Re: Your first cooking experience

On Wed 12 Jan 2005 10:50:26p, roxmarie tittered and giggled, and giggled
and tittered, and finally blurted out...

Quoted message said:

Dimitri said:

Other than cinnamon toast and cold cereal or a sandwich what was the
first thing you cooked, and about how old were you?

I distinctly trying my hand at scrambled eggs Mexican style at about
11 ( after they cooked I needed to drain off the extra liquid from the
tomatoes I put in).

I second attempt was a pineapple upside-down cake in an old cast iron
pan swerved with whipped cream about 3 yeas later. That one turned out
very well. ;-)

Dimitri

Clam pasta, 1950s style... This dish brings back soulful memories.

1 cube butter
chopped garlic
1 small can chopped clams
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Gently sautee/simmer garlic for 3 or 4
minutes - don't burn. Add the clams juice. Simmer very gently to
reduce. Add the clams and parsley, simmer gently until the clams are
heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve over boiled spaghetti.

Mom had debilitating migraines when I was very young. She taught me how to
scramble eggs and make toast, and how to open a can of soup and heat it
when I was about five, in case she was unable to make something for me.

Following a recipe? I remember making Apple Snow from The Good
Housekeeping Cookbook when I was 9.

Wayne

roxmarie said:

Dimitri said:

Other than cinnamon toast and cold cereal or a sandwich what was the

first

Quoted message said:

thing you cooked, and about how old were you?

I was about 6. I guess that I've always been a fussy eater, which
according to George Carlin is a euphemism for "BIG PAIN IN THE ASS". ;-)
Probably true.

Anyhow, one morning she made me eggs over easy and the white was runny
around the yolk and I complained about it and she apparently was either
in a bad mood or had had enough of me and said: "FINE, cook 'em
yourself from now on." And with that, the next morning was when I
started cooking. I had toast, bacon, and scrambled (unintentionally)
eggs. It got better from there though. (thank heaven)

--
Steve

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Autograph your work with excellence.

roxmarie said:

Dimitri said:

Other than cinnamon toast and cold cereal or a sandwich what was the
first thing you cooked, and about how old were you?

Dimitri

Clam pasta, 1950s style... This dish brings back soulful memories.

Rice. Age 9.

Jill

I remember my first dinner party when I was in college, I invited the pastor
and his wife over :-) And my mom. I made chicken wings and dumplings. Why
wings - I have no idea, that's just about the worst part of the chicken as far
as I'm concerned..

And I made a peach pie from scratch. Best pie crust I ever tasted My mom told
me I was crazy but I had no trouble so I didn't understand what the big deal
was.

Never again have I made a decent pie crust. I don't even try anymore, I buy
the frozen ones nows.

Joelle
"The children who need love the most will always ask for it in the most
unloving ways" ~ Words of a teacher quoted by Russell Barkley~

roxmarie said:

Quoted message said:

first
thing you cooked, and about how old were you?

I started cooking with my mom before I can remember. As far as I know I
came out of the womb cooking. 🙂 I got my first cookbook when I was like 6
or so. I hardly needed any help reading the recipes, just needed to be told
what some of the ingredients were. Of course it was a KIDs cookbook, so it
was really simple stuff.

I was able to make the main course for dinner by the time I was 7 (my
speciality was pork chops baked an orange marmalade sauce that my mother
loved). I was baking from cake mixes earlier than that, and baking from
scratch after about age 8 (this is primarily on my own, I was making more
complicated things with my mother all along).

I have *always* loved cooking. Both sides of my family, right back to
great grandparents on both sides (pretty much all of them) were great
cooks. Most of the things they made were simple midwestern fare and they
had the things they were especially good at making, but even the men could
cook up a mess of fish and taters and have it come out awesome.

I learned cooking by taste and smell from an early age. Mom and maternal
Gramma both cooked by smell and were really good at helping me learn how to
do it.

My paternal grandfather made fantastic pickles and saurkraut, and both him
and my maternal grampa always had flourishing gardens full of fresh
vegetables throughout the growing season. They lived through the
depression, they knew how to get by.

*sigh* I miss my family. All I have left are Grampa and Dad now. Dad's
disabled by strokes and Grampa's more distant than I like 'cos we live in
Vermont and he lives in Florida (and he doesn't have a computer and I'm a
dork who can't pick up a damn phone). I should call him...

