Learn to cook

My cooking skills are kinda stupid. The stuff I know how to make is either insanely easy or stupidly hard (like enchiladas with homemade sauce). I want to learn intermediate and more advanced cooking.

My husband does most of the cooking, but I want to be able to make delicious meals like he does. So I’ve determined to experiment on a new recipe once a week and get a cookbook binder going.

Today, went through the “Cooking for 2” magazines I have and dog-eared recipes I want to try. I also took a look at all the recipes I marked in the recipe books my mother got me years ago when I first moved out.

I’d love to learn to cook for my friends and for myself, but I’m so afraid of burning myself.
Every time I watch a cooking show I wanna do that too!
I’m going to start off small, and work my way up.
Wish me luck.

That’s it, that’s my goal for November… to make myself one full meal, that I cook. Hope I can do it.

I made my first (sucessful) omelette today – previously they’ve always turned out like chunky scrambled eggs for some reason. Only a little step but I’m happy.
I had some eggs, mushrooms and a little courgette left – all of which were going off, so with a little added cheese an omeltette seemed the sensible idea.
Had the slightly off-putting present of my flat mate hovering behind me the whole time which alwasy puts me off. EVERY-time she hears me go into the kitchen she comes out her room and comes in just to stand there and talk to me (with the added unhelpful cooking “tips” – which aren’t really tips but unconstructive critisism and snide comments). If I wasn’t planning on moving out soon I may have to tell her that the “tips” really aren’t needed.

Anyway, I’m happy the omelette turned out not just edible, but delicious. It’s one of the basic things I should just know how to make.

This was a quiet month for cooking progress. In October I made the following:

-various incarnations of my beloved tomato salad
-coleslaw
-buttery couscous
-fetta triangles
-vegetable ragout
-lamb leg steak in red wine garlic sauce
-white fish fillets with pine nuts

No problems what so ever! Making food is now somthing I can proudly say that I handel :D it’s only your fear of failure that is in your way of an great meal! You learn to cook with principle of “trial and error” and with an open mind! :D It’s a lot of funn. That’s how I did it. The down side is the laziness to doo the dishes, but it’s not such a big deal to do them :)

a.) I love good food so would be nice to learn how to cook it well.

b.) I have the reputation of being an awful cook (just because of a few incidences) I would like to prove that I’m not.

c.) I like entertaining people and would like to make food that others enjoy.

d.) My boyfriend’s a chef and I would like to make him a meal that he’ll enjoy (even if he can do it 5 times better himself).

I’d like to try at least one new recipe a week, and try to cook a proper meal at everyday time-permitting.

So this week I have managed to cook two different pasta dishes, neither of which have given me food poisoning. I won’t say they tasted that great but they were at least edible. Although I’m quite glad nobody saw me cooking because I was flinching away from the frying onions and cooking at arm’s length. I suppose like with anything it’s just about gaining the confidence to give it a go, and practice makes perfect.

Hm, this will be a difficult goal for me.
I am a very picky eater…& probably won’t like half the stuff I’d make.
That’s okay though…I can cook for others!
The only food I would like would be all the unhealthy stuff.
I’m trying to eat healthier.
Anyway, I don’t really have access to cooking or baking right now.
The woes of being in a dorm.

I made a vegetarian lentil shepherd’s pie the other day.

I put vast amounts of full-fat milk, butter and extra virgin olive oil into it. As well as lentils, there were carrots, sweetcorn, onions, garlic, tomatoes, herbs and a dash of mustard – all topped with a lovely, crunchy layer of potato.

Very fatty… but mmmmmmmmmmmm…