Question?
Kajikit
Which would you class yourselves as?
I'm pretty good in the kitchen, but my brother leaves me in the shade.
He can take a dish and make it FANTASTIC... I often get him to come
along and reseason my meals for me while they're cooking because the
best I can achieve is 'edible but missing something'. His are
wonderful!
--
To err is human... to really foul things up add kitten and stir.
Karen AKA Kajikit
Come and visit my part of the web:
Kajikit's Corner: http://Kajikit.netfirms.com/
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myname2use4now
"Kajikit" <ka...@labyrinth.net.au> wrote in message
news:8r4j7vc164n84d2e0...@4ax.com...
> What makes the difference between an 'okay' cook, and a great one?
> Which would you class yourselves as?
>
> I'm pretty good in the kitchen, but my brother leaves me in the shade.
> He can take a dish and make it FANTASTIC... I often get him to come
> along and reseason my meals for me while they're cooking because the
> best I can achieve is 'edible but missing something'. His are
> wonderful!
> --
>
> To err is human... to really foul things up add kitten and stir.
>
> Karen AKA Kajikit
A really great cook doesn't say, "OK, I cooked, now you clean"...that pretty
much does it for me! But honestly...I think a great cook knows something
about restraint (in other words, lets the flavors of the food come out
rather than drowning it in sauce, spice, fat, etc.) and also has a real
understanding of timing with regard to food (knows when food is done just
right and can manage to get it all done at the appropriate time). Anyway,
just my two cents...I do think that this was a great question for this
group, thanks for asking it!
Peter Aitken
> Which would you class yourselves as?
>
> I'm pretty good in the kitchen, but my brother leaves me in the shade.
> He can take a dish and make it FANTASTIC... I often get him to come
> along and reseason my meals for me while they're cooking because the
> best I can achieve is 'edible but missing something'. His are
> wonderful!
> --
>
I hope there are some more categories! My cooking skills are well above
"okay" but I would hesitate to call myself "great" <g>!
I'd say the ingredients that make up a great cook are interest and
experience. You need a strong interest to be motivated to put in the extra
time and effort, and sometimes expense, that are involved in great cooking.
Will you drive across town to get fresh herbs or will you settle for dried?
Will you pay $16 a pound for dry aged prime beef or settle for the
supermarket stuff? Will you make three versions of a recipe to see which is
best? Experience is required because a lot of great cooking ideas are not
intuitive. ONly by watching others cook and reading lots of cookbooks and
magazines will you build up your own store of knowledge of these ideas that
can elevate a dish from good to great.
--
Peter Aitken
Remove the crap from my email address before using.
PENMART01
> Kajikit wrote:
>
>>What makes the difference between an 'okay' cook, and a great one?
>>Which would you class yourselves as?
>
>I'd class myself as in-between the two - good, but not great.
>
>I don't know what makes the difference.
Oh, sorry... I thought this was about okay or great in bed. hehe
Anyway, the same rule applies, the perceptual abilities of to whom you're
catering.
---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
PENMART01
<p...@meadows.pair.com> writes:
> could make a pretty good case that test of a truly great
>cook is whether she can delicious dishes using cheap
>ingredients.
>
>Anyone can cook $16/lb beef and have it come out great.
>Give me fresh shrimp, a prime steak, fresh asparagus and
>fresh strawberries - and I can guarantee you an absolutely
>wonderful meal - no especial cooking skills required.
>
>But give me a piece of supermarket chuck, onions, potatoes,
>carrots, apples (dessert), etc., and I've got to have a
>certain degree of cooking skill to make a great meal out of
>them.
>
>Pat
Wrong.
It's easier to fscrewk up those expensive ingredients.... simply overcooking
will do it... it's kinda difficult to fscrewk chuck.
a.l
I think there are different important qualities.
