Comments on: Facing fears in the kitchen

By: Jen on the Edge

Jen on the Edge — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:37:54 +0000

Jessica, one cookbook that I’ve learned a lot from is The Joy of Cooking. It contains all of the basic recipes, as well as a wealth of useful information.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:33:37 +0000

For me almost every meal can turn into a cooking fear moment, as I have had so many ideas go…so horribly wrong. It’s a constant learning process especially since I cook so differently than my mother. Sometimes I think I need to just dedicate myself to going through Julia Child’s cook book as well, just so I can relearn basics or maybe just so I can figure out how to cook grains without them turning to mush or burning.

By: Elizabeth McCullough

Elizabeth McCullough — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:45:10 +0000

The older I get, the more I appreciate having been in 4-H. For us country gals, it was an easy, step-by-step way of learning to cook and sew.

My fear is of cooking for people outside my family. I’m afraid I’ll burn something, or ruin it, or it will be too boring, not fancy enough for company. I make big plans and then by the day of the actual dinner I’ve whittled it down to a main dish, a side, a salad, and a dessert, and you know what — everybody seems fine with that. Our fears are mostly in our own heads.

By: Jennifer McDonald

Jennifer McDonald — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:29:53 +0000

That’s a good point about Julia’s book.

As for pastry, I had forgotten that I don’t mess with it all. Mostly because I just don’t have the patience to do it right. Same with bread, but I have a breadmaker that I’m very happy with.

By: Angie

Angie — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:23:39 +0000

I don’t like making pastry. Not a fear. I don’t have a cold marble slab and it takes a lot of time to make good pastry. Like Ina Garten says – why make pastry when you can buy puff pastry dough … I’m with her. Something just aren’t worth it to me. I have been cooking since I was a child at my grandmother’s elbow in her kitchen. My first job was scraping new potatoes and making salad.

Julia’s book isn’t all about cooking organ meats but it does give you a good base for where flavors get their best start. Beef stock needs bones and organ meat to be rich. Don’t fear the organ meats. You don’t have to eat them if you don’t want them. Some neighbor’s dog would love you for it. Make the beef stock, get some Vidalia onions and then make her french onion soup. To. Die. For.