/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.4254542]

/ck, i need your help.

i came here from /fit, which means i eat really healthy, but i can't stand eating bland food any more, e.g. cooked eggs, oatmeal, milk, steak, veggies, etc.

i bought one of jamie oliver's books, but i lack the basics to do his stuff.
>inb4 hurr durr jamie oliver

i'm not asking for recipes, instead i would need guidance on how to start cooking properly. is there a book or a website, which would give me a sticky-like guide?

[Anonymous No.4254552]

i thought jamie oliver taught the basics in his book

[Anonymous No.4254558]

>>4254552
yeah some things are pretty detailed, but there is too much fancy stuff.
right now i can't even make a simple sauce from scratch. i need to learn things like this first, otherwise i won't even know if i'm doing well until i'm finished.

[Anonymous No.4254562]

>>4254558
*i've finished

[Anonymous No.4254573]

>>4254558
good luck man r u just feeding urself? watch alton brown.. all his recipes are online and ez

[Anonymous No.4254583]

>>4254573
>good luck man r u just feeding urself?
yeah basically yes. the only thing that was important to me was that the food had enough kcal and the right macronutrients.

>watch alton brown
thanks man.

[Anonymous No.4254591]

Alot (in my opinion) is about your pans. Get non-stick to start out with, otherwise your jimmies will be seriously rustled. Are there certain things you are on the fence/don't understand? Ask me.

Always glad to help out a fitizen.
no homo

[Anonymous No.4254602]

>>4254591
is there something like starting strength for cooking? there has to be.. how else do cooks learn to cook? or do they just learn by doing it?

[Anonymous No.4254606]

For sauces:
Start out with simple gravies and pan sauces. There are short cuts available that many people use. Things like Wondra flour, store bought stocks, etc. Once you get to where you feel like you have a decent handle on those and understand the basic processes at work and flavor profiling, try the scratch components instead of the shortcuts, then move into the more complex sauces.
Look into different cooking methods as well:
Roasting, braising, poaching, searing, grilling, simmering, broiling, sauteing, pan frying, stir frying, the list goes on and on.
Dry rubs are great for adding flavor to slower cooked meats (leaner cuts are often cooked slower).

[Anonymous No.4254612]

>>4254602
In restaurants? You start out as the kitchen bitch, doing all the shit grunt jobs. You watch and wait for your chance to learn something new.

[Anonymous No.4254616]

>>4254606
>Roasting, braising, poaching, searing, grilling, simmering, broiling, sauteing, pan frying, stir frying, the list goes on and on.
ooh boooy, those are a lot of new words. but this is the whole problem. i wouldn't even know where to start, that's why i need a good overview first.

[Anonymous No.4254622]

what do you guys think about this book?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Recipe-Cooks-Illustrated-Magazine/dp/0936184744/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300777687&sr=1-1

[Anonymous No.4254642]

>>4254622
pls respond.

[Anonymous No.4254653]

>>4254616
Google is your friend. There's really not one single authoritative source. Another person mentioned Alton Brown, and a lot of people like him because he gives very specific recipes with a decent amount of explanation. Probably a great learning tool there, but you can do it on your own as well. Find recipes that seem simpler. Anytime you come across a term you don't understand, look it up. Google is your friend. There are some good encyclopedic cooking books out there as well that are highly researched, but many beginners tend to get intimidated by them. I always found them invaluable when I was learning. The Food Lover's Companion is a smaller, friendlier cooking dictionary of sorts.

[Anonymous No.4254660]

>>4254542
>i eat really healthy
>eggs, milk, steak

>Cancer is healthy!

[Anonymous No.4254665]

>>4254653
>There are some good encyclopedic cooking books out there as well that are highly researched, but many beginners tend to get intimidated by them.
that's what i'm looking for. i want everything explained in detail so that i know what i'm doing. could you recommend one of those books?

[Anonymous No.4254668]

>>4254660

[Anonymous No.4254687]

>>4254542

Steak, bland? You're doing it wrong.

How are you cooking your steak?

[Anonymous No.4254688]

>>4254660

Eggs are healthy. Milk is in the middle. And for steak it all depends on the cut and how youre preparing it. Step out of the 1980s please.

Lemme guess, youre some edgy vegetarian that eats grilled cheese and fries?

[Anonymous No.4254692]

>>4254687
>You're doing it wrong.
I know. That's why I'm here.
Salt, pepper and I throw it in the pan for 10 minutes with as little oil as possible. Then I eat it with broccoli.

[Anonymous No.4254695]

>>4254665
it would be really nice, if you could answer this.

[Anonymous No.4254698]

>>4254692
btw the steak is lean, without any visible fat.

[Anonymous No.4254701]

Also from /fit/ add protein powder fruit and nuts to your oats, make omelettes with your eggs. Also if you want recipes http://www.rippedrecipes.com/ some are really healthy others not so much but you should be able to judge that for yoursself.

