How Good Are You in the Kitchen (Life Can't Be All Styrene)

[Dr. Cranky]

For those of you who like to cook (our Doctor thrives on Scrapple Sandwiches, as you know) I figured I'd ask what--in all the years you've spent cooking--is your favorite thing.

I found this on FB and it triggered this thread.

I would definitely try this with sausage, not hot dogs, because then you can sautee it with mushrooms, onions, garlic and olive oil

[The70judgeman]

I spent about 16 years in commercial kitchens. But, I find my favorite thing to cook is actually outside the kitchen...nice thick ribeye steaks on the grill (charcoal of course). Grilled to medium rare perfection. And a foil wrapped seasoned potato/onion packet on the side.

[Bernard Kron]

I've cooked all my life. My mother taught me to cook when I was away at school. It was a matter of survival. Cafeteria food was expensive and horrible and she was a great cook so I asked her to show me the ropes...

Too many things are my faves, depending on my mood. I .cook everything from American style (gotta go for home made ice cream, a properly cooked barbecued steak or chicken, apple pie, you get the picture) to Asian (oriental eggplant stir fried in spicy pork sauce and kung pao chicken are staples in our household). I make my own chile verde and chile rojo, for home made pork enchiladas. My mom was French so I know that style too and make homemade soups and stews in the winter time (onion soup, fresh vegetable soup, coq au vin, etc.).

I'll eat just about anything in any style. There's virtually no pre-packaged food in our household, but it's not because we're health food types, it's just because it's cheaper and tastes better is all.

For some reason the only pics I have on-line are a couple of Italian dishes:

Home made pizza - fresh heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil (ihe basil was Thai basil which tastes pretty much like the green stuff but is purple instead):

And a shot in the kitchen "on the line" with an Italian classic in the course of preparation - Osso Buco (veal shanks stewed in red wine and herbs) and Risotto (an Italian variety of rice - kind of nutty tasting cooked in beef stock):

Don't get me started about food and cooking. I'm as hung-up on it as I am on model cars...

Edited July 30, 2012 by Bernard Kron

[Fat Brian]

I'm about a cheeseburger shy of 400lbs, you don't get this big without being able to cook. I like it but my wife complains about the mess. I try to tell her she can't have it both ways, either she cooks or she cleans because I won't do both. It's nothing fancy, just good home style food.

[Dr. Cranky]

Now, we are talking. Oh yes, nothing like good food and styrene addiction to make a perfect day. :wub:

[Rob Hall]

I enjoy cooking... but because of time constraints I eat out frequently...I love OpenTable and Yelp for finding restaurants to try. Great food, great wine and craft beer are some of life's pleasures I enjoy indulging in...

[Shardik]

I spent two years as head cook at a Christian retreat, cooking for 200-300 people at a time. After I left, I spent the next five years eating out . Since then, I've gotten back into cooking (on a much smaller scale). I love Indian food; Aloo saag is my favorite dish - spinach and potatoes seasoned with coriander, onions, green peppers and a touch of fresh ground cinnamon.

[Brizio]

I like cooking too. Unfortunately I don't have pics, but I will take some...

@Bernard, you cook a lot of original Italian food I'm impress!

[2002p51]

The only thing I can make for dinner is reservations!

Oh, I can fry an egg if I have to but I will avoid cooking if at all possible.

[Jdurg]

I have always been a fanatic about cooking. Something about throwing together random goods and forming a magnificent concoction. Likely why model car building has always been appealing to me. With the recent car accident that some individual threw upon me, I have more time to work in the kitchen as I don't have to worry about driving anywhere (Car is being repaired) or working (Was laid-off officially the day after my fender-bender), I've had more time to cook in the kitchen.

I like making beef roulades which are simple to do. Just take some thin minute-steaks, pound them out to make them almost carpaccio thin, then take some slices of bacon, slices of onion, a pickle spear, a carrot spear, and roll it all up. Let it simmer in a low pan with some beef gravy and mushrooms/onions and you have a great meal. It goes best with some green beans and spatzel, as well as some potato dumplings to soak up the beef gravy. Stuff also reheats well too.

[Dr. Cranky]

Personally, I am a big fan of stews and soups, just stuff you throw in a pot, boil and a few hours later you can sit down to a fortifying meal.

