Jim's Cafe Tuesday March 5 2024

[Kiwi2016]

Good morning one and all...not as creative as @JMG... but was so wonderful to see everyone the last few days thought could at least get the lights on in the café...

So, I am attempting to learn to cook and bake ... and yes I'm old (61) and was lucky to marry a "cooking" husband...so didn't starve...but he's weary after 20+ years...

My learning curve continues to be ... well rather steep.... and started me wondering what funny/interesting experiences/dishes/desserts others have had?

So to get to tagging @JMG @1Lefty @KM76710 @Lane @Bergerac @1964dodge @Innocent Forever @Witty_Sarcasm @Baywasp @may71

 

[Kiwi2016]

Some more tags (thanks to JMG )
@Angie @dandelion s @DowntheRabbitHole @Bbear82 @AFlower @CrossedSeas @RCee

 

[Kiwi2016]

@luminance @1964dodge @Autumn1973 @AmberMarie @Walker @FlamingoWrangler @MisterBGone

 

[Kiwi2016]

@Auri @Aurelia @FFurry @Tor @Sunspots @LonelyHiker

 

[Kiwi2016]

@Lady Wolfshead @pooky @From_Venus @Lifeisthis @Harmony @Lara_C @puffymilk @BarryW

 

[Kiwi2016]

@Livelife @EmB @cymbele @tearsinmycoffee @I Love Tomorrow @nicktheundoer @Rasmus @Road to Nowhere

 

[Kiwi2016]

@seabird @Lane @So so tired @PrincessPure @Nick @Dante @Astrid78

 

[Kiwi2016]

@bubblebear @AvidFan @Bergerac @1Lefty @LumberJack @JDot @foreverforgotten @StuartB

 

[Kiwi2016]

If missed anyone...don't hesitate to come on in....

Have coffee brewing....

So to my cooking story..

Several years ago I decided I would cook our anniversary dinner....so got out my mother's recipe for brisket, decided on green beans, mashed potatoes as sides and lemon meringue pie for dessert.... now luckily this is long before cell phones (yes as I said I'm old-lol)... and in my defense we lived at 6300'

How hard could this be--- right...so
-brisket- tough & dry
-green beans - overcooked, mushy and bit grey
-mashed potatoes- lumpy and cold
-lemon meringue pie - well the meringue was beautiful just like the picture...but alas the custard never set so moved like waves in an ocean...

And we wont even discuss later attempt at cinnamon rolls where yes I was reading what one does with yeast while trying to make them--lol...

All my best to one and all--- and of course you can share your triumphs!!!!

 

[AmberMarie]

The only advice i can give right now is to smell everything you put into cooking. Whether its spices or ingredients. Doing so will train your senses to recognize and combine them together. The astonishing part is the more you do this the more you will be able to know how the dish tastes before you sit down to eat it. You will also be able to know if something will teste good in the dish you add an ingredient/spice.

Ok so i have 1 more thing... DON'T be afraid to try new things. Some of the best dishes come from trying something new.

Aaaand it wouldn't be me if i didn't extend further... Something that helped boost my cooking ability was using a meal service. i used "Every Plate". The food was fresh and exactly what was needed, so no shopping. i was able to cancel at any time and had wonderful menus to choose from. They give you all the ingredients and the full recipe and directions. i learned loads about sauces and combinations.

i'm very passionate about cooking. Everyone needs to eat to live, so i love to feed people.

 

[AmberMarie]

i have had many Many failures over the MANY MANY years. Too many to count. What i have learned is that i just need to laugh it off and remember what i did incorrectly so i learn from the mistake and don't do it again. Asking for feedback and allowing the constructive criticism is helpful as well.

 

[Astrid78]

I used to have a wall hanging that listed herbs and spices along with the foods they paired with. It was a great way to learn how to use them.
I like to cook over bake as it leaves room for creativity and it's easier to fix mistakes.
Like the time I accidentally added cinnamon to chili instead of chili powder.

 

[LumberJack]

I also live at approximately 6k feet above sea level. Getting baked goods to come out right is a bit of an experiment. The air pressure is lower and interestingly, water boils at a lower temperature. This means that making a meringue is going to be different than at sea level.

Getting yeast to rise is another matter. I worked at a bakery during high school, and we had a proof box that gave us control over the temperature, humidity and pressure so that raising yeast was pretty foolproof. Obviously this would be hard to do at home, so there are high altitude adjustments for recipes.

I don’t have the skill of working with yeast at home because I find it intimidating. I hear it’s possible though. The main adjustment is to add more salt than the recipe calls for. This will raise the boiling point, but there’s more that I don’t remember. I do like baking, because of the chemistry involved. Unfortunately that usually involves more sugar than I would like to eat, so it is a treat and I don’t get enough practice. I do make a great lemonade, though.

