Am I the only one?

i used to be a hopeless cook but since living in a pokey little town with nothing to do i have improved 100%, i make a perfect green thai curry, roasts, breads that rival the bakery, foccacia and pizza from scratch, sushi, risotto, strogonoff, soup, macaroons, chicken penne pesto, seafood marinana in fettucini....heaps of stuff.

my secret is that i don't hardly ever use packet stuff, maybe once every six months, i do it all from scratch and i really enjoy it, plus i use all fresh herbs from my garden.

i try to cook mostly healthy stuff but because i cook so much i have to exersize exersize exersize

before i couldn't even cook a sausage right

Originally Posted by Miss Mew

that's too funny!!

You and I have the exact opposite problem!, I will burn anything I have to put into the oven, but I'm great at cooking meals on the stovetop.

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I am exactly the same, Tracy! I can cook most things from scratch, yet doing anything in the oven (except caseroles or foils etc) I am terrible!

i can be a somewhat decent cook. though i never trust myself to cook meat. But i have been know to make a few mistakes causing me to need to throw whole batches of something away...like using rotten milk in a no bake reciepe!

Originally Posted by Arlyn

One write in for Other; I am a great cook, and I loathe preparing food

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Make that two......I just hate to cook....but can do it, and do it well....go figure!

The best thing that can be prepared in a microwave without it turning out too bad is pasta. Let me offer you a simple and tasty microwave dinner. That is provided that you like cheese. All it takes is about 10 minutes plus.

The Selection
1) Use Macoroni. Those pasta that is tubed shaped and curves like your elbow. It boils the fastest.
2) Use a microwavable pot. Those plastic one's with a handle are the best since you can easily take the pot out and it is not hot unlike the ceramic ones.

Boiling the Pasta
3) Fill it with water and out your macoroni in. Try not to put too much water but also not too little.
4) You may if you wish put some stuff in the water such as salt, (which does not really help) or a bit of black pepper (just for fun).
5) Turn it on but keep an eye out for it. At about 5 minutes it starts to boil meaning the water is rising. Stop the microwave and take the pot out and stir. (Try to get non-stick macoroni) You may if you wish put some mushrooms in.
6) Repeat above until al-dente, or until pasta is ready and pour the remaing bit of water out. Don't worry if there is a bit of water left. Try to get one of those sieve type cloth so you do not need to pour the pasta out of the pot.

Main Part:
7) Now the seasoning. Add a bit of oil to the pasta. Olive oil or grapeseed oil is a good selection. Remember there is a difference between extra virgin olive oil and virgin. Extra virgin is NOT cooking but for things such as salad, so do NOT use it. Use virgin olive oil instead. Add a bit of black pepper too.
8) Get cheese out: Mozzarella should do fine or even harvati. Buy the block of cheese rather than the grated ones. Cut into thin slices and stick it into the pasta.
9) Put it back into the microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes or until you hear the cheese sizzle.

The finishing touches
10) Take it out and pour the pasta sauce (TOMATO based. Classico is a commonly available brand that is quite good. Mushroom and Tomato is good.)
11) Put some oregano (helps improve tomato based sauce), black pepper and parmesan cheese (those sprinkle types)
12) Put it back into the microwave for a short while 30 seconds or at most a minute (If you wishe. Sometimes the pasta is hot enough such that the sauce is "cooked" simply when you pour the sauce onto the pasta.

Why I like it?
It is quick. Good for a snack or when you want to rush a meal.
It is not too heavy compared to other fast to prepare stuff like Mac and Cheese. But YET it still has the cheese in it.
And because the cheese was pushed into the pasta, it is almost like eating lasagna.
Well it may not be the best pasta, I think it is better than some restaurants that serves pasta.
Also one good thing about the microwave is that it helps make the sauce "thicker" by drawing out some of the watery bits, which enhances the taste but not too much since the oregano helps in reducing the acidity of the tomato.

If I am in the right frame of mind then I can cook - ie: I make a great veggie pasta bake

But most of the time, I am not in the frame of mind so rely on ready made stuff. My knowledge about ingredients etc is rubbish! I once made a spag bol and put a whole garlic in it thinking a whole garlic was a garlic clove! I soon found out what a clove is

If I try to cook, I have to call 911 first! It's that terrible. Brad is a sweetheart and will choke down whatever I TRY and make him for dinner and lies to me telling me it's good. I on the other hand will take a bite, gag, throw it away, and call for a pizza! My cooking is horrible! I didn't even know for a long time that you needed to put water in hotdogs to cook them!
I made rice krispie squares that were so hard you could build a house with them!

