I was just reading an article on Yahoo about home cooking in the UK, and about how adults 'dont know the basics' and I was kind of wondering if, like in my case where I cooked very rarely, but now in the US I tend to cook quite a bit. I learned the basics from my mum (back in the UK wink ) but a lot of the more different styles like chinese, mexican, italian and other stuff Ive learned by watching Cookery programmes and picking up tips from people like Alton Brown. In my case at least my education is ongoing in the states, and I wonder if I personally would have learned more in the UK? I dont know but I doubt it. Incidentally I'm not a great cook!!
but I'm learning mrgreen
Did you learn all you needed to cook in the UK or did you pick up some culinary gems from over here in the US? Can you cook? or just wont cook wink
http//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/fit_learning_to_cook;_ylt=ApSpMpYLqMeZuoot2uccyB6s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNl YwM5NjQ-
I learnt the basics at home and from cookery lessons at school. I don't think I have learnt any techniques from cookery programmes - they are more about which ingredients go well together.
Without being overly biased, I think UK cookery shows are so much more inspiring and entertaining than US ones. As for US cookery books... evil
Would rather not cook. I can cook rudimentary meals that won't kill you. Every once in a while I actually rustle up something tasty. I think the biggest secret I picked up since coming here was to marinate things longer for better taste and texture.
Actually I find myself cooking a lot less in the US, as there are so many cheap convenience foods and take away food is a lot cheaper.
I learnt to cook by moving out of home! )
I can't remember a time when I couldn't cook. Cooked when I lived at home, cooked when I left. Hubby wasn't a cook at all. He tried now and again and it was good what he did but you could count on one hand the number of times he did cook in a year!
Moving to the states, hubby has started to cook more and more. He is really good and enjoys it. So if anything, I cook less in the states than I did in the UK because I now have someone else doing the work 8) Oh, and the kids are older and they have to cook once in a while too. )
I learnt to cook at a very early age because basically my Mum couldn't cook. Fortunately, my Dad also learnt to cook at an early age because his parents were often ill when he was younger, so he and his sister were responsible for most of the meals. Seemingly when my Mum and Dad were first married she couldn't even fry an egg without burning it. As the years have gone on she has improved but not a lot.
My husband is a great cook and at the weekend he does most the cooking at the weekend. I would say I am an ok cook but I unlike Gordon, I don't get that much joy out of cooking. As far as I am concerned its an everyday chore that I have do. He can also create without a cook book whereas I like a cook book to work from.
I would say out of my kids, my eldest is the one that is likely to be best cook as she has managed to cook a meal or 2 in the past few years. She hates living on hamburgers like her boyfriend wants to do, so is doing her best to introduce him to real food.
My youngest daughter has a sweet tooth and hates good food( ie most vegetables), so she is likely to a lousy cook, as you need to love food to enjoy cooking. My son will find someone to cook for him but he is capable of making a basic meal for himself.
I learnt to cook helping my mum in the kitchen as my stepdad was a lazy arse. Then I became vegetarian and *had* to cook. Through living in Bavaria and Switzerland I have picked up some recipes and ideas and now even more over here. I think it is part of a general flow, learning from people or TV programmes. I think I will learn even more when we return home.
My mum was a cook so I suppose I learned a lot from her as well as at school. The rest I picked up on the way from cookbooks mostly.
My kids can both cook though the youngest is much more adept than the older girl, she intends to marry a guy who can cook.
I noticed when in Asda last week that most of the freezer stuff was made up of ready made meals.
Yep ready meals in the UK are brilliant. My FIL would be lost without his M&S meals for one. He can cook a decent meal but when its just one of you, its just as cost effective to buy the ready meals. Don't seem to see the same choice over here though, more into the bigger the better mode.
The market for convenience foods is much different UK vs USA. In the US, if you want to eat at home with minimal effort, you can easily pick up a takeaway from most restaurants. Very few places (except for Chinese, Indian and pizza) have this kind of service. Therefore, there is demand for high quality ready meals -which the supermarkets are more than happy to provide given the higher profit margin.
In the US, I found that Costco had a few things that fit the bill - and big enough for a large family.
My mum was a cook too. She taught me some stuff but had little patience. I got thrown out of cookery class for being disruptive, I made some rude shaped bread and used a tea towel to dry a pan, what a crime.
I learnt to cook cos i like to eat but I don't like processed food. Corn syrup can kill ya, ya know razz
when I lived on my own for a while in England I foudn I actually enjoyed outting meals together rather then cooking. I cheat and have found that there are really good sauces already prepared for you, just add meat. Lloyd Grossman's different pasta sauces were a treat for me and Tesco's finest selection was great stuff.
When my wife came over to meet me, I made her Spag Bog for dinner and a full english breakfast after copious amounts of sex!!! I just made sure I bought really good ingredients, good beef, good sauce and good sausages and bacon and she said it was her favorite meal ever. Its a shame if you are in rural utah you just do not get the selection to help you along with your cooking.
I love cooking.
Theres something soothing and theraputic about preparing a meal after a stressfull day at work. Could be something to do with imagining my bosses face on the onion as I CHOP CHOP...CHOP... ahh thats better.
I love the challenge of trying a new cuisine. My latest is, things to do to make Tofu interesting!! my wife was recommended this book
http//www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312275617/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/103-1707648-3941464?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
By a woman named Jane Plant who advocates eliminating dairy products as a means of preventing and helping fight breast cancer
Interesting reading but has created something of a culinary challenge
I learnt the basics at home and from cookery lessons at school. I don't think I have learnt any techniques from cookery programmes - they are more about which ingredients go well together.
I think that depends on what youre watching?
I cant stand some of the 'lifestyle' cookery shows like for instance 'The Barefoot Contessa' or 'Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello' but shows like 'Good Eats' and 'America's Test Kitchen' are more practical and entertaining, and gives some really good tips on all aspects of domestic cooking. I got to say Ive seen some really useful tips on those shows which Ive used.
Without being overly biased, I think UK cookery shows are so much more inspiring and entertaining than US ones. As for US cookery books... :evil:
I'll go along partly with the entertaining part, there's been a few UK shows Ive loved watching, but inspiration has come to me from some great informative US cookery shows, and there has been a few good US cookery programmes which have definately inspired me to go out and cook and try out things Ive never done before.
From me ma am afraid, she use to get us into the kitchen to helpout and watch when she cooked, it was kind of like a "all hands on deck". Still cook now, and have picked up a lot of recipes over the years from shows, travels and friends.