Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Cooking Goals for 2004

marie-louise

By marie-louise
in Cooking

 Share

Recommended Posts

Zingano

Zingano

Posted
Posted

Get better at pastry. I found a sweet pastry recipe that worked for me just before Christmas, and made a white chocolate tart, so I want to carry on with that and do some nice classic lemon tarts and fruit tarts over the summer.

Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Louisa Chu

Louisa Chu

Posted
Posted

By the end of 2004 I hope to have a better understanding of what will be my professional signature style of cooking - a prototype restaurant menu that I - and others - will recognize as representative of me - and much that I will have learned from Ducasse and El Bulli and the great kitchens in China.

Movable Feast
Link to comment
Share on other sites
fifi

fifi

Posted
Posted

I want to learn more about Indian cooking. First step... Buy a book.

We have a discussion on that here.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mikeycook

mikeycook

Posted
Posted

My goal for 2004 is charcuterie. In addition to trying new methods for confit and sausage (at least new to me), by the end of the year, I would like to lay down a ham that will cure for at least a year.

"If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony."

~ Fernand Point

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted

Discovering how to cook in a brand new kitchen with a brand new stove, a brand new refrigerator and, LOL, a dishwasher! Will be moving on Jan 17 and can't wait. Right now I am living out of boxes and life is hell.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bloviatrix

bloviatrix

Posted
Posted

My goal is to be able to consistently roll out pie/tart dough in one nice round disc. Try as I might, I can't seem to manage it.

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

Link to comment
Share on other sites
McDuff

McDuff

Posted
Posted

After detailing the refrigerator, I'd like to finesse making some Thai dishes. I've tried pad thai a couple of times to subdued reviews. What sets my head spinning is the long list of ingredients. I'd also like to finally make a Christmas pudding. Bailed out again this year..and get more use out of my brick oven.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jsolomon

jsolomon

Posted
Posted
My goal is to be able to consistently roll out pie/tart dough in one nice round disc. Try as I might, I can't seem to manage it.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. My mother consistently turns out great pastry doughs/crusts. Me, I swear like a sailor whenever I try.

My goal would be to become competent at cooking seafood and soups.

I always attempt to have the ratio of my intelligence to weight ratio be greater than one. But, I am from the midwest. I am sure you can now understand my life's conundrum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
hwilson41

hwilson41

Posted
Posted

To turn out authentically spiced and flavored andouille and Texas hot links. And to figure out how to keep those damned air bubbles out when I'm stuffing the casings :laugh:.

THW

"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne." John Maynard Keynes

Link to comment
Share on other sites
alacarte

alacarte

Posted
Posted
Discovering how to cook in a brand new kitchen with a brand new stove, a brand new refrigerator and, LOL, a dishwasher! Will be moving on Jan 17 and can't wait. Right now I am living out of boxes and life is hell.

Happy housewarming, Anna!

My resolution is to "stretch" more in my cooking -- to try new types of techniques and cuisines instead of just the old favorites.

Also to take more careful mental and written notes as I'm doing so, so I can write more descriptively and accurately about cooking/food in general.

Spice & Ice and more
Link to comment
Share on other sites
GG Mora

GG Mora

Posted
Posted

My next frontier will be attempting to make yogurt, then butter, then cheese using fresh raw milk from a local farm. They have a Holstein herd, but one of their hands is starting to build a Jersey herd with an eye towards his own farm. He currently has two mature milking Jerseys and a pair of two-month old calves. The Jerseys get milked into the bulk tank along with the Holsteins, but I'm trying to negotiate for straight Jersey milk. It may require "bucket milking", but I'm eager to learn.

I got Rikki Carrol's "Home Cheese Making" for Christmas, and I've made excellent contact with a number of Vermont cheese, butter and yogurt makers who might be willing to have an intern.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
woodburner

woodburner

Posted
Posted
To turn out authentically spiced and flavored andouille and Texas hot links. And to figure out how to keep those damned air bubbles out when I'm stuffing the casings :laugh:.

THW

The air pockets can be quickly cured by poking the air pocket with an ice pick. Such a tool is actually manufactured for this problem, and my memory thinks of it as being called a "hand prick". :hmmm:

Usually this is caused by the use of a grinder, with a stuffing attachment. In other words to try and stuff and grind in one step.

A seperate stuffing tool, keeps these air pockets to a minimum at the least, and in most cases non-existent.

woodburner

Link to comment
Share on other sites
laurel

laurel

Posted
Posted
I'm not a vegetarian, but I would very much like to unlock more of the mysteries of vegetables.

I think a good way to do this would be to get a CSA subscription from a local farm and a good reference/recipe book.

(warning, if you don't cook much, or don't cook vegetables much, it'll probably be too much food)

http://dreadnought.gorgorg.org
Link to comment
Share on other sites
tsquare

tsquare

Posted
Posted
I'm not a vegetarian, but I would very much like to unlock more of the mysteries of vegetables.

I think a good way to do this would be to get a CSA subscription from a local farm and a good reference/recipe book.

(warning, if you don't cook much, or don't cook vegetables much, it'll probably be too much food)

I was going to suggest growing them! But this would be an easier introduction. And once you have an abundance of kolarabi or kale, you'll learn a lot about new ways of cooking vegetables.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Andy Lynes

Andy Lynes

Posted
Posted

I seem to have reached a plateau with my cooking over the last couple of years, so I'd like to generaly raise my game. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to do that, but I think it will have to do with getting more organised, having home made condiments to hand like preserved lemons for instance, and maybe using some ingredients that I have shyed away from in the past. I may also get into terrines in a big way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
markf424

markf424

Posted
Posted

Becoming more consistent and adventurous with bread. Charcuterie. We're building the new house this year so obviously getting the kitchen installed will be a big one.

I'd also like to put some time and effort into making all of my food more heathful without sacrificing flavor or texture. I mean, it's easy to throw in six sticks of butter to thicken my sauce, but maybe I don't need to. :blink:

-Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites
woodburner

woodburner

Posted
Posted
Becoming more consistent and adventurous with bread. Charcuterie. -Mark

I just purchased a cookbook by David Rosengarten, with a chapter full devoted to

Charcuterie. It's on my to do list for sure. Maybe we can have a thread devoted to it?

woodburner

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AzRaeL

AzRaeL

Posted
Posted

use more than my Cast Iron Skillet and Pressure Cooker.

I have a griddle with i use with my skillet like a salamander; anyone else done this?

Do not expect INTJs to actually care about how you view them. They already know that they are arrogant bastards with a morbid sense of humor. Telling them the obvious accomplishes nothing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
markf424

markf424

Posted
Posted
I just purchased a cookbook by David Rosengarten, with a chapter full devoted to

Charcuterie. It's on my to do list for sure. Maybe we can have a thread devoted to it?

Count me in. Start it up. How's the text? I haven't had much luck yet finding something complete. I have to imagine there are stellar texts on the subject, though.

-Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...