What makes a good cook?

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What makes a good cook?

New postby PaulineG on Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:13 pm

It's not really a recipe but this seemed like the right place to put it. I was pondering today why some people just have the talent and others just don't. Most of us (me included) fall somewhere in the middle but there are those out there with tons of skill and others with the equivalent of a black thumb in gardening.

I was doing my grocery shopping in preparation for the murder tonight. I'm doing the main (fettucine carbonara) and getting one couple to bring salad and bread, another nibbles and soft drink and the last couple some dessert and birthday cake (there are two birthday boys coming). I nearly forgot the cream and ice cream to cover up the taste/texture of what will surely be amongst the worst cakes ever tasted. I was caught short when this friend of mine offered to bring the cake - she means well but is a terrible cook. I've seen her make cake mixes that were terrible - or use recipes that I've had turn out delightful become horrible. So it's not just down to recipes or ingredients. Which brings me back to my original question.

Why do some have it and others not? What is the difference between them?
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Re: What makes a good cook?

New postby carman on Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:56 pm

i make the best.............................................. reservations in town :lol: i love cooking for a crowd and can make a wonderful meal, but when it comes to cooking for my husband and i, YUCK, cooking for two does not compute in my head and that is what is my house, he and i :roll:

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Re: What makes a good cook?

New postby pucktricks on Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:58 pm

Don't know. I just know that my cooking style drives everyone up the wall when they try to get recipes. For some reason, "add oregano until it looks right," or "add a handful of basil" does not translate well to other people.

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Re: What makes a good cook?

New postby Mom of Six on Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:47 pm

I understand Ticia! I can cook anything that I watched my mom or dad make. I have been told I am a very good cook & baker. I think that in order to do a good job you have to want to do it & have someone who will appriciate it when you are done. I don't know why some people just can't seem to make anything edible. I do know a few people like that & we always suggest they bring chips or drinks.
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Re: What makes a good cook?

New postby Sancin on Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:25 pm

Interesting question. Having grown up with a mother who was an excellent cook and a grandmother who was a boring cook I didn't really know what badly cooked food was. Then it came to church functions. My CGIT leader loved to cook and weekly brought absolutely unedible items to share with everyone. We lived next door to the minister whose wife actually used to hide when she saw ...... striding up the street with a pot. I never could believe that she didn't recognize her own poor cooking or that her family didn't tell her. I do know there was no stopping her! :shock:
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Re: What makes a good cook?

New postby kaitlinnegan on Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:57 pm

I'm not a bad cook (not the best either), but last year I made a pie for a party that did not turn out at all. It was a key lime pie made with tofu (I know what you're thinking...), but I had made it several times at home and it turned out great. The one I brought to the party, though, did not set up at all. It tasted fine, but was basically just a puddle of goo. People acted like I must not know how to cook at all - it was very embarrassing. :oops: No one seemed to believe me when I said it had turned out better before. I've been a bit shy of making things to share since that incident.

I'm not sure what makes a really good cook - in my case things seem to turn out ok depending on the recipe. But, without a recipe..forget it. There are very few things I can make without a recipe, and they are very simple - roasted potatoes, stir fried veggies, etc. - and I end up using the same combinations of spices all the time. It works out fine for us most of the time, but I'd like to be a little bit more creative sometimes.
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Re: What makes a good cook?

New postby DorothyL on Sat Sep 22, 2007 6:23 am

I can cook, especially with a recipe, but I don't enjoy it unless I have a clean kitchen and plenty of extra time. I'd rater be sewing, or reading, or watching television, or writing (working), or sleeping or (and this is my very favorite) watching my husband cook.

My husband won't use a recipe. Usually he is a very good cook but sometimes..........well sometimes he goes a little overboard in the spice department.
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Re: What makes a good cook?

New postby sewingrandma on Sat Sep 22, 2007 10:13 am

I don't enjoy cooking, and I do need a recipe to have anything turn out good. DH is a great cook and rarely looks at a recipe. Wish I could persuade him to cook more ;) . My only complaint is he likes his spicy foods. I'm OK with spicy if it is mild. What I can't stand is black pepper. It burns my stomach. DH is amazed that I can detect even just a small amount in a whole recipe. :shame:
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Re: What makes a good cook?

New postby lendube on Sat Sep 22, 2007 12:06 pm

Being a good cook seems to be something that you either have a feel for or you don't. I think anyone can be adequate but not everyone can be really good. It's like teaching, cutting hair, sewing even. Some got it and some don't. ;)
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Re: What makes a good cook?

New postby Upholsteress on Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:47 pm

It's like teaching, cutting hair, sewing even. Some got it and some don't.


And some of us just get by! ROFL!!! I can cook... some tried and true things that have been perfected over the years... but i was raised in a large family... and the early years of our marriage was raising several children... so cooking for an army has always been the goal... in the last couple years... its swindled down to me most of the time... since my hubby is on the road most of the time and my daughter will NOT eat what i eat... I just have alot of stir fries and salads... I have discovered that when I try to cook for 2 when hubby IS home... its a disaster!!!! :(

Now ask me for a 3 gallon pot of chicken and dumplins and I'm good!
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