What's your home cook score?

[belfpala]

I'm a 3 I think, I can follow most recipes although I'll have problems the first time making it.

The only way to get better is to learn by failing.

[Annoying]

The only way to get better is to learn by failing.

Learning by failing is so expensive though =(

Think of all the booze I could buy with that extra, wasted food. Though I guess not all failures would be wasted.

[belfpala]

Learning by failing is so expensive though =(

Think of all the booze I could buy with that extra, wasted food. Though I guess not all failures would be wasted.

lol, I can see already, drunk level 3 cook... "aaah fuck that smoke, just throw some tequila on it."

[ro9ue]

I can't boil a fucking egg.

[belfpala]

I can't boil a fucking egg.

Mastering eggs is not easy.

[God Save The King]

My grandmother was easily a 5+ on this scale, she was a head chef and spent her life cooking, so did most of my ancestors before my mother, and I grew up loving cooking and learned everything I know from her. I'd venture to toss myself a 5+ since I did win cooking awards in high school and college, but it's been a while since I really honed my skills so I give myself a 5.

My spice rack is obnoxious and overstocked to be honest, but I use nearly all of them. If I had to whittle it down to 7 spices, I'd probably pick salt, pepper, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and paprika.

Common tools would be some of my bamboo spoons, stand mixer, whisks, silicon brushes, peeler, and measuring cups/spoons. At a minimum you need a large spoon, whisk, and measuring cups.

I shop at various stores, but the only chains I visit are Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Bread comes homemade or a bakery on the corner. Meat comes from a butcher around a half mile away. Cheeses are harder so I usually settle for Whole Foods unless I'm going for something specific. Fruits are local from farmer's markets if possible, otherwise Whole Foods. Vegetables same story. Coffee I get online because I roast at home and finding a good variety of green coffee beans locally is hard. There are some asian markets in my area which is great for more exotic foods. Thats all I can think of off the top of my head.

Protip: bread, vegetables, and meat quality can vary wildly, so choosing a source for those is critical. Dry aged steak is miles better than whatever packaged junk you get from wal-mart. In contrast, cheese, nuts, fruits, milks, etc, I find to be rather consistent based on location.

Also your favorite olive oil brand is probably lying to you. When you choose to cook in oils/fats, the quality can be the difference between a subtle tasty experience and a heart attack in 20 years.


I only buy things I can see all the ingredients for. Nothing canned/boxed. I buy as base level as possible and do as much grunt work as I can. This results in some meals being a little simple due to lack of time. But I prefer to make my own pasta, sauces, breads, etc.

So naturally, I have a very little stock outside of things like butter, eggs, oils, and dry ingredients. I go shopping Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I also usually cook for one or two, so I don't need a lot either.

[shadowmouse]

In the dim and distant past, I used to do alright. I'm trained to work in a commercial kitchen and used to cook for up to 200 people at a time for special events like potlucks or medieval reenactment. That's small time for anyone who actually works as a cook, but not too bad for a home cook. Between cooking for one, and cooking on glorified camp stoves, China has not been good for my kitchen skills. I'd want a month or so in a reasonable home kitchen to get comfortable again. Still, handed a random (reasonable) group of ingredients, I could manage to make decent food out of it, and although I don't have any place on a cooking show, even now I wouldn't back down from a challenge.

Spice rack: Drat! I'm going to have to go back to using one. I used to be able to just wander through a local market place and pick out herbs and spices. Soaring local real estate prices turned a sprawling market into yet more apartments and another hospital -- back to the supermarkets for me. What do I have on hand? Random bits of stuff to perk up something thrown together in a skillet or a wok. That runs from cumin, oregano, paprika, and rosemary to various curry powders and pastes.

Tools: Nothing fancy. Chinese apartments aren't really generous when it comes to counter space, so I don't bother with much more than a rice cooker and knives. I haven't been able to give up a basic assortment of knives.

