Your Culinary Nemesis in the Kitchen

[arjay]

Welcome Nullo. You should be able to get any problem solved here.

Edited to say: culinary, that is.

Edited April 16, 2004 by arjay (log)

[Wholemeal Crank]

Rice cooked directly in a pot on the stove. I can make it in my pressure cooker or in the microwave, but when just cooking rice in water on stove, it ends up soupy or burnt. Thank goodness for the pressure cooker!

[suzilightning]

jello...not gelatin which i can work with fine but jello.

[chiffonade]

. o O (Rice.)

Mine always comes out like glue. Bleah. The only rice I can make is risotto. And rice pudding. But that's it.

[Camdon]

Fried chicken. Something always goes wrong.

I blame my hippie Mom for casting some fried food curse on me.

[hjshorter]

Felafel used to be a nemesis, always winding up as a skillet full of greasy chick pea crumbs, but no longer. I tried Rachel Perlow's baking method tonight and it's perfect. Thank you!

[robyn]

jello...not gelatin which i can work with fine but jello. 

What goes wrong? I don't make jello that often - just when my husband or I have to prep for a colonoscopy - but I find that following the directions on the box usually does the trick. Robyn

[Varmint]

  I don't make jello that often - just when my husband or I have to prep for a colonoscopy

Too . . . much . . . information!!!!

[suzilightning]

jello...not gelatin which i can work with fine but jello.  

What goes wrong? I don't make jello that often - just when my husband or I have to prep for a colonoscopy - but I find that following the directions on the box usually does the trick. Robyn

robyn-

i follow the directions on the package to the letter but i invented jigglers before the company did. i even had johnnybird - the obsessive-compulsive past the border on neurotic teetering on psychotic engineer watch me fix it and it still came out wrong. now this is from someone who used to make lemon charlotte at work all the time so go figure....

[robyn]

  I don't make jello that often - just when my husband or I have to prep for a colonoscopy

Too . . . much . . . information!!!!

Guess I'm somewhat defensive about why I'm making jello . Robyn

[Shannon_Elise]

My pasta rolling machine hates me.

Shannon

[maggiethecat]

Fried chicken. Something always goes wrong.

I blame my hippie Mom for casting some fried food curse on me.

Exorcise her cooking tendencies, but never of course, your Mom. God, hippy food was awful! Weed helped---it made Kraft Mac and Cheese orgasmic, but it never, ever did a thing for brown rice. Shudder.

(There is a Fried Chicken thread out there. Really, soak in buttermilk, toss in seasoned flour, etc. Bob's your uncle.)

[lala]

Rice: Forget measuring to get the right proportions in the cooking pot. Just measure the rice (so you have enough for everyone), then toss it into a pot with lots of boiling, salted water, and stir. Turn it down to simmer, put the lid on, tilted, so steam can escape. Set the timer at 10 minutes, then check it every few minutes after the timer goes off. Sort of like pasta: the rice will absorb the liquid that it needs, and when it's done, drain the pot, stir in a pat of butter, and you're ready.

Meringue: While it's true that a humid atmosphere will ruin a meringue, making it weep, so will incorrect whipping. Basically, don't overbeat the whites. If you're making an Italian meringue (pouring in melted sugar), it's more forgiving. But if you're whipping the whites and granular sugar, do not overwhip - beat only to the soft peak stage. At that point, you've captured lots of air bubbles, to make if fluffy, and allow for expansion. Any more whipping, and the egg/air cells start to break down, hastening the weepy effect on the baked product. A too hot oven can also do this, as it expands the air cells too fast, before the egg is cooked, thus exploding them, so it's just a blob of goopy egg. Technical term.

Pie crust: Freeze everything before you start (except the water, of course!). I'm serious. Mix your Flour and salt and freeze it. Cut up your butter, and freeze it. A good half hour, at least. Your water should be ice cold, by putting plenty of ice cubes into the water. Cut the butter (or other fat) into the flour JUST until you get the butter to the size of peas. Stop. Then carefully, gently, barely mix in the ice cold water. Your dough should still have some loose bits of flour in the bowl. Turn it out onto a clean board, and with cold hands (run cold water over your hands, and dry), gently pat the dough into a nice, friendly lump, patting those loose bits in. Wrap and chill for at least half an hour. The most important thing is to capture the fat in large enough pieces as a suspension in the flour/water dough, so that the dough is liberally dotted with the fat. It's the water in the fat that will turn into steam in the oven and force the enclosing layers of flour apart, creating the flaky dough. Keep it cold, and don't overmix.

Salad dressing: Yep, the mustard is the great emulsifier. If you start with the mustard in your bowl, then slowly whisk in your acid, so that it stays smooth, you'll have a good dressing.

Now, who can tell me why my Asian dishes are awful? I have a good palate, I know what I enjoy in restaurants, but I can't make a damn thing at home! I know why my caramel doesn't behave, but knowledge doesn't help. And Roasting large hunks of meat gives me nightmares. Hate it.

[jglazer75]

My pasta rolling machine hates me.

