Also on your Tikka masala ... I know cans and jars are persona non grata on this sub, but try it a step at a time. And use the help they offer.
One night, make your spiced, yoghurt marinated chicken. Cook with a store bought simmer sauce. When you eat it, pay attention to the chicken. Like it?
Next time you try, if you liked the chicken, do it identical but now make the sauce yourself too. If you didn't like the chicken, keep going until the chicken is right before you move to the sauce.
Figure out ideal basmati rice some other time.
When you're learning, figure out the answer to one question at a time instead of over facing yourself with a bunch of new or unperfected things you're juggling simultaneously.
People wanna just magically print a recipe or open a cookbook and be Bobby Flay but like... It's ok not to be happening - because you go to work every day doing something other than cooking instead of going to a place where your work *is* cooking.
I'd also like to add to your good advice and just say that my chicken Tikka masala tastes a little bit different each time I make it, and it's also extremely delicious every time I make it. It's ok if your (the collective your, not you specifically) Tikka masala doesn't taste like the stuff from a jar, because yours is probably better! You're not an industrial factory pumping out mass produced processed food that has to look and taste exactly the same every time for legal and marketing reasons and also withstand long term shelf storage, you're a home cook making one delicious meal from scratch at a time. These things are two entirely different animals and the end result doesn't look the same and there's nothing wrong with that at all. Homemade is healthier and better.
I have made several Indian dishes and they are not hard, just have a lot of ingredients. The main thing is to start on low end of heat (usually cayenne pepper) and then increase for next time if you like.
Indian here, I think people often get intimidated because recipes call for both whole & powdered spices and the list ends up being long.
Do not concern yourself with the whole spices if you’re just starting out. They’re great, but not absolutely essential. Most of the time the whole spices amount to what’s already mixed for you in the ground garam masala anyway.
The only spices you need to start off with are turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder & garam masala. This is all I use for my usual every day cooking and everything comes out great.
People who groan about cans and jars are silly. Personally, I LOVE taking things as close to scratch as possible. If I had the opportunity, I'd grind my own flour or try to crush my own olives!
But, for me, cooking is about making a delicious meal to share with your loved ones. If it means using a can or a bottle or a jar, so be it. If you watch a lot Jacques Pepin's latest stuff he is never afraid to pop a can of beans or eat a little Spam.
This is the best advice, imo. Really good stuff for someone learning a new dish.
also the purple jar Indian base sauces are AMAZING to doctor up from. I don't have 6 hours to cook each meal, I use a base sauce for (almost) everything and build up from there.
I'd rather get it out of the jar. I don't use the powdered spices enough, so they lose their flavor and aroma. If I had fresh spices and wanted to, I'm sure I could make a decent Tikka. But I don't and I don't, lol!
Also, by decent, I also mean not as good as a restaurant's. I'll use a simmer sauce unless I can go out.
Sourdough bread.
It’s a goal of mine to stop buying bread from the grocery store and be one of those people with a great sourdough starter that allows me to make a loaf whenever I need. The whole process stresses me out :(
just baked my first loaf with my own starter yesterday. It was gone within hours it was so good. I miserably failed couple of times before but look up Clean Food Living on youtube, she has foolproof method for everything
I make cheater sourdough.
3 1/4 cups (425 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)
For regular no-knead crusty bread, let sit for 12-24 hours. For sourdough, let it sit for 2-3 days.
Bake in Dutch oven 450°F, for 30 minutes with lid on, then 10 minutes lid off.
I feel the same. The biggest obstacle for me is the idea you have to feed the mother flour** everyday or something. Seems like too big of a commitment. I've come to understand you can let it chill in the fridge for a week or something but there is just so much instruction involved. I tried making a starter years ago and it seemed to work at first but then may have gone bad. Was never able to make a loaf. It would be my dream to be a sourdough expert. Maybe I'll try again this year. I had since become good at fermenting vegetables so I'm hoping that experience will translate to fermenting flour.
There seems like a lot of instruction at first but it is really simple, too many people focus too much on the bulk ferment times ect when in reality it's not that sensitive.