[Anonymous No.4254705]

>>4254660

[Anonymous No.4254708]

>>4254698
You'd be better off buying a steak like Ribeye with some fat on it, then grilling it without any oil at all.

[Anonymous No.4254712]

>>4254708
I just realised that I capitalised ribeye because of what a godly cut it is.

[Anonymous No.4254710]

>>4254591
>Get non-stick
dont do this.
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20050113/is-teflon-chemical-toxic-epa-seeks-answers

[Anonymous No.4254711]

>>4254701
>http://www.rippedrecipes.com/
thanks for that!

[Anonymous No.4254719]

>>4254712
>ribeye
i'll try to get it the next time i go shopping. how do i know how high the temperature in the pan should be? trial and error?

[Anonymous No.4254722]

>>4254665
aside from The Food Lover's Companion, my personal favorites are:
Larousse Gastronomique ~ classical French stuff. I haven't used the recipes from it, but I like reading what it has to say about techniques. I've heard from many that the recipes are hit and miss, and much of the time assume certain knowledge levels.
Culinary Institute of America text books ~ yes, they're made for culinary students and professional kitchens, and measurements are in weight and often huge batches, but they have very good definitions and directions for techniques, all arranged very neatly.
Wayne Gisslen ~ Editor of many professional books, which I personally like
I've heard good things about foodsubs.com I don't know from first hand experience on that one though.

[Anonymous No.4254724]

>>4254722
quality post. thank you!

[Anonymous No.4254725]

>>4254542
go to youtube and look for oliver's videos. and gordon ramsey. and chef john. and etc.
go watch food network

we can not teach you 'how to cook'. cooking is following directions. cooking is finding out what you like and creating it.

if your food is bland, yet you don't want to add calories? add spices. what spices? We don't know what spices you like and don't like. Hell, you might not know that either. Experiment and find out

[Anonymous No.4254727]

>>4254692

This is how to cook a steak. Make sure to get a cut that has some fat on it. once it's cooked, you can just eat around and trim it off, but do not trim it beforehand. A choice NY strip or rib cut is good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtIiR7DBAqY

Too long did not watch:
1. heat the pan under med-high with a small bit of canola oil until light smoke appears
2. 3-4 minutes on one side, don't flip, dont move that bitch. will give a nice color
3. flip once, throw in a bit of butter, it will melt and brown fast so tilt the pan and scoop up a little in a spoon some overtop the steak
4. 2 minutes on this side for rare, 3 medium-rare, 4+ and dont bother, eat some leather instead
5. rest meat for a few minutes and eat that shit up
6. I cant stress how important a hot pan is to brown the outside of the steak when you throw it on is. Also, remember, flip once and stop fucking moving the thing.

[Anonymous No.4254730]

>>4254719
If you want to get good caramelisation and like your steak rare/medium rare, it's best to just do it at anything from medium high to high heat, and learn when to take it off based on touch.

Usually at that heat it shouldn't take more than 1 minute and change per side.

[Anonymous No.4254728]

>>4254710
>2013
>Still believing that non-stick pans cause cancer
Jesus Christ how stupid can you be?

[Anonymous No.4254731]

>>4254727
This should work nicely as well.

[Anonymous No.4254732]

>>4254727
sound really good. thank you aswell!

[Anonymous No.4254733]

Let's not get into this argument here please. Suffice it to say, teflon is a very delicate material and if you don't baby it, there appear to be possible effects ranging from increased risk of cancer to Alzheimers.

[Anonymous No.4254735]

>>4254733
>>4254728

[Anonymous No.4254744]

>>4254733

[Anonymous No.4254742]

>>4254733

[Anonymous No.4254753]

>>4254742
>>4254744
Whatever. Your welcome to use it and laugh, and I'm welcome to not use it as I see fit. Let's please not override this thread with pettiness though.

[Anonymous No.4254755]

>>4254753
*You're

[Anonymous No.4254756]

>>4254753
Agree to disagree.

[Anonymous No.4254757]

>>4254728
>>4254742
ah yes, an internet anon who actually wants to do what is known as "trolling". he or she will make increasingly stupid and false statements, often ignoring scientific data for the sheer pleasure of drawing a reaction, even one as innocuous as this one.

the best solution is to simply dismiss said "troll" as if he wasn't even there, and continue to have a regular discussion. treat him like you would a small child and ignore him while you talk to other adults

[Anonymous No.4254760]

>>4254753
>>4254757
it doesn't matter, anon is a retard who probably still believes that airplanes cause your blood vessels to pop.

can we get back onto the thread now? I was enjoying the info.

