New guy from Texas

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gijoe4500

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Messages
8
Location
San Antonio, TX
Hello! My name is Brandon and I am a total novice at cooking. I feel that it would be a very good skill to learn and that is why I am here. My current diet consists primarily of cold cut sandwiches and take out! Definitely not a good thing. I'm looking forward to reading up a bunch of stuff on the forums, and getting insight when I feel most lost from the more experienced people here.

Wish me luck!
 
Hi, Brandon! Welcome to DC. We were all novices at some point, and are all still novices at some things. Do you have a place that you wish to start?

Soups and stews are pretty forgiving for a new cook. So is grilling. What types of foods do you want to cook? Chances are there will be someone who is interested in those same things. :)
 
Thanks for the welcome. I haven't fully put much thought into what I want to learn how to cook. I'd like to learn to cook all kinds of things from omelettes to stir fries to delicious steaks to fancy desserts. I live alone, so if I do try something, and butcher it, its not a big deal to make a PB&J and try again the next night.

Biggest set-back will probably be the fact that I do not eat chicken. I don't much care for it. So I'll be steering clear of chicken recipes.
 
Is there any place I should start? A sticky or a forum for newbies? I really don't know where I should start, other than buying ingredients and trying recipes. Which seems like it could become a real waste of money.
 
Welcome to DC! I take it you were in the military? If so, thanks for your service :)

Take your time, peruse this forum, lots of great recipes! We all started out as new cooks!
 
Since your interested in Stir Frying read Stir-Frying to the sky's edge by Grace Young. It has helped me a lot.
 
What types of things do you have access?

Slow cooker?

Big pot for cooking?

Skillets?

Omelets are not difficult and are a good way to use up some leftovers. Also, they can make a fast meal. So what to make first. Without knowing a single thing about you, I suggest Chili. Here is why: No two people make it the same, so you can get input from everyone. Brawls have started over who makes the best chili...so once you have a great recipe in the bag, you can challenge friends. It's pretty forgiving regarding cooking times.

You have choices to make: Beans/no beans. Tomatoes/no tomatoes. Meat choices: beef, buffalo, bison, deer, chicken...tofu. Okay, the last one may cost you some throw down points in SOME circles, but will impress others to pieces. The list goes on and on.

So...consider the meat, and make a few choices and search here for chili....or toss it in Google. I'm a beef/deer, with beans, and tomatoes type of girl, personally. When I searched for Beef chili recipe with beans and tomatoes, this is the result that I was given on Google. Pick one and we will all suggest a side. :)
 
Quick responses to your posts before I do a little more reading and go to bed...

Dawglover, No i was not in the military. This is just the same screen name i've used online since I was 12. Wish I could have joined, and fully support the military in every way that I can though.

Thanks powerplantop for the book suggestion. I'll check it out. I work in the nuclear power industry so based on your screen name, we may have a little bit in common, work wise.

kathleen, right now, I have a couple of those $100 pots and pans sets. One is stainless steel, and the other is teflon coated. No cast iron, no huge pots, no slow cookers. Anything I may need (with a reasonable price tag), I don't mind running out to pick up though.

I suppose I just need to jump in head first instead of trying to get my feet a little wet. I'm going to dig up a couple recipes and go grocery shopping tomorrow.
 
Ordered that stir-fry book off Amazon. Hardback version was cheaper than the kindle version (kinda surprised me). It should be here sometime between the 4th and the 14th.
 
Have fun....you must play with your food. I know, Mom said not to but it's the only way to learn. Think about your favorite thing to order when you go to the restaurant. Find recipes for that and let 'er rip! We are here for help and encouragement.

So far, we know you don't like chicken. Anything else we should steer clear of?
 
So far, we know you don't like chicken. Anything else we should steer clear of?

As far as I know, just chicken. I didn't exactly get a wide variety of foods growing up, and I'm slowly discovering new things as I venture out and try different restaurants. My mother was very plain on what was prepared in the kitchen. Porkchops, heated up canned veggies, burgers, enchiladas, and some basic pastas. Nothing too exciting, ever.

I'm getting ready to go out and buy some ingredients and a slow cooker to make some chili for dinner. Will probably just do sandwiches for lunch because I'm hungry now, and couldn't make it to the grocery store any sooner.
 
Well... I attempted my first omelette. Figured I'd go with a western omelette. Seemed simple enough. Bell pepper, onion, eggs, milk, chopped ham. Ended up with scrambled eggs with bell pepper, onion, and ham in it. LOL. It still tasted alright to me, it just wasn't actually an omelette. Guess I need to do some youtubing to figure out how to stop an omelette from becoming scrambled eggs.
 
It might be a good idea to perfect the basic omelet before trying to make a more complicated version. Folding the circle of cooked egg in thirds is the key. The filling is added before the folding happens, so the filling has to be cooked and kept warm till needed.
 
I'm still perfecting a perfect omelet too. Mostly I like the eggs cooked done, not dry and not browned on the bottom. Scrambled with filling is just as good.

Here's some tips from Julia Child. First she makes plain ones for technique, then about half way through the vid, she starts putting in fillings. I wish I could find the show where she's making something, breaks eggs into a bowl, then lobs the shells half-way across the room into the kitchen sink. Cracks me up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWi3NwDrQok
 
Have fun....you must play with your food. I know, Mom said not to but it's the only way to learn.


No truer words have been spoken. :chef:



"its not a big deal to make a PB&J and try again the next night."


Ya know, Sometimes a PB@J is just what the doctor ordered and can't be beat. :king:
Got a Toaster Oven???? Toast the bread with the PB. Add your choice of J and you've got a gourmet meal IMHO. :yum:

Welcome and enjoy yourself. Rather nice set of good folk round here. ;)
 
I'm still perfecting a perfect omelet too. Mostly I like the eggs cooked done, not dry and not browned on the bottom. Scrambled with filling is just as good.

Here's some tips from Julia Child. First she makes plain ones for technique, then about half way through the vid, she starts putting in fillings. I wish I could find the show where she's making something, breaks eggs into a bowl, then lobs the shells half-way across the room into the kitchen sink. Cracks me up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWi3NwDrQok
Thanks for posting the video. I love the way she isn't a perfectionist. She shows you how to make the less than perfectly shaped omelet look good and to put parsley, which will cover up imperfections.

Also, she keeps on talking about having fun while cooking.
 
BTW, don't bother trying to learn how to crack eggs the way she does. If you crack the eggs lightly on a flat surface, there is far less chance of getting bits of shell in your eggs.
 
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