Big fan of chili, although EYEGORE complains about all the methane being released into the workshop. :lol:

[sjordan2]

For those of you who like to cook (our Doctor thrives on Scrapple Sandwiches, as you know) I figured I'd ask what--in all the years you've spent cooking--is your favorite thing.

I found this on FB and it triggered this thread.

I would definitely try this with sausage, not hot dogs, because then you can sautee it with mushrooms, onions, garlic and olive oil

Who'da thunk you could make a distributor out of hot dogs and spaghetti?

[Harry P.]

I also know my way around a stove pretty well. I can cook just about anything, some favorites are chili (my own recipe), Mexican stuff (enchiladas, fajitas, etc.) Chinese stir fry (all kinds) and of course Italian. My biggest problem is that I'm too lazy to actualy gather up all the ingredients and cook something from scratch, so I actually cook fairly rarely... but I'm good at it.

Like Bernard mentioned, cooking from scratch beats nuking something in a box any time. BTW... that homemade pizza is making me hungry!

[Harry P.]

Who'da thunk you could make a distributor out of hot dogs and spaghetti?

Yeah, but they're horribly out of scale...

[charlie8575]

I love to cook. I learned at an early age from my father's mother and to a lesser degree, my mother, although she let me start cooking more as I got a little older.

When living on my own, I did it for survival, and now that I'm back home, I do it because my parents don't want to.

Sometimes, it's simple heating and serving, sometimes it's from scratch, sometimes, it's a little of both. I generally like traditional American and New England cooking, and Middle Eastern food, as those are what I grew up with.

Perhaps we could start sharing some recipes, too?

Charlie Larkin

[Chuck Most]

Sure I can cook.

Taking something out of a package, placing it in a microwave, and punching 5:00 into the keypad counts as cooking, right?

[Harry P.]

Perhaps we could start sharing some recipes, too?

Charlie Larkin

No.

I can see the irate PMs already...

[High octane]

I think that I first did some cooking when I was a Boy Scout and I now cook often and can cook pretty much anything either in the kitchen or on the grille. I've made Chinese chicken wings, broiled lobster, spaghetti, and I really like cooking steaks, shrimp, and pork tenderloin roast on the grille as well as burgers, brats, and Italian sausage. While my wife is a very good cook, she also works so I am the chief cook & bottle washer around here.

When I cook, I clean up and when she cooks, I clean up. How does that work?

[blueoval92]

me being from south louisiana i was tought how to cook as soon as i was big enough to stir the pot. i cooked my 1st gumbo at 6 years old and have since added breads, gravies, jamabalya, and other such dishes to my belt.

[Guest Johnny]

My specialties are lasagna, stuffed peppers, chili and goulash!

Started cooking as a kid (breakfast and lunch) as grandma and grandpa both worked and we fended for our selves or starved, especially in the summer!

[Dr. Cranky]

Ah, I know where you can find the infamous HOT SCRAPPLE SANDWICH recipe!

[Crazy Ed]

Weather permitting I'm Grillin'. The House favorite is Smoked BBQ Chicken. The Chicken gets an hour or so of hot intense Hickory Smoke followed by a pile HOT of Briquets in the otherside of the Smoker/Gril for indirect heatl. Close the Lid and walk away for at least an hour or so. The combo of hot smoke and high heat seals in all the Juices which results in insanely moist Meat and dry crunchy skin. No seasoning is needed so if you know someone on a low or sodium free diet here ya go. If your Smoker Grill is big enough this works from Game Hens to Turkeys!

And before returning to Modeling be Sure to Wash hands VERY Well because Paint will not stick to anything touched by fingers that has held this Chicken

Edited July 31, 2012 by Crazy Ed

[slusher]

How about some Chitterlings?? They love them around here..

[charlie8575]

Looks good, Ed. To clarify, you smoke with the hickory chips prior to adding the charcoal, or did I misread what you were typing?

I've gotten pretty good at grilling; I need to work on barbecuing and smoking.

Charlie Larkin

[Sixx]

How about some Chitterlings?? They love them around here..

Oh geez Carl!!! I used to work in two different " slaughter-houses " ( diff. times ) in Iowa, man, they would cut out the other nasty parts, clean em, and ship em to China I HATED working there, killing critters!! Don't those make good tacos? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!