Jim's Cafe Tuesday March 5 2024

[Kiwi2016]

Thank you so much for tagging me here @Kiwi2016 and also for opening the cafe today! I'm here quite "late" but still the 5th I guess, lol. Anyway aw well from what I can tell from the replies I don't think it really matters very much whether there's "pics/games" or whatever or asking questions. Pretty sure the "main" thing with cafes is if there is a bit of a theme, and of course the social interaction part of it. I love whenever they are posted, even if they have no themes like just having a "new" one for the day is great, and I love to come in and just say "hi" to everyone and wish everyone a nice day. Wishing that for everyone here, always

Oh and as for the whole "cooking/baking" experience/info, well I'm afraid I don't really have a heck of a lot of that overall. The person I live with and myself have an arrangement where they do pretty much all the cooking, and I take care of all dishes. It works well and has for many years now (over a decade, wow, crazy, lol). I have been trying to "watch" more with various things over the last couple years though, because I know they won't be around forever, and I also know that it is just a good skill to "know how to do" lol. If we could afford it then we would definitely either have a robot do all our cooking and cleaning, or if that isn't a possibility "yet" then I guess just hire a regular person to do those things for us, lol. Anyway it is probably better that we have to do those things ourselves as it is a very good thing to know how to do. I do bake cookies sometimes, along with doing things that basically just require "boiling water" like pasta, eggs, soup, simple kinds of things like that. Oh and I also "fry" things too sometimes, mostly just fried eggs or omelets.

Wishing you the best of luck with all the things you end up cooking/baking, and yup as others have said here, practice with it will definitely bring lots of improvement. I also like what the person said (so sorry, too lazy to check right now and kinda in the middle of a bunch of things too, lol) about there being no "mistakes" only happy little accidents, and that if you learn from it and do better next time then that's all that really matters Oh and I enjoyed reading about everyone's various experiences with cooking/baking too, and found that "higher altitude adjustment" stuff fascinating! I had never even thought about those kinds of things before, always lived pretty much "at sea level" lol. We have lots of mountains around us here since the area is referred to as a "valley" but ya we definitely could never afford to live "on" those mountains, lol.


Lol aw I understand about this one @MisterBGone , I also thought for a long time that they were "one and the same" lol but no the difference between them is "cooking" is generally done on the stove, and "baking" is when it goes in the oven.

Yes I have been watching my husband more as he cooks...as like you I was (still am) the dishwasher/cleaner upper... Yes it is important to have a sense of humor about mistakes even with company

 

[Kiwi2016]

Well, it's an experience, I guess

View attachment 65756

Have to ask @FFurry...are you a Monty Python fan?

 

[Kiwi2016]

And so. . .Is it really; 'one IN the same, then?' Like a Muhammad Ali~!* You see?.? ;D (& Cassius Clay, ofc!)

You know, years ago... I'd heard a director (movie) say: to, "get/or make yourself a menu," as a means of inspiring to learn more things to cook. So everytime you do learn something new, there you go, add it simply to that then. And his was super cool, things like breakfast tacos & whatnot~

As for how? I haven't got a clue, especially if your room mate does it all, all of the time. But then, you're just going to have to take over, and make it a little side excursion or something, for your own, or all by yourself when you can and there's free time & space, so on & so forth. Finding someone inspirational can probably be quite helpful, if you derive motivation from that type of thing: their personality, or charisma, mostly mainly their 'tastes,' I'd suppose? And then again, something which will be appropriate for your skill-level. Which is why Martha Stewart has been out for me, for quite some time (of the question, that is~*)!

Sadly, my menu hasn't changed all that much since college. But? What is one to do! . . ~*

Glad I am not alone vis-a-vis Martha Stewart!

 

[Kiwi2016]

Try not to feel too bad if you mess something up. I've probably been cooking about 15 years, and don't do it too often, but I do it well enough. Though sometimes things will still not turn out the way I want them to (soggy grilled cheese, watery grits) so it's really kind of trial and error I think.

Yes you are so right...important to remember this...

 

[Kiwi2016]

Thanks for the tag @Kiwi2016
I get very nervous about cooking but I want to learn to do it better. I am a bit more comfortable with baking, and have successfully made a few things from scratch, especially muffins. My biggest success was when I made a batch of pumpkin muffins for my friend who had just broken up with his longtime partner when I was living in California.

