Two left hands by cooking

B'Syata D'Shmya

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 10:25 am

amother OP wrote:

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.

When you get a recipe, ask what brand or from what store the chopped meat comes from. Meatballs will taste as good as what it's made from. Do you make changes/ substitutions? Always verify teaspoon/ tablespoon measurements -those are easy to be mistaken if written in short hand. Size of eggs matter. Type of breadcrumbs, tomato paste fresh garlic and herbs vs powdered, size of pot, size of flame, and watch out so it doesn't burn.

When you cook put on some music or a shiur. Have cup of water and carrot slices available while you cook. ( or cucumber or apple whatever). Plan your time so you aren't stressed or distracted. Make it pleasant as possible.
I find having user friendly and "fun" kitchen supplies makes the job more enjoyable. Tupperware was the first to make kitchen prep upbeat , but today there is a plethora of kitchen supplies that make the job easier and flow better.
Keep trying, you will get better at it...we all started out novices.

amother

DarkGray

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 4:02 pm

amother Natural wrote:

I wonder if you told your dh that his mother made the meatballs if he would say they tasted great. Lol!

I wonder if this is part of it. What made you decide that you don't cook well? Do you or your children not like the food you make? Or does your husband just have a preference for his mothers food or not like change?

amother

Cherry

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 4:27 pm

B'Syata D'Shmya wrote:

What are the carrot, cucumber, or apple slices for?

amother

Grape

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 5:53 pm

Honestly, some of us are not cut out to be gourmet cooks & that's OK! My beloved great grandma didn't cook much more than chicken soup.

Personally I would suggest you stick with basics & try to get those improved. There is really no reason to try new recipes except maybe for yom tov to complement the basics. It definitely took me some years to get the basics just right.

I find that most recipes need some cooking know- how to go along with it. I consider myself a good cook & usually automatically tweek recipes as I make them.

ra_mom

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 5:58 pm

amother OP wrote:

When I was a new cook I loved the cookbook called Quick & Kosher from the Bride Who Knew Nothing. The recipes were so clear and they all came out great.
From cooking other people's recipes I learned some new techniques too eventually. But first I started with what was simple and delicious.

amother

Cherry

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 6:05 pm

ra_mom wrote:

Yes, I was going to recommend Jamie Geller.

amother

Maple

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 7:42 pm

amother OP wrote:

Keep in mind that just because you got a recipe online, even kosher.com, doesn't mean it's a good recipe. So it may not be your fault! As much as you can, try to make recipes that you can verify are "tried and true."

amother

Lilac

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 7:55 pm

I’m the furthest thing from a natural cook (if you tell me salt and pepper to taste that makes me mad!) I need exact recipes for everything! The reason my food is good even though I hate cooking with a passion, is because I have developed a knack for selecting good recipes. You can do this too. Look through a recipe carefully and try to get a feel of whether the ingredients and cooking techniques are all good. Choose recipes that are seemingly uncomplicated and have flavors that appeal to general population.

zaq

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 9:58 pm

Cooking rule #1: You can never make anything that will taste EXACTLY like someone else's. It may taste worse, it may even taste better, but can never be identical. Why? Your pots are not the same material, size, weight and shape--that affects taste. The temperature gradients in your oven and your range are different from theirs--that affects taste. You use a different brand of ingredient--that affects taste. You use up a bottle of seasoning in about two years, while they open a new bottle every four months. They use fresh garlic, you use frozen or dehydrated. That affects taste. Your water comes from a different source, or the pipes in your house are of a different material, you cook with gas and they cook with electric, they stir faster or slower or longer or less often, what they call "golden brown" you call "beige" and you cook ten minutes longer, what they call "firm" you call "hard as a rock" and cook ten minutes less--all of this, and more, affects taste.

Don't try to recreate someone else's cooking because that doesn't work. Learn to like your own cooking, and gradually try more adventurous dishes. Don't worry about what it's "supposed to" taste like. If you and your family like it, that's all that matters. Never say "this is (insert name of famous chef or cookbook)'s challah or pot roast or strudel or mac and cheese"; it isn't. You may have followed their recipe, but it's YOUR handiwork.

Is your family complaining about your food, or are you being seduced by cooking shows and magazines and being guilted into thinking you should be making all those fancy dishes?

B'Syata D'Shmya

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 11:23 pm

amother Stonewash wrote:

I find that if someone asks me for a recipe and then tells me it didnt quite taste the same- its a seasoning problem. If I can only tell you, what a difference adequate salting does. Season well and make sure your spices arent expired.

Many spices keep better in the fridge.

Dolly Welsh

Tue, Dec 19 2023, 11:33 pm

amother OP wrote:

Get all new spices. At the store or on a website. Does anybody know a good website?

B'Syata D'Shmya

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 1:31 am

amother Yellow wrote:

Op your mil probably doesnt make her meatballs with a recipe. At this point she's probably eyeballing amounts. So even though the recipe said 1 tsp of garlic she may have put in more than that.

Great point. Take hers and make taste comparisons after each batch to improve and tweak your recipe if Imitating hers is so important to you.
Otherwise go rogue and tweak your own.

amother

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 1:25 pm

So forget the meatballs. My husband claims that my food is very blah not much taste. Or like the other night I took a good rice recipe from someone I know. I made the exact recipe and somehow the taste was so strong. I don't know just my cooking is not good I am so not good at it and I don't enjoy it. But a mother needs to cook so please I need help.