 

[LumberJack]

i have had many Many failures over the MANY MANY years. Too many to count. What i have learned is that i just need to laugh it off and remember what i did incorrectly so i learn from the mistake and don't do it again. Asking for feedback and allowing the constructive criticism is helpful as well.

They are not failures. They are happy little accidents!! 😆 if you learn something it makes it that much better next time.

 

[MisterBGone]

This is why I eat everything plain! Actually that's some wonderful advice & tips, @AmberMarie & @Astrid78 --I'd never heard of using smell to help instead of taste~ . . . So, that is really cool to know* (come to think of it, I'm not sure if I've ever even bought/en a "spice" usually don't even keep S&P).
And that way of cross referencing or categorizing and keeping track in order to make those connections sounds wise!
Cinnamon Cilli Cruch sounds AWESOME! I love both of those things ~what? Could go wrong... & thatnks for your honeymoon story @Kiwi2016 - I did not konw that about cooking at elevation. But you sure did pour your heart & your soul into it, so I'm sure that was all that mattered to your partner! I would probably go out to eat in that situation, or hops & rpay that she likes ramen or macorani; spahgettio;s or frozen pisa~* becauwe those things, I hate or hesitate to call them, "dishes" are wwhat i have become masterful at/or with i nlfie!

 

[Livelife]

Kiwi, what do you like to eat? Are you big meat eaters? Do you like pasta? Rice based dishes? Soups?
What dishes do you know already that you are comfortable cooking?

Can your husband teach you any of some of yall's favorite dishes if you have them?

It's a big topic.....I have many cookbooks but I still go online to get recipes and see that many sites have short videos with step by step preparation instruction that I like to watch sometimes if I don't know the recipe.

As far as a roast, don't give up....they really are easy once you get the hang. Direction depends on the kind of roast you buy but most all of them start with a dry rub of a mix of spices, even just salt and pepper and garlic powder and/or onion powder if you like. Then sometimes I either brown it on both sides in a little oil on the stove and then put in a baking pan in the oven at LOW temperature (300 usually) and walk away from it for several HOURS. Or just skip the browning step and start it in the oven. Some roasts or beef will get tender the longer you cook them. Like brisket or ribs. If you want an actual roast beef then that needs to be cooked differently.

For baking, I don't know what else you've tried before, if never then try simple first...Like making a banana bread....baking is normally something that depends upon good measurements of the ingredients being used.

I have made a mess of many many things I've cooked over the years and when I do I just throw it out or feed it to the dogs, lol. And then try it again if I want to.

What an adventure for you!

P.S. Just curious, is 6300 the altitude you lived at?

 

[MisterBGone]

Good morning one and all...not as creative as @JMG... but was so wonderful to see everyone the last few days thought could at least get the lights on in the café...

So, I am attempting to learn to cook and bake ... and yes I'm old (61) and was lucky to marry a "cooking" husband...so didn't starve...but he's weary after 20+ years...

My learning curve continues to be ... well rather steep.... and started me wondering what funny/interesting experiences/dishes/desserts others have had?

So to get to tagging @JMG @1Lefty @KM76710 @Lane @Bergerac @1964dodge @Innocent Forever @Witty_Sarcasm @Baywasp @may71

HA- I never knew that those were two seaparte things, @Kiwi2016 : "cooking AND backihng?" Are they not... On e& the same! You'd be surpirsed, at what I consider to be - "cookinng," though &that said~ Yes I have heard that those who work in kitchens, don't always love to necessarily race/or rush right home & then do the very same thing. I'd probalbby live of Mc-Y-d's! oh, wait? ;D j/k. . . get those shamrock shakes while yoyu ccan,, peoples`! ( ;

 

[Aurelia]

I can tell you what I've had, but I don't know about the recipe lol... Although, he's something easy. Nachos. Use a bag of tortilla chips and spread them out in a baking pan, spread some cooked beef chili on top, extra cheese, and any other toppings of choice. After it bakes, I'd probably do sour cream, lettuce, tomato. and viola! Done.

 

[cymbele]

I admit I used to experiment and create new dishes and I thought they were good meals but when the divorce came it was admitted that they-my ex and kid- didn’t like most of them. So I had a few years that I didn’t really cook but in later years I had to learn to cook for a healthier lifestyle. Since I live by myself I can now experiment. I’m even baking for my vegan friends cookies and such which is really hard because no eggs butter or cow milk. I cook with vegan ingredients and sometimes the food is not tasty to my taste but my friends gobble up whatever I make. So I feel better.

 

[1Lefty]

The one piece in my kitchen I use most is my crockpot slow cooker, because there are so many recipes that are almost no-fail -
Soups, chili, casseroles, I guess comfort food, but that's some of what I like

And I like my bread machine, too
I've found recipes for banana bread and a ricotta cheese bread, that I like
I usually make a loaf of each weekly

I'm not a healthy cook, I use real butter, plenty of sugar and salt, too
Nothing in moderation

peace