USMB cooks and food lovers...

[iamwhatiseem]

Is there anyone you attribute the most to thank for your cooking skills? A relative perhaps, author or TV chef?
I have liked to cook since I was a teenager and learned how to make spaghetti sauce from my grandmother and made it to impress girls. It worked.
But I have two people to thank for my "real skills"...and that would be Emeril Lagasse and Alton Brown.
Emeril for inspiring me to truly love good food and using the right ingredients. And Alton Brown for my technical skills

 

[Jimmy_Chitwood]

Is there anyone you attribute the most to thank for your cooking skills? A relative perhaps, author or TV chef?
I have liked to cook since I was a teenager and learned how to make spaghetti sauce from my grandmother and made it to impress girls. It worked.
But I have two people to thank for my "real skills"...and that would be Emeril Lagasse and Alton Brown.
Emeril for inspiring me to truly love good food and using the right ingredients. And Alton Brown for my technical skills

Chef Boy-ar-dee

 

[DarkFury]

I was taught the words may I have a menu please at a very young age.

 

[Bruce_T_Laney]

Jacques Pepin influenced me a lot.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I really dont have any single person that influenced me.
It was the challenge and the time spent with the Wife and Friends while cooking that inspired me.
I guess I would have to say my love of cooking really started when I went from grilling,to real offset BBQ pit smoking.
The challenge of taking one of the hardest meats to master on the BBQ,the brisket,and spending up to 24 hours tending it and the fire appeals to me.
After a few years with a BBQ cook off team I realized I wanted branch out and try the kitchen....and to be honest I was getting tired of BBQ.
From there on out I was hooked.

 

[OldLady]

Is there anyone you attribute the most to thank for your cooking skills? A relative perhaps, author or TV chef?
I have liked to cook since I was a teenager and learned how to make spaghetti sauce from my grandmother and made it to impress girls. It worked.
But I have two people to thank for my "real skills"...and that would be Emeril Lagasse and Alton Brown.
Emeril for inspiring me to truly love good food and using the right ingredients. And Alton Brown for my technical skills

My own palate and Joy of Cooking. My mom was a pretty so-so cook. When I got out in the world and started having food that really tasted GOOD, I got curious how to cook it. That cookbook teaches you how to boil water, and if you pay attention and follow instructions exactly, you can COOK. I love it.

 

[OldLady]

Jacques Pepin influenced me a lot.

Really?

 

[Bruce_T_Laney]

Jacques Pepin influenced me a lot.

Really?

Yeah.

I like some of his cheap dishes. Gordon Ramsey is another.

 

[OldLady]

Jacques Pepin influenced me a lot.

Really?

Yeah.

I like some of his cheap dishes. Gordon Ramsey is another.

What's for supper?

 

[Bruce_T_Laney]

Tonight homemade pork stew from yesterday.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Jacques Pepin influenced me a lot.

Really?

Yeah.

I like some of his cheap dishes. Gordon Ramsey is another.

The Pioneer Woman has some really good recipes.
Out of the dozen or so we've tried all but one or two were excellent.

 

[OldLady]

Jacques Pepin influenced me a lot.

Really?

Yeah.

I like some of his cheap dishes. Gordon Ramsey is another.

I tried Pommes Anna once. It didn't work out.

 

[usmbguest5318]

Is there anyone you attribute the most to thank for your cooking skills?

Yes, quite a few people:

• A girl I dated who, by serving foods I thought I didn't or wouldn't like, (1) forced me to broaden my culinary horizons and (2) made me see the real meaning of "you don't know until you try it" as it pertains to food and drink.
• My mother.
• My childhood nanny.
• Julia Child and Jacques Pepin.
• A D.C. fine-dining chef whom I dated for a time.
• My friends who, over the years, have catalyzed and indulged my experimenting with various food items and preparations by eagerly coming to my dinner parties.
• My friends with whom I backcountry camped who made it necessary that I learn how to improvise in and "make do" with the "kitchen" and implements we had available in the wilderness and still produce a tasty meal that didn't come out of a bag or box.
• My clients overseas who, by engaging me, gave me the opportunity to discover the preparations, foods and flavors of countries and cultures the world over.

 

[mamooth]

My own palate and Joy of Cooking

Did you ever use their possum recipe?

The joy of the 'Joy of Cooking,' circa 1962

 

[Disir]

Is there anyone you attribute the most to thank for your cooking skills? A relative perhaps, author or TV chef?
I have liked to cook since I was a teenager and learned how to make spaghetti sauce from my grandmother and made it to impress girls. It worked.
But I have two people to thank for my "real skills"...and that would be Emeril Lagasse and Alton Brown.
Emeril for inspiring me to truly love good food and using the right ingredients. And Alton Brown for my technical skills

There are a lot of them. I have a diverse family and they all brought something to the table. Justin Wilson when I was very young. I have a rather adventurous spirit so I try almost everything or I did. It was curbed quite a bit when my son was much younger and was afraid of the dinner table. There are so many recipes that you never have to eat the same thing twice in a year. I didn't. I would spend hours cooking dinner and he would come to the table and cry. Now he will eat anything but there for a hot minute I was like, "Fine, baked spaghetti it is."

 

[ChrisL]

Is there anyone you attribute the most to thank for your cooking skills? A relative perhaps, author or TV chef?
I have liked to cook since I was a teenager and learned how to make spaghetti sauce from my grandmother and made it to impress girls. It worked.
But I have two people to thank for my "real skills"...and that would be Emeril Lagasse and Alton Brown.
Emeril for inspiring me to truly love good food and using the right ingredients. And Alton Brown for my technical skills

Probably my mother was the biggest influence on me when it comes to cooking. I didn't really learn to cook until I moved out on my own, and then I missed her cooking so much that I tried to duplicate it and that is when I really started to get interested in cooking. I also enjoy the cooking shows. I learn so much. I get lots of good tips and advice from those shows, and interesting new recipes to try out.

I have a lot of my mother's recipes, but I always tweak them to suit me and my tastes.

 

[ChrisL]

I cooked with my mother since I was a little girl but never really had a liking for it or got creative with it until I was an adult.

 

[Iceweasel]

I don't eat out and cooking might be a generous term. I prepared food for consumption. No extra moves apart from a little seasoning here or there, grated cheese maybe. No gal O ever dated could cook worth a shit. My mom wasn't very good so I learned nothing from her except how to cook vegetables until they strain through your fork.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I think the most important thing about learning to cook well, is to UNLEARN typical American cooking methods. Like boiling vegetables until they are a pale/limp/slimy unholy version of what they once were. Stop cooking meat until it is dry and tasteless...and then trying to counteract that by smothering it with ketchup or steak sauce etc.
As well as keeping it simple. Fewer ingredients and simple methods can produce spectacular results.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Probably my mother was the biggest influence on me when it comes to cooking. I didn't really learn to cook until I moved out on my own, and then I missed her cooking so much that I tried to duplicate it and that is when I really started to get interested in cooking. I also enjoy the cooking shows. I learn so much. I get lots of good tips and advice from those shows, and interesting new recipes to try out.

I have a lot of my mother's recipes, but I always tweak them to suit me and my tastes.

Unfortunately my Mom was a horrendous cook...the typical 1960s-70's housewife who went for the "modern convenience" of pre-packaged, frozen varieties. To this day my Mom can't cook. She boils and overcooks everything, and you could hold in one hand her entire spice collection.
But other than that - I lover her to death.