Do you consider yourself a good cook?

I really enjoy cooking and do it often.

My best are my comfort foods.

Over COVID, though, I have perfected making a crunch wrap supreme from Taco Bell that my middle schooler adores.

If I had to cook one thing, it would be a turkey. My 15-hour slow cooked bird and my smoked bird on the grill are equally amazing.

 

I’m an inspired and humble cook who views recipes as though they were paint-by-the-numbers reproductions.

But, no matter how good the meal, I usually tend to de-emphasize my role in its success. It’s almost always, “That turned out well” not “I kicked some ass with these ribs!” That way, I can blame mysterious food spirits when I make something too spicy for normal people to eat.

 

My maternal grandmother was an amazing cook, but would throw people out of her kitchen so I didn't learn anything from her. My mom cooked family dinners pretty much every weeknight while I was growing up. But while she can cook, she doesn't love it like her mother did.

I am pyrophobic, so it takes a lot for me to use the stove top. It's an old stove with very visible flames from the burners which make me anxious. I'm better with the oven, toaster oven and microwave, though I have set toast on fire on more than one occasion.

For years I've wanted to take a basic cooking class, because I own cookbooks like, "Cooking for Dummies" and "Help! My Apartment has a Kitchen."

I'm mostly living on salad -- I have no fear of slicing and dicing! but my brunoise isn't up to "Food Network" standards -- sandwiches, and takeout. But that's not much of a change from my pre-pandemic existence.

 

My son is a chef. My wife is an excellent cook. Most of the time I am in the kitchen, I am playing sous chef to my wife.

However, I have a couple of "signature dishes" that I always prepare - chili and hot smoked salmon are at the top of that list. I know cooking techniques because I have learned them from my wife and son meaning that I can make most anything. However, given the family culinary line-up, I usually stay on the sidelines.

 

I think I'm a *good* cook, although I'm sure the Dads would disagree, haha.

That said, they both love to cook and even somewhat fancy themselves as gourmet chefs, and I'd be more of a line cook.

I like to cook for the most part, but I enjoy baking more.

I'm always looking at recipes I want to try and I'm starting to get a feel for things without being a slave to time or written recipes.

 

Yes.
I do 99% of the cooking at my house because I enjoy it. I once had a buddy ask me how I learned to cook so well. "Hell, I like to eat. I figured it out."
My specialties are anything on the grill, most southern coastal seafood categories, collards, and chilis/soups.

I'm not much of a baker. I do make a pretty good Atlantic Beach or Key Lime pie.

 

I'm an adequate cook. I was one of four boys, and our mother beat some basic housekeeping into all of us, including cooking. I bought a copy of "The Joy of Cooking" shortly after I moved out. It has recipes from the most basic right on up, and I learned a bit from it. My wife needs total knee replacement in both legs and really can't stay on her feet more than a few minutes without a good deal of pain, so I now do most of the cooking. I'm good for most basic dishes and with fresh vegetables. Not much of a baker above the cast iron skillet of cornbread level. I keep us fed, and sometimes I really nail it... and sometimes the spice is off or something and it's "meh" but filling.

I'll never be a chef, but I enjoy cooking. It's the cleaning up afterward that I hate.

 

I clean up as much as I can during the actual cooking process. Whatever you can do then makes it easier later.

 

What I do, I do well. As long as I stay in my lane, you're going to get a good meal. My wife, on the other hand, is amazing and can make just about anything.

 

A slow cooker might be good for you. They come in all sizes.