Poll: What cooking skill eludes you?

[mightyh]

Do you have a certain skillor two in the kitchen that you've just never "gotten?"

I just finished trying to make yet another new cookie recipe to take to my numerous cookie exchanges this year... It was one of those where you roll the dough out and then roll it up like a jelly roll. And that is when I met--yet again--with the one major thing I just cannot grasp in the kitchen. I absolutely cannot roll out dough--not cookie dough, not pizza dough. It must be something about the way I flour the board or my hands or something, but every time all I end up with is a mess of dough stuck to every square inch of my hands (so I can't re-dip into the flour canister to help the situation) and a sticky blob of dough on the counter.

Am feeling very inept and would like to hear similar tales of your kitchen shortcomings... Or am I really the only one? Cause that's the way I feel right now

[mommywannabe]

Well, I tried to make spring rolls a couple of months ago and had a heck of a time rolling them up...fillo (sp?) dough sheets and I do not get along! I'll probably try it again sometime, but it will be with someone else who can give me some visual tips.

[SueK]

Unfortunately, baking in general eludes me, and I have no idea why. I can cook just about anything, with great results, but when it comes to baking, I don't have many successes. One of the my many baking problems is the rolling of the dough that you mention, but even when I do everything right, it just doesn't turn out that way.

It's funny, because my mom is an excellent baker, but can't cook worth much!

[Liz K]

Mightyh, I have problems with dough as well. Either I don't knead it enough, or I can't get it to roll out right.

I also have problems with chopping onions. I've tried every trick in the book, but still I cry. And if I can manage through the tears, I can't seem to chop them small enough.

[Cindy Rafferty]

I've given up on pie crusts and buy Pillsbury now. I just can't get the crust to roll out correctly.

I have found CL's cooking class segments helpful in learning some other tricky tips with dough. They did a segment on pizza dough eariler this year and went through the steps. This works well even when purchasing pizza dough from a store.

In the Dec. issue, they have an illustrated segment on cookies, again very helpful in learning how to do a filled cookie like the strippers.

I have also learned not to overmix dough from the many CL recipes that say "stir until just moistened."

[Beth Y]

Pie crust. I guess it is a rolling dough thing as well. I do okay with the rolling, at least I think so, until I eat it and it is so touch. Not light as it should be, so I stick to the Pillsbury All Ready crusts.

[emilycat]

Mincing.
I guess it's not that I can't do it to save my life, I just think that mincing things, i.e., carrots, celery, onions, whatever is so darned tedious! And besides, I don't like my veggies that small in anything. So, I don't mince. Dicing's as small as my pieces are gonna get.

[hhcowgirl]

I cannot make a meringue to save my life! Both the big meringues, like pies, etc., but also the mini ones that are like cookies. I must be doing something wrong with the egg whites. Any advice would be appreciated!

[tobykitty]

I've decided that dough is just satan in disguise. I end up with dough stuck on me, the counter, and everything else in sight.GGGGGRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[BevP]

Add me to the list of people who can't use a rolling pin. Last year, though, I went through a modelling with salt dough phase. I had to knead it and roll it out alot. Surprisingly, I got good at kneeding and better with the rolling pin. Not having to worry about overworking the dough helped I think.

[SandyM]

Muffins. Muffins, muffins, muffins, muffins, and muffins. Oh, and muffins.

I am a muffin FREAK, and can't get enough. When I try to make them, either by scratch or from a mix, they're AWFUL. I've overmixed. I've undermixed. Everyone has a theory on why I can't seem to get it right, and when I tweak it just so, they're still hard, or undercooked, or dry, or whatever.
I can make any cookie, pie crust, and I've even finally mastered yeast, miracle of all miracles.

It's beyond me.....

[This message has been edited by SandyM (edited 12-13-2000).]