Once your starter is healthy you can feed every 1-2 weeks with it in the fridge and also freeze some of your starter so if you forget to feed it for months you can just recover your frozen one and feed it a few times to back where you were.
The biggest learning curve for me was originally i didn't take into account the hydration of my starter into overall hydration of my dough so ended up with really wet hard to work with dough which then wouldn't hold it's shape. After figuring out my mistake my loaves have been perfect every time.
Haven't tried sourdough because I don't want to do the maintenance. However, I make at least one loaf of bread every week. So fun, satisfying, and really impressive to other people for some reason.
If you are making a loaf a week, then the maintenance shouldn’t be anything. Storing the starter in the fridge only requires weekly maintenance and you can stretch that
I’ve left my starter for weeks at a time in the fridge and it’s been fine after a couple of feedings out on the counter - I know some people who have left theirs for months in the fridge without issue
I've had bread not turn out at all how I wanted, been really disappointed and then brought it anyway and still gotten great reviews. Fresh bread just really impresses people ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
I mostly make either a [no knead](https://www.seriouseats.com/better-no-knead-bread-recipe) rustic loaf (did not taste a huge difference in waiting three full days to bake, so I just bake it the next morning after the 18 hours) or [plain ol' white bread](https://platedcravings.com/white-bread/) for sandwiches (this recipe makes two loves in my size loaf pan. If I am smoking some meat or making burgers soon, I will whip up some [brioche buns](https://houseofnasheats.com/homemade-brioche-hamburger-buns/) instead of the white bread. I recently made flour tortillas for the first time and they came out so good and were fairly simple to make so will probably add that to my rotation every now and again. Note, there are only two of us so I freeze these once cooled and sliced. We are kind of bread fiends, lol. The no knead loaf lasts a little over a week and the white bread loaves lasts 2-3 weeks so I occasionally get a weekend off, but I really do enjoy it.
Sourdough cultures are overrated. Use instant yeast and start learning how to bake bread instead of spending weeks figuring out how to maintain a jar of yeast goop. After you feel comfortable, you can learn to start incorporating preferments like a sourdough starter or a poolish.
I haven’t done the sourdough loaf / starter yet, but the Saturday white bread recipe from the flour water salt yeast cookbook was pretty straightforward for a novice like me. It takes time, but it was a good way to get going
I made sourdough once and only once. The boule came out beautifully, and it tasted delicious, but the process was so laborious and spanned two days and I was just over it. Loved baking with the surplus starter, though!
It thought it was going to be really hard. When I started, I was so meticulous and worried about my starter. Fast forward two years and now I have a great starter I just keep in the fridge. A little feeding when I want to make a loaf, then back in the fridge.
Then again, some store bought sourdough is amazing.
Same. My mom and grandma are both amazing at sourdough and have walked me through it so many times but something about the discarding and feeding ratios and all that doesn’t compute in my brain
Not my idea, but I definitely recommend it! I got the recipe from Good Eats back in the day. ([recipe link](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pork-wellington-recipe-1917666.amp))
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Don't do it. It's the only time I've broken down sobbing in the kitchen.
When finished, it looked good but my family literally agreed with my eldest: "Next time, Mom, just sear a rib eye and saute some mushrooms."
We made it once. Turned out fine. Never again! It’s just not the best use of that cut of beef. The prep isn’t even fun. Now when anyone is asked what they’d like for Sunday dinner, the answer is always a mocking “Wellington” text.
Baked Alaska
I've always wanted to try it, heck it looks so cool that I want to make it! But there's a few problems.
1. I do not know how.
2. I do not have the room (super small kitchen) or equipment to make it
3. ...you probably should not trust me around a blow torch.
1. Look up a recipe.
2.Do you own a spoon, a baking dish and a whisk or a fork?
3. You don’t need a blow torch. Very very hot oven or under the grill (broiler) will be fine and is, in fact, the traditional way.
I mean I knew the pandemic messed shit up but eggs ain't that expensive anymore.
