Becoming a Better Cook

[Yogimus]

^Teddy Bear

[blackeagle603]

Dear wife grew up with a single burner hotplate and a depressed/checked out single mother who had mastered Hamburger Helper. If not for several ladies in her little church that took an interest in her, she wouldn't have known anything more than that hotplate cuisine on our wedding day.

When we got engaged those church ladies took the time to put a schedule together and had her over to at least one of their homes each week to teach her a favorite dinner plan (i was away in the Nav, and didn't know this was going on). She built up a card file and someone(s) gave her a copy of Joy of Cooking and a Betty Crocker cookbook a wedding gifts. Tonight's plan was for a hectic afternoon and hurried dinner prep time so it's one of several weekly crockpot dinners. This morning she had the sausage frying and the cabbage in the pot by the time I came out to press the coffee.

nomnomnom

It'll be even better tomorrow for lunch...

[PawPaw]

Tonight's plan was for a hectic afternoon and hurried dinner prep time so it's one of several weekly crockpot dinners.

With slow cookers, you've opened up a whole nuther can of worms. I love some slow-cooker cooking and have many recipes that I use frequently. The best pulled pork in the world is made in a slow cooker, as is Italian Beef, which deserves to be made in a slow cooker. ITALIAN BEEF.



Is that a good looking sammich, or what?

[HTRN]

Sammich? What Sammich?

[Frankingun]

Getting back on track. Tons of good advice on this thread. Now I need more cookbooks!

Also look for promotional recipes from your favorite food companies. Many are easy to put together and after you cook a few, look at them anew and tweak them slightly.

[randy]

I guess I'm really on the left side of the bell curve on this subject. It would never occur to me to put a dutch oven into an oven. All my experience (extensive when a scout in my younger years) with dutch ovens involved them hanging over an open fire or buried in hot coals.

We made at least one of the dishes you ate when you were here by searing on the stove top in the enameled dutch oven, then moving it to the oven.

Ahhh...yes, I see that now. Between other things going on (including conversations, which with you and Mel do require some concentration at times ), and the fact that I have always associated dutch ovens with camp cooking, it didn't click until you mentioned it.

[HTRN]

One of the more unusual things you can do with an enameled dutch oven is bake bread.

[Termite]

One of the more unusual things you can do with an enameled dutch oven is bake bread.

Ummmmmmm....before Pawpaw pops a blood vessel laughing....please tell me, exactly how is baking bread in a dutch oven news?

[MelodyByrne]

Oh, because there are ways you can make the bread in a dutch oven without any kneading whatsoever.

It makes a lovely, lovely crust with a lot of crunch.

[HTRN]

Yeah, it substitutes time for work.

Lahey also has a no knead pizza dough recipe I've been wanting to try..