# Do you like to cook at home?



## Woofa (Dec 23, 2014)

So I saw some very old threads and was perhaps a bit surprised not to find more food related threads here. I guess I just assumed that those who take such care and detail in the dress would have a higher than usual number of amateur chefs.
I like to cook. Mrs. Woofs and I enjoy going out once in a while but often find we can enjoy more doing the cooking ourselves (and for a fraction of the cost.)
Tonight we had a break from the kids and decided to eat in. Made my wife's favorite surf and turf, a inch and a half thick New York strip from the grill and these beauties:








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Combined this with grilled asparagus and baked potato and a bottle of Korbel sweet rose.
Do many of you like to cook as opposed to going out? Any specialties?


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## justonemore (Jul 2, 2009)

I'd have to say that dining out and cooking at home are about even to me. While I enjoy fine dining, I also enjoy taking the time to experiment in my own kitchen. I have spent time in the kitchens of some of the best European chefs..... While I have no complaints....I have always found the preparation and service to be cold. It's always Professional, yet not often personal.... And to me...That's the advantage of exploring in my own kitchen over that of even the best restaurants....


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Woofa, there is a member of this site who is a chef, "Salgy".

Haven't seen him post much lately but perhaps we could lure him back into some discussions about cooking and food.


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## Mr Humphries (Apr 5, 2013)

I do all the cooking chez Humphries. I finish work earlier than the Mrs so I have the time plus I get to make whatever I want to eat. Everything is made from scratch and although I'm no genius in the kitchen I get many a compliment, mostly from the wife who has a vested interest in keeping me in the kitchen out of the way. Speciality? I'm a dab hand at BIR style curries.


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## Woofa (Dec 23, 2014)

Great idea zzz. I just sent him a PM.

On the food topic, tonight I am making salmon, baked with fresh dill, baked potatoes and asparagus with a tomato salad.

Should be delicious.


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

zzdocxx said:


> Woofa, there is a member of this site who is a chef, "Salgy".
> 
> Haven't seen him post much lately but perhaps we could lure him back into some discussions about cooking and food.


thanks for remembering me zzdocxx... i have been more of a lurker than a poster recently... who knows, maybe some lively food discussion can change that!


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## Woofa (Dec 23, 2014)

Great to have you Salgy. Pictures are not great but here is the Salmon (that is dill on top,) and Asparagus. Dinner was great.








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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

Woofa,

great thought for this thread... as you can see from the dates of most of the food threads here, this area is not very active at all... i don't typically cook at home, i used to say "i don't bring my work home with me", but now that i have taken over in management, i need to find a new excuse! as i said in my earlier post in here, i have been more of a lurker lately, but will chime in now and again, when i can... i'm not sure if you are looking for it, but it is hard to keep the chef in me from trying to help fellow cooks & i really hope you don't mind some constructive feedback... 

in your first post, the scallops you show look to me to be "wet" packed... try to find "dry-packed" scallops... "wet" packed scallops are pumped full of sodium tripolyphosphate, to preserve their shelf-life, but they give the scallops a strange whitish-purplish hue and while cooking the liquid leeches out of them making them nearly impossible to cook correctly... "dry-packed" not only will cook much easier for you, they will taste better too... 

hard to tell from the pictures, but i might have a tip or 2 for you; can you walk me through the cooking process you did for that salmon?!?

lastly, is that 1/2 an inch of fat in the pan with the asparagus :icon_pale: or is there another liquid in there?!?


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## MaxBuck (Apr 4, 2013)

I love to make jambalaya, beef stroganoff and pasta with shrimps and artichokes in red sauce.

That's about the extent of my cooking skills. I've tried to make mojadara several times, but yet to get it quite right. Proper caramelization of the onions and proper cooking of the lentils al dente are tough enough, but balancing the sweet spices and savory herbs is nearly impossible. But made right, mojadara is probably my favorite food in the world (or at least a close second to pizza).


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

Welcome back salgy. I'm pleased to be reassured that you still frequent the fora. Congratulations on your promotion - doubtless the skills of dressing well which you honed via interaction with the gents here assisted with that. 

As a man living on my own, who disdains convenience 'food', I am an enthusiastic cook and at the conclusion of the working day prepare my own meals (dressed in pyjamas and gown to protect my finery from splashes) rejoicing in the pleasure of the magical transformation that may be undertaken in conversion from raw ingredient to gourmet fare.