Kitchen: As usual here, this apartment comes with two gas burners (of which only one works reliably) and next to no counter space. I use it as a matter of convenience because I miss cooking, but to be honest there are just way too many decent and affordable places to eat around me and I'm cooking for one. If I'm looking at much more than tossing together something with noodles or rice, it is just easier to walk ten minutes or so and eat out.

Shopping: Most of my shopping is at the little family run shops near the west gate of my apartment complex. For non Chinese stuff I take a brief bus ride up to a specialty shop that used to be part of the wholesale market, When I need to get something a bit unusual I have to enlist one of my Chinese friends or semi-adoptive daughters to help me juggle online purchases -- usually I only bother with that for Indian food. For anything else, I have three large malls in reasonable walking distance. Oh, and the Mongolian specialty place has beef and mutton/lamb when I want a change from pork!

What do I always have on hand? Aside from pork, not much in the way of fresh stuff. I just can't use it fast enough. What's tucked away in the cupboard tends to run towards various Chinese noodles, pasta and instant potatoes. Hey, I said I buy the non Chinese stuff from a wholesale place. If I want to throw together some mashed potatoes to go with that pork (instead of noodles or rice) I end up getting instant mashed potatoes in food service sized cans. To round out the pork and starch I usually have a few kinds of pickled vegetables and preserved mushrooms. With cooler weather, my go to frozen food is jiaozi. The family that runs the little shop where I do most of my shopping is from Anhui and they like dumplings. They've taken to carrying a brand that's pretty good and I've started keeping a couple of bags on hand -- usually mutton and onion, and fennel and pork.

More than anyone wanted to know, but the AQI reached insane levels and typing keeps me distracted. :P

[Fencers]

5+.

I have worked as a chef professionally and have a degree in culinary arts. I worked at a couple of steak houses, a couple of Mexican fine dining restaurants and very briefly as a caterer with a friend here in Chicago.

Usually eat out 3 or so nights a week and about once a week at my sisters. So, lol.

[Xandrigity]

I'm a pretty good cook. I enjoy cooking for my family. Not quite ready for chopped I am no pro. I don't have great knife skills but I can cook pretty much anything pretty well.

[Donald Hellscream]

4-5 probably, I mean I can cook and I know all my favourite dishes by heart, that coupled with the fact that I have an excellent memory means I rarely have to look up a recipe when I make something for the 2nd time. My kitchen is basic as fuck though and my spice rack consists of a few jars of assorted herbs, salt, black pepper, curry, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper and some spice mix used for seasoning chicken.

[Khaza-R]

3 probably. I have a few things I'm good at making but if you asked me to make you something out of my comfort zone I'd be pretty clueless

[belfpala]

5+.

I have worked as a chef professionally and have a degree in culinary arts. I worked at a couple of steak houses, a couple of Mexican fine dining restaurants and very briefly as a caterer with a friend here in Chicago.

Usually eat out 3 or so nights a week and about once a week at my sisters. So, lol.

One question I forgot to ask for a level of cook like you: if I could limit your knife roll to 5 items, what would you bring? Or you can cry. Either way.

Similar question for less experienced folks: What implements do you use most? It can be brilliant or stupid... I once saw my mother trying to chop onions with a spoon...

[Fencers]

One question I forgot to ask for a level of cook like you: if I could limit your knife roll to 5 items, what would you bring?

I only need one knife, a 10" Chef's knife to prepare most anything. Everything else is just gadgetry.

Accounting for the inclusion of a chef's knife; a mortar & pestle, rolling pin and wooden spoon are nice to have.

I am not a pastry chef or baker. Don't ask me to bake. It's not... good.

[belfpala]

I only need one knife, a 10" Chef's knife to prepare most anything. Everything else is just gadgetry.

Accounting for the inclusion of a chef's knife; a mortar & pestle, rolling pin and wooden spoon are nice to have.

I am not a pastry chef or baker. Don't ask me to bake. It's not... good.