[Anonymous No.4254767]

>>4254760
certainly. see my post higher about how we can't really teach you to cook. really, the internet is your friend here, and i'm not even being snide. go watch cooking shows. go watch how to's. that's really simply the best way to learn how, is to have someone show you, even if it's just a pre-recorded video

[Anonymous No.4254770]

>>4254767
I'm not OP, I can actually into cook. I was just asking for more places like that anons suggestion of ripped recipe

[Anonymous No.4254827]

make and eat granola

OP MAKE AND EAT GRANOLA

OP READ THIS, IM HELPING YOU FAGGOT

MAKE AND EAT GRANOLA

its cheap, not bland, can be made and stored in bulk, tasty as fuck and convenient

[Anonymous No.4255438]

>>4254728
>Scientific research is still determining the long-term health effects of teflon.
>Teflon, under the right circumstances, can release substances so toxic they can kill small animals.
>Many countries are in the process of banning, or have already banned teflon products.
>The U.S EPA and health organisations have appealed for a ban on teflon products for the last 10+ years.

>HERPDERP NO EVIDENCE OF NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS


50 years ago you would be arguing that smoking cigarettes was perfectly healthy...

[Anonymous No.4255444]

>>4255438
Basically this. It's funny how people think human knowledge is at the point where nothing that is commonly consumed or come into contact with is safe because we would know it by now.

[Anonymous No.4255470]

>>4255438
look as long as you care going the possible carcinogen route, and not the "OMFG TEFLON IS GIVING ME MORGELLONS BORG PARTICLES", then I respect your cautious attitude and concede teflon MAY turn out to be more of a carcinogenic risk than should be allowed for every-day cooking. Chances are though, it will turn out to be a mild/minor risk additive, no worse than whiskey.

[Anonymous No.4255495]

>>4255470
>people who are suspicious of unsubstantiated claims are conspiracy theorists

Having faith in everything around you and simply accepting it because, "science" doesn't actually make you any more intelligent.

[Anonymous No.4255507]

>>4255495
I know, a 32 on the MCAT is a better gauge of my scientific literacy than "trusting science" that magical cotton disease is actually just a psych disorder... (not claiming it is any real intelligence quotient, just measure of scientific understanding)

[Anonymous No.4255520]

>>4255507
We are talking about Teflon, try to keep up.

Also, standardized test scores aren't much of a credential.

[Anonymous No.4256382]

OP if you read french, I recommend "manuel de cuisine populaire".

[Anonymous No.4256719]

Get a copy of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.
It covers most of the basics, and he keeps thing simple.

[Anonymous No.4257269]

>http://www.rippedrecipes.com/

the nonstick coatings of today are not made of teflon. Why does everyone always make things so black and white? this is what happens when people don't appreciate that each topic has its own subtleties. OP, you *DO NOT* need to be a chef, you just need to learn how to cook, and to use spices. Personally, I have about 10-12 dishes I can do stone cold, and then I throw variations off of each. For example, one of my favorites is cold sesame noodles. As a variation, I add a spicy peanut sauce from peanut butter and red pepper flakes. Sometimes I add some steamed cabbage to it, depending on my mood.

Like you, I came from /F/. Tell me, did you need a Ph.D. in exercise physiology before you could lift weights? Of course not, silly twit. You started out with the basics, and as you gained experience, you branched out and changed your routine. Likewise, pay attention to the post above that said go to Google and the FoodNetwork and the Cooking Channel. Alton Brown is a very good place to start as well. He explains what happens to food chemically and taste-wise as you cook it, so you can understand the right way to do it. Like scrambling eggs, it's done over low heat and slowly: most inexperienced anons will try to do it with a roaring flame.

You know enough to know what vegetables are good for you and which ones aren't: just adjust the recipes to include those that appeal to you and be creative.

Personally, I have discovered that the Weight Watcher's cookbooks are just fantastic for /F/ use. They use ample amounts of herbs and spices in delicious low cal/ hi nutrition recipes with fish and chicken in particular. all of these things, and everything above can be obtained from your local library. so before you make big purchases, try them first. and for fuck's sake, stop whining about teflon, why don't you? Use cast iron skillets if you are worried: they are safe.

[Anonymous No.4257302]

What book did you get OP, Try his 30 minute meals book. Real simple stuff.

Also checkout sortedfood.com lots of stuff aimed a students/first time cooks.
Watch videos of pro chefs even if you dont like the food it will help you pic up basic principals and techniques

[Anonymous No.4257392]

>>4254660
[Citation needed]
Try and find one, I dare you.
Foods only develop carcinogens at really high temperatures, and all do at similar temperatures.
Never eat cooked food that's been cooked at over 150C and you'll be fine.

[Anonymous No.4258733]

>>4257302
>What book did you get OP

OP here, i got this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Kitchen-Jamie-Oliver/dp/1401300227

>pic related

[Anonymous No.4259893]

>>4255438
Are you heating your pans up beyond 600 degrees? because I fucking watch my pans. the only thing I want that hot is my clad stainless pans because I want to sear. and even with those I have never temp'd one of my pans at over six fiddy.

[Anonymous No.4261930]

no