- achieving perfection all of the time, or most of it
- enthusiasm
- adventurousness (trying new things)
- technique (being very proficient with many different methods, esp. the
complicated ones)
- speed
- creativity
- timing
- selection (knowing exactly the perfect things to serve to people, and what
to serve with what)
- cleanliness
- knowledge
And probably some others. A good cook is good at all those things, or some
of them. A great cook would be good at all of those things. I don't know
very many great cooks then, as I know lots of people who I would consider to
be very good in some of those points, but not at all of them. I think most
people (aside from the microwaved boxes and takeout only crowd) have their
own individual strengths, and I wouldn't expect everyone to even care about
some of the points I listed, let alone find them important enough to be
"very good at them".
Virginia Tadrzynski
bizgillion cookbooks in my little 'office space'. But I have to learn, FBS
on the other hand, picked up a spoon pulled a chair over to the stove and
the rest is history. He, in my humble opinion (okay, not so humble, I'm his
mother), is a GREAT cook. A little p.o.ed since Navy mess is open can add
water sort of deal right now. I think cooking, like music, is a gift. You
can be taught all the right notes and can move through them mechanically by
rote and have it turn out 'okay', but to truly excell you have to have your
heart and soul in it.
-Ginny
"Kajikit" <ka...@labyrinth.net.au> wrote in message
news:8r4j7vc164n84d2e0...@4ax.com...
John R. Rybock
>What makes the difference between an 'okay' cook, and a great one?
>Which would you class yourselves as?
>
>I'm pretty good in the kitchen, but my brother leaves me in the shade.
>He can take a dish and make it FANTASTIC... I often get him to come
>along and reseason my meals for me while they're cooking because the
>best I can achieve is 'edible but missing something'. His are
>wonderful!
Well, I'm a professional. Among my peers, I'm decent, but among my non-restaurant friends, I'm
considered great. Here are some principles that I think most decent pros use that would make for a
great home cook:
- taste and season as you go: there is a telltale difference between a shrimp alfredo where the
pasta water was properly seasoned, the shrimp was properly seasoned before cooking, etc... and one
where it was only seasoned at the end. And if you're off early on, and you're tasting, you can
adjust and fix, making a better product at the end.
- don't rely on recipes. They are guidelines. As you're tasting, you may be sticking to a recipe,
but do you think it needs a bit more basil? Then add some. Trust yourself over what a chef, no
matter how great you think he is, has written down in a book (heck, nothing guarantees how hands on
he was in the recipe development or how well it was tested before publication).
- Think about it. Once you reach a certain level of competence, you can start to think about the
taste progression. What's the first taste, what's the second. How do they play together. An
excellent book for really getting to think about this is "Elements of Taste" by Gary Kunz).
Those are the three biggest tips I can think of.
PENMART01
>I think cooking, like music, is a gift. You
>can be taught all the right notes and can move through them mechanically by
>rote and have it turn out 'okay', but to truly excell you have to have your
>heart and soul in it.
Correct. Great cooking ability is an innate talent.
in·nate
adjective
1 : existing in, belonging to, or determined by factors present in an
individual from birth : NATIVE, INBORN <innate behavior>
2 : belonging to the essential nature of something : INHERENT
3 : originating in or derived from the mind or the constitution of the
intellect rather than from experience
- in·nate·ly adverb
- in·nate·ness noun
synonyms INNATE, INBORN, INBRED, CONGENITAL, HEREDITARY mean not acquired after
birth. INNATE applies to qualities or characteristics that are part of one's
inner essential nature <an innate sense of fair play>. INBORN suggests a
quality or tendency either actually present at birth or so marked and
deep-seated as to seem so <her inborn love of nature>. INBRED suggests
something either acquired from parents by heredity or so deeply rooted and
ingrained as to seem acquired in that way <inbred political loyalties>.
CONGENITAL and HEREDITARY refer to what is acquired before or at birth, the
former to things acquired during fetal development and the latter to things
transmitted from one's ancestors <a congenital heart murmur> <eye color is
hereditary>.
