STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

janey831 · Kate Spade

Food Challenges?

Sibeski · Dooney & Bourke

Red meat. I just can't do it, it's not that I'm grossed out or anything. I just don't know how to cook it. I feel like I follow all the directions it just tastes like crap.

Elle · Hermes

I have the hardest time baking, with the exception of a few relatively forgiving things. I always follow the directions, but they never turn out and the problem with baking is that it's hard to go back and figure out what went wrong! It's mostly cookies I guess - I tried 6 different cookies for Christmas this year, and not one of them turned out well.

I have trouble with meat too, which is one reason among many I choose not to attempt to deal with it anymore. It's always partially frozen when you need it, or it's gone bad in the fridge, or it smells funny, or it's undercooked, or overcooked, or rubbery, or dry, or didn't get the nice grill marks. No, thanks!

clothes_horse · Dooney & Bourke

i love baking and i've gotten quite good at it, but cooking will forever be my nemesis. my meals turn out ok, but rarely great. i have the most trouble with meats, like chicken and ground beef. maybe it's just because i'm not a huge fan of meat to begin with, but whenever i cook meat, it always turns out really dry and clumpy.

XtinaStyles · Marc Jacobs

Hard-boiled eggs. I can't make them and the thought of making them makes me nervous. How am I supposed to cook something that I can't see?!?!!

Kelly · Hermes

I used to be *really* nervous about fish. I don't know why, but for some reason the idea of under or over cooking fish has always been way scarier to me than under or over cooking any other kind of meat. But now that I finally got myself a thermometer, all my baking/cooking has gotten better, because I can check the internal temp and not have to rely on my eyeballs!

I can make things OK, but nothing ever turns out awesome. In cooking, I follow directions to a T and am on edge the whole time, thinking that I'm not doing something right or that I'm really messing it up. And figuring out what seasonings to use? Forget about it! When BF and I go to the grocery store, we wander around while he gets inspired and makes up a dish off the top of his head and knows what herbs and spice to put it in and how to cook it...and it totally baffles me. I'm MUCH better at baking. If I could live off of things I stick in a pan and put in the oven, I'd be a master chef :)

Boots · Gucci

I love to cook, but sometimes things don't look like the picture in the cook book, which annoys me to no end (I know the book has food stylists to make it look that way, but it still annoys me.) Plus, my sister-in-law is a chef so I feel like even if no one else knows that the dish doesn look perfect, she still knows.

I used to have problems with baking, although I love to do it. Turns out my oven's temp was off. When I bought a new oven, I also bought an inexpensive thermometer to go inside so I could monitor the temp. I haven't had any trouble since then.

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

I am also terrible with food presentation. I can make the meal but it doesn't always look pretty.

I am also really bad with steak. I aim for medium but it is always well even with the thermometer. Same thing with pork. It is always too red and I have to cook longer.

cahabo · Kate Spade

I also have a hard time with hard boiled eggs. I always cook at least one more than I want because I know usually one of them isn't going to be usable to make deviled eggs.

Hashbrowns- No matter how long I cook them they seem to taste raw and mushy instead of golden brown and slightly crispy.

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

Turkey (all kinds except ground). It's always super dry and tasteless.

I have trouble coordinating cooking times of multiple menu items-- getting the main course to finish before the steamed broccoli is murdered or the rice is mush.

Elle · Hermes

So .... if someone has an answer for someone else's issue, should we post it? I'm going to, only because I've hashed it out on a few of these things and I don't want anyone else to suffer!

Hardboiled eggs - the only way I've ever gotten them to turn out is this way: put eggs in single layer in pot, cover with cold water so their immersed up to your second knuckle. Cover and bring to a boil on high heat, when it gets to a nice hard boil, slide the covered pot off the heat and let sit for 18 minutes. Dump the hot water and rinse continuously with cold water until the eggs are room temp. You can peel now, or refrigerate in shells and peel once cold. The beauty of this method is that a minute longe or shorter left in the water doesn't affect them too much, so you have alot more room for error.

Turkey - crockpot! Loin, cutlets, whatever, into crockpot with some chicken stock and some onions/garlic/herbs. Cook on low for 8-ish hours, depending on how much you have in there and how hot your crock runs. Makes the moistest turkey evah, especially delish on sandwiches.

Hashbrowns - with the frozen shredded kind, the trick is a big pan or working in batches and not turning them. I've also gotten them about halfway done in a pan and finished them off on a cookie sheet in the oven. Homemade is definitely a stove top-to-oven endeavor.

janey831 · Kate Spade

Good idea, Elle! I use the same method for hardboiled eggs! Good tip about the hashbrowns..I have the same problem as cahabo.

tri_sarah_tops · Marc Jacobs

Cheesecake. It always cracks or I take it out before the middle is fully set.

fairywings · Dooney & Bourke

Icing. This is pretty much a non-cook food item, but I can never get the consistency or taste that I like. It usually ends up tasting like sweet chalk. How do I make the frothy, whipped icing that I can buy? And my favorite is definitely buttercream...

tri_sarah_tops · Marc Jacobs

fairywings wrote:

Icing. This is pretty much a non-cook food item, but I can never get the consistency or taste that I like. It usually ends up tasting like sweet chalk. How do I make the frothy, whipped icing that I can buy? And my favorite is definitely buttercream...

Have you tried using heavy whipping cream instead of milk? I've had much better luck that way.

alb · Marc Jacobs

grilled chicken always has been and still is my biggest challenge - as we all know!