--
Siobhan Perricone
Humans wrote the bible,
God wrote the rocks
-- Word of God by Kathy Mar

Wayne Boatwright said:

Mom had debilitating migraines when I was very young. She taught me how to
scramble eggs and make toast, and how to open a can of soup and heat it
when I was about five, in case she was unable to make something for me.

Following a recipe? I remember making Apple Snow from The Good
Housekeeping Cookbook when I was 9.

I still have a copy of _Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls_,
copyright 1957. I actually cooked a meal for the family every now and
then from it (I was 9 when I got the cookbook). What was pretty cool
for the time was it was a "Boys and Girls" cookbook, not one just
aimed at girls.. OTOH, the cover shows Mom and Daughter working away
using beater and spoon in batter laden bowls, while Son is in the
background tasting something out of a casserole <g>

First memory of cooking something with more than 3 ingredients was a
yellow cake. Came out looking like a yellow manhole cover. I had
forgotten to put in the egg.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

On Thu 13 Jan 2005 08:48:23p, Terry Pulliam Burd tittered and giggled, and
giggled and tittered, and finally blurted out...

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

Mom had debilitating migraines when I was very young. She taught me how
to scramble eggs and make toast, and how to open a can of soup and heat
it when I was about five, in case she was unable to make something for
me.

Following a recipe? I remember making Apple Snow from The Good
Housekeeping Cookbook when I was 9.

I still have a copy of _Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls_,
copyright 1957. I actually cooked a meal for the family every now and
then from it (I was 9 when I got the cookbook). What was pretty cool
for the time was it was a "Boys and Girls" cookbook, not one just
aimed at girls.. OTOH, the cover shows Mom and Daughter working away
using beater and spoon in batter laden bowls, while Son is in the
background tasting something out of a casserole <g>

First memory of cooking something with more than 3 ingredients was a
yellow cake. Came out looking like a yellow manhole cover. I had
forgotten to put in the egg.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

When I was 11 I checked a book out of the local library, entitled _The
Boy's Cookbook_. It was out of print, and I liked it so much that I talked
my mom into telling the library I lost it and we paid for it.

I still use a few recipes from it today, especially the baked almond
cheesecake. It's one of the best I've ever made.

Wayne

I don't remember how young I was when I started making peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches, but that's not cooking. My father couldn't boil
water, and my mother was at best an adequate cook, except for her
excellent baking.
I think I was around 11 when I decided to start making my favorite
meat, other than pb&j, baked beans. Got pretty good and heating up a
can with some ketchup and brown sugar.
My first wife and I both loved Chinese food, and the friend who'd
introduced us to it gave us a wok, cleaver and cutting board for a
wedding gift. We bought a authentic Chinese cookbook in Chinatown on
our pre-wedding honeymoon (on the way to get married). I offered to do
the Chinese cooking to give her a break. I still to Asian cooking,
Chinese and Cambodian, mostly, and still use the sweet and sour recipe
from that cookbook, though the cookbook is long gone.
But I really got to cooking after my divorce. I had my 3 boys half the
time. and just couldn't feed them pizza 3 nights a week. Bought my
first cookbook since the honeymoon and started learning. Still have
that cookbook, and still use it occasionally.

Wayne Boatwright said:

When I was 11 I checked a book out of the local library, entitled _The
Boy's Cookbook_. It was out of print, and I liked it so much that I talked
my mom into telling the library I lost it and we paid for it.

I still use a few recipes from it today, especially the baked almond
cheesecake. It's one of the best I've ever made.

My son, who has now presented me with my first grandchild, is trying
to help in the kitchen, so for Christmas, I gave him a cookbook
called, _A Man, A Can, and A Plan_. He LOVES it! It's about the most
bare bones cookbook you can imagine, made to withstand being dropped
into a boiling vat of beer and has 3 ingredients for each dish. I'm
not proud of having raised a kitchen-challenged child, mind you.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

On Fri 14 Jan 2005 08:34:55p, Terry Pulliam Burd tittered and giggled, and
giggled and tittered, and finally blurted out...

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

When I was 11 I checked a book out of the local library, entitled _The
Boy's Cookbook_. It was out of print, and I liked it so much that I
talked my mom into telling the library I lost it and we paid for it.

