# The 'It's The First Time I Made This' cookery thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249 "2015-03-29T00:51:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/41 "2017-03-20T17:16:09Z")
It was more of a PITA than I anticipated, but I think I rocked my first attempt at [apple babka](http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa104/hdiggitydog/misc%20pics/image.jpg1_zpsmo9xdz3k.jpg). šŸ†’ ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/42 "2017-03-20T18:20:10Z")
I made [ā€œThe Best Lemon Barsā€](http://allrecipes.com/recipe/10294/the-best-lemon-bars/) last week. We have a lemon tree and I didnā€™t want the lemons to go to waste. Unfortunately, they were actually the worst lemon bars. I probably needed to bake the shortbread longer in the first step so it would be more cookie-like. It was actually mush, and it absorbed all the lemon mixture so I had a big pan of lemon mush. No one in the household would eat more than a bite, except for one of the goats, and I think he was just trying to be nice. I threw it away. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/43 "2017-03-20T18:56:23Z")
I donā€™t cook often, so I usually follow a cookbook. Just after the section on cooking roasts, thereā€™s a recipe for Yorkshire pudding that uses the pan drippings from the roast. I decided to try it one time. Iā€™d never had Yorkshire pudding. I didnā€™t have the faintest idea what it was supposed to taste, or even look like. And I still donā€™t know. Iā€™m pretty sure mine was wrong, somehow. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/44 "2017-03-20T19:38:50Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > We have a lemon tree Is it very pretty? ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/45 "2017-03-20T20:01:09Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Hereā€™s something I havenā€™t tried yet. Any advice would be appreciated. > > Sausage rolls. > > I have some bangers in the freezer, and a box of pastry dough. I thought Iā€™d ā€˜skin my sausageā€™, if you know what I mean, and roll the meat into a log that is the length of the dough, then roll it up, slice it up into 2" to 3" chunks, and bake it until the dough is pretty. (Note: The sausages are uncooked.) > > Good plan? Bad plan? > [@stui\_magpie](#): > > Depends on what kind of bangers. If theyā€™re just plain ones, Iā€™d personally tart them up a bit. Skin them and add in a bit of diced onion, maybe a bit of garlic, some lemon zest, salt and pepper, parsley, that kind of stuff. Oh, and an Egg. > > Puff pastry is best. I second adding some extra seasoning if the sausage you are using is kind of bland on its own. When I make sausage rolls I just buy a 1-lb brick of breakfast sausage (I like the kind with extra sage), cut it into 2 pieces and then roll each piece out into a rope thatā€™s about 12 inches long. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry so itā€™s just a titch more than 12 inches long and 10 inches wide. Cut in half lengthwise, and then roll one piece around each sausage rope. Cut each roll into 6 pieces, place on lined baking sheet seam side down, bake at 375 F for 30-35 minutes. Easy and really good. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/46 "2017-03-20T20:49:52Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Is it very pretty? But the fruit is impossible to eat! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/47 "2017-03-21T19:59:29Z")
The scratch-made brownies turned out very well. I used more baking powder than called for, and they were still nice and gooey. Iā€™ll have to get more cocoa powder in case the urge to make brownies again suddenly happens. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/48 "2017-03-23T21:09:53Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I made [ā€œThe Best Lemon Barsā€](http://allrecipes.com/recipe/10294/the-best-lemon-bars/) last week. We have a lemon tree and I didnā€™t want the lemons to go to waste. Unfortunately, they were actually the worst lemon bars. I probably needed to bake the shortbread longer in the first step so it would be more cookie-like. It was actually mush, and it absorbed all the lemon mixture so I had a big pan of lemon mush. > > No one in the household would eat more than a bite, except for one of the goats, and I think he was just trying to be nice. I threw it away. Far too little flour to make the filling thick enough. The recipe I use now was similar, wound up adding 3 Tbsp. cornstarch(which has the thickening power of 6 Tbsp. of flour) The bars now slice very cleanly, not mushy or ooze-y. btw, thereā€™s no lemon zest in that recipe, grate the rind of 2 lemons and add to the liquid ingredients(itā€™s the zest rather than the liquid thatā€™ll give you that nice tart flavor these bars are supposed to have) šŸ™‚ Bake the crust to a light golden color at the edges, and pour on the filling while the crust is still hot( I donā€™t even take the pan out of the oven) Also, try baking the bars a bit longer. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/49 "2017-03-23T21:22:14Z")