[Ohioan]

Hooray! -- so I'm not the only one who can't make dough of any kind! Wheeee! And here all along I just thought I was some kind of freak... Okay, so maybe I am, but not because of my inability to make dough. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

Cheers,
Phoebe

[Lisa D]

Dough of all kinds freaks me out! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
Whenever I see knead or turn out in a recipe, I turn the page.
I guess admittance of a problem is the first step to a cure http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
Lisa

[slknight]

Add me to the list of dough haters. I can actually do okay with it because I use my Cuisinart to knead the dough. It's not so much the dough that's my problem, but, ready for this? It's the flour. I cannot stand the feel of it on my hands. To me it's like fingernails down a chalkboard. The feel of flour sends shivers up my spine. But I love to bake. Go figure. I just make sure I always have a good flour scoop handy!

[MaryB]

For me, its rolling out pie pastry dough. I did do okay with a CL pot pie recipe but that wasn't round -- I can't seem to make it round. So I too use store bought pie shells. The other thing I have trouble with is layer cakes. Either a layer gets stuck to the pan or I break a layer while assembling the cake. Fortunately my son likes cupcakes better so that's what we have!

[pmmahan]

Boiling water. LOL. Seriously, I have a hard time with chopping veggies - I can't mince either! And julienne, forget it! I always ask my FDH (future dear husband) to do that for me - he has a knack for it that I just don't have!!

[MrsReber]

Pie Crust!!! I can roll it out, but it's never flaky or close anything that resembles a good pie crust. It comes out very desnse and sometimes goeey becuase it doesn't seem to cook all the way. I buy the frozen ones, too. Saves alot of time- that way I can just throw a pie together in no time.

As far as the rolling pin- I find it much easier to roll things out with this small roller that I bought from PC. It has a roller on each end so now I can roll my pie crust while it's in the pie plate. I have much more success with the smaller one when rolling pizza dough, too.

[lindrusso]

Great topic! Mine is candy. I just can't get to the right temperature or something. It always looks sooooo easy, but I just can't get it right - but then again, I haven't tried very often. I had a big brittle disaster last year and haven't attempted it since. Some day I WILL conquer this!

As with many things, dough just takes practice, practice, practice. You have to be willing to fail a few times. It's kind of like reading about babies and how to care for them and then having one - it just never quite follows the course the books lay out!! You have to find out for yourself!

I am now finally able to produce a flaky and tender piecrust, but I cannot find a way for it to hold its shape. I put a prettily fluted crust in the oven and it loses all its shape while baking http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/mad.gif . Still, I find that a not-so-perfect homemade crust still tastes better than store-bought, so I keep trying!!


[This message has been edited by lindrusso (edited 12-13-2000).]

[Heidi]

I can't bake cakes from scratch. I have had several crashing failures in this department. They usually end up heavy, tough, dry, and sunken in the middle. I think that my problems result from using recipes written at low altitudes (ie, 90% of them published) and cooking in a high altitude (Utah). Or I could just be a rotten baker.

Oh well, that's what Duncan Hines (and the high altitude adjustment instructions on the box) is for, right?

[Gina O]

Count me as another pie crust maker failure. After years of buying the pre-made ones, I tried to make one from scratch last month. I could not roll it out for anything. Never again! Gina

[Anne]

I can't cook decent rice - either brown or white, but wild rice comes out just fine. I usually have DH do the rice. I've gotten so desperate I've even tried measuring - not a bit of difference in the results.

[HARRYET]

Add me to the list with those of you who cannot make pie crust! I used to be able to make it just fine, until I moved to AZ, now I can't make a pie crust to save my soul! So I keep trying, but always have a store bought one in the refrigerator just in case it doesn't come out correct, then I have a fall back!

[BarbaraL]

I can't make gravy! I always leave that for my husband. I've never TRIED making pie crust; maybe hearing my mom say it's so hard. I've found the frozen ones to be great, plus I don't make pies often (my family prefers other desserts, so I'll eat most of it myself). Some day (when I have lots of time, ha ha) I'll try a pie crust.

