What can't you cook after, trying over and over again?
For some reason, I cannot cook a perfect grilled cheese sandwich. I've tried so many times and usually something terrible goes wrong (I set fire to something, I burn myself, I burn the sandwich to charcoal...) What seemingly simple (or not so simple) item can you not cook?
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29 Comments:
Marinara sauce. No matter what recipe I use, it comes out too tart, too chunky, too oniony, whatever... just wrong. I'm good with Italian food in general, and I even have some genes for it, so I don't get what the problem is.
emily20008 at 11:07PM on 03/08/07
I can't seem to make any kind of yeast dough. I'd love to be able to make fresh bread, or glazed doughnuts, or cinnamon rolls, and I have tried many times. But the dough never rises like it's supposed to. I have never had any luck with this.
BreadBox at 11:33PM on 03/08/07
@emily Don't use any onions. Marinara by definition is supposed to be a quick sauce. Check out my recipe http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2007/03/healthy-college-budget-pasta-d.html
JerzeeTomato at 1:15AM on 03/09/07
Actually, marinara, by definition (at least according to Webster) is:
Etymology: Italian (alla) marinara, literally, in sailor style
: made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices ; also : served with marinara sauce
I'm sure there are many recipes for marinara sauce.
If you use onion, mince it fine and saute until soft.
Lou at 6:00AM on 03/09/07
the key to grilled cheese is low and slow.
french tart at 7:48AM on 03/09/07
large hunks of meat. Always something missing, like flavor! It might be juicy but no flavor, or somewhat flavorfull but dry.
ThatGirl153 at 8:38AM on 03/09/07
For me - it's calamari. I tried every approach from every recipe I could find, and there is just no way I can get them melt-in-your-mouth tender the way a restaurant chef can (and in my experience there are very few of those who can either). Flash frying for a minute in a very hot oil comes out ok, but still not close enough.
Mr. K at 9:06AM on 03/09/07
Well, I had another post about this, but my beans are always inconsistent - although some of the comments from other serious eaters were helpful, particularly the suggestion to add some vinegar to the water.
Otherwise (and yes, this is a deeply humiliating thing to admit), I frequently time my pasta wrong. At this point I'm probably so nervous about the whole thing that it just compounds the problem.
caley at 11:22AM on 03/09/07
ta much, Jerzee!
emily20008 at 11:28AM on 03/09/07
I'm ashamed to admit that lately I've been unable to make a decent batch of mashed potatoes. Somehow no matter how much butter and milk or cream and salt and pepper I add, they end up tasting just potatoey and blah. I used to be able to make a great batch, but lost my touch I guess.
megnut at 11:28AM on 03/09/07
Megnut, I recently discovered that if I use a little olive oil in place of some of the butter, a 1/4 bar of cream cheese and PLENTY of salt it ups the wow factor on my mashed potatoes which tend to be on the blah side. (I leave skins on also)
ThatGirl153 at 11:42AM on 03/09/07
I can never make a decent cake. They always always fall. I live in Denver and I do the high altitude adjustments but cakes - they hate me.
mel at 12:00PM on 03/09/07
My omelets fall apart. They should be so simple, but generally end in tragedy.
jogvil at 12:09PM on 03/09/07
Fried chicken. My fella loves to eat and has asked me many times to make fried chicken, but it sucks big time. I honestly believe cooking good fried chicken is an art.
hatlady at 12:33PM on 03/09/07
Breaded pork chops...my breading always falls off...I've tried the flour, egg, bread crumbs method, and just egg & bread crumbs...and I still have the same problem. My mother-in-law makes the best breaded pork chops, & I'd love to learn from her...but she speaks only Czech!
I do agree with French Tart on the grilled cheese...low & slow...and don't move away from the pan...it only takes a minute for the burn to begin!
