B101 Challenge: Cooking Class- What have you learned?

Budget101 Discussion List Archives Budget101 Discussion List B101 Challenge: Cooking Class- What have you learned?

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    • #351501
      Melissa Burnell

      beat the clock challengesWelcome to a Budget101 Beat the Clock Challenge! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to answer the following Challenge Question before the clock runs out!

      back in the day, they offered home economics classes in school. the classes taught how to manage home finances, how to do some basic budgeting, how to sew a button on a shirt, etc.

      they also taught kids how to cook. not how to be a magnificent chef, but how to measure certain items properly, how to use powdered milk and other such tips. which brings us to our challenge question:

      The Challenge Question is : Two part question!

      What is one (or more) of the most valuable cooking tips/lessons that you’ve learned and wished someone had told you sooner?

      also, what is one thing you’d still like to learn?

      wondering how to play? hit the reply button and answer the challenge question! (seriously, that’s it)

      what is the goodie giveaway for this challenge?

      fully loaded spice rack (complete with the spices!) View it Here

      Learn More about Budget101 Challenges Here!

      good luck!

      © Can Stock Photo Inc. / 3dalia

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    • #460380
      randomname2014

      What is one (or more) of the most valuable cooking tips/lessons that you’ve learned and wished someone had told you sooner?
      Not every recipe has to be followed to a T–it’s okay to change up the seasonings to personalize a meal. More seasoning doesn’t equal ‘better’ or ‘tastier’; sometimes, a little is best.

      ALSO, What is one thing you’d still Like to learn?
      How to can and jelly. Haven’t gotten around to that one yet. Seems complicated and intimidating.

    • #460381
      skeeter456

      question one—-run hard boiled eggs under water after peeling to get the tiny bits of shell of
      question two—what to do with all this flavored vinegar i received for christmas

    • #460383
      Bumbeez22

      What is one (or more) of the most valuable cooking tips/lessons that you’ve learned and wished someone had told you sooner? Not everything you make has to be made the way it says , majority does , but it’s always good to switch it up a little bit and add some of your own personal touches to it and experiment a bit.

      ALSO, What is one thing you’d still Like to learn? One thing that I would love to learn is how to make more wrapped foods and keep them from unwrapping when you make your first cut . Lol how can I keep them nice a rolled up ?

    • #460384
      karenlgardner

      Tip one is to nevr the area when cooking with out setting two timers. What I still want to learn is to make bread.

    • #460385
      MissAthanatos

      “What is one (or more) of the most valuable cooking tips/lessons that you’ve learned and wished someone had told you sooner?”

      The most valuable lesson that I’ve learned in cooking is that smells and sounds can often be a signal of doneness. Obviously, recipes with meats and such need an objective verification of doneness by thermometer, but when one is managing four burners or more, the oven and various preps, one’s eyes can be helped by the nose (and ears, in the case of deep or shallow frying). The smell is not merely a signal of the quality of flavour, but also can help signify the cooking stage, etc.

      “ALSO, What is one thing you’d still Like to learn?”

      One thing, of many, that I would still like to learn is how to make Turkish Delight. It’s my favourite sweetie and seems it would be a good gift at holidays.

    • #460419
      PamESP
      Quote:
      What is one (or more) of the most valuable cooking tips/lessons that you’ve learned and wished someone had told you sooner?

      how to properly measure different kinds of dry ingredients, i.e:

      brown sugar should always be packed into the measuring cup

      flour should never be scooped out with the measuring cup as that packs it down. instead it should be spooned gently into the measuring cup to avoid it becoming packed in which will ruin the recipe you’re trying to follow.

      the most accurate method of measuring ingredients is by weighing them. get yourself a cheap digital scale and you’ll never ruin another recipe again.

      before measuring sticky ingredients like molasses or corn syrup, lightly spray the measuring cup with non-stick spray and it will slide right out.

