julia Altshuler said:

Chicken stock
Pie crusts
Growing herbs
Pesto

I don't have a problem making chicken stock, but I don't use it often
enough to keep it hanging around in the fridge until I need it. I suppose I
could freeze it, but then it would likely end up in the mystery pile at the
back of the freezer.

I make a big pot every of stock every so often, and I reduce it down.
Then I put it in ice cube trays and freeze it. I keep the cubes in a
ziploc bag in the front of the freezer. It is really fast to reach in
and pull out a cube of stock for whatever reason. I use it a lot.

Christine

aem said:

Okay, there's a discussion about foods that are too much trouble to
make. As we grow in cooking experience we sometimes try something we
thought was too much work and it turns out to be easy, or if not easy,
then do-able and worth the effort.

Deep-fried squid. When I started to cook seriously,
it was the first thing I wanted to master, because
there had been a local place that made excellent
squid but they closed. It took many batches before
I had a good result, but eventually I surpassed the
squid I used to be able to buy.

The major wrong turns I had to correct were using
a liquid batter (dry powder works best) and not
peeling the squid (didn't realize that was an
important step).

Cleaning the squid is still rather a chore, so
I don't make squid very often. Also, deep frying
is a mess and not healthful.

Mark Thorson said:

Deep-fried squid. When I started to cook seriously,
it was the first thing I wanted to master, because
there had been a local place that made excellent
squid but they closed. It took many batches before
I had a good result, but eventually I surpassed the
squid I used to be able to buy.

The major wrong turns I had to correct were using
a liquid batter (dry powder works best) and not
peeling the squid (didn't realize that was an
important step).

Cleaning the squid is still rather a chore, so
I don't make squid very often. Also, deep frying
is a mess and not healthful.

Calamari is easy. I buy squid that are already cleaned. I rip off the
tentacles and pull out that stiff plastic looking thing and poke my finger
inside to remove any gunk. Slice then them into rings and leave the
tentacles whole and then soak them in milk for about an hour. Drain them
completely and toss them in a bag with a mixture of three parts flout and
one part corn meal. Deep fry them for 2 minute.... no more. If you cook
them more than two minutes they turn into rubber.

aem said:

Okay, there's a discussion about foods that are too much trouble to
make. As we grow in cooking experience we sometimes try something we
thought was too much work and it turns out to be easy, or if not easy,
then do-able and worth the effort.

For a long time, I assumed that homemade egg noodles were something
only grandmothers and people with all day to cook could do. Then I
tried it, and it turned out to be dead easy and well worth the
trouble.

You mean, simple, not easy, right? They are a certain amount of work,
but what a joy. I made nice, eggy dumplings a few weeks ago.

As you said, freshly made egg noodles are "well worth the trouble."

Quoted message said:

-aem

--Bryan

"Serene" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

aem said:

Okay, there's a discussion about foods that are too much trouble to
make. As we grow in cooking experience we sometimes try something we
thought was too much work and it turns out to be easy, or if not easy,
then do-able and worth the effort.

<snip>
I'd be interested in hearing what others have
first avoided and now find routine...... -aem

Yeast bread (and, consequently, cinnamon rolls and things like Pandora's
angel bread)

Candy (especially toffee)

Indian food starting with whole spices

Pie crust

Buttermilk bisquits

I still haven't tried some things that people have told me are easier than
they sound: souffle and popovers come to mind. Some day I will.

Popovers are easy! They are one of the first things I learned to make as a
kid.