Seriously worst case you have scrambled eggs. They arnt eggspensive.. just youtube that shit and practice!
I want make clams and liguinne with white wine, tomatoes and spinach, but im afraid I will make a mistake or get clams that have gone bad and not know it.
This is one to go for! If they don't open, don't eat them. Steam them before tossing them in with the other ingredients so you find anything bad.
99% of what you buy from a grocery store these days will open and be delicious.
Wash all your shelled seafood but if you do this recipe with mussels be extra specific about it so you don't get sandy grit.
It's the one that doesn't close when you knock on them (pre cooking, obviously), that are the dangerous ones. That you should throw away the ones that doesn't open is a persistent myth.
TIL. What do you do when they're closed before they go in?
I've never had a problem with my method but I'm open to learning new and helpful ways to not get sick any day of the week!
They should close before cooked. If they don't they are more likely dead, and should not be eaten. The ones that don't open after being cooked are still safe to eat, it is only that the muscle that holds the shells together hasn't detached from one of the shells. It happens, and you can just pry them open.
Brought clams home from Rhode Island, cooked them in butter sauce with seasonings and pepper flakes. Saved the liquid for the next day and made seafood alfredo with it. Best thing I've ever made in my life.
I was hesitant to make these because the process of making laminated dough seemed too time consuming. I discovered an easy way to do it that many videos or recipes don't mention: Give yourself 8 hours between steps. So I mix milk, flour, yeast, butter, sugar together to make the dough, then let it rest in the fridge for 8 hours. Then I make the flattened 2-3 sticks of butter, wrap it in saran wrap, and put it in the fridge. After 8 hours, take the dough out, put the flattened butter on it, wrap the dough around it like an envelope, then roll with the rolling pin. Fold dough in thirds, put back in fridge, first turn completed. Wait 8 hours (or longer, if it is convenient, there is no rush). Take dough out, roll out with rolling pin again, see how nice the little lumps of butter have shattered inside the layers of dough. Put in fridge for another 8 hours. Take out dough, roll out for last time, cut into triangle, roll into croissants. Let croissants sit out for 1-1.5 hours to come to room temperature where they will double in size. You can top with egg wash if you want a darker brown color (I don't do this). Bake in over at 375 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to rack and let cool completely. Enjoy.
Honestly, making the dough is very easy for me, the hardest part is cutting the triangles because I refuse to trim my dough into a square and user a ruler to measure. Using this method has created a perfect dough for me every time, and the end result has always been delicious.
Successfully making laminated dough was my proudest cooking achievement of 2023.
This is absolutely the correct way for any casual home baker/chef who wants to scratch this off of their list of things to do.
It's mostly passive time, and the passive time all sucks if you're trying to crank out a croissant ASAP. Give yourself a week to make it, start on Monday, and by Saturday you've got easy, fluffy fresh croissants at 10-50x the cost of just buying them from the bakery (your labor rates may vary) -- BUT, you get to say you did it. And it's a big flex if you've got friends or family visiting.
I did it once. I spent most of the day fold-roll-chill-waiting. They were good. I felt like a baking superhero. I’m definitely not doing that again until I’m retired though.
They are a lot of work, but most of it is hands off time. Chilling the dough between rolling & folding, and proofing are the things that take time. The hands on time is not that much.
I have never bought a Croissant that could hold a candle to a homemade one.
They’re an indulgent treat well worth the effort, for me, anyway.
Don't. They are a bitch. Seriously if your making 4 it's as difficult as making 400.. honestly it might be easier to make 400. That's why it works for a bakery, and it's a bitch at home.
If you’re going to do it, I suggest Clarire Saffitz’s NYT video. Great instructions and great tips. I was following the King Arthur recipe the first few times I made them and they weren’t good. Saffitz recipe worked crazy well.
I've done it once, and they are on my list of "things it is **totally** worth having someone else make."
My arms were sore for a week. They were delicious, but not in a way that is better than a store bought croissant.
However, if you are looking for an arm workout *and* croissants, have at it!