I still use a few recipes from it today, especially the baked almond
cheesecake. It's one of the best I've ever made.

My son, who has now presented me with my first grandchild, is trying
to help in the kitchen, so for Christmas, I gave him a cookbook
called, _A Man, A Can, and A Plan_. He LOVES it! It's about the most
bare bones cookbook you can imagine, made to withstand being dropped
into a boiling vat of beer and has 3 ingredients for each dish. I'm
not proud of having raised a kitchen-challenged child, mind you.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

Well, don't despair, Terry. After having been criticized by her husband
for extravagent grocery shopping as well as her effots at cooking, bought
him exactly the same book you gave your son, and presented it with the
comment that she would no longer be cooking for him, only herself. He soon
"graduated" from that book and bought others, turning himself into a rather
credible cook.

Wayne

My first cooking experience was a failed experiment with steak 🙁 (not
counting breakfast...any idiot can cook bacon and eggs).

I greased the pan thoroughly and overcooked the steak (no seasoning). It was
as tough as shoe leather and had no leather!! Damn shame...I'd love to have
a cut like that now!

Hey you! I'm 40 years old...only recently began cooking again after some
unpleasant experiences cooking in my 20's. I don't have a cookbook..but I
have something better. My mother is 75 years old and a master cook. She sure
put a lot of meat on my bones. Anyway, over the last couple years I've
demanded she teach me how she makes some of her best recipes ( I didn't tell
her why...but I know I'll lose her some day and I want to keep eating her
food, if nothing else)...and surprisingly she relented. Mama has taught me
fried chicken to pork chops to meat loaf, etc...all the things I love! Well
except for one...I just taught mama how to cook steak (weird she never
learned to cook steak well!)! Plus, amazingly, I have a "talent" for gravy
that boggles her mind. Except for one thing....I've cut the spices down to
the ones that REALLY matter for taste/simplicity. I'm a bachelor who doesn't
want to spend 10 hours cooking dinner for myself (and don't have the time
even if I wanted to).

Wish I'd ran into the cookbook you mentioned several years ago.

"Terry Pulliam Burd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

When I was 11 I checked a book out of the local library, entitled _The
Boy's Cookbook_. It was out of print, and I liked it so much that I
talked
my mom into telling the library I lost it and we paid for it.

I still use a few recipes from it today, especially the baked almond
cheesecake. It's one of the best I've ever made.

My son, who has now presented me with my first grandchild, is trying
to help in the kitchen, so for Christmas, I gave him a cookbook
called, _A Man, A Can, and A Plan_. He LOVES it! It's about the most
bare bones cookbook you can imagine, made to withstand being dropped
into a boiling vat of beer and has 3 ingredients for each dish. I'm
not proud of having raised a kitchen-challenged child, mind you.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

Hogrider said:

Hey you! I'm 40 years old...only recently began cooking again after some
unpleasant experiences cooking in my 20's. I don't have a cookbook..but I
have something better. My mother is 75 years old and a master cook. She sure
put a lot of meat on my bones. Anyway, over the last couple years I've
demanded she teach me how she makes some of her best recipes ( I didn't tell
her why...but I know I'll lose her some day and I want to keep eating her
food, if nothing else)...and surprisingly she relented. Mama has taught me
fried chicken to pork chops to meat loaf, etc...all the things I love!

A master cook and she never taught you to cook until you were 40? Pity. My
mother is a pretty good cook and she started teaching me and my brothers when we
were kids. She never had any problem sharing her successes with us, or trying
to learn something from us.

Quoted message said:

Well
except for one...I just taught mama how to cook steak (weird she never
learned to cook steak well!)! Plus, amazingly, I have a "talent" for gravy
that boggles her mind. Except for one thing....I've cut the spices down to
the ones that REALLY matter for taste/simplicity.

I hate to imagine what those are. I have done most of the cooking in my house
for more than 30 years. I dumped a few spice mixtures from my early years after
finding better things, and my spice and herb cabinet is crammed with all sorts
of things. There would be more if I had more room. I generally go for simple
dishes rather than the really complicated, but a touch of the right herbs and
spices can do a lot for a simple dish.

