Monday's Question of the Day - April 3, 2017

[MoochNNoodles]

Happy April!!  I've finally got flowers in my yard and plenty of birds at the feeder! 

What can you cook/bake really well?  I've noticed even people who aren't typically good cooks have something they can make well.  

When I first met my DH he was surviving on cereal and Hot Pockets and things like that.  

  I am definitely the cook in our house; but when it comes to pancakes, he's Top Chef.

  We like to do breakfast for dinner on some weekends.  He's always in charge of pancakes.  He does "plain", blueberry and butterscotch chip.  They always turn out so good!  Meanwhile I make the hash browns, eggs (he does good with those too though), bacon or sausage and whatever fruit side we've come up with.  

My specialties are my sauce and pulled pork.  I make my sauce with sweet Italian sausage and braised beef.  I make it a bit sweeter than most of the stuff you can buy in the store too. My pulled pork is done in my slow-cooker.  I use a recipe I found online but I modify it here and there.  I have this idea floating in my head of trying it with beer like I use when I make corned beef and cabbage.  I'll have to try that on a smaller roast first. 

 

[sivyaleah]

I am an excellent cook, although not much into baking. I'm also good at just throwing things together.

I make fantastic risotto - all kinds. House specialty!

I've mastered chicken/turkey with dumplings recently.  Can't believe it took me so many years to even try making it.  Time consuming but worth it.

I made a seafood stew last week that was a HUGE success.  I'll be adding that to my short list for sure - it was easy and satisfying.  

I am an egg pro! Honestly, I make the most perfect eggs regardless of how they are cooked.  

I understand what will taste well together and, how to cook things properly so they aren't over or underdone.  Also great at timing everything to come together.  I can tackle anything although some things aren't worth doing at home due to the amount of time it takes.  

I do fail sometimes - I'm not infallible.  But it's very rare.

I don't let Tom do much in the kitchen. He can do a decent apple pie (better than me probably) but honestly it's like the Tasmanian Devil cooked once he's done so it isn't worth the aggravation. He has little eye for detail - which includes cleaning up piles of flour LOL.  It's less stressful if I'm the main cook.

 

[Winchester]

Bread. One thing I can do is make an awesome loaf of artisan bread. People have told me that I could easily sell my bread. I make a semolina bread that is out of this world good. *patting myself on the back* Sorry. I created a savory monkey-type bread to take to supper one night with Rick's parents; my FIL drooled over that bread. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. And it rocked.

The first time I made peanut butter chocolate chunkers, my sister told me to get my butt down to Starbucks and offer them a taste. She swore I could sell them. She's made them, too, and she says she can't understand what I do because hers are nowhere as good as mine...yet it's the same recipe.

I can bake. Bread and cookies. 

I wish Rick would spend more time in the kitchen. He can cook, but he's a lot slower than I am with prepping and such and he really hates it. I'd love to see him make dinner sometimes once he retires, but I really don't think that's going to happen.

 

[jennifurr]

I am more of a baker than a cook. My repertoire of sweets include sugar cookies, Russian teacakes, cupcakes, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate crinkles, and chocolate-covered pretzels and popcorn.

I like to cook mostly pasta. Spaghetti and macaroni and cheese I am good at making. I have also made poached eggs and vegetable soup at least once.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I'd LOVE to be a really good baker, but I'm not,  I'm ok, but not REALLY good.  As for cooking, I do a smothered cube steak that is to die for, and a sugar-cookie-crusted pork loin with pineapple sauce that I'm quite proud of.

 

[sivyaleah]

 
Bread. One thing I can do is make an awesome loaf of artisan bread. People have told me that I could easily sell my bread. I make a semolina bread that is out of this world good. *patting myself on the back* Sorry. I created a savory monkey-type bread to take to supper one night with Rick's parents; my FIL drooled over that bread. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. And it rocked.

The first time I made peanut butter chocolate chunkers, my sister told me to get my butt down to Starbucks and offer them a taste. She swore I could sell them. She's made them, too, and she says she can't understand what I do because hers are nowhere as good as mine...yet it's the same recipe.

I can bake. Bread and cookies. 

I wish Rick would spend more time in the kitchen. He can cook, but he's a lot slower than I am with prepping and such and he really hates it. I'd love to see him make dinner sometimes once he retires, but I really don't think that's going to happen.

I would love to master making bread. The few times I have it's been such a satisfying thing to cook.  

