Do you consider yourself a good cook?

I do pretty well.

I make dinner every Sunday night. Made grilled chili lime flank steak tacos last night, which is my go-to if I don't have any other ideas. Ridiculously good.

 

Other than my self-proclaimed award-winning Cincinnati Spaghetti, I could screw up a bowl of cereal.

 

When Mrs. W and I were dating I made her a dinner of ahi tuna with 3 types of veggies in different Asian sauces. It was my Bob Beamon moment in terms of indoor cooking.

 

Not really but I try. My mom was from the small Chinese village and really learned how to make tasty food from not great stuff; its a lot of stir frying. She also learned Americana food so I got a good mix growing up. When I went away to college, her food was what I missed most. I loved coming home to eat her food. Even now, she's over 80 and she enjoys cooking for my family and me.

Sorry I digressed. So in college I learned that I did not like eating what my roommates made and I bailed on the communal food (it was horrible, they were cooking with generic (worst food available in 80's) food.) I learned to cook for one. I went home and asked my mom about stir frying and learned pretty good. I also worked in a nice restaurant so watched and learned there too.

However, while my wife was okay with my cooking, once I started working professionally I just didn't have time to do it anymore. I always got home after dinner time. I grill now, make a pretty good marinated tri-tip and will grill steaks, chicken and fish but nothing else these days.

Conversely, my wife came from a home where NO ONE wanted to cook. It was basically survival food, pure sustinence. Completely different from me. I give her credit, she maxes out her ability but she just dislikes it and isn't enthusiastic about cooking. Even when she does tasty stuff she doesn't enjoy it like I do.

 

Strong agree. Just stay away from Crock-Pot (TM) brand slow cookers -- they have a tendency to run way hotter than they should. Also, they sometimes literally fall to pieces... not that I have any personal experience with that.

 

Instapots are fantastic if I can pile on Lakefront's slow cooker suggestion.

I'm assuming if you have a gas stove top you might have a gas broiler as well, but if those flames are not as triggering or if you happen to have an electric broiler, doing chicken under the broiler is amazing. Takes about 7 to 8 minutes per side and you can do simple citrus-based marinades depending on your cuppa tea. But completely disregard if the broiler triggers you too.

 

I’m pretty handy but as a very single parent with a pretty quiet social life, rarely cooking for other adults gets tiresome. My kids are great, not too fussy at all and very appreciative. However the modern teenage palate has limitations.

 

I used to be a better cook than I am now. Years back, I wrote about food for the local daily, and being a single guy, I cooked a lot for that. When I got married, we both cooked, though she was much better than I. However, my wife eventually went to culinary school and her improved skills and knowledge left me in the dust. I now help her cook a lot; I'm the kitchen bitch, helping prep and clean, and we're comfortable with me being in that role.

 

I have just enough knowledge about cooking to be annoying in the kitchen, especially when someone who is cooking is at my skill level or below. It isn't this way with my dad because he can leave my skills in the dust, but when my wife cooks, I tell her it is probably better I'm not in the kitchen because I'd want to do it my way. Even some friends (including one who went to culinary school) I have to sit on my hands just so I'm not "that guy." I hat tip for people who find a working dynamic in the kitchen that allows for a helper.

 

And you do, every time you open that box of Fruity Pebbles.

 

I denounce this.

 

Cincinnati Spaghetti, what is that?