===
PENMART01
<ryb...@msn.com> writes:
Hmm you must be a burger flipper wannabe... a great cook is able to turn out
great food without tasting.
Owen Roberts
"PENMART01" <penm...@aol.como> wrote in message
news:20030320133559...@mb-bd.aol.com...
> In article <mb0k7vsbo1aam4d51...@4ax.com>, John R. Rybock
> <ryb...@msn.com> writes:
>
> >Kajikit <ka...@labyrinth.net.au> wrote:
> >
> >>What makes the difference between an 'okay' cook, and a great one?
> >>Which would you class yourselves as?
<SNIP>
> Hmm you must be a burger flipper wannabe... a great cook is able to turn
out
> great food without tasting.
>
Is able to; but never would
>
> ---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
>
NO
John R. Rybock
Either that's sarcasm, or the dumbest ass statement I've ever heard.
Care to clarify?
st...@temple.edu
>
> I think I'm a bit better than "okay", but no where near
> "great" and never will be. The biggest reason for that is
> I'm waaayy too lazy. Also, I consider cooking to be a talent,
> like playing a musical instrument -- no matter how much you
> practice, some people got it and some don't. I'm one of the
> latter, but that's okay, because my goal is just to make
> my family and friends go "hey, that's pretty good!". Well,
> that and the gold medal I won at Oysterfest a few years
> ago... ;-)
I give my cooking ability the same assessement as your gave
your's Terra. In my mind, a truly talented chef can create
a tasty and unique dish no matter with common, everyday
ingredients.
For example, it doesn't take a great chef to make a delicious
entre with a Kobe filet, imported cheese, and $125 per bottle
of balsamic vinegar, but making a meal that's just enjoyable
from a $2.95 chuck steak, local cheese, and $6 per bottle of
balsamic vinegar calls on much more talent.
ravinwulf
wrote:
>On 20 Mar 2003 18:35:59 GMT, penm...@aol.como (PENMART01) wrote:
>
>>In article <mb0k7vsbo1aam4d51...@4ax.com>, John R. Rybock
>><ryb...@msn.com> writes:
>>
>>>Kajikit <ka...@labyrinth.net.au> wrote:
>>>
<snip>
>
>Either that's sarcasm, or the dumbest ass statement I've ever heard.
>
>Care to clarify?
Nah, hon, that's the troll-in-residence here at r.f.c. He's nasty to
nearly everyone; it seems to simply be his nature. Do yourself a favor
and killfile him now. =)
Regards,
Tracy R.
Kajikit
brilliant prose in rec.food.cooking on Fri, 21 Mar 2003 09:38:27
-0000
>
>"PENMART01" <penm...@aol.como> wrote in message
>news:20030320133559...@mb-bd.aol.com...
>> In article <mb0k7vsbo1aam4d51...@4ax.com>, John R. Rybock
>> <ryb...@msn.com> writes:
>>
>> >Kajikit <ka...@labyrinth.net.au> wrote:
>> >
>> >>What makes the difference between an 'okay' cook, and a great one?
>> >>Which would you class yourselves as?
>
><SNIP>
>
>> Hmm you must be a burger flipper wannabe... a great cook is able to turn
>out
>> great food without tasting.
>>
>
>Is able to; but never would
Tasting is an essential part of the cooking process. Sure you can know
that if you add 1/2 teaspoon of X and a pinch of Y then it'll taste
good... but what if it needs a little more salt? I cooked a chicken
dish and didn't taste it because I was pretty sure it would be fine...
and it was, except that nobody had added any salt to it (I used some
bacon but it wasn't very salty...) and so it was distinctly lacking.
If I'd tasted it before dishing I would have known to add a few drops
of fish sauce or soy sauce to liven it up.
PENMART01
>"Owen Roberts" wrote:
>>"PENMART01" wrote:
>>><ryb...@msn.com> writes:
>>>>Kajikit wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>What makes the difference between an 'okay' cook, and a great one?
>>>>>Which would you class yourselves as?
