Two left hands by cooking

amother

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 9:23 pm

I am married a few yrs but when it comes to cooking it seems like I have 2 left hands. I tried so many recipes that I got from family that I tasted and whenever I make it doesnt come out as good. Any advice? I don't love cooking, I really don't enjoy but my family needs dinner and shabbos cooked. Is there any basic courses for me to take on cooking better?

amother

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 9:50 pm

I have exact recipes but I dont know it just doesnt taste as good. Then theres chicken soup and cholent that most ppl dont have exact recipe and it comes out good when I make those it comes out ok but not the greatest. I think I have good pots and oven.

amother

Natural

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:06 pm

I think it would be helpful for you to learn 5 different things and to rotate them. For example:
1) Roast chicken on a sheet pan with vegetables
2) Rice
3) Meatballs
4) Corned Beef
5) Roasted Salmon

These are all super easy and can have variations.
You can also learn how to make vegetable soup, which is very forgiving. You can change up the recipes by adding things to the rice like dried fruit and nuts, roasted vegetables, lemon and herbs. You can roll chopped meat into little balls and add a large jar of tomato sauce and a can of cranberry sauce or tomato sauce, chili powder, and brown sugar. These little adjustments can change the taste. You can also buy pita bread and stuff a sandwich with chicken and roast veggies and serve with a side salad and rice. You might want to see if a talented friend or a home chef would give you lessons. Or find a retired bubby (or your own) who might enjoy cooking along with you and giving you tips.

ra_mom

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:45 pm

amother OP wrote:

When food doesn't taste good, what you mean by that? It said salt and pepper to taste and you weren't sure how to much to season/how to bring out that oomph?

The oven didn't preheat long enough to get hot before you started and food didn't cook evenly?

Last edited by ra_mom on Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Firebrick

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:50 pm

amother OP wrote:

I think you're judging your food based on what you tasted at other people's homes. Don't do that. Follow the recipes you have and with time you'll learn to tweak them to fir the taste you like best.
A little secret, I love to cook and things like cholent comes out tasting very different almost every week. I don't follow the exact recipe, I add my own twists and I'm open to criticism and advice on how to make it better.
Give yourself time. You'll get there.

ra_mom

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:55 pm

Here's an exact cholent recipe. Skip oats and add one chunk of meat on top (not cut in pieces/not submerged).

If you don't have kosher salt, use 2 tbsp table salt instead if the 3 tbsp kosher salt.

https://www.imamother.com/foru.....38314

B'Syata D'Shmya

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:56 pm

Good food starts with good quality ingredients. Watch the pot/oven and dont overcook. If you are unsure about seasoning, you taste or have someone you trust taste and give opinion.
There are lots of Youtube videos on food prep that may make it easier for you to see how its done.
Cooking and baking is a learning curve, it takes time, patience, attention to detail and of course starting with good ingredients.
You will improve with time, we all did.

amother

Royalblue

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:10 pm

I would learn my families few favorite recipes and then slowly build a repertoire.

Same with popular shabbos foods.

Perhaps find a friend that would be willing to coach you occasionally. You can watch tutorials on line too.

Do you know things like how big to cut onions for sauteeing, taking fats off of chicken, the right measurements for spicing?

What happens when you follow a recipe to the T?

amother

RosePink

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:15 pm

I relate to this post. I never cooked before I got married and once I started cooking my food just did not come out great even though I always followed exact recipes. One thing that helped very much was when I started tasting my food as it was cooking. And then I'd add spices or other ingredients based on how the food tasted. Of course, you can't taste all foods before they are finished cooking (e.g. potato kugel) but lots of foods can be tasted.

Dolly Welsh

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:16 pm

An electric rice cooker is convenient. Always comes out right, very easy. The proportion is: two volumes fresh cold water to one volume of rinsed rice, any kind. Plus a tiny bit more water just 'for the pot.'

Put a brighter, nicer light in your kitchen. Maybe a 'daylight' bulb.

Put a comfortable padded stool, not chair, in the kitchen, maybe.

Really careful measurement is important; some use an electric scale and weigh ingredients.

If your family are happy, that's quite good enough.

ra_mom

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:19 pm

Dolly Welsh wrote:

Dolly! Welcome back. So nice to "see" you online!

amother

Candycane

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:19 pm

Dolly Welsh wrote:

Dolly I haven’t seen you here for years! So nice.

amother

Fern

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:42 pm

amother RosePink wrote:

Lol my husband used to taste it in his mouth to see if the seasoning was good and spit it out before swallowing.

sara1232

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 12:38 am

Download the Tasty app. It has recipes with clear video instructions that's almost impossible to mess up. It helped me learn how to cook after I got married.
It isn't a Jewish app so you have to filter through to find kosher stuff but it's an easy way to learn.

amother

Puce

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 4:14 am

amother Fern wrote:

Lol my husband used to taste it in his mouth to see if the seasoning was good and spit it out before swallowing.

You can heat a frying pan and drop a spoonful in and taste when it's ready. I do the same for meatballs

amother

Currant

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 8:00 am

amother OP wrote:

The secret to good chicken soup (or meatballs or anything cooked in a pot of water) is to let it simmer. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes. The trick is that after it's boiling, keep it on a low gas for the rest of the day, making sure it doesn't cook out.

amother

Freesia

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 8:04 am

Didn't read replies, but I learned from trial & error, online videos from random YouTube to Test Kitchen, now Instagram has lots of content (Sarah Lasry to name one)

If that's not your thing though, I'd recommend to someone in your situation to ask a friend, even an acquaintance who's "seasoned" in the kitchen : ) if there's any times which work for her to let you observe (maybe someone more extroverted who wouldn't mind? Some people cook up a storm in a relatively short amount of time like on Thursday nights)

amother

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:05 am

Thanks all for the ideas. So I will give an example. I got my mil recipe for meatballs and my husband claims it just doesn't taste the same as hers. Or I can make a recipe from kosher.com and it doesnt taste so good. I also really don't enjoy cooking how can I get myself to enjoy it more so my family can start having fancier dinner and shabbos meals and not just basic plain food.