Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted January 13, 2019 Awards Moderator Share Posted January 13, 2019 I have a question for the cooks on here. My confidence when it comes to cooking is - the best word is probably ‘fragile’. There’s a fair few things I know how to make to a decent standard (none of them hugely complicated I admit). I use the Mary Berry theory of ‘learn to make seven or eight things really well, and then even if you don’t progress from there you’ve always got a fair range of things’. When everything goes well, it’s all fine and what I make is usually pretty nice and I feel like I can actually do this cooking thing - that’s a feeling I’ve only had this past year as I’ve always been awful or lazy or both. But whenever anything goes wrong during the cooking, I fall apart. It could be the simplest recipe and if something happens like it starts to burn or stuff starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, I stress out, I panic, my mind immediately switches to ‘everything is completely ruined, you can’t cook this, you can’t cook anything, why bother, just never try anything again even the things you know how to do’. And I can’t seem to knock myself out of that mindset. This happened last night and I am dreading the next time it’s my turn to cook in case it goes wrong. I think it’s worse because my turns are when I’ve been off work and my partner has been at work so I really want something nice for her when she gets back. (last night’s actually tasted nice in the end but I refused to believe it even when I was eating it.) Do any of the cooks on here have any advice for how to deal with things when they go wrong? Having a freak out and deciding you’re worthless at everything isn’t really working out for me. What do you all do when cooking doesn’t go to plan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Bellenda Carlisle Posted January 13, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted January 13, 2019 I don't think knowing now to make 7 or 8 dishes in their entirety by memory is great advice for cooking at all, you're much better off knowing a few basics like working with different temperatures and stuff, I find that a huge one with novice cooks fucking up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Thunderplex Posted January 13, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted January 13, 2019 How many times a week do you cook?  I’m adiquate at it because I have been cooking every day for the past 23 years.  Starting off, you burn a lot, now and again I still burn stuff.  Shit happens. if it’s burning and it’s a wet thing, don’t stir it, just ladle the good stuff at the top into another pan.  Worst thing that can happen?  You will have a bit less which isn’t a problem as you are a wrestling need and obviously too fat. Watch Hell’s Kitchen or some other similar thing.  Professional Chefs fucking things up. I know it’s easier said than done, but if it’s still edible, result.  Little starving pot bellied children in Africa would wolf it down happily. Give us a good example of something you have really, really fucked up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members unfitfinlay Posted January 13, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted January 13, 2019 3 hours ago, HarmonicGenerator said: Do any of the cooks on here have any advice for how to deal with things when they go wrong? Having a freak out and deciding you’re worthless at everything isn’t really working out for me. What do you all do when cooking doesn’t go to plan? I swear (or get sworn at) and then try and work out where I've gone wrong, and whether it's fixable or if I need to chuck it and start again. It's one of the reasons I hate pastry. Most other things, you can fix but if you make even a simple mistake in baking then you're fucked. I once wasted a few hundred quids worth of Sticky Toffee Pudding, just because I put the Bicarb in at the wrong time. Felt like a prize cunt that day. I definitely wouldn't beat yourself up about it though. Like any other skill, it takes practice and you'll get better the more you do it and, like, Thunderplex says, everybody fucks up sometimes. Maybe try not to put so much pressure on yourself and try some easier stuff to build your confidence up. It doesn't have to be complicated to taste good. 3 hours ago, Bellenda Carlisle said: I don't think knowing now to make 7 or 8 dishes in their entirety by memory is great advice for cooking at all, you're much better off knowing a few basics like working with different temperatures and stuff, I find that a huge one with novice cooks fucking up. I'd say this as well. There's tons of stuff I've never really "learned" to cook but I've been able to just because I understood the basic processes involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator Onyx2 Posted January 13, 2019 Awards Moderator Share Posted January 13, 2019 Echo Sexy Plexy here. What's gone wrong? Then let us know what you'd really like to cook. I'm sure between us we can find a foolproof recipe. I'm more than happy to write out all the possible pitfalls. PM if you prefer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted January 14, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted January 14, 2019 Won't bother with pictures but I made my sausage casserole again last night. We actually went out for a meal because it was my daughter's birthday but i made it for tea tonight and put half in the freezer. Obviously been on a bit of a mission to cook more and bake but another thing I'm trying to change is how I use my freezer. 99% of my use of the freezer since I've had my own house has been for stuff I've bought ready frozen. The other 1% has been stuff I've bought, frozen because it's going out of date and then never used. This last few months I've already frozen home made Pizza dough and marinara sauce, batches of mince and sausages that I wasn't using right away, leftover carrot and swede mash and now casserole. The pizza dough and sausages, I've previously defrosted and used. It's such a great resource that I just wasn't using to cut down on waste. I was shamed into it by Jamie Oliver's "save money on food" programme (forget it's actual name). When he's not castigating the poor and pouring three bottles of olive oil in every dish, the guy is useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrey Posted January 14, 2019 Share Posted January 14, 2019 Batch cooking food and freezing it is something I really need to start doing. My freezer is the same as yours was Rick, mainly contains frozen convinience food that I don't really like using. My own cooking tastes better and I feel convinience food has little nutritional value but after a long day at work, particularly if I'm feeling unwell, I can't always muster the energy to cook and if I had something in the freezer, it would be much better. I just need to figure out where to start really  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Bus Surfer Posted January 14, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted January 14, 2019 I love my roasted veg, but it's a ballache having to wash, chop and then roast it all for an hour each night. So yesterday, I did a big fuck load of it. 2 big boxes in the fridge ready up til Wednesday, and then 6 more in the freezer waiting to be defrosted and heated.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted January 14, 2019 Moderators Share Posted January 14, 2019 If freezer space is an issue, vacuum sealing things in bags works wonderfully. Has the added bonus of not frost / freezer burn and preserving the food better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted January 14, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted January 14, 2019 On 1/11/2019 at 7:36 PM, Onyx2 said: Food Wishes is the classic. Real strong focus on the recipes, good tips. Very thorough. Do you not find that guy really, really annoying to listen to? I feel like there should be a question mark in the middle of each sentence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator Onyx2 Posted January 14, 2019 Awards Moderator Share Posted January 14, 2019 58 minutes ago, tiger_rick said: Do you not find that guy really, really annoying to listen to? I feel like there should be a question mark in the middle of each sentence. Well yes. It's definitely an affectation because his very early videos don't do that. But the recipes are top notch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted January 18, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted January 18, 2019 Made a lovely Fritatta last night. Potato, Chorizo and Feta. Went down a storm for tea with leftovers for lunch. Plan for this weekend is to have a go at lasagne! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted January 18, 2019 Moderators Share Posted January 18, 2019 That looks really good, apart from the cucumbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted January 18, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted January 18, 2019 (edited) I'm getting there with cucumber. It's my least favourite thing that I can stand on a salad unlike tomatoes which I hate. Edited January 18, 2019 by tiger_rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Hamptons Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 4 hours ago, tiger_rick said: I'm getting there with cucumber. It's my least favourite thing that I can stand on a salad unlike tomatoes which I hate. Might be worth scraping out the seeds with cucumber, a few people in know find that easier to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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