Things you wish you could say

[Isadora]

Your passive aggressive behavior is annoying.

 

[Nabiki]

Thanks, Bee! That’s definitely true! And you’re right about learning more from mistakes and stuff as well as from actually doing not just theoretical. I have found that to be true for sure. And I feel like that applies in life and lots of other things too not just cooking

In terms of cooking though, it’s way more useful and beneficial to try various combinations of things or whatever and learn what works or doesn’t work for myself.

Like my peanut butter monstrosity.

But from that, I learned that that doesn’t work well and to try something else next time.

And with my dog walking/sitting and especially training, I have read a lot and watched a lot of videos, joined groups, etc. etc. but I feel I’ve definitely learned far more actually being out working with the dogs, of which I’ve been working with a lot more lately, and I learn very quickly what works and what doesn’t.

So there’s definitely something to be said for that!

But I’ll stop rambling now.

Anyway, thanks and oh I will add that I actually think I prefer experimenting and trying my own combos even if they turn out horrible than strictly following a recipe. I do that too sometimes but it’s so much fun experimenting. I’m really starting to love it.

The first time you make something, follow the recipe. Once you know how it's supposed to taste, then you can start messing with the recipe. After a decade or so of experience, then you can look at a recipe an know where you want to tweak it and where you can substitute other ingredients.

 

[NatJ]

That sounds amazing!! I’m usually too nervous to modify recipes

It's often best to make it according to the recipe more than once, until you are comfortable with the normal way, and then start modifying.

It's also good if your first experiments are on small batches, so don't quadruple the recipe the first time you try a given change!

(And you might already be modifying recipes without quite realizing you do, because some "modifications" are really simple and obvious.)

Examples of modifications that usually work fine:

Scrambled eggs can have bits of stuff added (chopped vegetables, bits of cooked meat, etc.)

Any recipe with chopped bits of meat or vegetables will usually work with a different meat (chicken, beef, pork, even shrimp). Vegetables can often be swapped too, although some take more or less time to cook (carrots vs. mushrooms) or have very different amounts of liquid (tomatoes vs. broccoli). If you're making a soup and it will simmer for hours, neither point matters, but if you're making a stir-fry or a pizza you might have to consider those points.

Any recipe with spices has the potential to be good with other spices-- whether that is adding cloves to a Molasses Cookie recipe (it already had cinnamon and ginger), or swapping curry powder for chili powder, or just adding a little bit more garlic to something. Sometimes I open spice jars and sniff until I find one that seems appetizing at the time, especially if I have meat and vegetables in a pan and I know it needs "something" else.

Any baked recipe that has chunks of nuts will probably be fine with a different kind of nut. It might be fine with no nuts, or with dried fruit, or with chocolate chips, or with small candies.

A recipe with one kind of gooey sauce (gravy, chinese sauce, curry sauce, etc) will often taste very different but still good with a different kind of sauce.

Any recipe that is served on a starch (rice, noodles, potatoes, bread) may be good with a different starch.

Any hot cereal recipe can be good with sweet things or chunky things stirred in (like oatmeal with nuts and honey, or with brown sugar and apple and cinnamon).

 

[Bonkerelli]

Like how yesterday this thread talked about chips and now talking about baking/cooking. Thought I was on the wrong thread at first..
What the heck.. I'll join in. I always grew up cooking but really didn't start until my mom gave my $20, told me this is my budget for dinner, figure out dinner than go to the store. Then around the same time my dad told me "dont expect to get married unless you know how to cook". Was 16 at the time.. but my family and myself are old fashioned. Needless to say I learned what a "wife" should learn. I refer those years as WMT (wife, mother in training).
Fast forward all these years later, have lots if skills and my husband has not complained once about my cooking.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Like how yesterday this thread talked about chips and now talking about baking/cooking. Thought I was on the wrong thread at first..

Welcome to BYC, where ALL the discussions are random and the points are made up.

 

[Bonkerelli]

Welcome to BYC, where ALL the discussions are random and the points are made up.

Thanks... I've been here since Jan 1st. There is a baking thread that I was referring to. Actually if you look back a few pages in this thread... I'm the first one to mention chips

 

[azurbanclucker]

Thanks... I've been here since Jan 1st. There is a baking thread that I was referring to. Actually if you look back a few pages in this thread... I'm the first one to mention chips

Oh yeah, but you're definitely not the first or only thread hijacker around here. Some of our fellow BYC flock mates are masters.

 

[NatJ]

Oh yeah, but you're definitely not the first or only thread hijacker around here. Some of our fellow BYC flock mates are masters.

But this thread is fun, because anything someone might "wish" to say is ON topic!

(When a thread is addressing a specific question or problem, I agree that wandering off-topic is not so good.)

 

[azurbanclucker]

But this thread is fun, because anything someone might "wish" to say is ON topic!

(When a thread is addressing a specific question or problem, I agree that wandering off-topic is not so good.)

Oh yeah, not complaining/criticizing at all. Carry on, threadjackers!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Speaking peanut butter. I know I have eluded to this at least a year or so ago - somewhere (DM chat or one of the party theads) about my experiment with bread with peanut butter on it being put in the toaster oven…. The PB “melts.”

Do you remember what one ingredient I discovered will hold the PB from melting?

Do you recall the ratio of it with PB?

I’ve been playing with the ratio and found that there is a minimum level to hold the Peanut butter “together” when heated.

To give a Nod to @BigBlueHen53
I can say that it’s between 1/8 & 1/4 in the ratio of quantity to that of what ever Peanut Butter you use.

Hmmm. Sorry, I don't recall this mystery ingredient of which you speak... Refresh my memory?