Cookingbites; inspirations & aspirations

epicuric

epicuric

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Shropshire, UK
Mod. Edit: The following three posts are copied over from another thread: What's on your cooking bucket list?

I have been thinking long and hard about this. I have goals (New Year resolutions in the making), like eating more vegetarian food, exploring more Middle Eastern recipes, completely eradicating plastic packaging from the shopping trolley, drinking less wine (just kidding) etc., but I am struggling to replenish my bucket list. I was beginning to think that I had reached a dead end, but eventually I have realised that my approach to cooking has changed, largely due to joining this forum. Previously I had raced ahead, leaping on every trend or newfangled gadget that I could find, inspired largely by the Heston Blumenthal approach. However, since joining CB I had realised that I had missed loads of important things, and it became more about taking food that I already eat, but making it the best it could possibly be. Take the simple Coq-au-vin, or the Chicken Kiev for example. Nothing special to most people, but to go through the whole process - researching recipes, selecting ingredients, learning new cooking techniques, and then for someone to eat it and say "Wow, that was amazing". Thanks to the inspiration from being on CB I have crossed off many things on this years bucket list. I have made my first pork pie, perfected triple cooked chips (and thus, roast potatoes), medium rare steak and confit duck legs. I am happy with that. Two things remain for this year - the perfect pheasant breast (in time for my Mother's visit next Friday) and breaded rounds of bone marrow. Maybe with time off over Christmas I shall find inspiration.
 
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epicuric said:
I have been thinking long and hard about this. I have goals(New Year resolutions in the making), like eating more vegetarian food, exploring more Middle Eastern recipes, completely eradicating plastic packaging from the shopping trolley, drinking less wine (just kidding) etc., but I am struggling to replenish my bucket list. I was beginning to think that I had reached a dead end, but eventually I have realised that my approach to cooking has changed, largely due to joining this forum. Previously I had raced ahead, leaping on every trend or newfangled gadget that I could find, inspired largely by the Heston Blumenthal approach. However, since joining CB I had realised that I had missed loads of important things, and it became more about taking food that I already eat, but making it the best it could possibly be. Take the simple Coq-au-vin, or the Chicken Kiev for example. Nothing special to most people, but to go through the whole process - researching recipes, selecting ingredients, learning new cooking techniques, and then for someone to eat it and say "Wow, that was amazing". Thanks to the inspiration from being on CB I have crossed off many things on this years bucket list. I have made my first pork pie, perfected triple cooked chips (and thus, roast potatoes), medium rare steak and confit duck legs. I am happy with that. Two things remain for this year - the perfect pheasant breast (in time for my Mother's visit next Friday) and breaded rounds of bone marrow. Maybe with time off over Christmas I shall find inspiration.
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This post has made me so happy! I've spent large chunks of my life on this Forum over the last three years (maybe even too much time!) but in that process I've learned more than I ever thought possible - not least, how to take good food photos. I've tried dishes I never thought I could do and learned about cuisines from other cultures that I knew nothing about. I'm not sure why, but this forum is different from others I've been on or belong to. Maybe its because its a small community. Yet its that which is our biggest threat. To be long term viable we need a bigger membership...
 
@morning glory

I also belong to a U.S. based gardening forum. I have invited members to visit and join Cooking Bites. I have sent links to friends who like to cook.

Kind of a catch 22 - stuck between a rock and a hard place. The small membership is wonderful. Very personal. I understand the need for growth. I do what I can. I rave about the forum to every one I know and encourage my friends to visit and join. I have also sent PM's to Cooking Bites members who expressed interest in gardening introducing them to my gardening forum. Works both ways.
 
ElizabethB said:
@morning glory

I also belong to a U.S. based gardening forum. I have invited members to visit and join Cooking Bites. I have sent links to friends who like to cook.