My sister says I make the best grilled cheese...lots of butter, not too much cheese, low temp & constant attention!
mepolo at 1:39PM on 03/09/07
Sourdough bread.. baked goods of most description, actually.. I love bread, sourdough especially, and I've tried multiple times to make a starter.. but I seem to manage to muss it up each time, and in a different way each time. I'd give up, but the idea of having fresh sourdough any time I want it is just too compelling!
myzkyti at 1:44PM on 03/09/07
Scrambled eggs-I get the idea of how to do it, I've watched people make them well, but mine always get overcooked and not creamy like the best ones are. I think I'm too paranoid about them being undercooked...oh well, I'll just stick to frittatas-I have much better luck in that department!
psychsarah at 3:58PM on 03/09/07
I can't make an egg white omelette to save my life. And I never cook the first pancake nearly as good as the second. I never have the patience to let the pan heat up enough.
NickDavid at 4:17PM on 03/09/07
Anything with yeast dough
JEP at 5:33PM on 03/09/07
I am with Hatlady I can't make fried chicken to save my life. My mom makes the BEST! She has tried to teach me but mine never comes out with that beautiful golden perfect crust/skin.
Sindy at 11:52PM on 03/09/07
pie crust.
paulius at 6:36AM on 03/10/07
Megnut, are you salting the potato-cooking water well? Salt doesn't have much effect when you add it at the end.
emily20008 at 10:17AM on 03/10/07
I've only ever failed at one thing I've attempted, and that's madeleines. The melted butter separated from the batter and deep-fried the resultant hockey pucks of batter. Blech.
For those of you who have trouble with grilled cheese, try using real mayonnaise on the outsides of the bread instead of butter or margarine. It browns evenly and lends a great crispiness.
AdamH at 9:56PM on 03/10/07
I am loathe to admit this because I used to be able to make it perfectly, but for some reason, I can no longer make... rice. No matter how much rice, water and salt I use or whether I boil, steam or use the pilaf method, it comes out all wrong. I just can't make fluffy rice anymore. I've had sticky, soupy or crunchy rice, sometimes all in the same pot!
I finally broke down and bought a small rice cooker. I only wish I'd bought a larger one-- I didn't know it would be so useful!
Calichef at 2:15AM on 03/11/07
Calichef:
That is exactly what i came in here to mention. I usually completely avoid making rice because it never comes out the way I want it to... and if it does... it seems it is by sheer accident and those results take years (and a lot of luck) to reproduce. I have been considering a rice cooker, but I'm having trouble weighing the costs vs. benefits. I have never known anyone personally that has one. Advice?
laurenmarie at 8:00AM on 03/12/07
Alfredo sauce. Actually any kind of cheese sauce. Too much flour (or butter or cheese) or sometimes not enough (flour, butter or cheese). The wrong cheese. How hard can it be for goodness sakes?
Oh and about megnut's mashed potatoes. I'm a bit of a garlic hound, so I always add a couple of whole cloves to the water to boil with the potatoes. And I just mash it with the potatoes rather than try to fish 'em out.
JoAnn at 6:26PM on 03/12/07
@ laurenmarie-
Honestly, I think the rice cooker may be one of the most useful kitchen tools I've ever owned. Since I'd never used one before, I just bought a super-cheapie at Sprawlmart. Mine came with a stackable steamer basket. Steaming the vegetables and/or a nice piece of fish while the rice cooks makes for an easy dinner. It will make any sort of grain or even other sorts of foods.
I haven't used the thing for this, but I bet it would do a great job of boiling potatoes. Essentially, you just push a button that brings food to a boil and then simmers it for 20 minutes. That covers a lot of foods, and you can always cook things longer just by pushing the button again. Plus, it keeps food warm until you turn it off. I think I will do some research in the hunt for one that is bigger and maybe a bit more versatile.
Rice is almost always either sticky or loaded with some sort of fat. For me, the only way I can get the fluffy, individual grains of rice of my dreams is the free boiling/draining method, like pasta. So, I've just decided to believe that sticky rice is ok. It tastes the same when it's sticky, and sticky is way better than crunchy, right?
Calichef at 6:36AM on 03/13/07
this is sad, but i can't cook a perfect egg-in-a-hole.
or, for that matter, a fried egg either.
thefrugalfoodie at 7:49PM on 03/13/07
Pancakes. Seems the temperature is never quite right for me and they just don't come out round.
kuhlimuh at 2:47PM on 03/14/07