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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
QOTD - 7.28.2011
Who does the cooking in your house and how good of a cook do you consider yourself or your H?
Re: QOTD - 7.28.2011
I cook. I'm a pretty accurate cook. I don't make original creations, but I like trying new things and even have a food blog.
H can cook, but it doesn't come natural and he needs VERY detailed directions.
My Profile
I do most of the cooking and would say that I'm a slightly above average cook. The food I make is good, but nothing too innovative. I'm good at following recipes and picking out recipes that are tasty.
The one thing I do amazingly well, though, is cheesecake.
I've never made cheesecake, but would like to try. Do you have any wisdom/tips for a first timer? I've got a ton of recipes for cheesecake, but they are all so intimidating.
I would say I am good at picking out recipes, tweaking recipes and timing things (cookies,cakes and meat). Not really sure that makes me a good cook though as most of what I make are not a Hoektastic originals. I'll just say I'm handy in the kitchen.
I would also say that you would be satisfied after a meal at my house. I do a pretty good job at planning a whole menu.
I do most of the cooking and I consider myself an excellent follower of directions - which usualy means most of the food I make turns out tasty. Not because I know what flavors to combine, or how long to cook such and such, but because the recipe tells me what to do and I listen.
Wop - I made a cheesecake for the first time last winter and it turned out great - I made this one: Strawberry Cheesecake. I was also intimidated but I just followed the directions :-) - but I did follow this tip:
It's common to overbake cheesecakes because, while they might look underdone, they are actually done when the center is still wobbly. At this stage, residual heat will "carry over" and the center will continue to cook.
Remove cheesecake from the oven to cool on a rack, or simply leave the door of the oven closed, turn off the heat and let the cheesecake cool for at least an hour. This helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking in the center.
From other things you've mentioned cooking, you would do fine with cheesecake. I don't believe in water baths, so I look for recipes that don't specify using one.
This recipe for strawberry daiquiri cheesecake is pretty foolproof and is a real crowd pleaser. As you make more cheesecakes, you get better at spotting when you're done beating the cream cheese and sugar (e.g. what does "light and fluffy" look like) and knowing what it looks like when it's perfectly done.
The best tip is to babysit the last five minutes or so of the bake time--like turn on the oven light and watch it. You'll see the moment before the top is about to crack and that's when it's time to pull it out of the oven.
Diana, the phrase "I don't believe in water baths" made me laugh for some reason.
Jim and I both cook. The end result of both of our efforts are good. I like to try completely different recipies, and he likes to tweak tried and true recipies.
I'm glad to see some of your responses. I can't understand people who say that can't cook (because they don't know how). It's pretty much following directions.
I would say H cooks about 67.5% of the time.
Neither of us are good cooks. Basically we know how to turn on the oven and know when to check on the food.
For instance, I made chicken kiev last night. It was frozen from the store, so all I had to do was put it in the oven. Then I made a noodle side dish and also opened a can of green beans and warmed them up.
That is basically how our dinners go. Not much "cooking" involved.
H does ALL of the grilling, as I tried to once and almost blew up my face.
I don't understand the "I can't cook" people either. Following a recipe to me = cooking. Cooking without a recipe or going off recipe to adjust to personal to make it extra special taste takes time and practice. I admit that I rarely go by a recipe now a days (unless I'm baking, or it's an authentic ethnic dish). Almost everything I cook has some modification, or I flat out don't use a recipe. If someone asked me for my exact lasaga recipe, I would really have to think about it because I don't measure anything. I just kind of throw it together, and it always turns out great.
I agree with you. I think it's just easier to say "can't" rather than saying they have no interest or no time (like us - no interest in gathering ingredients, putting them together, cooking them, and then serving them. We don't have a lot of extra time right now, but even if we did, I doubt either of us would have much interest in it.)
This is a good description of my husband in the kitchen. He really lacks confidence and requires extremely detailed directions (How small should I cut this pepper? Does this ground beef look done? Etc.). It's just easier for me to cook, for the most part. He does do good at grilling, although I prep most things.
So, I do almost all of the cooking. I think I'm quite good at selecting tasty and nutritious recipes, tweaking them if necessary, and making them delicious. And I'm getting better at being more creative and coming up with my own recipes, which is something that I'm proud of.
This! We split about 50/50. We go through spurts where I'll cook for a long period of time and then he will. However, I will say that I am the one that does the meal planning for the most part. If he wants to think ahead and get it on the grocery list BEFORE I go shopping, then more power to him. Otherwise, I am the queen of picking out recipes on allrecipes :-).
That is ME in the kitchen. For all of you who say "cooking is just following directions," I'm here to say that it's still possible to mess things up. Very possible. Plus, some recipes use terminology that not everyone is familiar with. Cooking is not as easy for everyone as some may think!
XN does 99% of the cooking in our household. He really enjoys it and does a fabulous job.
OK, so if something sounds too complicated or if there is too much opportunity to mess up or I don't recognize an ingredient where I'd have to go on a quest to find it, I wouldn't make it. So, I guess I just stick with recipes that use basic cooking skills and ingredients. So, in that respect, would you still mess it up??
I've messed up a crock pot meal. I've burned things on the grill. I can't ever get boiling water right - it's either not boiling or it's boiling over the pot and making a mess. Etc.......
I'm not saying everything I touch is a disaster, but more often than not I feel like my efforts fall short. Plus it takes me 200% longer than average to do ANYTHING in the kitchen, and that makes me frustrated. I am so thankful to have met a man who truly loves cooking.