I can't cook.

[homestead jenna]

So, I've decided I really don't know how to cook. I'm gonna make my focus this year to learn to cook "peasant food" or staples like polentas, beans, potatoes, etc. I've had all sorts of cooking classes (just call me Becky Home-Ecky) and gourmet cooking - but my goal would be to feel as though - in an extreme situation - I could still come up with nourishing food or at least subsistence food.

Does anyone have any resources relating to this type of cooking that they'd care to share?

 

[Dace]

Well if you have more specific questions I would be happy to guide you.

You mention basic foods, polenta, beans, potatoes...but are you looking to create simple meals or just gain a better understanding of those specific foods? or recipes containing those foods?

Those foods are all very simple to prepare...what exactly do you need to learn about them?

 

[FarmerChick]

Join my club----I can't cook either.

Dace sure would be the one to get tips from....she is thinking about offering classes to learn to cook......now she would know what to tell you.

Me, I am bad news in the kitchen. Burn, under-cook, forget to cook....ahaha...that is me!!!!

I don't like cooking cause I feel like there is so much more to be doing, especially outside. Just not for me.

best of luck in learning cause it is a good thing to truly know, cause then if times are rough, you can grab so many wierd ingredients and make a gourmet meal your family will smile about!!!!!

 

[2dream]

HJ - sure you can cook. If you can boil water, fry frozen french fries, or stick a frozen pizza in the oven you can cook. What you really want to do is refine your cooking skills.

Once you answer the questions Dace ask - everyone will be jumping in here with advice.

 

[enjoy the ride]

Cooking is like anything else- all it needs is concentration and practice.
When I try to multitask doing non-cooking things while trying to cook, that is when I screw up. You know- run out and check on something but not judge when to get back in time not to burn stuff.
Let's see -save the goat or the potatoes?

 

[punkin]

I do like to cook and do pretty well on most things most of the time.
I still have foul ups, though.

I have found that crock-pots and dutch ovens are really easy. They do the cooking for you. You can do whole meals in one pot.

Another thing that helps me is to make sure I set my kitchen timer. It's easy for me to forget stuff.

 

[FarmerChick]

save the goat ETR---save the goat

meat is so much yummier than taters. hmm...I like both though.

get your act together and save that meal!!!!








I had the farrier coming at like 5 pm to shoe Peepers. Tony wanted chicken wings for dinner. Of course he comes from the barn starving. I stuck them in at like 450! Shoeing over and get up to the house and WOW, WOW, those suckers were incinerated! Had to throw pan and all....after it cooled!!!!!!!

that is me in a nutshell...........chatting horses with Todd was way more important than those wings.
LOL

 

[patandchickens]

So, I've decided I really don't know how to cook. I'm gonna make my focus this year to learn to cook "peasant food" or staples like polentas, beans, potatoes, etc. I've had all sorts of cooking classes (just call me Becky Home-Ecky) and gourmet cooking - but my goal would be to feel as though - in an extreme situation - I could still come up with nourishing food or at least subsistence food.

It seems to me the way to learn to cook any particular food is to go buy some and then cook it, and whatever didn't turn out right, try a little different next time, and so on. You learn by doing. Honest Master one or two techniques for a given food before trying other types of recipes.

So that is pretty much 'how to learn to cook staples like polenta, beans, potatoes, etc.

As far as getting practice at cooking with whatever's at hand, work out (like, not from a cookbook -- from DOING IT) a few basic protocols for making a few basic things, like soup, and stew, and beans, and a rice pilaf, and bread of one or more sort. Then play with them. See what happens when you substitute X for Y, or when you add Z. Pretty soon you will -- you really WILL -- develop a sense of what's essential, what's optional, and what's a bad idea. Also how to recover from mistakes, which is a very important subsistance cooking skill as well

Truly, I think the first step is to move away from classes and cookbooks and recipes and just DO IT. A lot. (Exception: for some type of food you haven't really worked with before, find a good sound basic technique-type recipe to use as your starting point).

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[enjoy the ride]

Though I have become a better cook over the years, what I have really become good at is to save a mistake. I have learned to take something in which I have put too much salt and take part of it out, freeze it for next time and add new ingredients to make up the new batch. Or simply double the recipe except for the extra ingredient.

In fact I saved a magazine article once on how you fix that cooking mistake- hmmmm.......... -should dig that out again.

 

[reinbeau]

There is a really interesting article in Backwoods Home this month about cooking with rice and beans - Check it out there. There are quite a few recipes at the end of the article.

(It always amazes me how that magazine seems to be right on target with what we're discussing here!)