For you home cooks: kitchen tasks you love and hate

[Jock]

Originally Posted by Suzanne

But you know, sometimes I just get so tired of thinking about it every day.

I'm right with you on this.

Jock

[Nantzie]

Originally Posted by Nentony

Reaching consensus on what we should eat.

I hate that too.

I try to get my husband to tell me what he wants to eat at the beginning of the week so I can plan my shopping and menus. He always says that he likes everything. But when he eats what I make he always says - "This is good." (In a this is just okay kind of voice.) "Next time you should... ."

It makes me want to scream.

What I love oddly enough is cleaning my big stainless steel saute pan. No matter what I put it through, how much gunk has been crusted onto it and how irreppably damaged it looks after I'm done cooking, it just takes a few minutes to make it shine like I just pulled it out of the box.

I was fooled by the whole "non-stick is better" BS my whole life. It turns out that stainless is 1000x easier and quicker to clean than any of that other stuff. If I did half the stuff I've done to my old nonstick skillet, I would have to soak it, and then gently try to wear the mess off. With the stainless I can just grab a green scrubby sponge and be done with it in two minutes. A little Barkeeper's Friend powder at the end and it looks perfect.



Nancy

[Jayme]

Originally Posted by panini

Am I allowed?
I love to challenge myself to make dinner in 25 minutes and have all the pots cleaned and just the dishes to be done after.
pan

Pan- How DO you do that?? when I end up late from work, plus the hour to cook... makes dinner a little late some nights

My dislike- clean up after a big/elaborate meal- I can really trash a kitchen...LOL
Like- Trying a new recipe and having it turn out great!!

[Jayme]

Originally Posted by indianwells

Peeling Shallots has to be right up there!
Love chopping,slicing,dicing.
One of the best things for me is the smell of a long slow braise as it slowly permeates the house on a cold winter afternoon,especially if it's a leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic!I do mine for 6 hours on the lowest possible heat.No need for fiddly carving,just caress the meat off the bone!

Indian- OMG your lamb sounds sooo good right now! Tell you what- I'll peel all the shallots you want.... you fix the leg of lamb! LOL I can grab a fork and get on a plane and be there in ...what 12-13 hours???

[KCZ]

After reading everyone else's posts, I guess I should be ashamed to confess this, but I HATE chopping/slicing/dicing/mincing things.

I LOVE making up new recipes or spending hours fussing over an elaborate dessert to wow guests. Making tropical cocktails with a blender also has its merits.

[nofifi]

Mezz, I was just surfing one day and came upon it, probably just type in Stock Sock and you'll find it, I got mine a few years ago. I'll try to find the site but I just got off work and am comatose at this point, lol. I'll send it in the next day or so for you if you don't find it.

I finally got rid of the husband who always complained about dinner, although I was always told, I'll eat anything and then when I cooked, he wished I would have made something else. I now have 2 male dogs, (Diaper Dog) and a German Shepard who LOVE my cooking and never complain, lol. I just wish they could empty my dishwasher (although, my husband never knew how to either, lol).

[nofifi]

Ok, decided I really don't need that extra 15 minutes of sleep tonight, lol, looked it up...kitchenkapers.com

Set of 3 Soup Socks RW 825
Manufacturer #: RW 825
Price: $3.99
Usually ships in 3-5 business days.
Item #: 20456



Regency Soup Socks are ideal for making clear, flavorful broth. Add your favorite meat, vegetables, herbs and spices to the mesh bag and add it to your pot. When your stock is finished cooking, remove the sock and you are left with your clear broth.

Includes 3 fine mesh bags.

NOTE; I just throw mine in the dishwasher in the closed section (for baby bottle nipples or small things) and re-use them over and over. They work for me.

[indianwells]

Originally Posted by Jayme

Indian- OMG your lamb sounds sooo good right now! Tell you what- I'll peel all the shallots you want.... you fix the leg of lamb! LOL I can grab a fork and get on a plane and be there in ...what 12-13 hours???

Right! It's going in the oven now.The clock is ticking!

[Mezzaluna]

Nofifi, thanks for the soup sock information! They're worth a try.

I thought of the cloth bags Alton Brown uses to hold stuffing- he can pull it all out and not leave any in the bird, which can give it a chance to spoil.

[Austin_]

I hate chopping onions. I've made many at-home cooking videos, and every time I chop an onion- I burst into tears- literally. It's hysterical. But I can't even see where I'm going. I can't wait to get me some of them onion goggles- those look pretty sweet.

One thing I really do like is making pizza. Tossing the pizza up in the air and then being creative with the toppings is just a blast. And almost everyone likes pizza.

I also hate putting soup in the microwave, which is kind of a no brainer.

