What do you find the most challenging aspect of cooking?

[Morning Glory]

For me, its timing and/or cooking for anyone else but immediate family. But really, I meant this question to be about more technical issues, ingredients or processes.

Are there particular things you find daunting? I find cooking meat quite daunting unless its a slow cook. I simply don't have the experience, having been vegetarian and cooked 'vegan with fish' for many years.

 

[TastyReuben]

As soon as I read the subject, I looked away, because I didn’t want my answer to be influenced by anyone else, and the first things that popped into my head were timing (as in getting multiple dishes finished at the same time, which is really only an issue at the holidays), and cooking for more/other people (which happens so rarely, it shouldn’t be an issue)!

Technique or talent? Maybe judging a piece of meat’s doneness by just feeling it? Cakes, definitely - I’m in a constant death struggle with from-scratch cakes.

 

[TastyReuben]

Oh, and getting soft-boiled eggs exactly (and I mean exactly) right. I think I’ve done so twice.

 

[badjak]

Most difficult would be cooking something I don't like eating. But that doesn't answer your question.

Second is to follow a recipe exactly as written. Somehow I just can't do it. It gotta be tweaked

Third difficult thing is probably an omelette. Generally they get turned into scrambled eggs

 

[Gone Hiking]

For me, it's all the of the juggling to make multiple things at once, and especially trying to get them to be done all at the same time. I need both hands and a foot to do it all.

If there's any one food, I'd have to say omurice eggs, that I learned of recently. It looks so straight forward in the videos, but I haven't been able to make them turn out right in the couple of times I've tried. I may need to sacrifice a carton or two of eggs some Saturday morning to figure it out.

 

[badjak]

Eggs are being mentioned a lot

 

[Morning Glory]

Eggs are being mentioned a lot

Strangely, eggs are one thing I cook with confidence.

I'd have to say omarice eggs

I've seen this but never attempted. Now there is a challenge! And a new thread perhaps. omurice eggs...

 

[Morning Glory]

New thread here. Thanks, Gone Hiking for the idea. The omurice omelette

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

My grown up children. They turn up when they turn up and that really messes with timings.
Wouldn’t be so difficult if they weren’t always hungry when they came through the door, if the foods not available within 10-15 mins of their arrival they’ll start eating something else.

So now I generally have something small on offer immediately (a little bit of paté, crackers or the like), I cook them things that can be held temperature wise (curries, casseroles etc) or if it’s a sunday roast I stalk them on ‘Find My’ to see if they’ve left yet. Then I know exactly when to put the roast potatoes in and to start the vegetables.

 

[Barriehie]

Frying things where the inside is cooked and the outside isn't too dark.

 

[Morning Glory]

Frying things where the inside is cooked and the outside isn't too dark.

For example?

 

[Barriehie]

For example?

Chicken, haven't ever been able to properly fry chicken for the life of me. I've tried it with the meat starting at room temp. and tried it with oil temps from 340/170 to 365/185. Only way I can get it so far is to roast it a bit and then fry it... wth???

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Washing up

 

[TheSoloChef]

I'm not sure what I find the most challenging out of the Washing Up or Under/Over Cooking Meat.

Despite having a dishwasher (not everything goes in it so I do handwashing as well) no matter how much cleaning I do in my Kitchen there's always something that still needs cleaning/washing so it's just never-ending!!

I'm always worried about undercooking meat and serving it raw in the middle so I tend to overcook things so at least that way they wouldnt make anyone ill! In the last year I have purchased a meat thermometer so I have gone from over-cooking my steaks (well done) to having them cooked medium and the taste is so much better.

Thanks to my thermometer I'm starting to trust timings more (I used to add on a bit extra in recipes to ensure everything was not under done) so now a thermometer is confirming it is indeed cooked and safe to eat I'm getting juicier more succulent food on my plate!

 

[Barriehie]

I'm not sure what I find the most challenging out of the Washing Up or Under/Over Cooking Meat.

Despite having a dishwasher (not everything goes in it so I do handwashing as well) no matter how much cleaning I do in my Kitchen there's always something that still needs cleaning/washing so it's just never-ending!!

I'm always worried about undercooking meat and serving it raw in the middle so I tend to overcook things so at least that way they wouldnt make anyone ill! In the last year I have purchased a meat thermometer so I have gone from over-cooking my steaks (well done) to having them cooked medium and the taste is so much better.

Thanks to my thermometer I'm starting to trust timings more (I used to add on a bit extra in recipes to ensure everything was not under done) so now a thermometer is confirming it is indeed cooked and safe to eat I'm getting juicier more succulent food on my plate!

I'm the impatient sort so mine look good on the outside and still bleeding in the middle...