>>
>>>Hmm you must be a burger flipper wannabe... a great cook
>>>is able to turn out great food without tasting.
>>>
>>
>>Is able to; but never would
>
>Tasting is an essential part of the cooking process.
You asked for the difference between a "great cook" and an "okay cook".. you're
obviously NOT a great cook, probably barely passable. Perhaps you watch too
many tv cooking shows, with all those kitchen putz finger lickers. Competant
professional cooks do not taste, they'd be all tasted out within the first hour
of their shift. Great cooks do not taste, those they cook for do the tasting
for them. . . watch Emeril closely, he serves his guests without tasting, their
reactions tell him all he needs to know. Contrary to what the kitchen morons
may think of his showmanship Emeril can really cook... it's a "born-knowing"
thingie, something that can't be learned no matter how hard you try... great
cooks are born, not made.
Btw, tasting is done with the nose, the eye, and to some degree the hand, not
the tongue... if all you think that's important is saltiness then you are a
LOUSY cook... and anyone who brings up saltiness as the benchmark of culinary
prowess will *never* be more than the LOUSIEST of cooks.
---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Kajikit
rec.food.cooking on 22 Mar 2003 02:36:24 GMT
>Btw, tasting is done with the nose, the eye, and to some degree the hand, not
>the tongue... if all you think that's important is saltiness then you are a
>LOUSY cook... and anyone who brings up saltiness as the benchmark of culinary
>prowess will *never* be more than the LOUSIEST of cooks.
whatever you say sheldon... and welcome back to my killfile. I'm sick
of wading through your ranting to get to the useful snippets of
information you occasionally impart.
st...@temple.edu
>
> Nah, hon, that's the troll-in-residence here at r.f.c. He's nasty to
> nearly everyone; it seems to simply be his nature. Do yourself a favor
> and killfile him now. =)
Yup, its absolutely amazing that anyone who claims to be a good cook would
deny that tasting food is an important part of the cooking process.
John R. Rybock
I was amazed when I read a post by her indicating PENMART01 was female. She came off as a classic
"CMC" - a derogatory term we used for know-it-alls; you'd get a couple in your culinary class, and
out int he field, a few freshly graduated. They quickly showed that maybe 10% of their "knowledge"
is valid, the rest is unjustified ego. They usually are about 20 and male. Never come across a
female "CMC" before.
bob in schenectady
"John R. Rybock" <ryb...@msn.com> wrote in message
news:l13p7v0rkl4hoaolm...@4ax.com...
>
> I was amazed when I read a post by her indicating PENMART01 was female.
She came off as a classic
> "CMC" - a derogatory term we used for know-it-alls; you'd get a couple in
your culinary class, and
> out int he field, a few freshly graduated. They quickly showed that maybe
10% of their "knowledge"
> is valid, the rest is unjustified ego. They usually are about 20 and male.
Never come across a
> female "CMC" before.
PENMART is a male: Name: Sheldon Martin. Long Island
You must be new around here.
Duck.
John R. Rybock
Fairly new. Was going by a post on 3/20/03 titled "In my next lift I'm going to be...." where a
PENMART01 wrote "In this life I'm a woman. In my next life, I'd like to come back as a
bear."
Perhaps the confusion explains a few things about him/her...
PENMART01
>Perhaps the confusion explains a few things
That you're dumber than the average bear.
bol...@erols.com
Terra wrote:
>
> that and the gold medal I won at Oysterfest a few years
> ago... ;-)
>
Oysterfest?!?! Where? When? Speak! :)
Boli
John R. Rybock
>John Retard Rybock writes:
>
>>Perhaps the confusion explains a few things
>
>That you're dumber than the average bear.
>
>
Ah, another well reasoned and researched responce. Touche, sir!
Though, maybe we should take a little test to test your intelligence (perhaps the crap you spew
around here is just an illusions): Given that we're attacking Iraq to bring democracy, and that we
hold democracy so dear, name all the nations in the "Coalition of the Willing" where a majority of
the people support the U.S. position.