One time I tried to heat myself up a frozen burger patty on the stove. It didn’t burn, but the smoke alarm went off and I started panicking. My roommate (who worked and was trained as a cook) was sick in bed and slept through it but I woke him up. He helped me calm down and told me I should not have put extra oil in the pan because oil is already coming off the burger.

@PrincessPure is it a hostel you will be staying at? The hostels I’ve been to have all had some women-only dorms, but I’ve only been to a few hostels, so I can’t speak for all. It does seem like a good idea for them to have it.

Hadn't thought about muffins...so another on the list of things to try. Your story made me laugh as that is so me... in an opposite way when I was a kid my mother used to buy those frozen pizza baguette things-- I asked my dad to heat it up for me and for various reasons basically said just eat it cold...so yes I complied...not the brightest moment of my life...lol! and admit never had another one of those again....

 

[MisterBGone]

W

Try not to feel too bad if you mess something up. I've probably been cooking about 15 years, and don't do it too often, but I do it well enough. Though sometimes things will still not turn out the way I want them to (soggy grilled cheese, watery grits) so it's really kind of trial and error I think.

ell, I'm sorry I haven't been there to reprimand you! j/k. .

 

[KM76710]

Well, it's an experience, I guess

View attachment 65756

That appeals to me, but I claim to be the progenitors of the Morlocks, bring on the Eloi and the hot sauce. LOL

 

[KM76710]

Growing up I had a next door neighbor who was first generation from Mexico. She had all these ancient recipes that had been handed down for generations. My gosh that food was so good. The refried beans were my favorite, and they were so good because of lard. It’s too bad that they moved away before I learned Spanish

Absolutely. Lard and refried beans makes me think of back prior to the early 90s when McDonald's French fries were being fried in tallow. Vegetable oil still tasty and healthier but way different on the flavor.

 

[MisterBGone]

Absolutely. Lard and refried beans makes me think of back prior to the early 90s when McDonald's French fries were being fried in tallow. Vegetable oil still tasty and healthier but way different on the flavor.

Trans Fatty Acids... I miss those, they haven't taste d the same ~ since*!(; in my mind

 

[FFurry]

Have to ask @FFurry...are you a Monty Python fan?

Well, I've certainly taken a few of their iconic moments to heart. For instance, no matter what life has dealt you, it's just a flesh wound! And no one expects the Spanish Inquisition, but it'll come anyway

 

[Javier]

Thanks for the tagging, @Kiwi2016. I wish you and everyone else well. I'm not very good with cooking. Actually, I'm terrible at cooking. I'm so bad that I can even somehow make a bowl of cereal taste awful, so I suppose that's a talent of mine.

 

[Kiwi2016]

Thanks for the tagging, @Kiwi2016. I wish you and everyone else well. I'm not very good with cooking. Actually, I'm terrible at cooking. I'm so bad that I can even somehow make a bowl of cereal taste awful, so I suppose that's a talent of mine.

You aren't alone as my husband is continuously surprised when I make one of those ready packaged rices...it's either dry or swimming...lol..

 

[Kiwi2016]

Well, I've certainly taken a few of their iconic moments to heart. For instance, no matter what life has dealt you, it's just a flesh wound! And no one expects the Spanish Inquisition, but it'll come anyway

I know...along with ministry of silly walks, arguments etc. etc. so miss that sense of humor will admit as grew up watching it as a kid...along with Faulty Towers too of course....

 

[Kiwi2016]

The fun advice from me is unhealthy, got to have cast iron skillets which hopefully are decades old and plenty of lard. LOL My grandmother taught me how to cook and most all meats were fried and meals were heavy on the meat. Side dishes were mainly either French fries or mashed potatoes and cornbread is a must as well as plenty of gravy. Tasty, but not healthy.

Oh...good homemade gravy...nothing like it

 

[MisterBGone]

Ha! Tjhat was one I neveer got into~ *(for waht ever reason: I know I may / or may not have / been too young[=> I seem to recall a lot of older bros: say 4-5 yrs. & so forth who were really into that show--Monty Python_). Another on here referecned wome time asgo some_where, perhaps; maybe? Inless that was just a fragment, or a pigmentation of my mind^ ;D was the Benny Hill Show. And then some one (it may havee been @Sunspots ) but dont "Quote," Me. Posted a link, I think. . : ) Any questions! Good, I don't have any answers~*(_;

 

[Ziggy]

Our mam used to make the blackest black puddings you ever saw.
One day, even the white bits were black.