Nice.

I'd go with my 10" European-style chef knife, 7" Japanese (santoku) knife, 10" bread knife, 6" boning knife, and honing steel. That's five.

If I'm allowed more toys... thermometer, off-set spats, fish spat, rubber spat, grill spats (metal and plastic), wine key, magnetic timer..... and I keep going and get a duffel bag instead of a roll.

And we're alike. I don't do any baking, unless it involves a sheet tray and bacon.,

[Xandrigity]

5 items is hard but things I think a cook could get by with
A good chef knife, a small knife for peeling an apple ect. And a serrated knife for cutting crusty bread is nice.

A box grater, spatula, wooden or silicone spoon, chopping board, mixing bowl (I prefer glass can go in microwave), cheap set of measuring spoons and measuring cups. 3 pans: large skillet, small skillet and a medium to large sauce kind of pan. If your planning on baking a cookie sheet and maybe a loaf pan. Alot ppl could do without it but I use metal tongs quite often. I use tongs for tons of things.

[shadowmouse]

I'd go with my 10" European-style chef knife, 7" Japanese (santoku) knife, 10" bread knife, 6" boning knife, and honing steel.

Not to put myself in with the professionals -- I'm well aware that I'm not and my flashy knife skills are such that an onion might successfully run away from me before I got it cut -- but for the sake of comparison I'd want to switch out the 10" for 8", add in a Chinese cleaver, and I find myself missing my old Wusthof 4" paring knife. In a purely wishful thinking sense (much like me owning a bread knife at this point -- bread and sashi being equally rare in my current life) I'd like a yanagi. I brought mine to China when I moved here, and while I rarely trouble myself to make sushi or sashimi it is still nice to have the option.

As a tool to make real cooks chortle, I find a mandoline slicer to be a convenient compromise in place of letting that onion successfully run away from me. With my knife handling, it simplifies the rare times that I find myself slicing large amounts of vegetables. In my defense, I will say only that I have never owned a salad shooter.

<bungee dresses in copper armor, stands in water, holds metal rod above head, and yells "all gods are bastards"> Um, so, I suppose that I'm the only one here who actually likes ceramic knives? I have the luxury of working under less chaotic conditions than a professional cook would, so I'm less concerned with issues of chipping or breaking. When Fiancee #1 was getting her certificates as a cook, she remembered that I liked ceramic knives and got me two -- a cleaver and a chef's knife. Since my Wusthof knives stayed in the US, I find the ceramic knives are my preferred knives for poultry, fish, and vegetables. Then again, my other knives are a couple of Xinjiang butcher's knives, several Chinese cleavers, and an old Chicago Cutlery paring knife.

[Deleted]

I never cook, my mother does that for me. I just tell her what I want.

[Garnier Fructis]

I know what a teaspoon is.

But I accidentally fried firm tofu. Managed to burn grilled cheese. Definitely a 1.

[Fencers]

In a purely wishful thinking sense (much like me owning a bread knife at this point -- bread and sashi being equally rare in my current life) I'd like a yanagi.

I had one of these (Takayuri, sp?)and they are great. But the edge is very difficult to maintain and requires some practice before you ruin a very expensive knife. Ended up passing the knife along to my cousin who was formerly of Hugo's and went on to be a chef at Blackbird.

The knife I use now is a Chelsea Miller handcrafted European-style 10" forged chef's knife. It's a little weighty but I like my knives as such. Far more affordable than Yanangi knives and easier to care for, a more durable edge as well.

Forgive the poor spelling. No disrespect intended. I'm working off memory here.

[belfpala]

I'm working off memory here.

If I say something like that, I'll be holding a bottle of vodka.

Do you see any advantage to the more epsensive knives? My $40ish Victorinox bread knife has been killing it for years, for example. Had to wrap the handle in bright orange duct tape to make sure it didn't get stolen from my station, because the other cooks liked it way more than the floater/house knives.