SobaAddict70

Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. Generalizations and judgments don't just make for convincing arguments, there's usually not that much else that an argument can be made of (what would we use if not generalizations and judgments? I suppose facts, but there just aren't that many of them out there to supply us with all the arguments we might want to make). Bad generalizations and judgments are just that: bad, useless, and unconvincing. But can we not say that there are signs of good/bad cooks that are actually good generalizations? I think we can. For instance, I said that not seasoning properly (within parameters that would please most people) is a pretty sure sign of a bad cook. That's a generalization, but I also think it's true. It's going to result in bland food and represents a lack of the fundamentals of a good cook. That bad food makes a bad cook. But I agree about seeing bottle dressings/sauces, or miracle whip, or what someone might call poor knives, etc: That doesn't make a bad cook, because cooking is about the food. Maybe we should be talking about marks of bad food, or maybe marks of a good cook. All this talk of badness is no good. Can you not say the same thing when it comes to marks of a good cook? It's really subjective, because one person's good cook is another person's average. If you were to take all of the responses so far in this thread, I come out looking really shitty. I do use a steak knife for vegetable prep regularly -- I do use my larger knives for things that a steak knife can't adequately handle, like hacking open a Hubbard squash or cantaloupe. I use the steak knife because it's a small kitchen, I have a small surface area to work with and I find that I can get the job done much faster using a smaller implement. My knife skills suck eggs. I vaguely know how to tourne, and what paysanne, batonnet, julienne and brunoise refer to ... but I'm not cooking for Gramercy Tavern and so, see little need to emulate that kind of skill set. I can count on one hand the number of pots I have: a nonstick skillet, a saucepot with a nonstick interior surface, a Le Creuset Dutch oven, a 6 quart stockpot and a small stainless steel saucepot. Not counting my two Pyrex baking dishes, cookie sheet and roasting pan. I don't have a microwave because I think those kinds of appliances are useless. Gee, I'm not only bad but I'm cheap too! Who knew? My fridge is getting nearly bare. I have to find a way to use up things bought from two weeks ago. Tonight will be sugar snap peas and zucchini with Indian spices (the spices won't be top notch because they're not fresh, the zucchini's kind of tired looking the last time I checked and the cilantro is wilted but not yet past the point of no return), followed by ricotta gnocchi with tomato confit and green garlic. The veg hasn't developed sentient life, so perhaps I'm not that bad, huh? On the other hand, I've been known to still use Mrs. Dash when the mood strikes me. Some things don't change.

And that's why generalizations and judgments don't usually make for convincing arguments.

I'm mystified as well. It's not bitter to my palate at all, and this is someone who grew up eating bitter gourd and bitter melon.

Part of the setup for tonight's dinner. I'd like to direct your attention to the serrated steak knife that was used for vegetable prep. Clearly a sign of a "bad cook". Pasta with sardines, fava beans and tomatoes.

That may be, but the vast majority of replies so far are not demonstrable as to say that X leads to Y. What I get from this thread is that many of the responses are people jumping on the bandwagon because it's the thing to do. And as much as I like to preach the whole organic/locavore/fresh thing, just because someone doesn't subscribe to that notion how to cook doesn't make that person a bad cook. Even the Chowhound thread has lots to disagree with, especially #10. Many in my family had/have a huge cultural aversion to bloody meat. My mom, for example, when we first came to the States, regularly cooked steak past the point of no return. It took many years before she would become comfortable with steak medium-rare. Even then, she prefers it a couple minutes past what most of us who order medium-rare at a restaurant would receive. Is she a bad cook? Personally, I think she's an amazing cook, but I can't prove that on a bulletin board so you'll just have to take my word for it. I could go on, but you get my drift.

I haven't had much bad food in my lifetime, or eaten at the homes of "bad cooks". For that I am thankful. Certain eGullet-isms aside such as in the case of the famous "orange salad" (grated Velveeta and mandarin orange segments in orange-flavored Jello) .... a sign of a "bad cook" if ever there was one, one of the few memories I do have in my childhood was the time we spent at a relative's place. Most of the food had a certain "off"-taste. I ate just the minimum to be polite, then went out for a pizza afterwards. We found out much later that she liked to store leftovers ... from a year ago so that the freezer would always be well-stocked, and use those for last-minute get-togethers, which this particular gathering just happened to be.

That's probably one of the few responses so far that I can agree with.

Smug is bad, but aloof sarcasm is OK. How do we all look from up there? I'd say, a few degrees short of well-done.