I have occasionally toyed with creating a few more threads providing instruction for idiot proof but delicious staple dishes (omelette, pizza, etc) which if undertaken with adequate panache will impress anyone.

The ability to clean, sew, iron and most especially to cook are (some of) the marks of a man.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Shaver said:


> The ability to clean, sew, iron and most especially to cook are (some of) the marks of a man.


My mother-in-law would disagree.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

My sympathy to your father in law. 



Snow Hill Pond said:


> My mother-in-law would disagree.


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

Shaver said:


> The ability to clean, sew, iron and most especially to cook are (some of) the marks of a man.


My mother felt the same way... She said that she didn't want her 3 sons to "be a burden on our future wives like our father was on her"

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Woofa (Dec 23, 2014)

Well, it is nice to see such responses. I appreciate having Salgy on board and am happy to see Shaver as well. I have read but not yet tried his bean goulash.
First allow me to apologize for my photos which may not be giving a great idea of the food.
I do not know for sure on the scallops but I will check. They were purchased in our "nice" grocery store but as this is Texas, that is not necessarily a mark of quality. I fried the scallops in butter with a little salt and pepper only. The salmon I wash and pat dry, cover with olive oil then salt, pepper fresh dill and a little lemon juice. Bake and then broil for the last two minutes. The asparagus is canned (I actually like the softer canned unless we are grilling,) cooked in olive oil with salt pepper and garlic powder and then a covering of parmesan cheese. I think the cheese is what the pictures are showing.
I would of course enjoy ideas for making these easier, healthier and tastier.

I did grow up in a house where my dad did a lot of the cooking.
Max, the three items you mentioned would not seem to be the easiest three out there. I am guessing that if you can make those well, very little will fall outside of your talents.
Thank you for your ideas.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

sorry I don't cook, I microwave.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Last night I ate at a restaurant that served raw oysters for .50ea.

I can't buy them at the market and take them home for less than that!!


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## Mikestyle49 (Sep 29, 2014)

Shaver said:


> My sympathy to your father in law.


My mother in law and father in law would diagree with anything i say so both of you are right


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## MaxBuck (Apr 4, 2013)

Woofa said:


> Max, the three items you mentioned would not seem to be the easiest three out there. I am guessing that if you can make those well, very little will fall outside of your talents.


Actually, they're pretty darned simple. Stroganoff is simply sautéed steak, onions, and mushrooms in a sauce of red wine and sour cream (that's the best way to make it IME). And jambalaya - who knows what it's "supposed" to taste like?

Bottom line is that I know how to cook several things in a way that I like the results. And for a single guy (which I'm not, but might as well be at dinner time), that's the important thing.


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

OK quick question. How about substituting low or nonfat yogurt for sour cream in this and other recipes? I've done ok using for fake hollandaise at least I thought it tasted good. Key was lemon juice cayenne a little yellow curry powder and maybe one smidge mustard.


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## MaxBuck (Apr 4, 2013)

zzdocxx said:


> OK quick question. How about substituting low or nonfat yogurt for sour cream in this and other recipes? I've done ok using for fake hollandaise at least I thought it tasted good. Key was lemon juice cayenne a little yellow curry powder and maybe one smidge mustard.


I've made stroganoff with yogurt, and found it not to work. On the other hand, for those who mix in a bit of sour cream in borsch (rather than adding a dollop to each bowl), replacement by yogurt seems to me to work just fine.

Lowfat sour cream works much better than yogurt for stroganoff, though it still seriously lowers the quality of the meal IMO.

By the way, those who want to take up cooking as a hobby or simply need to cook because of practical reasons are well-advised to purchase cookbooks from America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Illustrated Magazine (essentially the same folks). They approach cooking as a science, with the end product of different cooking approaches judged by a broad range of tasters to arrive at the optimum way of preparing many common dishes. America's Test Kitchen is truly a godsend for all lovers of good food. The one below is the one I use when I exit my "comfort zone."


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Yes I like that America's test kitchen, I bought a garlic press based on their testing.

But then decided really it is just better to mince it with a good knife.


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

zzdocxx said:


> OK quick question. How about substituting low or nonfat yogurt for sour cream in this and other recipes? I've done ok using for fake hollandaise at least I thought it tasted good. Key was lemon juice cayenne a little yellow curry powder and maybe one smidge mustard.


They do make a non-fat sour cream... It's a flavor you can't really fake...