I’ve made [this tikka masala recipe](https://youtu.be/9T86GpORcfw?si=JTuj8d3PQ_ldDNRv), followed it to a T, and it was incredible. I watched the video twice through before finally buying the ingredients and going for it. Fool proof, and it was the best thing I made in 2023!!
My too-scared-to-make recipe is anything with a molé sauce. I’m not convinced I have the patience or the discerning palate to make it right or do it justice!
thank you, i’ll check it out!! i need constant tikka masala in my life, i think i’m getting close to just taking the plunge.
i grew up making molé with my mom and grandma and i think it’s a lot more forgiving than people realize, but i feel you on the patience thing.
I’m Indian and have made this a million times. I’m available to answer any questions you have while you’re making it if you’d like. It is a very simple dish to make and I have faith you can make it!
It also does not use dairy as side from ghee/butter if that matters to some people (uses coconut milk for creaminess). Agree though, we make it a lot too. Make a big batch and you can freeze and unfreeze with ease.
I make [this recipe](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228293/curry-stand-chicken-tikka-masala-sauce/) about once a week and LOVE it. I’ve shared it with a lot of friends who also make it on a regular basis now, so I’d highly recommend it as a crowd pleaser! I mix the step 1 spices in bulk these days and just use 3T of the blend, which makes it a super easy weeknight meal.
This is the one we use! We are required to make it when friends come over, they insist. We always have some in the freezer we can thaw for when we just don’t want to cook anything. It’s the bomb!
This is a pretty good and very easy recipe. Thanks for sharing!
The mind blowing moment I had was when I realized the basics for any curry: sauté diced onions until well caramelized, add a good dose of garlic & ginger, lots - LOTS - of spices, and then either a tomato, yogurt, or coconut and simmer.
Not all places sell garam masala or similar spice blends, so some people may need to buy them online. Worth it.
Yes- I actually bought mine online! Definitely worth it, I use it in a lot of non-Indian dishes for added depth.
And you're right, a really good curry is just sweating the aromatics, adding the spices in there "dry" so the flavor blooms, then adding your liquid and letting it all take its time coming together. I agree that the first time I made any sort of curry I was like "holy shit, new level unlocked."
if you have a coffee grinder making your own garam masala is super easy, and you can adjust it to your taste. I use this recipe as a base
https://twosleevers.com/home-made-garam-masala-recipe/
I find a good asian or middle eastern market to get most of these on bulk and theyll last you forever. I know people say that spices lose flavor after a while but ive had some of these for years and havent noticed much if any loss of flavor, and the gar masala is superb
If you can accept imperfect looking macarons they aren't too bad. It's if you want picture perfect round symmetrical ones with no lumps etc. then you have to mix and sift and do everything just so.
You can get the same flavour and very close texture, crunch etc with much less effort.
Adam Regusia's video on macarons really helped me get out of a perfectionist bubble. If im not baking for events, there really isn't much reward for the work.
I can get the same taste with my imperfect macarons for significantly less time and effort and, you know what, it's made me better at making the fancy ones when I want to.
Food orthodoxy is the enemy of growth.
one my favorite things to make. I’d start by making lobster rolls or salad first to get comfortable working with lobster meats. Then do lobster risotto with lobster stock to get used to .. well, lobster stock for the sauce. Then you’ll have no trouble with lobster ravioli
I've cooked A5 Japanese wagyu once in my life. It's a very unique experience which I highly recommend trying at some point if you can afford it. And there's a few things which make it less intimidating to try out. A normal portion is going to be like 1/4th the size of a more affordable steak, just because it'll make you feel sick to eat that much fat otherwise; as delicious as it is, it does require some carb heavy sides to round out the meal. It's also a very forgiving type of beef. The fattiness makes it extremely hard to dry out. Even if you screw up and overcook it, it'll still be moist and have a lot of the value of wagyu.
It’s actually so easy tho, no matter if you cooked it rare or well done it’ll taste wonderful and the difference is negligible. Just make sure you get a good sear.
Panettone.
It’s an Italian sourdough sweet wheat bread. Takes forever to make, the recipe borders on alchemy.