Kind of a catch 22 - stuck between a rock and a hard place. The small membership is wonderful. Very personal. I understand the need for growth. I do what I can.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I think we can sustain the feel of the Forum with a good 25 or so more members posting regularly. At the moment we average about 25 people visiting a day (mostly regulars).
 
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morning glory said:
This post has made me so happy! I've spent large chunks of my life on this Forum over the last three years (maybe even too much time!) but in that process I've learned more than I ever thought possible - not least, how to take good food photos. I've tried dishes I never thought I could do and learned about cuisines from other cultures that I knew nothing about. I'm not sure why, but this forum is different from others I've been on or belong to. Maybe its because its a small community. Yet its that which is our biggest threat. To be long term viable we need a bigger membership...
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Steady membership. There's two periods a year when people stop posting, in the last two years.
 
epicuric said:
I was beginning to think that I had reached a dead end, but eventually I have realised that my approach to cooking has changed, largely due to joining this forum. .....However, since joining CB I had realised that I had missed loads of important things, and it became more about taking food that I already eat, but making it the best it could possibly be. Take the simple Coq-au-vin, or the Chicken Kiev for example. Nothing special to most people, but to go through the whole process - researching recipes, selecting ingredients, learning new cooking techniques, and then for someone to eat it and say "Wow, that was amazing".
Click to expand...
I agree wholeheartedly. I love middle eastern and south Asian food, and eat it nearly all the time now. CB has encouraged me to do this; after all, in spite of what people think, a lot of it takes no longer than bangers and mash to prepare and cook, and can be a lot quicker. The numbers of cookery books, recipes and TV cookery shows I save has gone up considerably in the 20 months since I discovered this site. I spend a lot of time deciding the best ways of using or substituting ingredients I already have or arrive in my weekly veg box rather than going out and buying things specially to try out new dishes. I doubt whether I'll ever make the change to being completely vegetarian, even though I'm almost there. My spice drawers have had to be re-arranged to accommodate more little glass bottles though.

PS Heston Blumenthal was one of the tutors on one of the courses I did. He wasn't a bit like in his cookery shows!
 
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Elawin said:
I agree wholeheartedly. I love middle eastern and south Asian food, and eat it nearly all the time now. CB has encouraged me to do this; after all, in spite of what people think, a lot of it takes no longer than bangers and mash to prepare and cook, and can be a lot quicker.
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Quite true! And since being on the forum I've also been a lot more creative with vegetarian (and latterly vegan) food. Not only that but I've developed an approach to working with the ingredients I have and developing (hopefully original) recipes from scratch. I used to plan menus ahead but now I just order food (especially vegetables and fruit) which look interesting and are in season. Each day I wake up and think: what can I create today from the ingredients I have? I also have slightly longer term projects in development - I keep an ideas book at hand all the time to jot down ideas and sketch how dishes will look when plated up.

Elawin said:
PS Heston Blumenthal was one of the tutors on one of the courses I did. He wasn't a bit like in his cookery shows!
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Wow! What was the course?
 
morning glory said:
Wow! What was the course?
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It was the "History of Royal Food and Feasting" course from the University of Reading that I've mentioned in other posts. He appears in at least one of their videos and in some of the discussions. It's an online course with a lot of participation - you can even post photos of your efforts at making some of the recipes! - and it's free. You have the option at the end whether to get a statement of participation or a certificate of achievement, both of which you have to pay for, but the latter is most useful if you need it as a evidence, i.e. towards a degree. There are several other names in there you may recognise if you follow any of the historical programmes such as those on BBC4 or the Royal Recipes programmes. It was a fantastic course, and I can thoroughly recommend it.
 
I do not cook much that is my husbands passion however since being on here I have seen food combinations that I would never have thought to put together and many pictures of meals that have really made my mouth water. Very interesting tasty looking plates of food and other peoples enthusiasm has really made an impact on me so next year I will be looking to cook more and be more creative.

Thank you all for inspiring me :thumbsup:
 
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