Also, for lessening the fat in cream based recipes, substitute evaporated (not condensed) skim milk... All the benefits of skim milk, with the consistency of cream*

Glad to see you're still cooking zzdocxx

*i have not tried this in any baking recipes...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

I am soooo happy to see Salgy posting again!!! You have been sorely missed around here.


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## LordSmoke (Dec 25, 2012)

I started cooking for the sake of cooking several decades ago when we lived on Long Island. I wanted something to do besides work. I would start on Saturday preparing Sunday's dinner from scratch. Mrs. Smoke has now taken up the Chef's hat. I cook about one meal a week now.

Last Saturday we had five students for dinner. They vacuumed up a grill full of lamb chops, three rib eye steaks, four Portobello mushrooms, a dozen sausages, a baked chicken plus a large bowl of pasta salad, a casserole dish of asparagus, two desserts, and a table full of cheese, olives, and assorted appetizers. :eek2: They were like a plague of locusts. I couldn't be happier.


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

Shaver said:


> The ability to clean, sew, iron and most especially to cook are (some of) the marks of a man.


They are indeed. I do all of the first three and my wife and I share the last one.


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## Woofa (Dec 23, 2014)

We do not use that much sour cream (maybe a container or two in a year) but someone suggested we substitute in the FAGE total 0% yogurt. I have not cooked with it but for a condiment (on pierogies, baked potatoes, etc.) the taste is very similar. We have stopped buying sour cream altogether.


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## Woofa (Dec 23, 2014)

Max,

We are fortunate enough to have the half priced bookstores in the DFW area and in particular one of their flagships is in Dallas. A great place to buy used magazines and every few months we are able to find a an entire year or more of Cook's or similar for about a buck a piece. I also get some of the older Architectural Digests there as well.


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## salgy (May 1, 2009)

drlivingston said:


> I am soooo happy to see Salgy posting again!!! You have been sorely missed around here.


thanks dr... i've missed _most_ of you guys too


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

WouldaShoulda said:


> Last night I ate at a restaurant that served raw oysters for .50ea.
> 
> I can't buy them at the market and take them home for less than that!!


I had ten straight out of a fisherman's bucket on a beach in Normandy once - 10 francs I think, which is a bit more, but they were well worth it. Their flesh quivered as I squeezed a segment of lemon over them.

Back to the OP, cooking is an essentially manly activity. How it came to be taken over by women in the home is puzzling.


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## whitman (Aug 13, 2015)

Cooking at home is as healthy as it gets. You can regulate the sodium and the ingredients without using processed junk. Dining out is great, but sometimes you really never know what you are getting. Salmon, really, Atlantic or Pacific, and I mention that since Atlantic salmon is not really healthy at all. 

Nothing like dining out when you know what you are getting, as in real food. But when you cook at home, you always know exactly what you are getting. Processed foods are just so bad for us, and cooking at home is one way to stay healthy.


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## whitman (Aug 13, 2015)

We love to cook at home and we do cook at home probably 90% of the time. Cooking at home is the best way to eat healthy and be able to adjust the ingredients as you like. 

Pasta is always a favorite with sauce from scratch. Salmon is another favorite...only Pacific wild caught salmon. Using the crockpot is also a favorite.


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## Duvel (Mar 16, 2014)

This is a lovely thread. I regret coming across it so late. I hope nobody minds this resurrection on my part.

I wholeheartedly take on chef/cook responsiblities in our household. I have more time, and I thoroughly enjoy it as a creative act and for the results (of course). 

It is difficult often during a tough work week to feel enthusiastic about the responsibilty, and on weekends I have a lot more energy to put into it. I have to admit I'm not much on the chef side of the equation, i.e., I'm not good at creating dinners on my own, but I am fairly accomplished in following and even modifiying the perfect recipe.

That said, if we could afford to dine out every night of the week, we would. We're lazy. But knowing how to put together meals that rival the best your local restaurants can offer is a pretty damned fine alternative, to my mind.


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## VPCEH91 (Jul 7, 2018)

Mise-en-place is the name of the game in a professional kitchen. At home this is no different.


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## Vecchio Vespa (Dec 3, 2011)

I love to cook. We go out to eat maybe once or twice a month. Tonight the main was red onions and red bell pepper, sliced very thin and sweated in olive oil. Tossed in jumbo shrimp, a pat of butter, a splash of rose, a squeeze of lemon, and a little curry powder. Put it over angel hair pasta. Clafoutis for dessert, it being cherry season.


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