[Wendy w]

Pie crust and I have a fear of kneading bread-I'm glad that God created bread machines with dough functions and mixers w/ dough hooks! I'm sure that I'd be better if I practiced but both of these things intimidate me! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif

[ElinorC]

I'll add my name to the list for pie dough failures. My crusts all come out like leather. Now I use Pillsbury pie crusts -- it's much easier on my nerves.

[Laura]

Pie crusts (thank goodness for the folded kind)

Candy toffees always seem to turn to sugar

presentation. I am getting better, but I usually end having to wipe the plate clean about 10 times before I get it right (mind you this is not for every night dinners but for special occasions and the few dinners I have catered.)

[mommywannabe]

Liz K - I've found that if I wear my glasses when I'm chopping onions, I have no problems. Kind of weird, but it seems to work http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[kentgirl]

I can't make pie crusts, or any cookie dough that you have to roll out. My cookies usually end up in varying degrees of thickness, and my pie crust ends up looking like an octagon, pentagon or hexagon---anything but a circle!

I can't grab the handle of a pan and flip an egg or pancake or hasbrown. I have to use a turner.

I can't multi-task very well. I'm great when I'm making one recipe. But I find it impossible to make more than one dish/recipe at a time. Something invariably gets burned!

And finally, I can never frost a round cake to look ANYTHING like the picture. I can throw frosting on a cake....but never with that artist's touch!

[emary]

I think Ann mentioned this as well, but I can't cook rice. I'm not quite sure why...it just never turns out fluffy and separate.

[venus]

I CANNOT chop onions. I have tried every trick imaginable but they don't work. I have resigned myself to crying.

On the other hand, I am a pie crust genius. Part of it is practice--I have helped my mom make 15 pies every Thanksgiving since I can remember. I can make pies in my sleep now. Here are some tricks I have learned (I was thinking about posting these somewhere else, but this seems to be as good a place as any.)

1. I use an oil NOT shortening based crust that calls for no eggs and very little water. A wet pie crust turns out terrible--and is really more suitable for a galette or a tart. It is just barely moistened and not kneaded at all, merely formed from the crumbly stage into balls. You have to be careful how you mix it--too damp and it will stick, too dry and the dough will not turn stretchy and will just fall apart.

2. I roll the pie crusts out between two sheets of extra large wax paper. I use a rotating motion that first pushes the dough out from the center in four directions. Then I work from the center out to slowly make the dough bigger and bigger. The edges do not have to be perfectly round--you can trim them with a knife or pizza cutter.

3. Take half the wax paper off and use the other sheet to quickly flip the crust onto the pie pan. Then carefully pat it into the pan.

I hope this helps! if you have any questions feel free to ask. I've made more pies than I can count.

[This message has been edited by venus (edited 12-13-2000).]

[luv2cook]

You know, I read the posts and then forget the names that go with the post and I can't scroll back and look!

About meringue - according to Emeril, what I remember he said is that the bowl and beaters can have absolutely no fat or oil of any kind in bowl and that some chefs even rinse their bowl in vinegar and dry to achieve meringue.

As far as rice goes: Buy a rice cooker. I got one for my birthday. Perfect every time.

I can cook but not bake. But what irritates me is I can't cook fish yet and have to use meat thermometer at all times on meat...

Oh, and PATIENCE! Haven't really mastered that but still manage to get buy. My new cookware has helped because it takes a min. to warm up...

BYE, oFF TO WATCH EMERIL! IT'S 10

[This message has been edited by luv2cook (edited 12-13-2000).]

[sal]

There are too many to list, lol. One particular bugaboo for me is bread/rolls, esp. the proofing part. Perhaps it is my ingredients, perhaps not. Finally I have conquered my fear of failure (somewhat) and I continue to try. Memories of my grannie's homemade bread motivate me to keep going.

Something for hhcowgirl to try - I have had great success with letting my eggs come to room temp before beating. I hope this helps http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif sally

[Marcie]

Originally posted by slknight:
Add me to the list of dough haters. I can actually do okay with it because I use my Cuisinart to knead the dough. It's not so much the dough that's my problem, but, ready for this? It's the flour. I cannot stand the feel of it on my hands. To me it's like fingernails down a chalkboard. The feel of flour sends shivers up my spine. But I love to bake. Go figure. I just make sure I always have a good flour scoop handy!