At least you have a pasta rolling machine. I have made it by hand with a rolling pin for the last time. Must invest.

[sequim]

My pasta rolling machine hates me.

At least you have a pasta rolling machine. I have made it by hand with a rolling pin for the last time. Must invest.

Please tell me about your problems with the rolling machine... Mine has been perfectly behaved from the time I took it out of its box.

I am in awe of someone who can roll thin.

[jglazer75]

I am in awe of someone who can roll thin.

That's why I gave up on it. I could never get it as thin as I wanted and more specifically as consistent as I wanted. With raviolis and similar types of pasta, I was never too concerned about it being ultra-thin, but the inconsistencies drove me batty. Anyway, one of these days I am going to invest in a stupid pasta rolling machine (sort of holding out for the kitchen-aid stand mixer and attachment; not exactly affordable on school loans right now).

[sequim]

I am in awe of someone who can roll thin.

That's why I gave up on it. I could never get it as thin as I wanted and more specifically as consistent as I wanted. With raviolis and similar types of pasta, I was never too concerned about it being ultra-thin, but the inconsistencies drove me batty. Anyway, one of these days I am going to invest in a stupid pasta rolling machine (sort of holding out for the kitchen-aid stand mixer and attachment; not exactly affordable on school loans right now).

I got one for xmas and it's not one of the notable ones mentioned so probably cost around $40, not too expensive, compared to other things you can buy for the kitchen. And it is so worth it! Once you have your pasta machine, you can eat cheaply forever on all the variations. If I never left Italian food cookery, I'd still be happy.

[robyn]

jello...not gelatin which i can work with fine but jello.  

What goes wrong? I don't make jello that often - just when my husband or I have to prep for a colonoscopy - but I find that following the directions on the box usually does the trick. Robyn

robyn-

i follow the directions on the package to the letter but i invented jigglers before the company did. i even had johnnybird - the obsessive-compulsive past the border on neurotic teetering on psychotic engineer watch me fix it and it still came out wrong. now this is from someone who used to make lemon charlotte at work all the time so go figure....

What's a jiggler? (I thought all Jello was supposed to jiggle - at least that's what the commercials say.). Robyn

[robyn]

Now, who can tell me why my Asian dishes are awful? I have a good palate, I know what I enjoy in restaurants, but I can't make a damn thing at home! I know why my caramel doesn't behave, but knowledge doesn't help. And Roasting large hunks of meat gives me nightmares. Hate it.

There's an article in today's New York Times which discusses how a chef cooks a particular Asian dish. In it - you will see why your kitchen - no matter how high-end - is no match for wok cooking in an Asian restaurant (although I have read of home kitchens - particularly in high end housing developments with lots of Asian buyers - which almost duplicate restaurant conditions).

In addition - you probably don't use enough salt (have you ever noticed that you gain 2 pounds in water weight after eating most Asian food?).

By the way - I love a rice cooker (or the microwave) for rice. And a digital thermometer takes the fear out of roasting large hunks of meat. Robyn

[tanabutler]

I've seen this topic here for days now...and nothing came to mind. I guess I know my limits and don't try my hand at things that are daunting or too difficult.

But it just occurred to me. I suck at making coffee. I only have about one cup a year, anyway. I have a machine for guests, and a gold filter, a grinder, and all the accoutrements. But I don't know how to make it. I thought I did, but self-scrutiny forces me to be honest. I don't make good coffee. (I am willing to learn, though.)

[GG Mora]

I've seen this topic here for days now...and nothing came to mind. I guess I know my limits and don't try my hand at things that are daunting or too difficult.

But it just occurred to me. I suck at making coffee. I only have about one cup a year, anyway. I have a machine for guests, and a gold filter, a grinder, and all the accoutrements. But I don't know how to make it. I thought I did, but self-scrutiny forces me to be honest. I don't make good coffee. (I am willing to learn, though.)

No wonder you're having a hard time sloganeering for coffee.

[tanabutler]

I've seen this topic here for days now...and nothing came to mind. I guess I know my limits and don't try my hand at things that are daunting or too difficult.

But it just occurred to me. I suck at making coffee. I only have about one cup a year, anyway. I have a machine for guests, and a gold filter, a grinder, and all the accoutrements. But I don't know how to make it. I thought I did, but self-scrutiny forces me to be honest. I don't make good coffee. (I am willing to learn, though.)

No wonder you're having a hard time sloganeering for coffee.

You mean thing.

No, I didn't say I never drank it. I did, on a daily basis. If coffee didn't make me feel like I was getting tailgated at my own desk, I'd drink it again.

I love the flavor. But trust me, no one wants to meet Mrs. HIDE!

[inventolux]

I would say water content in general is my current nemesis. Extracting it without destroying cell walls to be more specific.

[NeroW]

I would say water content in general is my current nemesis. Extracting it without destroying cell walls to be more specific.

I can't say I run into this problem on a day-to-day basis, but good luck with it, man.

[GG Mora]

If coffee didn't make me feel like I was getting tailgated at my own desk, I'd drink it again...

Given that I'm starting to experience the same thing, I should be more sympathetic...