      Quote:
      also, what is one thing you’d still like to learn?

      how to make a seared steak with compound butter. i keep seeing them do that on shows like masterchef and hells kitchen & i’ve never tried it, but i want to!

    • #460420
      dayaneales

      First- I wish that someone would have told me that Meat is actually a Seasonal item. It’s affordable at certain times of the year and other than that, it’s expensive as hell. There’s a reason they call it “spring chicken” because it’s plentiful and CHEAP in the spring and very expensive in the fall and winter.

      I want to learn how to cook fish without drying it out and turning it to mush. I also want to learn how to cook different cuts of meat. Do you braise tenderloin?

      Do you broil chops? etc. so that the meat is tender but then I can start buying cheaper cuts of meat again.

    • #460421
      LewdMeal
      Quote:
      what is one (or more) of the most valuable cooking tips/lessons that you’ve learned and wished someone had told you sooner?

      one thing that i was taught that i found out was complete garbage is that searing meat locks in the juices. it doesn’t and it can actually make meat tougher and more dry. all searing does it brown the meat and give it a bit of texture.

      i really wish someone had told me that a long time ago so i would have stopped wasting my time searing steaks!

      Quote:
      also, what is one thing you’d still like to learn?

      i want to know how to make my own sriracha sauce, it’s hard to find here and expensive when i can find it!

    • #460452
      doggiedog4

      One of the most valuable cooking lessons I’ve learned is honestly to read old cookbooks made especially during the wars or while rationing was in effect. For an example often these kinds of recipes call for “meat” whatever is on-hand or leftover, and some list substitutions to using meat if you’re without. They also give a lot of basic information which seems to be mostly lost now as people go to store bought products instead of knowing it was possible to make your own unless someone actively searches for some of the DIY things to stretch dollars or avoid chemicals.

      This kind of thinking was not taught to me in home ec. Most modern cookbooks have a picture and ingredient list which often makes me want to buy the exact ingredients listed to make the yummy looking thing the chef came up with.

      I have two things I’d love to learn dealing with cooking. 1) How to make a “French Peasant Loaf.” It’s a round loaf of french bread with chewy wheat berries inside of it.

      I’ve been trying to re-create this bread with no success since a bread shop closed locally… 2) Learn how to sharpen my own knives. It scares me to know I can totally ruin the edge forcing me to get it professionally re sharpened if I do it wrong.

      Here’s an example of a free .pdf book like I speak of, I haven’t had any issues reading anything on this website. This one is from 1918, so keep that in mind with some of the err… “tasty” recipes that they cover at times.

      🙂

      https://archive.org/details/metlifecookbook00metruoft

    • #460761
      tweezle

      I wish someone would have told me that the photos in the cookbooks are staged and you’ll probably never end up with a dish that looks as gorgeous as they appear in the books.

      I still want to learn how to make my grandmother’s spinach soup. I have been searching everywhere for a recipe that was like hers – so far close, but there’s still something missing.

    • #462011
      90quattrocoupe

      I keep bread in the refrigerator so it lasts longer. But you know it is always a little hard, even after just warming it up in the toaster. I found a solution for the bread I use, Homepride butter top wheat and Fransico Extra Sourdough.

      10 – 15 seconds in the toaster and 15 seconds in the microwave. Soft bread. I wish I had learn this before I got old.

      Greg W.

    • #462018
      mrskorba

      Answer to the first part/ learned sooner, how to properly dice an onion

      Answer to second part/ still like to learn, how to adjust recipes for more or less people, like if the recipe is for 10 people adjust it correctly down for 2 people and the opposite. I asked for my Moms recipes when she passed away thats all I asked for. I have books, and boxes of books, and recipe boxes and recipe cards coming out of my ears!

      And they are for all different things and all different sizes. I have no idea how to adjust them all.

