Omlettes. They taste okay, but they always come out looking like a gooey mess. I think the taste might be enhanced by the salsa I liberally decorate them with, though.
I’m a pretty lousy cook, so I don’t get too upset. Not a lot of pride to injure.
My mother once made a grilled cheese for my new sister-in-law who took one bite and started laughing…mom had forgotten to take the cheese out of the little individual plastic wraps.
I totally agree with omlettes…come out either dry as toast, or soggy.
I’m so proud, I made fried eggs and didn’t break either yolk this morning. Go ME!
As far as omlettes, they took a long time to (sort of) master. I find if I mix some milk in, then beat the crap out of the eggs, so that the mixture is nice and fluffy, keep the heat low enough, and put a little oil in the pan, things are good. Also put a lid on so the egg cooks through instead of just from the bottom up.
:puzzled: People want to make fried eggs without breaking the yolk? Doesn’t that leave the yolk all runny and gooey?
I’m another one who couldn’t cook a decent roast if you held a gun to my head. Now, whenever my husband comes home from the store with a roast, I cube it and make a big pot of stew.
My chocolate chip cookies are also pretty blah. I use real butter and vanilla, I buy the good chips and carefully follow the recipe on the bag, but they just come out…bland. I’d love suggestions on how to improve on this.
On the other hand, I make pancakes that would make a grown man cry, and my chicken stir-fry is pure manna.
:smack: The one time I don’t preview…
I always mess up cold cereal.
“First you add the cereal, then the milk!”
I’ll 3rd the “perfect boiled egg” technique.Absolutely foolproof and the only talent needed is the ability to watch a clock or set a timer-plus saves energy!!Hard or softboiled.Only difference is the time.Soft 3-4 mins,depends on your preference for soupy or firmer whites.I like 'em soupy for dipping.
For the extra kick in tuna-like the other sweeteners mentioned I use sweet relish,tangier taste use mustard.I use yellow bacause the spicier ones seem to overpower the tuna.
For the perfect rice I simply get boil in the bag.Pricier,but if you’re not eating rice daily,it’s worth it.
Can’t make a flour gravy,but cornstarch is my friend.The perfect additive for a stirfry.I take abt.1/2 tsp. (the one in the silverware drawer),and stir it into the soy,garlic,whatever spice variation I’ve marinated the meat in for abt.5 mis.,then,with a little oil that’s been heated in the wok/pan with a crushed dried chile or 2 for a couple minutes,I’ll saute the meat and or vegetables until tender/done,then throw the rice in.The rice will pick up the flavors from those ingredients,in a minute or two of tossing,no extra soy needed to finish it off.
One thing I can’t make is cookies.They’re either tasteless or like hardtack or softcookies.I would love to make a cookie with the texture or taste of Lorna Doones or Keeblers Pecan Sandies.Don’t even care about the pecans just that basic cookie texture/taste.
—Start with room temperature eggs. Put eggs into pot. Fill pot with cold tap water to cover the eggs. Bring to a boil. When the water is at a full boil, cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes. You’re done.—
Nice one, smart guy. But maybe you could clarify the bit about how you boil that, wadda ya call it: water?
Problem is, boiling is a rather violent method, and you can end up with cracked and soggy eggs on occasion from errant bashings (as some here were complaining).
It can also be unweildy if you need to do tons of eggs at once and use them right away, or if you live at odd altitudes where you can’t control the heat and time as easily in a boil.
And the cold bath is so you can get straight to the peeling: you’d need to do it just the same with the classic method.
And finally, all these methods do give you slightly different taste profiles and peeling difficulties. Steaming is definately the best: the creamest, smoothest whites and yolks, the easiest peel. But baking definately beats boiling anyday on taste (though its a fairly subtle difference). It’s also nice to just chuck an egg in the oven for a bit instead of having to mess around with boiling water, pots, or, really, anything.
The other reason for the cold bath with hard boiled eggs is to prevent the black line of death appearing. Something to do with the solubility of Sulphur. Or maybe something else entirely.
I cannot make coffee the same way twice for company.
Which is why on a daily use I use instant coffee.
Why in the hell do coffee instructions say: four ounces of water to a speck of coffee bean. whatever.
*Who in the hell measures water by ounces? *
It should be : Six teaspoons to Ten Cups of cold water. (Whatever)
I expect retard proof instructions. Is that too much?
Baking potatoes has always mystified me.
Low carb cheesecake- on low carb listserves I always hear how easy it is and how good it comes out but I have not make a good one yet.
Ahhh mushrooms, my one true love. The secret is that the liquid is a good thing. All you have to do is keep the temp nice and high so the juice is constantly boiling, and soon enough it will all evaporate, leaving behind nothing but good old muhroomy flavour. I actually add a bit of wine or sherry to the mushrooms when they start to leak, as well as salt and pepper. I usualy cook them in butter, and I have the pan at medium heat, hot enough so that the butter is just below the smoke point. While the mushrooms are in the water, they will steam, and then carmalize nicley once all the liquid is all gone. Be carful to keep an eye on them though. I really recommend the wine or sherry though. White or red, makes no difference, just brings out the floavour.