Quoted message said:

I'm a bachelor who doesn't
want to spend 10 hours cooking dinner for myself (and don't have the time
even if I wanted to).

Who spends 10 hours cooking a meal? My wife and I both worked and we never had
trouble cooking up a quick, delicious meal.

Wayne Boatwright said:

Well, don't despair, Terry. After having been criticized by her husband
for extravagent grocery shopping as well as her effots at cooking, bought
him exactly the same book you gave your son, and presented it with the
comment that she would no longer be cooking for him, only herself. He soon
"graduated" from that book and bought others, turning himself into a rather
credible cook.

Oh, thank you, Wayne, for giving me a little hope :-) The kid was
raised by a cook hobbyist and it looks like nothing stuck. I do recall
him coming in from play one afternoon when he was about 8, strolling
into the kitchen and observing his mother making dinner and perusing
the cookbook. His comment to his sister was a wailed, "Oh, NO! We're
having Julia Child for dinner!" This is a kid whose favorite meal was
Oscar Mayer hot dogs or mac and cheese.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

Terry Pulliam Burd said:

Oh, thank you, Wayne, for giving me a little hope :-) The kid was
raised by a cook hobbyist and it looks like nothing stuck. I do recall
him coming in from play one afternoon when he was about 8, strolling
into the kitchen and observing his mother making dinner and perusing
the cookbook. His comment to his sister was a wailed, "Oh, NO! We're
having Julia Child for dinner!" This is a kid whose favorite meal was
Oscar Mayer hot dogs or mac and cheese.

At least homemade mac and cheese?

--
Siobhan Perricone
Humans wrote the bible,
God wrote the rocks
-- Word of God by Kathy Mar

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 16:33:41 GMT, Dog3 <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was not allowed to use the stove yet so it was
all microwaved.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

this was like 40 years ago. How time flies.

Boy, your family was rich and on the cutting edge - I didn't
buy my first microwave until 1975 and paid something like
$500 or $600 for it (1000 watts). That was way too much $
in today's terms, but it was worth it at the time.

sf

sf said:

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 16:33:41 GMT, Dog3 <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was not allowed to use the stove yet so it was
all microwaved.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

this was like 40 years ago. How time flies.

Boy, your family was rich and on the cutting edge - I didn't
buy my first microwave until 1975 and paid something like
$500 or $600 for it (1000 watts). That was way too much $
in today's terms, but it was worth it at the time.

sf

Agreed. The first microwave (radarrange actually) hit the consumer
market in '67 so you guys must have had one of the first ones!

--
Steve

If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving isn't for you.

On Sun 16 Jan 2005 12:39:58p, Steve Calvin tittered and giggled, and
giggled and tittered, and finally blurted out...

Quoted message said:

sf said:

Dog3 said:

I was not allowed to use the stove yet so it was all microwaved.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

this was like 40 years ago. How time flies.

Boy, your family was rich and on the cutting edge - I didn't
buy my first microwave until 1975 and paid something like
$500 or $600 for it (1000 watts). That was way too much $
in today's terms, but it was worth it at the time.

sf

Agreed. The first microwave (radarrange actually) hit the consumer
market in '67 so you guys must have had one of the first ones!

Tappan actually introduced one a few years earlier, but it only found its
way into a small number of custom home kitchens. At that time they were
installed like a wall oven.

Wayne

Wayne Boatwright said:

On Sun 16 Jan 2005 12:39:58p, Steve Calvin tittered and giggled, and
giggled and tittered, and finally blurted out...

Quoted message said:

sf said:

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 16:33:41 GMT, Dog3 <[email hidden]> wrote:

> I was not allowed to use the stove yet so it was all microwaved.

<snip>

>this was like 40 years ago. How time flies.

Boy, your family was rich and on the cutting edge - I didn't
buy my first microwave until 1975 and paid something like
$500 or $600 for it (1000 watts). That was way too much $
in today's terms, but it was worth it at the time.

sf

Agreed. The first microwave (radarrange actually) hit the consumer
market in '67 so you guys must have had one of the first ones!

Tappan actually introduced one a few years earlier, but it only found its
way into a small number of custom home kitchens. At that time they were
installed like a wall oven.

Wayne

hm, didn't know that. I thought that the Amana was the first one out for
the general consumer.

--
Steve

If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving isn't for you.