How to learn the ropes of cooking

Mirabelle

Thu, Jan 16 2014, 5:27 pm

There are some AMAZING cooking videos on youtube.

Obviously, not all are for kosher food, but you can learn the basics!

Sherri

Thu, Jan 16 2014, 5:35 pm

ra_mom wrote:

I am happy to help Smile

Tell me what you would like to make for Shabbos or dinner Sunday night and I will post simple fool proof recipes.
I can tell you which brands to buy and send you links to pics of the products so you know what the bottles look like in the store Smile

OP, take this woman up on her offer! Smile

She is goooood....

Mrs. Sunshine

Thu, Jan 16 2014, 6:13 pm

thanks RA mom, you are so sweet!

Simple1

Thu, Jan 16 2014, 6:29 pm

Kids Cooking Made Easy by Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek is a nice book (and very reasonably priced too.) I think many of the recipes are interesting enough to appeal to adults.

ra_mom

Thu, Jan 16 2014, 6:39 pm

Sherri wrote:

OP, take this woman up on her offer! Smile

She is goooood....

Aw, thanks Sherri! Smile

Sanguine

Thu, Jan 16 2014, 11:05 pm

ra_mom wrote:

I am happy to help Smile

WOW - I can use that (and I've been cooking for years) (I don't need pictures) - Can't wait for it (remember it's already Friday Very Happy

)

wispalover

Thu, Jan 16 2014, 11:12 pm

Sherri wrote:

OP, take this woman up on her offer! Smile

She is goooood....

I second this!!

Frumdoc

Fri, Jan 17 2014, 1:51 am

Be imaginative, it is all about trial and error.

So the couscous or rice that you can make, try cutting up some veg into small pieces( onions, peppers, zucchini, aubergine etc), sautéing them and throw them into the couscous, hey presto, fancy couscous. Don't worry about all the obscure ingredients, just work with what you know and add one new ingredient every so often, a new spice or new vegetable.

I learned some basic techniques at home, but most stuff from watching cooking shows, techniques, taste, type of foods that work together. It is really not so hard, I have some disasters but 90% is great.

I just taught myself to bake bread last week, I was always way too scared, but really wanted to, so got a basic recipe and tried it. So easy, and it was yummy. Yesterday I made bread with olives and tomatoes inside, it was amazing, maybe not fancy like in the bakeries, but it was all gone by this morning!

boysrus

Fri, Jan 17 2014, 10:52 am

did u ever hear of the 'evelyn rose first time cookbook'?
it has instructions from scratch, it really is for new cooks. A family friend gave it to me as a bas mitzvah present,but mostly I didnt use it much until I was newly married, then it really came in useful. google it. evelyn rose is british, it is probably available mainly in england, but I am sure you could order it internationally.\\

it really sounds like what you need. it explains all basic terms and all recipes are quite basic , simple, but good.

Chocomama

Fri, Jan 17 2014, 11:20 am

I also had no clue. I loved myy friend's mother's comment! She told me not to worry, if you can read, you can cook. and that's pretty much how it went. I was once the girl who didn't know that you're supposed to cook a frozen gefilte fish roll with the paper on. that was a nightmare trying to tear off the paper before cooking the loaf!!

I found that Sara Finkel's Classic Kosher Cooking was very good for simple, basic recipes. good luck!

ra_mom

Fri, Jan 17 2014, 12:26 pm

Sanguine wrote:

WOW - I can use that (and I've been cooking for years) (I don't need pictures) - Can't wait for it (remember it's already Friday Very Happy

)

Sure, let me know what you need help with Smile

ra_mom

Fri, Jan 17 2014, 12:27 pm

wispalover wrote:

I second this!!

Wow, thanks wispalover Smile

piece

Sat, Jan 18 2014, 4:43 pm

if you have a good friend, neighbor who doesn't mind you coming over to watch her cook for Shabbos.
-find a simple recipe book & follow recipes on one type of food at a time.
even experienced cooks, have to make things a few times until it comes out perfect.

studying_torah

Sun, Jan 19 2014, 7:02 am

I found Joy of Cooking to be a bit overwhelming- it's really big and almost has too much info.
However, I loved the Betty Crocker bridal edition cook book- it also has very clear instructions, tips and information about each ingredient and it's purpose, plus simple and good recipes. I got mine in a book store years ago and still use it.

Just wondering- Ra mom how do you know so much about cooking? I'm always so amazed by your knowledge and recipe repertoire!

ra_mom

Sun, Jan 19 2014, 4:38 pm

studying_torah wrote:

It's just something I have always had a passion for. My mom taught me initially. I figured out alot on my own from tasting and experimenting as a tween, reading and trying recipes once I was married... I'm an avid collector and developer of recipes.

Sanguine

Tue, Jan 21 2014, 2:39 am

ra_mom wrote:

Sure, let me know what you need help with Smile

1- I make awful rice. Shouldn't that be the easiest thing? - I'd like to try brown too

2- I need a good kugel or two. I'm a lazy cooker. I don't want to take out my food processor. Just one bowl, and should be somewhat healthy (no noodles)

3- An easy cake that's also nice if you want to bring it somewhere

4- A good different salad

5- Good idea for Shnitzel, not fried

6- Potatoes. It's touch and go how they come out

My kids who are big have gotten fed up with me and taken over most the cooking but they're not always home for Shabbat, so I think it's time I became independent

I'm in Israel so I don't have all the easy ingredients like duck sauce, tomato sauce (we have tomato paste), onion powder (have onion soup or chop yourself)

So this is what I need for Shabbat - My son makes the soup (home every-other shabbat) another son makes rice (also home every-other shabbat - he can't believe I can't handle it though I don't think his is so great either). Other son makes potatoes, but he basically cuts and I'm supposed to spice and bake. 2 DD's make the shnitzel, salad, kugel if they want,dessert if they want and some other stuff...