If you use metal utensils on Teflon pans, then yes you are a bad cook. Regardless of how tasty the meals you're serving are they are tainted with tiny bits of scraped up non-stick surface. That's definitely not being a good cook. Would you call someone who made delicious meals that gave you salmonella half the time because of bad kitchen habits a good cook? I wouldn't. I use a wooden spoon, actually. But please keep on making generalizations. This thread is really full of lulz. edit: I take back #2. I didn't read your comment closely. But a lot of the rest of the thread is hilarious, mostly because of the lack of cause and effect.

Not all of them. I'd have to say, most of them though. I haven't gone to the Greenmarket in a little over a week, so have to find a way to use all the leftover vegs in the fridge between now and Saturday. There's a head of red leaf lettuce that's past its prime for example. My spice cabinet could use a major revision but not sure when that will happen. I don't know, threads like this make my eyes bleed sometimes. There's an element of smugness, as if "we're good, and you're not". I'll let you in on a little secret. The one knife I use the most in my kitchen isn't a French chef's knife that I keep in the kitchen drawer but ... ... can you guess? No? It's a regular old serrated steak knife, the one you use to cut steak or a piece of meat on your dinner plate. At some point I guess I should get a knife sharpener but that'll be a long time coming.

I'd always use it. edited for clarity.

My mother doesn't do anty of the above either, and her food is amazing. Generalizations make baby Jesus cry.

[sarcasm] Yes, I'm a bad cook because I don't: 1. Keep my knives in a block or on a strip 2. Respect my pans 3. Have a knife sharpener. [/sarcasm] Really?

Oddly, cavolo nero is available in the summer here in NYC. My standard treatment is to use it in some kind of pasta preparation (spaghetti with cavolo nero, anchovy and garlic comes to mind). If I'm not stewing it or using it in pasta, I'll cook it with some aromatics and mushrooms along with lots of olive oil. Like so: http://spamwise.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/monkfish-2/

Do you like cold soups? That could be a solution. One thing I like to do with kale (besides caldo verde) is to stew it long and slow with garlic, chiles and a little bit of lemon or vinegar. Ordinarily I would add some kind of pork fat (i.e., bacon, salt pork, kielbasa) as well but since this is a vegetarian week, you can skip that step. Incidentally, the garlic/chile/lemon treatment is a good way to cook greens of all kinds. Another idea is: Potato and greens "hash" -- peel and steam potatoes until tender; steam or boil greens such as spinach, beet greens, lamb's quarters, chard; chop coarsely. Fry garlic in olive oil, then add potatoes and greens, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add some tomatoes if you like. Serve at once.

I'll be following along with interest. I don't do meatless meals for an entire week much anymore due to my lifting regimen (180 to 250g of protein every day is difficult to do on a meatless diet and still be cost-effective), but as a culinary experiment for a couple of days, it's liberating when I manage to break out of the box for a little while.

For me, it's a dish I don't make often enough and surprisingly, it's not pasta. Bollito misto. You know it better as the Italian version of New England boiled dinner.

Lately I've discovered the joys of Mediterranean and Russian vegetable preprations (e.g., stufato, ratatouille, tapsi) for breakfast. One delicious variation is zucchini and tomato "hash" with poached eggs. Slice zucchini or summer squash, chop tomatoes and thinly slice shallots or onions, then fry in olive oil over medium heat with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let tomatoes break down partially -- you want them to be more solid than liquid. "Hash" is done when zucchini has turned golden brown.

I think I went overboard on the salt (a rarity for me). But yes, Kim, I had a couple slices of good French bread with it. Too late for it now but I think next week I will attempt to make pâte brisée for a vegetable tart. It's too late, because it's now 2:36 pm and in a few hours, I'll begin prep for dinner.

Zucchini and heirloom tomato "hash" with poached farm egg.

Pasta with white clam sauce and heirloom tomatoes. Littleneck clams from Long Island Sound, caught yesterday, steamed with white wine, garlic and garlic chives; then combined with heirloom tomatoes, shallots and herbs. Added about 1/2 tablespoon French butter whisked in towards the end.

Eggs fried in French butter, sunnyside-up, served with crispy toast and heirloom tomato salad. I make some variation of this just about every weekend the entire time that tomatoes are available at the Greenmarket. Usually serve the eggs on top of the salad (which in turn is spooned over the toast). It's my favorite way to eat breakfast. Heirloom tomato salad: 2 small to medium-sized heirloom tomatoes, diced; 1 small cucumber, diced; 1 shallot, minced; juice of half a lemon; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; salt and pepper, to taste; chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano and garlic chives, but other choices such as parsley, tarragon and basil are great, too). Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir, then use as desired.

Ricotta gnocchi with roasted corn kernels and Sungold cherry tomatoes. There's also corn gelato, if you're into that. The version at Otto is excellent.

Fava bean and Jersey tomato ragoût

CSA stands for community supported agriculture. Basically a farmer sells "shares" to the public for a certain number of weeks. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.