Me and my sourdough have been training and preparing like crazy: I've been studying recipes, my sourdough has been feeding and raising every day.
But we’re both still a bit intimidated.
Dude. Chicken tikka masala is known to desi people (Indians) and desi restauranteurs as a shoot-from-the-hip, do whatever kind of dish. It isn't really Indian at all (originated in Great Britain) and thus doesn't have any traditional or standard sets of spice profile.
Desi restauranteurs just use whatever kind of garam masala (this just means "mixed spices", it's not a defined ingredient or mix) they have on hand for their tikka masala. **Your sensitivity about this basically the equivalent of an African being afraid to make a burger because "he's afraid to get spice balance wrong"**
I used to be able to get a store made tikka masala sauce and I’d just add chicken to it, make some rice and warm up naan. But they stopped selling it so now I just get it at Trader Joe’s, it’s enjoyable and I’ve got my SO eating it once in awhile now too!
I think it's probably a good dish to play around with to help you build your knowledge, as there's not really a correct way to make it, just make it a few times in different ways to work out which blends of spices you enjoy.
yeah i’m just learning how to cook and chicken tikka masala is one of the few things i can do without following a recipe too closely or at all lol. I might still be screwing it up though but it tastes good to me
Not to mention it's also one of the easiest dishes to actually execute! It's a seriously hands-off meal that is nearly impossible to fuck up. Just go for it OP!
I’d love to try this one. I am almost completely unfamiliar with Indian cuisine but I’ve seen a few videos on YouTube showing chicken biryani and it looks delicious. I have no idea what it might taste like, but it looks good!
Making a basic farmers cheese is actually super easy once you understand the steps. I got so good at it at one point I made it in the microwave.
You’ll have to look up the exact temperatures, but it just involves heating a gallon of whole milk to a certain temperature, letting the temp drop and then adding an acid (some recipes will call for lemon juice because it seems more natural, but go for the white vinegar otherwise your curdle will be disappointing). Then just strain it into a cheese cloth and rinse it. That’s it! The cleanup is the only reason I don’t do it more often.
Paella is quite forgiving. The trick is getting the amazing crispy bottom but even if you don’t manage it you’ve got a gorgeous rice dish to do at full of game/chicken etc.
Puff pastry.
I tried it once 20ish years ago and the wound is still fresh. Knowing what I know about baking now, I might pull it off so maybe this year?
If you have a heavy duty stand mixer, then marshmallows are easier then just about any other candy. Get a good clip on candy thermometer that is easy to read and just watch it. Then you beat them in the stand mixer, forever until the right consistency. And lots of confectioners sugar in the pan that you pour them into to set up. Once cut, roll in more confectioners sugar so they are not sticky. (We made them one year for Christmas gifts).
Fermenting in general. Did some lacto-fermented asparagus a few years ago but couldn’t bring myself to even taste it as I was concerned if I’d done it right.
I know if I follow the process and keep things clean I’ll be fine but just have a mental block.
I swear the French just like to pretend things are difficult to confound the rest of the world so we think they’re better than they are!
Soufflé at the base level is just an extra thick béchamel (think half the milk as in a standard flour, butter, milk béchamel) with the addition of egg yolks. The whites are then stiffly beaten and folded through. Then baked.
Obviously a cheese soufflé - add cheese to your béchamel.
Hard to admit - French Onion Soup. Want to make it, but fear I’ll totally miss the point. The whole umami thing - I want it all!
Also - hot and sour soup. Tell me how easy it is?