>---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
Dont forget Mexico, Canada, China, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru,
Venequela, Chile...
There are plenty more (after all, only 25% of nations have publically or privately supported this),
but those are some good one for you to boycott. Read the "Made in..." and "Product of..." labels.
And don't slip on any of it. For the boycott to work, you can't particiape in any of those
countries' trade.
>
PENMART01
> (PENMART01) wrote:
>
>>John Retard Rybock writes:
>>
>>>Perhaps the confusion explains a few things
>>
>>That you're dumber than the average bear.
>
>Ah, another well reasoned and researched responce.
*response*, you friggin' Retard.
---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
Tim
>
> *response*, you friggin' Retard.
Maybe it was a play on words and PENMART01 meant "...ponce".
That's retard with a small "r", by the way.
Tim.
bol...@erols.com
Terra wrote:
<nice sounding recipe saved and snipped>
> --
> Terra Xavier: mom, wife, & novice cook. Remove "O" to reply
But what about the oysterfest?? Where is it held? Is it still being
held? :)
Boli
Ktsheehy3624
>Oh, sorry -- yes, the West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship
>and Seafood Festival, aka "Oysterfest", is held the first weekend
>of every October in Shelton, WA at the Mason County Fairgrounds.
>If you like seafood, it's worth the trip and the traffic... :-)
Got that spring cleaning done? Started? :-)
blake murphy
not only are spelling and grammar flames the lamest posts on usenet,
sheldon can't spell or write his way out of a paper bag. it used to
be amusing, but now it's just tedious.
your pal,
blake
John R. Rybock
Oops, I made a typo. And you avoid any substantive response like a plague. Yeah, that evens out.
bol...@erols.com
Terra wrote:
>
>
> Oh, sorry -- yes, the West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship
> and Seafood Festival, aka "Oysterfest", is held the first weekend
> of every October in Shelton, WA at the Mason County Fairgrounds.
> If you like seafood, it's worth the trip and the traffic... :-)
>
Thanks, Terra, but I do believe that the trip and the traffic would not
be worth it - since I'm in Richmond, VA. :)
Boli
PENMART01
>
>(PENMART01) wrote:
>>John Retard Rybock writes:
>>> (PENMART01) wrote:
>>>>John Retard Rybock writes:
>>>>
>>>>>Perhaps the confusion explains a few things
>>>>
>>>>That you're dumber than the average bear.
>>>
>>>Ah, another well reasoned and researched responce.
>>
>>*response*, you friggin' Retard.
>
Not only dumber than bear shit but the Retard is LIAR!
Bob Myers
"PENMART01" <penm...@aol.como> wrote in message
> Not only dumber than bear shit but the Retard is LIAR!
Please note that "retard" in the above should
not be capitalized, and that it is standard
practice in English to use the particle "a" -
e.g., "is a LIAR," as opposed to simply "is
LIAR!" I don't really think the excessive
capitalization buys you any style points,
either.
In short:
Pot. Kettle. Black. Apply these as
appropriate...
Bob M.
CHU...@webtv.net
skinny cook.
Just as you can't judge a book by its cover, you can't judge a cook by
his blubber.
Please don't flame me about my use of WebTV. All WebTV users are
sensitive artitst types.
PENMART01
>"PENMART01" ordained:
>> Not only dumber than bear shit but the Retard is LIAR!
>
>
>Please note that "retard" in the above should
>not be capitalized, blah, blah, blah...
>
>In short:
What's short is your peepee... only thing shorter is your IQ, pinhead.
gabadab
I knew som terrible cooks who were on the chubby side. I remember one
fat cook who made pasta with bits of fried bologna in it. Yech!
Tim
"gabadab" <gab...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c0db71df.03032...@posting.google.com...
What's bologna ?
(Apart from the place. You mean he put bricks and trees in it?)
Tim.