I make chicken and cholent

So this is what I need (I hope I'm not scaring OP - I've been at it for years and still need the basics Very Happy

)

3mitzvos

Tue, Jan 21 2014, 3:43 am

Sanguine wrote:

)

1. Rice -- I also used to struggle with rice. It would always come out mushy on the outside and crunchy on the inside... or too mushy.. or too crunchy... lol. So, I soon discovered that by cooking it differently, I could get good rice almost every single time. I read up on steaming rice and the first time I tried it, it worked. Basically, I take rice and add a little oil. Mix it around in the pot on a medium flame. Then I add water (double the amount of the rice) and salt. I give it a quick mix and bring it to a boil. Then I let it boil (but not too strongly) until there's no water left on top and you can see air pockets in the top layer of the rice. Then I turn the flame to the lowest setting and cover the pot for a few minutes longer. Then I turn off the flame and just let the pot of rice sit, uncovered, for a while (maybe 10 minutes or so).
Hope that helps!

2. Kugel -- would you make an amazing apple kugel? It's so easy, one bowl. (not exactly the healthiest, but really yummy).
Slice about 4-5 apples thinly and place in a pan. Then take 1 cup of flour, 1 cup oil, 1 cup sugar, and 3 eggs. Mix all together and dump on top of the sliced apples. Sprinkle [a lot] of sugar and cinnamon on top and bake @ 175C (350F) for about an hour or until the top of the kugel is light brown and hardened/crunchy.

3. Cake -- I don't bake so often, but when I make cake, I usually make something one-bowl (I don't really have the patience to separate eggs, beat and fold-in egg whites...). I usually make honey cake. If you want the recipe, let me know. Also, I heard that the chocolate chip pound cake from the Bais Yaakov Cookbook is unbelievable... I have the cookbook if you'd like me to give you the recipe Smile

4. Salad -- I've recently become obsessed with this cabbage salad:
- 500 g shredded cabbage
- toasted sesame seeds (just take sesame seeds and put them into a hot pan on the flame and mix until they turn golden)
- cashews (I break mine into pieces)
- green onion, sliced into little rings
- Craisins
As for amounts, I really just "eye it". Mix all those ingredients in a bowl. Then mix together 1/3 cup oil (I use canola), 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup sugar and some splashes of soy sauce. Pour some of the dressing ( I don't like when the salad is too saucy so I just pour a little at a time and taste until I get the amount I like) on top of the cabbage mixture and mix salad well. Serve and enjoy Smile

5. Shnitzel (not fried) -- I sometimes make a honey mustard baked shnitzel. Instead of egging the shnitzel, I make a mixture of honey and mustard and dip the chicken into that. Then I coat in bread crumbs. I place it on an oiled/PAM-ed pan and bake at 175C until almost done. Then I turn them over to get the bottom-side crispy and bake a little longer until done. Yum.

6. Potatoes -- So, I also used to struggle with potatoes. In the beginning I didn't know that potatoes need some oil in order to turn out well! embarrassed

I personally love onion-soup mix potatoes. So yummy and so easy. Just cut up potatoes into a pan and pour some oil on them. Then pour onion soup mix all over them. Mix well and then bake @ 200C for at least an hour and then uncover until they get a little crispy.

Hope this helps!!!! Hatzlacha!

Sanguine

Tue, Jan 21 2014, 4:10 am

3mitzvos wrote:

WOW! - I wished my printer worked - I would just print out the list and be ready for Shabbat

Now - some questions

1- how long is the first step of the rice?

2 - do you peel the apples? I never understand the difference between apple kugel and apple cake. That's why they're such good kugels.

3- Honey cake - forget it. I've even stopped with it on Rosh HaShana. But I'd love the BY chocchip cake recipe

I'm going to try a "3mitzvos" Shabbat Very Happy

3mitzvos

Tue, Jan 21 2014, 5:03 am

Sanguine wrote:

So glad to help!!

1- rice. I'm not really sure exactly how long, but it doesn't take so long, I don't even think 10 minutes. I just keep an eye on it while it's boiling and keep coming back to the stove every couple of minutes until I see "holes" in the rice.

2 - apples. Definitely peel them. (Sorry for not writing that in the recipe ). Oh, and about slicing them -- once they're peeled, take an apple in your hand and with your dominant hand slice the sides thinly, while turning the apple around. (Does that make sense?) This way is much faster than actually sitting and cutting pretty slices on a plate/cutting board. The slices won't look "pretty", but you don't see them anyway once they're in the kugel!

3 - Choc Chip Pound Cake:
- 6 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Preheat oven to 350F (175C) Grease 2 loaf pans. Beat eggs and sugar in bowl until fluffy. Add flour and oil alternately. Add vanilla sugar and baking powder. Mix until combined.

Pour about 1/4 of batter into each loaf pan. Drizzle 2 tbsp choc syrup over the batter. Use a knife to make it "swirly/marbled". Add 1/4 cup of choc chips over each syrup-ed batter. Divide the remaining half of the batter between the two pans. Drizzle batter again with choc syrup and sprinkle each with the remaining choc chips.

Bake 45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool. This cake freezes well.

Sanguine

Tue, Jan 21 2014, 5:20 am

I'll come back Sunday and tell you how it all went Very Happy