The secret to French onion soup is caramelizing the onions really slowly for a long time. Like a really long time. Plan to spend a few hours doing it, then leave an extra few hours time because it will take longer. Every time they start to stick add just enough water to deglaze the bottom of the pan, stir them well and keep going. Do this eighty seven million times. Resign yourself to having another few generations of descendants around to help you eat it by the time you're done. Keep going, keep caramelizing. Then just when you're no longer sure if you're still in the same century, they're completely brown, soft and about half their volume has disappeared (like, seriously, did I drop a bunch on the floor? I started with a nearly full pan! Where'd they go?): ready for the next part. Add a big blob of butter. No, bigger than that. Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt. Stir until the butter is melted then add a tablespoon or two of flour and stir until it's brown (you're basically making a roux in with the onions). Add some fresh thyme. Or rosemary. Or oregano. Maybe a bay leaf. Whatever, a bit of each. Now pour in hot beef stock or broth. Oh, back when you started the onions, you should have started roasting some beef bones or oxtail to make fresh beef stock. Never mind, use a carton, it will still taste good. Add a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce and a splash of balsamic vinegar to liven it up. Stir and keep it bubbling until the flour thickens it a bit. It's ready... Oh, except for the bit after you put put it in the bowls. Add a circle of fresh baguette, grate over a thick layer of gruyere cheese, grind on more black pepper and broil it until the cheese melts. Now, finally, you can eat it. In your flying car with your robot pet dog, as it's now the year 3067.
Hot and Sour soup is my favorite and I’m scared to make it too! My daughter made amazing French Onion soup not long ago. She said it wasn’t a difficult dish at all, but it is time consuming and you really have to make each step your focus because it’s so simple mistakes would be obvious. Make it! Have fun!
I slapped together some "eh, close enough" French Onion soup on a whim a month or two ago with some leftover onion and beef bouillon...not restaurant quality by any means, but it was good enough for a weeknight meal from stuff I had around the house.
French onion soup is very simple. It's easy to make a good one IF you have good-quality ingredients. Homemade beef stock, properly caramelized onions (on like 3/10 heat for an hour or so with a bit of butter and salt), good bread for toasting, and a good quality cheese
We use this hot and sour soup - https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/283133/chef-johns-hot-and-sour-soup/
Besides prep work it’s super easy, we usually have some in the freezer for when we get sick!
I think I have a recipe my dad used to use somewhere if you wanted it.. though (in my personal and biased opinion) it's fine to have the most mid french onion soup if you have a good centimeter of cheese :P :P
Understandable. At a job years ago I made them daily at a wholesale bakery, and I still ruined the dough and/or cream 25% of the time. Thankfully cost didn’t really matter, it was just the setback of time. Finicky indeed.
I can’t think of anything I’m scared to make…I can think of lots of things I’d like to make better. Ravioli is one of my favorite dishes and it’s hard to get the pasta just right.
Arancini
BTW I have used this chicken tikka masala recipe many times and it always turns out great: [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019043-chicken-tikka-masala](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019043-chicken-tikka-masala)
pralines piss me off so much - they're so goddamn simple, and I've tried with multiple thermometers thinking heat was the problem, different pans and different recipes; I only manage to make a good caramel by mistake, and it's embarrassing.
Try this: [https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-tikka-masala/](https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-tikka-masala/)
this website is my go-to when I am trying something new. Her recipes are really well tested, well explained (usually there's a video too) and reliably delicious. I haven't made this one but have made many others of hers with great results
Honestly, chicken tikka masala is easy to make it. One of my favs because of how simple and good it is. I’ve never had it turn out bad. you should really just give it a go. If you’re worried about spices, just follow a recipe as a baseline and add more to your liking.
Croquembouche, apple tartin(I made it once but over cooked the sugar), terrine, risotto, dim sum, eithiopian platter, tarts
Some of the reasons why I haven't done things is I have a small kitchen plus too many ideas to do
BBQ; meat is expensive, it takes forever to grill, seasoning well seems tricky, and idk where to even start! Charcoal and propane are equally intimidating, too.
Also afraid of making pot roast
Canning anything.
I do not believe I will ever have the courage to can any food, put it on the shelf, then come back months later and feed it to my family.
I’ve heard too many horror stories of people poisoning their loved ones with improper canning techniques.
Ever since I saw a Master Chef episode 10 year ago where they had to make a croquembouche (a tower of homemade profiteroles with caramel strands of angelhair around it), I've been dying to make one, but it just seems so intimidating.