I ordered the makings for madeleines this past week, included a madeleine pan, some caramel sugar and lemon sugar for rolling them. Iā€™ll let you know how they come out. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/50 "2017-03-24T11:46:23Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I made [ā€œThe Best Lemon Barsā€](http://allrecipes.com/recipe/10294/the-best-lemon-bars/) last week. We have a lemon tree and I didnā€™t want the lemons to go to waste. Unfortunately, they were actually the worst lemon bars. I probably needed to bake the shortbread longer in the first step so it would be more cookie-like. It was actually mush, and it absorbed all the lemon mixture so I had a big pan of lemon mush. > > No one in the household would eat more than a bite, except for one of the goats, and I think he was just trying to be nice. I threw it away. Ever use your lemons to make limoncello? Zest all your lemons. Add zest to everclear. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/51 "2017-03-25T02:50:54Z")
Everclear? Jeeeeebus wouldnā€™t vodka be enough? I made King Ranch Chicken casserole the other week having never so much as tasted or laid eyes on it before. Apparently I was successful since I was immediately requested to add it to the regular rotation. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/52 "2017-03-25T12:00:38Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Everclear? Jeeeeebus wouldnā€™t vodka be enough? OK, mom.šŸ˜ƒ Yeah, some people make it with vodka. Using grain alcohol adds a layer of epic though, since you have to drive out of PA to buy it. When you sip it youā€™d never guess it was everclear. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/53 "2017-04-03T01:35:40Z")
[Coconut Rockfish with Mango Salsa](http://www.thedailymeal.com/recipes/coconut-rockfish-mango-salsa-recipe) There was a big piece of rockfish in the freezer, so I decided to look for recipes. I found the one linked above, and I remembered we had about half a bag of shredded coconut in the cupboard. We also had a jar of Trader Joeā€™s Island Salsa. (I used that instead of making it from the recipe.) There was one little problem, though. The fish recipe calls for _unsweetened_ shredded coconut, and the stuff in the cupboard was sweetened. But the salsaā€™s sweet, so Iā€™ll just roll with it. Per the recipe, I pan-fried the fish in olive oil and butter. The coating was getting dark, but the fish was still not cooked. I put the fish on a rack over the frying pan, and put it in a 350ĀŗF oven for a bit. The result was tasty. The coconut was not too sweet. (Or the salsa was so sweet, it masked the coconutā€™s sweetness.) I thought the rockfish was a bit on the ā€˜fishyā€™ side. Now, I like a little fishiness in my fish. But it was just a mite too strong to be ā€˜perfectā€™. I think this recipe would be good with mahi mahi. Mrs. L.A. liked it, Tonka liked it, and I liked it. Creamsicle missed out. It might go into the rotation ā€“ but with a different fish. For the side, we had black beans with some shredded cheddar on top. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/54 "2017-04-03T15:06:30Z")
I just cooked for the quarterly event held be our medieval reenactment group. It was the first since Iā€™d become a full member so Iā€™d volunteered to cook the main portions of the meal. I was cooking for 30-50 people but without a firm count or set menu preference, so I had to allow for some wiggle room. It was a potluck for sides and deserts, so I was off the hook as far as that went but I was still likely to try to throw something together if I couldā€¦ I decided on a beef bourguignon served over mashed potatoes (choice of raw garlic and parm/asiago, sauteed garlic/parm, and plain) or Gołąbki a.k.a. cabbage rolls stuffed with beef, barley and rice normally baked in a tomato sauce but considering our time period focus I decided on a modified version baked in a beef broth (I did make a half tray with tomato sauce for the few vegetarians/vegans in our group. I could have done it in a veggie stock but I was running out of time and energy at this point, having only slept 2 hrs the night before)Lots of leftover cabbage Iā€™d also made a couple batches of russian garlic salad, to marinate in the fridge for a week and I wanted to do a cut veggie platter with the celery and carrots I Didnā€™t use, but again, time The enntire meal won rave reviews from everyone who ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/55 "2017-04-03T17:40:54Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Ever use your lemons to make limoncello? > > Zest all your lemons. Add zest to everclear. To up the lemon bite, juice the lemons after and make your simple syrup with the juice. Pour into the zest/everclear mixture after a few weeks. Itā€™ll have some pectin floating in it, but that adds a great mouth-feel. