is there a good cook? I wonder how to be a good cook

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   somedress2011posted 13 years ago

   Hi, i like cooking ,but i am not good at cooking ,when there someond come to my home ,my mother always the cook,she is a great cook , i want to be someone like her,but i am far away from her ,I want when i come back home ,i can make a delicious dinner for her ,so ,can somebody help me? thank you.

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      Hollie Thomasposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Keep it simple to begin with. Don't try anything to ambitious, something like a one pot dish is a good start. Once you have decided what you'd like to make for your mother, practice making it in advance.

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   Emile Rposted 13 years ago

   I agree with Hollie. But, serve something you enjoy. Don't tinker with the recipe in an attempt to please another person's palate. That's the worst mistake I see most cooks making. The recipe always suffers.

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   WriteAngledposted 13 years ago

   In some cases, the cooking part can be very easy, but the recipe needs a specific thing to make it work. If you provide that, the dish will be a success and you will be seen as a good cook.
   
   For example:
   
   Presentation is very important for some dishes. These are good to make if you are happy cutting things into precise shapes, like arranging items artistically etc. Personally, I'm useless at these sort of dishes!
   
   Other recipes, especially most cakes need to be followed very, very precisely, with accurate weighing/measuring out of the ingredients.
   
   Some of the simplest recipes depend massively on the quality of the ingredients. If you choose such a recipe, you need to be prepared to spend extra to buy the best quality of food available.

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      Hollie Thomasposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Writeangled, you've just given me a fabulous idea for a hub. Garnishing food! Thank you

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         WriteAngledposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         You're welcome
         
         I certainly couldn't write it, and specially not if I wanted to include photos of my own efforts.
         
         Hmmm, I suppose I could start a new trend in "How not to... " hubs

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            Hollie Thomasposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Great idea I have just been making a flower from a cucumber. You never know what each day will bring.

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               DeborahNeyensposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Hollie, here's an idea for your food garnishing hub: make a green onion brush.  Cut off the root end of a green onion and cut the onion into 2-inch lengths.  Insert the point of a needle 1/2-inch from the end of th onion and pull up through to the other end.  Repeat this step all the way around the onion.  Soak in ice water for 5 minutes until it curls up like a brush.  This makes a great garnish for salads.

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   couturepopcafeposted 13 years ago

   Decide on a main dish - pasta, chicken, beef, fish, etc. - find a recipe that doesn't contain a lot of ingredients (unless you already have a well stocked kitchen) and follow the recipe exactly.  That's how you start.  You can go on line or to books or newsletters for menu suggestions so you know what to pair with your main dish.  Once you've made something a few times, you'll begin to understand it and change it around a little.  Great cooking comes 3 ways - watching other great cooks, testing and practicing on your own, and eating, eating, eating!  (You don't have to eat it all yourself, you can test it on friends or family.) 
   
   Baking is more critical.  You need to follow a recipe without any deviation until you become rather expert.

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