No ladies and gentlemen, I cannot cook, nor bake to save my life. Now microwave burritos or pizza rolls? THAT I can do!

I love to cook. My first husband was nothing but meat and potatoes. Joe likes everything, so it's much easier to cook for him. Plus, I actually get to eat what I like now, too.

I'm no chef, but I enjoy cooking!

I am a great cook according to my husband but he is biased. lol

Seriously though he does like my cooking and I tend to cook most things from scratch.

I cook, and well, usually, unless I've been caught off guard and am missing something meant for the dinner, and then it goes a little strange. I'm good though at making a few things that my husband can't seem to get(he can make a chocolate mousse, and angel food cake, but give him something easy and he can't get his head about it.)

I love to cook, but it wasn't always this way. When I was in my 20's, I always said "why take longer to cook something that it takes to eat?" I became a bartender then. Now I love to cook and take my time doing it.

I love to cook. But with soccer, band and other activities I find I have to make quick and easy stuff. Lots of cassaroles and ready to cook meals.

Well Jenn as well your options this is mine.. ....
I am a horrible cook, but would like to improve. <-----

But I try to improve!!!!

MM this thread is making me hungry! Anyone can test their cooking skills on me, even you Barb!

When I got married six years ago, I was an okay cook but a good baker. Now after years of practice and learning, I am actually a pretty good cook (and a very good baker).

I can bake cookies and brownies and cakes and other desserts with NO PROBLEM! I cannot cook anything for dinner for the life of me! I think if I cooked it twice I would do fine though..... But my dad told Trav to get used to eating bad dinners for the first few years because after being married for 31 years, my mom is now the best cook EVER!

Well even though I'm a guy I am good at cooking.

My mother's boyfriend's brother's wife cannot cook ANYTHING!!! Its kind of funny. The only thing she can make is pizza in the oven.

But OH EM GEE is she a good baker! She makes the beeeest cookies and cream filled things and brownies and bars and mmm. O_O Just MMmmmm.

So when they have children the kids will live on chocolate and pizza. Lol. Hey.. pizza is balanced if you get the one with everything on it (but she likes cheese pizza)

I like it when guys can cook too...

My mom's friend's husband not only is a Gourmet Chef (self taught) but he is also a really good artist (self taught also) He works construction too so he has lots of muscled and woo.. if he wasnt already married with two kids and two dogs and three cats and five birds and an iguana and hadnt known me since I was five years old xD

*cougH*

I'm fond of uh... "inventing" new foods Like... Spicy southwestern stirfry.

I like to make stirfry... I made some the other day that I had a boo boo with (I tried to stir fry som ecucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and jalepeno but cooked it too long and it got mushy) after that though I did it again, turned the heat up as high as it would go, used a bit less oil, and stir fried those babies until they were perfect!

I LOVE TO GRILL!!!!!!!!!

My mom doesnt know why I am so good at it but its just because I sit there and watch it. Grilling is an art people. You have to devote your whole attention to it or you could make a big booboo. Ive always wanted to try a fried turkey (for thanksgiving) it always sounded interesting.

My mom's boyfriend's mom is one of the old fashioneder people and she knows how to cook good (since she had a husband and 2 boys to cook for) she makes suuuuch good potato salad.. and barbeque (not on the grill, but like manwich cept really not like manwich) they also grill the best food ( I dont know how they do it!!!) Mmmm they make such good stuff.

I can basically cook anything if I have the like... ambition to do it...

But get this: I cannot make a decent jug of Kool-aid to save my life.

It is always too sugary or not enough. O_O I dont know why! I also cant flip an omelette... though I never break the yolk on a sunny site up egg.

Hm.. some mishaps.. well I tried to make an omelette in the microwave once... didnt work... lol....

(I've also set popcorn on fire so dont feel bad people!)

Today I was making some scrambled eggs and I had to use the butter spray stuff because we are otu of butter.. I was trying to spread it around and Iaccidentally shook some onto the burner and it was like "woosh flames"

I like to make soup. Oooh I make a good soup.

Give me some red potatoes, some chicken, some cream of chicken soup, and various other things and you will get the best Spicy cream of chicken soup you have ever eaten.

I owe most of my yummy mishaps to this Southwest Seasoning from Pampered chef. My mom and I LIVE off of that stuff. Its soo good...

I also make a good ten minute dutch apple pie (gragham cracker crust, apple pie filling, crumbles on top, put crumbles on top and bake till melted)

I havent really baked much but I usually go by eye and keep a close watch on it so stuff usually turns out.

I'm a horrible cook. To put it bluntly. I have always been and think that I always will be. But my husband is a wonderful, wonderful cook. Thank God cause we would starve.