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/56 "2017-04-03T21:29:37Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > OK, mom.šŸ˜ƒ > > Yeah, some people make it with vodka. Using grain alcohol adds a layer of epic though, since you have to drive out of PA to buy it. > > When you sip it youā€™d never guess it was everclear. This sounds like me versus my cousins. I make apple pie with vodka. Theirs is still flammable. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/57 "2017-04-03T23:36:41Z")
Sorry my PC ate my post, I honestly thought the whole thing was trashed and I was falling asleep at my keyboardā€¦ Continuing Rave reviews from everyone who was there. The stew was demolished, with less than 2 quarts of the roughly 6 gallons I made making it into the fridge. People didnā€™t quite get the idea of the potatoes as a base for the stew which I caught as I was in the last stages of cooking and thatā€™s why I decided on the three varieties in case people decided to eat them as a side dish. As they mostly did. The Cabbage rolls were popular but over shadowed, 1 1/4 of 3 tray of beef getting eaten, 3/4 taken home in ā€œdoggieā€ bags, and the last full tray being claimed by the hosts 17yr old son who fell in love with them! The vegetarian ones were very good and appreciated. The only Vegan members were no-shows for the event so I didnā€™t get their opinion but all the leftovers were taken home, so Iā€™ll take it as a compliment. The Garlic Salad was good, if a little overpowering. The issue was the size of the garlic cloves, which were freaking huge! So even marinated for a week they still had more of a bite than Iā€™d have liked. But now I know better and people did like the smaller bites/first couple bites. I did 2 kinds 1 in white wine vinaigrette and 1 in balsamic. I was a major pain in the ass to peel that much (more than a quart of raw garlic) but my ā€œshopperā€ didnā€™t have a chance to grab bulk jars of whole peeled garlic(when you can find them) but I will be making it again. Probably blanching it a minute or two longer if theyā€™re that large again. I had a few bits and scraps left over so I did a quick saute of shredded cabbage, garlic and onions as a side. I did a half-assed risotto-like dish of rice, barley and beef in a creamy parm sauce using leftover dumpling filling. I wanted to chop my unused celery and carrots but someone had brought a veggie platter so they werenā€™t needed. I completely forgot to dice chives to garnish the potatoes, so theyā€™re still up in the fridge. I wanted to do some fresh bread but time and space limits as well as the official helper for the meal living 2 hrs away and not showing up until 2 hrs before the meal was to start.(Personal issues, not just poor timing) Thankfully a couple of the other citizens dove right in to help me, otherwise everything but the stew wouldā€™ve been late to the table. I slept 5 hrs between Friday and Sunday but I pulled it off without a major hitch and everyone went home with a happy belly. Which is all the thanks a cook needs. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/58 "2017-05-21T03:12:56Z")
OK, itā€™s not actually cookery. But tonight I made my first daiquiris and a mojito. (Iā€™ve had them before, but this is the first time Iā€™ve made them.) After 9 ounces of rum, dinner was half a Tombstone pepperoni pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/59 "2017-05-21T18:53:11Z")
Made an omlette this morning, never tried to do that before. Had parmesan cheese in it. Was quite edible. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249/60 "2017-05-21T23:56:47Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I ordered the makings for madeleines this past week, included a madeleine pan, some caramel sugar and lemon sugar for rolling them. Iā€™ll let you know how they come out. I love madeleines! After buying the expensive ones at the store for ages I finally made my own recently too. I found the classic shell pans and also one that looks like scallop shells. Used a great recipe from King Arthur Flour. They came out perfectly with the hump and all. I was going to dip one end in chocolate but they were so tasty I ate them all plain. Terrific with tea. My next day off Iā€™m going to try gnocchi for the first time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-its-the-first-time-i-made-this-cookery-thread/716249.md?page=4)