For you home cooks: kitchen tasks you love and hate

[Joyfull]

Originally Posted by DMT

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...

Oh my goodness DMT what a gem your are!
My DH does not even know how to turn on the dishwasher!!

[bubbamom]

Clean my roasting pans or deep fryer (which is probably why I generally avoid deep frying anything!). Or cleaning the kitchen after a marathon baking/cooking session (like when making Christmas cookies or a Thanksgiving dinner).

[bluedogz]

Dirk: No one is ever supposed to use my knives. And why are they not supposed to use my knives? Because they do not clean them

So I'm NOT the only one! When someone just up and uses one of my good knives, I feel as if they'd just taken my Ferrari (yeah, right) down to the Dairy Stop for a pint of milk. NOBODY touches them but me.

Cal me an anal-retentive jerk, but if you want the meal, don't mess with the machine.

[sweetnessx3]

Hey fellow cooks,
Im new to the forum so I hope I dont step on anyones toes !!!!

I have to make large meals every Holiday and one thing I have to make is deviled eggs and I hate peeling those things , when i make them just for me the shell come off with out a problem (just two in a pot )
but when I have a pot full maybe 24 the shell will not come off I tare up more eggs than I save

I love baking cookies ,I d love to make yeast rolls but Im afraid

lisa
Sweetnessx3

[Jock]

Originally Posted by sweetnessx3

Hey fellow cooks,
Im new to the forum so I hope I dont step on anyones toes !!!!

I have to make large meals every Holiday and one thing I have to make is deviled eggs and I hate peeling those things , when i make them just for me the shell come off with out a problem (just two in a pot )
but when I have a pot full maybe 24 the shell will not come off I tare up more eggs than I save

I love baking cookies ,I d love to make yeast rolls but Im afraid

lisa
Sweetnessx3

Welcome Lisa and of course you are not stepping on anyone's toes. Dive right in and have some fun here.

Have you tried cracking the eggs while they are cooling in some cold water? This does two things:

First it allows some of the sulphur compounds to escape, thereby avoiding that green discoloration around the yolk.
Second, it allows water to get between the shell and the egg making it easier to peel.

Jock

[sweetnessx3]

Thank you Jock Ill try that and it does make sense!!!


Lisa

[dledmo]

I like makeing a thick tomato sauce, slowly simmering for hours to reduce to almost a ragu. Mmmmm, tasting the sauce and making adjustments in seasoning, yum! Also roasting garlic, the smell as it sneaks from the kitchen. And barbequeing outside in the summer, sipping beverages as the kids laugh and play outside. As you can tell I am a leisurely cook, I hate being in rush, except when the meal is coming together at the end. Also I don't like when my wife comes into my kitchen and tries to tell me that is "our" kitchen.
I also like the sizzle sound as food first hits a blazing hot pan or grill.

[indianwells]

Originally Posted by dledmo

I like makeing a thick tomato sauce, slowly simmering for hours to reduce to almost a ragu. Mmmmm, tasting the sauce and making adjustments in seasoning, yum! Also roasting garlic, the smell as it sneaks from the kitchen. And barbequeing outside in the summer, sipping beverages as the kids laugh and play outside. As you can tell I am a leisurely cook, I hate being in rush, except when the meal is coming together at the end. Also I don't like when my wife comes into my kitchen and tries to tell me that is "our" kitchen.
I also like the sizzle sound as food first hits a blazing hot pan or grill.

I also like making tomato sauce!My wife knows better than to come into the kitchen when I am cooking and she wouldn't dare say it's "ours"!!
I'TS MINE I TELLS YA!!! ALL MINE!!!

[chris1980]

I don't like making full 5 course meals very often, just because I end up in the kitchen prepping and serving food when I should be sitting down and enjoying the meal!

I also don't like it when my wife follows me around the kitchen cleaning up after me. If I'm not careful I can turn around and all the spices and foods I need will be back in the pantry and all my knives and spoons will be in the dishwasher before I've even used them

[pupon]

I hate doing the dishes...

but I love making soups from start to finish and tasting it the whole way through.

[akila001]

I hate peeling
I don't like cutting veggies
I love making sauces for pasta and meat
I hate washing the dishes

[Dinengurth]

Like others, I love knife work. I'm always trying to be faster and more accurate with my cuts. Being in meat processing industry helps me w/ that also. I also like cleaning up while I work. There's nothing that bothers me more than a messy kitchen. I also really like doing meat fabrication. I was fortunate enough to have a 3rd generation master butcher from england as an instructor, and he's taught me so much about meat that butchering has become a second love alongside my love for culinary arts.
On the back side, I'm not really one for baking. Breads interest me, but I'm not really keen on preparing desserts. I much rather be over a range than in front of an oven. I also don't like doing canapes. Just too tedious.
Even though I may dislike a task in the kitchen, I know it's all just a part of the job. It's something that has to be done, even if I don't like it, the faster I get it done, the sooner I'll be done with it. But I'm more than willing to do any of it when someone tells me that they really enjoyed something I prepared. That's what makes me want to get back in the kitchen every day.