Your weakest area(s) of cooking expertise

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
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My weak spot is meat. For a long time youngest grown up daughter (vegetarian) and youngest grown up son (vegan at the time) lived here. I used to be vegetarian and still tend to prefer to eat mainly vegetarian with very little meat. So, my experience cooking meat is limited. I can do steaks but I've never cooked a whole fillet or rib of beef for example.

The problem is that I can't justify cooking something like that. Its expensive and there are just two of us. I would maybe have a little bit of it and my partner would be eating it for the next 5 meals!
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What is your weakest area of cooking expertise? It might be a particular ingredient, a technique or an area of cuisine.
 
Someone is mind reading here. I was just thinking of how badly I suck at doughs, as I was cooking fried pastries. This time I didn't suck at kneading and making the dough but I sucked at rolling and shaping it and my fried pastries are twice as big as they should be. Adding insult to injury my rolling pin decided to act up and start falling apart and it's likely I'll find bits of wood in my pastries.

I have a pasta rolling machine, and I suck at using it too. First time I tried it took me 3 hours to cook the largest, ugliest raviolis I've ever seen in my life.
 
Everyone can predict my answer. My kitchen nemesis is yeast!

I had success with one of TastyReuben's hamburger buns and tried another dough recipe that I couldn't manage. I can bake other types of bread (with stuff in them like banana, zucchini, apple, etc.). I can even make an awesome copycat of Chicago deep-dish style pizza with a no yeast dough. I specifically learned how to do that just to avoid yeast. I can make dumplings.

I became afraid of yeast after bottling some root beer for my younger siblings and all the bottles exploded overnight. Never touched it again for decades until I joined CB and TastyReuben made it all seem so easy. I was proud of myself and loved the results. But then...you know the rest of the story from a recent garlic bread conversation.

I don't want to unfairly blame yeast but, right now, I think it might be borderline evil. ;-)
 
Baking bread. I can cope with ready mixes, but anything else usually ends in tears. Probably for two reasons, one I don't go in for rigidly following recipes, and two, the yeast in the cupboard is usually out of date.

Same. I haven't had to do it since culinary school and even there I wasn't supremely talented. I've tried my hand at a few this year, and although they've come out ok-ish I am just not adept at them yet and currently too stressed and tired to learn. I'm hoping to learn to bake bread next year.
 
Baking bread. I can cope with ready mixes, but anything else usually ends in tears. Probably for two reasons, one I don't go in for rigidly following recipes, and two, the yeast in the cupboard is usually out of date.

I expect that my weakest areas of cooking relate to what I have never done before. And Baking is one of those things. I am about to make my first Bread, the Robagusti Bread for the Turmeric challenge. We'll see what transpires. :banghead:
 
Everyone can predict my answer. My kitchen nemesis is yeast!

I had success with one of TastyReuben's hamburger buns and tried another dough recipe that I couldn't manage. I can bake other types of bread (with stuff in them like banana, zucchini, apple, etc.). I can even make an awesome copycat of Chicago deep-dish style pizza with a no yeast dough. I specifically learned how to do that just to avoid yeast. I can make dumplings.

I became afraid of yeast after bottling some root beer for my younger siblings and all the bottles exploded overnight. Never touched it again for decades until I joined CB and TastyReuben made it all seem so easy. I was proud of myself and loved the results. But then...you know the rest of the story from a recent garlic bread conversation.

I don't want to unfairly blame yeast but, right now, I think it might be borderline evil. ;-)
I kinda think that exploding dough would not be dangerous and might be a little humorous.
 
Grilling food outside on a grill. I can make a perfectly seared steak in a cast iron skillet in my kitchen. But, I really don't have any interest in honing that skill (or lack of) as long as I have Mr. OH around. Even so I still usually cook it inside anyway. Back when we used to have people over for small gatherings, grilling hamburgers or steaks was something he would do. It's just two of us (and it's bitter cold out), so what's the point?
 
Cakes - both the baking and the decorating.

I've had every cake disaster happen; dense and dry, wet, sunken in the middle, flour streaks, gummy...sometimes all in the same cake! :laugh:
Are you talking about baking cakes from scratch? My mom made awesome cakes back in the day, back before they had mixes in the box. I stick with the box mix and it comes out fine. I am horrible at decorating for the most part, LOL.
 
I kinda think that exploding dough would not be dangerous and might be a little humorous.

It wasn't dough. You use yeast in making root beer (soda). The glass bottles were in the den and broken glass went everywhere. Luckily, it happened overnight so nobody was hurt but it took me a minute to clean all that syrupy sweet soda off everything.

Of course, it's hilarious NOW. Then? Not so much. ;-0
 
It wasn't dough. You use yeast in making root beer (soda). The glass bottles were in the den and broken glass went everywhere. Luckily, it happened overnight so nobody was hurt but it took me a minute to clean all that syrupy sweet soda off everything.

Of course, it's hilarious NOW. Then? Not so much. ;-0
I realize that. I know your back story. But that doesn't explain why you would be afraid of exploding dough. I doubt it would hurt you. I guess it would make a mess.
 
I realize that. I know your back story. But that doesn't explain why you would be afraid of exploding dough. I doubt it would hurt you. I guess it would make a mess.

I don't understand your comment. When did I say I was afraid of exploding dough? Sorry, long day. I'm confused.
 
I have never made Hollandaise sauce from scratch. I usually use a package of the powder stuff. I guess it's not so much being afraid of it not turning out right, I think it's just tricky to get everything else cooked properly all at the same time, I think while making the sauce I might overcook the veggies (like asparagus) or whatever else I am making (like filet mignon in my cast iron skillet). I can't stand overcooked vegetables and overcooked steak.
 
I don't understand your comment. When did I say I was afraid of exploding dough? Sorry, long day. I'm confused.
You said you were afraid of baking because you were afraid of yeast. If you are afraid of baking with yeast, what else could it be?

Edited to add that technically I doubt the yeast would really explode, it was just a funny thought in my head. At worst it either wouldn't rise or it would rise over the edges of the container/pan and just wouldn't turn out right, which would make it a waste of time and money. I can see why that would be bothersome.
 
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