Last time I made a loaf, it was the No Knead bread recipe from Bittman.  It was delicious although, I over cooked it *just* enough to nearly burn the bottom crust. I was bummed about that!

Hot fresh bread slathered with butter. YUM

 

[Primula]

I would love to master making bread. The few times I have it's been such a satisfying thing to cook.  
Last time I made a loaf, it was the No Knead bread recipe from Bittman.  It was delicious although, I over cooked it *just* enough to nearly burn the bottom crust. I was bummed about that!
Hot fresh bread slathered with butter. YUM

I remember that bread. I think it was in the Times' Sunday magazine.

 

[sivyaleah]

I remember that bread. I think it was in the Times' Sunday magazine.

Yes, exactly.

It's been around a very long time but I never had the right kind of vessel to cook it in. I had bought a beautiful cobalt Staubb coquette (deeply on sale and with coupons for even more off - it was a score).  It's cast iron under the enamel so it retains heat incredibly well.  Maybe a bit too much 

 

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

I've made my own meals for most of half a century, and I can cook any dish - and I mean any one - whose name begins with, "grilled cheese and...."

.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

i can bake and cook pretty much anything, as long as i have a good recipe. i'm a good baker and cook, and love making jams/jellies/preserves. i'm not good at putting something together without a recipe.

mmmm......breakfast for dinner 

 

[neely]

I cook out of necessity but love to bake.  Who doesn't like dessert? 

  I baked an excellent double chocolate bundt cake last week, so rich and chocolatey. 

 

[betsygee]

I don't really bake, either, not even cookies.  Being a vegetarian, I cook lots of bean and vegetable dishes.  I love making bean stews.

 

[Winchester]

 
I would love to master making bread. The few times I have it's been such a satisfying thing to cook.  

Last time I made a loaf, it was the No Knead bread recipe from Bittman.  It was delicious although, I over cooked it *just* enough to nearly burn the bottom crust. I was bummed about that!

Hot fresh bread slathered with butter. YUM

Come down. Seriously. Come down for a weekend this summer. I'd love to bake bread with you. Several years ago, Rick had to go to Chicago for a union thing and then up to Wisconsin. I had a GF who lives in Chicago at the time (she's in FL now). While Rick was in meetings, she and I spent the day together baking yeast rolls and we had a ball. We also toured some neat grocery stores and went to The Spice House. 

 

[sivyaleah]

 
Come down. Seriously. Come down for a weekend this summer. I'd love to bake bread with you. Several years ago, Rick had to go to Chicago for a union thing and then up to Wisconsin. I had a GF who lives in Chicago at the time (she's in FL now). While Rick was in meetings, she and I spent the day together baking yeast rolls and we had a ball. We also toured some neat grocery stores and went to The Spice House. 

If I ever decide to come out to your neck of the woods, I surely would take you up on that offer! I

 

[di and bob]

Homemade chicken and noodles. There is NO comparison to anything store bought at all. I start with 6-10 lbs of chicken and stew it for hours with lots of bay leaves and onions and celery, and then make my own noodles with flour and spices. There are no noodles made that taste like homemade! They are absolutely great with beef and and a rich gravy too. Oh, and of course this all has to be ladled over a bed of mashed potatoes! 

 

[Winchester]

 

If I ever decide to come out to your neck of the woods, I surely would take you up on that offer! I

I think we could have a nice weekend together. And you're really not that far away from me!

 

[Norachan]

 
Happy April!!  I've finally got flowers in my yard and plenty of birds at the feeder! 

You're so lucky! All I have in my back yard is snow.

I'm a pretty dreadful cook, but I can make vegetable soups.

 

[AbbysMom]

I'm a decent cook and I feel with a good recipe I can make just about anything. I usually tinker around with a recipe to make it better. :lol3:

Things people normally request from me -

Chocolate chip cookies. If I don't bring them to a family event, there is a riot
guacamole
chourico and peppers
Macaroni and cheese
The two stuffings I normally make on Thanksgiving
Chocolate cake
Buffalo chicken dip
shrimp scampi dip
Portuguese kale soup
lentil soup
carrot cake
cheesecake

Things I don't have the patience for - pie crust and baking bread. I don't like filets of fish, so that's something I rarely cook.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Chocolate chip cookies. If I don't bring them to a family event, there is a riot
 

If theres ever a TCS event and you don't bring them I will riot. 

 

[AbbysMom]

If theres ever a TCS event and you don't bring them I will riot.  :stomp: :lol3:

:lol3::lol3::lol3: I will have to keep that in mind.