Male cooks

Well for what it's worth, the single most fool-proof recipes I've cooked are by Nigella Lawson, better even than the saintly Delia. Her books are excellent, particularly her latest one - Kitchen. Not only is a less-confident male cook guaranteed a tasty meal from this book, the pictures are pretty tasty too! :icon_rolleyes::blush::)
 
Pig Cat said:
Well for what it's worth, the single most fool-proof recipes I've cooked are by Nigella Lawson, better even than the saintly Delia. Her books are excellent, particularly her latest one - Kitchen. Not only is a less-confident male cook guaranteed a tasty meal from this book, the pictures are pretty tasty too! :icon_rolleyes::blush::)
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Are we talking pictures of Nigella....or the food???.....Very Tasty Lady
 
GOLDCREST said:
Pig Cat said:
Well for what it's worth, the single most fool-proof recipes I've cooked are by Nigella Lawson, better even than the saintly Delia. Her books are excellent, particularly her latest one - Kitchen. Not only is a less-confident male cook guaranteed a tasty meal from this book, the pictures are pretty tasty too! :icon_rolleyes::blush::)
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Are we talking pictures of Nigella....or the food???.....Very Tasty Lady
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i agree, a lot of recipes look nice but taste disgusting

for example a lot of recipes in cakes asks for baking soda when it should be backing powder

all this acomplishes is to make it taste horrible


the biggest problem people have with baking is getting the mixture too wet or dry

if its too dry add an extra egg (can use milk instead in some recipes) if its too wet add extra flour

thats where most people fall down, then when people complain that it dosnt raise in the oven


there are two reasons for this

1. they ussed norml flour better to use self-raising and some baking powder

2. they keep opening the door, if you open the door the temperature drop will stop the cakes raising as much
 
shanky887614 said:
for example a lot of recipes in cakes asks for baking soda when it should be backing powder
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You do know that baking powder is primarily baking soda (ie. bicarbonate of soda) usually pre-mixed with some weak acid don't you?

Usually you use baking powder where there are insufficient acids in the mixture already (ie. no lemon juice, no yoghurt, no buttermilk) to activate the baking soda.
 
I do pretty much all the cooking in our house too (not baking though).

I found this cook book to be one of the best as it's simple and easy to follow with no really hard to get ingredients. A couple of the Jamie Oliver are OK too, but he does like to chuck in things which are a pain to get.

I don't do anything particularly fancy. Home made fish pie (with 'proper' white sauce - easy) and plenty of stews and casseroles (a slow cooker is a must).

In fact my favourite kitchen gadgets are the slow cooker and a potato ricer for the best mash ever!
 
Tall_Paul said:
A couple of the Jamie Oliver are OK too, but he does like to chuck in things which are a pain to get.
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Yup, another good one for starters (beginners, not the course!) is Ministry of Food. Lots of everyday favourites and traditional meals.
 
Personal fave cook books:
Rick Stein - anything to do with fish. Brilliant simple explanations of filleting procedures etc, lovely recipes. Has definitely broadened my fish palate/pallette:icon_razz:
Nigel Slater - basically, keep it simple. His Appetite book is beautifully written and photographed, loads of recipes/tips in there. A great read as well as a recipe book.
Honourable mention for Mr Sweary - Gordon Ramsay. Surprisingly simple recipes, easy to follow.

Delia's book is however the bible of cookery, and always the first one I reach for when I need cooking times, temperatures and recipes for classic stuff which I somehow manage never to remember.
 
Gingerpose said:
Delia's book is however the bible of cookery, and always the first one I reach for when I need cooking times, temperatures and recipes for classic stuff which I somehow manage never to remember.
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Yes Delia's great, but in terms of 'food bibles' I would suggest that Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook and, on a more technical level, the Ballymaloe Cookery Course give her a very good run for her money. Both excellent books that cover a multitude of recipes.
 
I'm a great believer in the Dairy Book of Home Cookery (1968 edition) for all the basics... no cocking about with artificially manufactured greases and foreign measurements - obviously as it was published by the Milk Marketing Board of England & Wales, all the recipes call for "English or Welsh butter" but I personally tend to use local butter for local people in direct contravention of their edicts :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dairy-Book-Home-Cookery/dp/B0007K9D6A

I certainly didn't pay £143 for it though!
 
I'm making small advances. I have the oven heating up to 210 so that I can prepare a baguette for 9 minutes before adding cheese for my lunch.


................ from little acorns grow.
 
Come on now Peter, the new and old man learnt how to cook to avoid starving and woo women so a cheese baguet just wont do, present the good lady with perfectly made scrambled eggs, a bit of smoked salmon with a glass of bubbly and you'll be in her good books for a month especially if its unexpected.
 
Sage advice from Tony there. Outstanding scrambled eggs and competent toast at the very least should be in everyone's repertoire. (Hmm, I seem to remember Arthur Marshall had something to say on this subject, to do with his days as a fag at Eton ... yeah, let's forget about that one. I don't want to provide the marginal glosses). Anyway Peter, glad to see you getting stuck into the cooking thing, after all it's not rocket salad, is it? :icon_rolleyes:
 
antdad said:
Come on now Peter, the new and old man learnt how to cook to avoid starving and woo women so a cheese baguet just wont do, present the good lady with perfectly made scrambled eggs, a bit of smoked salmon with a glass of bubbly and you'll be in her good books for a month especially if its unexpected.
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From what Peter's already said, I think it would be extremely unexpected.
 
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