    • #462081
      90quattrocoupe

      @mrskorba 888661 wrote:

      Answer to the first part/ learned sooner, how to properly dice an onion

      Answer to second part/ still like to learn, how to adjust recipes for more or less people, like if the recipe is for 10 people adjust it correctly down for 2 people and the opposite. I asked for my Moms recipes when she passed away thats all I asked for. I have books, and boxes of books, and recipe boxes and recipe cards coming out of my ears!

      And they are for all different things and all different sizes. I have no idea how to adjust them all.

      i know it would be a pita, but you may want the think about scanning the recipes you want. at least with my wife, she did not like or use all the recipes in any particular cookbook. so we started scanning the pages/recipes she really wanted to keep or try.

      we made computer files according to the alphabet for them. after we had all the files she wanted, we started printing them on 8 1/2X11 sheets of paper. Slipped them into sheet protectors and put them in 3 ring binders, in alphabetical order.

      Now when she needs a recipe, she pulls down the binder she needs, pulls out the recipe and uses it.

      Not saying this doesn’t take some time, but in the long run it was better than having 43 cookbooks, and who knows how many hand written recipes laying around.

      Greg W.

    • #462083
      mrskorba

      Thanks hon, I just like having them around the way she had them. Im going to eventually make or find a shelving type thingy I like to display and be able to use them. I dont cook at all in my house, my husband does, he rarely lets me.

      I know how he just likes doing it more than I do lol. Im the baker. I used to go through them all as a little girl and look through all the books and help her go through all the recipe cards in the boxes she had and when she had new recipes she make a stack of new ones and wait for me to “help” her put them in.

      Its just great memories, before she passed she asked everybody what they wanted of hers, and thats all I wanted 🙂 So one day I will find something I like to display them and till then they will just be sitting on my table so that I see them everyday. My husband is the one who searches online for all his wild recipes and rubs and marinades and sauces especially for smoking meats. He hordes them and wants to pass them down to our sons.

      But thank you for your thoughts 😉

    • #462151
      Jules4

      @Budget101 690195 wrote:

      beat the clock challengesWelcome to a Budget101 Beat the Clock Challenge! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to answer the following Challenge Question before the clock runs out!

      back in the day, they offered home economics classes in school. the classes taught how to manage home finances, how to do some basic budgeting, how to sew a button on a shirt, etc.

      they also taught kids how to cook. not how to be a magnificent chef, but how to measure certain items properly, how to use powdered milk and other such tips. which brings us to our challenge question:

      The Challenge Question is : Two part question!

      What is one (or more) of the most valuable cooking tips/lessons that you’ve learned and wished someone had told you sooner?

      also, what is one thing you’d still like to learn?

      wondering how to play? hit the reply button and answer the challenge question! (seriously, that’s it)

      what is the goodie giveaway for this challenge?

      fully loaded spice rack (complete with the spices!) View it Here

      Learn More about Budget101 Challenges Here!

      good luck!

      © Can Stock Photo Inc. / 3dalia

      there’s actually alot i have learned over the years. but
      i amazing thing i have learned about is putting a piece of bread in with your cookies so they always stay soft. i know it only asks for one but i would love to share 2 great things.

      The other is whenever your making a box mix of brownies or cake mix, you still add everything it calls for. But when you get to the oil I always add extra and it makes your cakes and brownies soo super moist (but not runny or uncooked) I have always got so many compliments on my cakes and brownies of how great they are and always never dry and always so moist. If it calls for a 1/2 cup I will actually add anywhere from 2/3 cups or 3/4 cups oil instead total of oil. I still add the same amount of water and eggs it calls for.

      I have always wanted to learn how to actually decorate wedding cakes and even beautiful regular cakes. I also would love how to actually can more things then I already know. Like how to can fruit in real juice instead of heavy or any type of syrup.

      Thank you for the challenge and allowing me to share. 🙂

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Budget101 Discussion List Archives Budget101 Discussion List B101 Challenge: Cooking Class- What have you learned?