■ 23 February 2011 | 7:42 AM
Win seven hours of cooking lessons -- free!
I never learned a thing about cooking while watching TV.
I blame it on The Baby Girl.
See, I used to, as my daddy said, have the memory of an elephant.
Need to remember the name of a friend's kids? Ask Lorraine.
A sibling's birthday? Ask Lorraine.
But now, the hard drive in my head is crowded with things like swim team practice schedule, which flavor Luna bars The Baby Girl hates, and which grocery stores stock Pink Lady apples.
Learning to truss a chicken by watching television is not an option. By the time I got to my kitchen, the directions would be Mulligatawny Soup in my head.
More likely, I'd be standing at my counter wondering why I walked into the kitchen in the first place.
Then a company kindly sent me "Cooking from A to Zest," a four-DVD set that's like a cooking class and a cooking show combined, hosted by Kierstin Buchner.
Kierstin is methodical, thorough, patient and covers everything from knife skills to mother sauces in just over seven hours.
Being a bit scatterbrained, I love the instant replay ability. For $59.99 (about the cost of one cooking class!) here or here.
Or, better yet, win it by posting the most valuable kitchen lesson you've ever learned. I'll pick the winner Friday morning and mail it out pronto.
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What I learned about cooking
A meal made with a pinch of this and that tastes better than any meal you actually bothered to measure the ingredients. Thanks mom.
From a Friend . . .
Never leave a large piece of meat on the counter with Boxer Dogs in the house and run to the restroom for JUST A MINTUE!!!!
And her husband learned that frozen pizza taste A LOT better if the cardboard is removed from the bottom BEFORE cooking !!!!
Best Advice
When making blueberry muffins lightly toss your blueberries in flour before you mix them into the batter and they won't sink! Your blueberry muffin will be better than a store bought muffin!
Making Rib Prep easier
Use a paper towel to grab the silverback on ribs. Makes pulling the whole sheet off simple!
The best lesson I learned is . . .
if you don't know what you are doing stay the HECK out of the kitchen. That's why after 25 years together my husband still does all the cooking!!!!
When preheating the oven
always make sure to check its empty. Nothing like wondering what the heck is burning, when you haven't even started cooking yet :)
Best Cooking Lesson
I didn't really start cooking until I was 40. Seriously my wife always cooked! Since she did all the typical american cooking I decided to jump in and try cooking Thai. Thai is interesting because it taught me all about balancing flavors (hot, sour, salty, sweet)by taste. Don't rely on measuring cups (1 knuckle of water above the rice). The only way cook the perfect fish (whole - always). Don't waste anything (shrimp shells and heads make a great broth). Always use fresh ingredients (no tasteless dried spices). Buy local (fresh fish at the docks and my own lime tree at home). Food history (peanuts and Pad Thai is really Chinese). Fancy machines aren't required (a mortar and pestle for curry paste blends the flavors and oils)
Valuable cooking tips
Always read the recipe first so you know what to expect and have all the ingredients. It is helpful to have everything measured out.
Make sure your oven is set to the right temperature and you acutally turn on the timer. Sometimes I set the timer but forget to turn it on!
A couple of the best tips I've learned...
When measuring items like honey or other sticky substances, spray your measuring cup with something like Pam. It slips right out of the measuring cup.
One of the best tips my father taught me...how to properly cut up a raw chicken. It's much more cost effective to cut up your own.
NEVER EVER
make cornbread in a round, deep Pyrex dish! My iron skillet was in use, so I thought it would be just the same....NOT! I am from Memphis and pride myself on my cooking. Well, I heard a "boooof" come from the oven, looked in, and saw disaster. The only way to describe it is when the monster pops out of the guys chest in "Alien". Right in the middle, exploded! After I quit laughing I called my Mom and BOTH aunts to tell them about it. Then I had to deal with cleaning the mess in the oven. I threw out the cornbread....That was years ago, but it still makes me laugh to think about it to this day.