A kindred spirit! My problem is with cornstarch. It squeaks! "Fingernails on a chalkboard" is the exact description! I actually shiver a little before I have to measure cornstarch, in dreaded anticipation of the squeak.

As for my "never to be mastered" kitchen skill: I will never make an omelet. Oh, how I have tried and failed to flip half of that egg without mangling it. I just accept that we are a frittata-only household.

[junietoo]

Venus: I've used waxed paper for years to roll out pie crust. Works great for most recipes. I keep thinking, though, that somehow I can master the floured board method. So far it's mixed results.

My problem is meringue. It beats up great. But the baking part is disapponting. I carefully seal it to the pie crust, but it still seems to shrink. And it weeps. I've even tried using the Joy recipe that's supposed to be more stable and not weep. It does keep it's shape in the 'frige, but it still weeps.

Any suggestions?

As for toffee turning to sugar, Laura, are you buttering your pan sides first and being careful not to splash on the pan sides when dissolving your sugar? Also, stirring the butter and sugar over low heat until the sugar completely dissolves before turning up the heat to complete the cooking process is a good way to keep the sugar from getting on the pan sides.

[RobinC]

I decided to conquer pie crusts this past summer. Armed with The Pie & Pastry Bible and Cook's Illustrated I attacked pie making. I found that some of the tricks that work for me are using frozed butter, my cuisinart, cider vinegar, and King Arthur's Pie/Pastry blend flour.

I am now out to conquer bread making. I had several failed attempts at making simple dinner rolls this past Thanksgiving.

I cannot prepare a meal without turning the kitchen into a disaster. I have an amazing ability to destroy a kitchen. I keep hoping that someday I will manage the clean as you go method of cooking. But for some reason I don't feel as compelled to conqure it. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[BarbaraL]

I posted earlier, but I have to join kentgirl in confessing that I can't ice cakes so they're pretty. But since they're delicious (I'm the only one of my friends who doesn't make mix cakes and icing from a can), no one complains.

[emilycat]

"I cannot prepare a meal without turning the kitchen into a disaster. I have an amazing ability to destroy a kitchen."

Robin, I'm with you completely! My boyfriend makes fun of me because I'm so messy! I clean up afterwards, of course http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif , but he says that when I cook I'm just like a whirlwind, throwing ingredients here and there, not caring if they land on the floor and the walls.

I actually do try sometimes to do what French chefs reputably do, and clean up as I go, but it takes so much effort http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif How fun is that?

[Julie O]

Regarding the weeping meringue pies--Check out this very cool description about how meringue works. There are lots of factors involved, so it's very, very easy to make a mistake.
http://www.taunton.com/fc/features/foodscience/21eggwhites.htm

Shirley Corriher's book Cookwise has a "perfected" meringue recipe that you might want to try.

For all of the teary eyed onion choppers--try plugging your nose when your eyes start to tear up. (Ok, make sure you breathe out of your mouth during this. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif) Let us know if it works for you. Some people are more sensitive to lacrymators (those neat chemicals that cause your eyes to tear). Strangly enough, it's your nose's reaction to the sulfur compounds in the onion that causes your eyes to tear up. (The brain is very strange.) It helps if you refrigerate your onion before you cut it, because that will cut down on the number of volatiles that come out of the onion when you cut it. Also, the smaller the pieces you cut, the more likely you are to have a problem. And, the color of onion also makes a difference. Purple better than yellow better than white.

Can you tell I'm a scientist?? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif As for my cooking skill problem, I am terrible with knives. I may be taking a class in the spring to learn how to do it right!

[Cory]

I'm so happy to read that I'm not the only one who had problems with pie crust. No matter what I do, they never turn out.

Another problem I have is carving. Whether it's a turkey or a chicken, I make a mess of the poor bird.