Kneading bread is also really relaxing. It feels like a pillow- although I've tried putting my head on it and it just became a sticky mess. xD. I really like pan-frying bacon as well. Just because of the smell. I know vegetarians who get tempted by the smell of bacon.

[Jayme]

Originally Posted by indianwells

Right! It's going in the oven now.The clock is ticking!

Ok find me a flight!!! LOL ****...I gotta work!! One day....... I may show up on your doorstep, with a fork in hand (ok I'll bring my chef's knife too)

[Joyfull]

like..
making unusual salads and dressings.

experimenting with breads.

working out low fat low carb low sugar recipes and them actually tasting good!

Cooking and baking the "big" meal for family/friends get-togethers then watching them all be so satisfied..

Baking and decorating cakes..

Dislike..
cleaning up my mess, I use soooo many pots, bowls, and untensils its rediculous!

I too hate emptying the dishwasher and putting away.. I tend to put that chore off the most..

I go along with the straining of stocks also.

You know, I wonder if poultry stuffing bags would work the same as Nofifi's stock socks?!

[phoebe]

Originally Posted by Nentony

Reaching consensus on what we should eat.

I agree with Tony and everyone else who has quoted this. We go round and round and then I go to the market and draw a complete blank.

We don't have a dishwasher () so I hate doing dishes. I especially hate washing glasses (they tend to slip out of my hands) and scrubbing out big soup or stew pots.

I love prep: the measuring, weighing, chopping, etc. And I love making anything that takes a lot of time on or in the stove so I can do other things while basking in the great smells coming from the kitchen--almost like someone is cooking for me

[DMT]

Hmmm.. What I hate?? Will have to think about that for a while...

Since I'm not the "daily cook" in this house, and my contributions are sporadic, or for special occasions, I'd rather concentrate on the things I love.

Like making something really simple (like a quesadilla that is light and flaky, and absolutely melts in your mouth) that the kids would cross two states for (and my wife begrudgingly admits is delicious).

Or grilling some protien that is cooked and seasoned to perfection (multitude of tastes in this house, so it's a challenge to get all the servings juuuussst right).

Helping make a large holiday meal. I may only be relegated to sauteing onions, or preparing vegetables, or mashing potatoes, or whatever, but if it helps the Boss, then it's all worthwhile.

Working in harmony with the Boss in the kitchen. We've developed a "rhythm", where we can alomst sense what the other person is going to do, or where they're going to move next. So much better than the hateful glares that would be given when collisions resulted in ruined dishes...

Cleaning up. Yeah, I know that sounds stoopid, but if I didn't prepare the meal itself (or any portion thereof), I see it as my responsibility to square things away afterwards, if only to show my gratitude for having my meal prepared and served.

Especially cleaning up during and after a large holiday meal, because:
a) I didn't usually have to do much of the shopping
b) there's so many things going on in the prep and cooking with two of us doing it, that if the cutting boards, mixing and measuring cups & bowls, knives, etc. weren't cleaned and ready for the next wave of prep then things wouldn't flow so well.
c) the Boss deserves some time to spend with the family and guests without worrying about how the dishes are going to get cleaned, leftovers taken care of, and "care packages" being made up. She works so hard to make it happen, that the least I can do is pick up the slack. And I enjoy doing just that...

Cooking for guests (not family) and having them go "Ummmmm", as they enjoy the meal. That makes it for me...

I'm sure that there is more, but

Hate? Finally thought of a couple.

Cleaning the grill... It turns into a full day's job, just because I like my cooking area spotless...

Cooking something for the first time, and not having it turn out "right". It may be edible (if even "just"...), but if it doesn't please the guests (much less me), I feel like such a failure. And I absotively HATE that feeling.

But I'm getting better at making things correctly...

[CapeCodder]

For me, picking and chopping parsley or cilantro are my least favorite tasks. My wife thinks absolutely no stems should be included - even though I point out to her how the tv chefs include them all the time. I don't like parsley or cilantro chopped very fine, but I will invariably gather the mound and make one more pass over it - ****! too fine again! lol

My favorite task - by far - is making a pan sauce. Watching the fond turn a liquid into a thing of delight is always a wonder. I also enjoy deciding whhat I will add atthe last mionute tomake the sauce glaze a trifle different. Maybe a glug of pomegranate molasses for a slight sweet and pucker zing is perect for quaiil, or a spoon or two of pepper jelly and chopped mint for lamb, or a glug of claret for a roast or a steak. You get the idea. Sooo very, very, many possibilities. Then there's mustards, and wines, and herbs and tomato somethings, and tamarind and citruses - juices and peels, and dairy. iwill stop now. lol