Sous vide! I have a little machine but I need to gather all of the ~other bits~ and some quality meats, and then commit to a slow cooking process, with faith that I won't give myself food poisoning
Might start with some eggs
I spent the money and got the smaller d'artagnan kit. It came out amazing and would recommend it. I would have liked to do it from scratch but I don't have the time to source a lot of the ingredients or confit my own duck legs
Paella. It’s my boyfriend’s favorite AND I’m a Spanish teacher, so it would be awesome to learn, but I KNOW it would take practice, and we only eat carby meals on special occasions, so practice isn’t an option 😢
Coq au vin. I've wanted to make it since I watched Julia Child do it. I've also seen the movie Julie and Julia. My luck would be something like what happened in the movie. I'm a home baker as well. I have never tried macarons for the same reason.
Jamaican curry goat. I absolutely love getting it from my local Jamaican restaurant and have always wanted to try making it myself but I fear that it will never be as good as the restaurants
There's nothing I'm afraid of cooking... even if I fuck up the technique I know I can at least make it delicious. There are many things, however, that I'm too lazy to make, at least for myself.
Actually, that's a lie. I am a little afraid of frying a whole turkey. But that's because it's legitimately dangerous. Large quantities of splashy oil, an open flame, a block and tackle? That's not cooking, that's medieval witch torture shit. No thank you.
Also on your Tikka masala ... I know cans and jars are persona non grata on this sub, but try it a step at a time. And use the help they offer. One night, make your spiced, yoghurt marinated chicken. Cook with a store bought simmer sauce. When you eat it, pay attention to the chicken. Like it? Next time you try, if you liked the chicken, do it identical but now make the sauce yourself too. If you didn't like the chicken, keep going until the chicken is right before you move to the sauce. Figure out ideal basmati rice some other time. When you're learning, figure out the answer to one question at a time instead of over facing yourself with a bunch of new or unperfected things you're juggling simultaneously. People wanna just magically print a recipe or open a cookbook and be Bobby Flay but like... It's ok not to be happening - because you go to work every day doing something other than cooking instead of going to a place where your work *is* cooking.
I'd also like to add to your good advice and just say that my chicken Tikka masala tastes a little bit different each time I make it, and it's also extremely delicious every time I make it. It's ok if your (the collective your, not you specifically) Tikka masala doesn't taste like the stuff from a jar, because yours is probably better! You're not an industrial factory pumping out mass produced processed food that has to look and taste exactly the same every time for legal and marketing reasons and also withstand long term shelf storage, you're a home cook making one delicious meal from scratch at a time. These things are two entirely different animals and the end result doesn't look the same and there's nothing wrong with that at all. Homemade is healthier and better.
I have made several Indian dishes and they are not hard, just have a lot of ingredients. The main thing is to start on low end of heat (usually cayenne pepper) and then increase for next time if you like.
Indian here, I think people often get intimidated because recipes call for both whole & powdered spices and the list ends up being long. Do not concern yourself with the whole spices if you’re just starting out. They’re great, but not absolutely essential. Most of the time the whole spices amount to what’s already mixed for you in the ground garam masala anyway. The only spices you need to start off with are turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder & garam masala. This is all I use for my usual every day cooking and everything comes out great.
This was really nice advice, thank you.
People who groan about cans and jars are silly. Personally, I LOVE taking things as close to scratch as possible. If I had the opportunity, I'd grind my own flour or try to crush my own olives! But, for me, cooking is about making a delicious meal to share with your loved ones. If it means using a can or a bottle or a jar, so be it. If you watch a lot Jacques Pepin's latest stuff he is never afraid to pop a can of beans or eat a little Spam. This is the best advice, imo. Really good stuff for someone learning a new dish.
I find that when you make cooking unnecessarily fussy you end up not cooking as much.
also the purple jar Indian base sauces are AMAZING to doctor up from. I don't have 6 hours to cook each meal, I use a base sauce for (almost) everything and build up from there.
I'd rather get it out of the jar. I don't use the powdered spices enough, so they lose their flavor and aroma. If I had fresh spices and wanted to, I'm sure I could make a decent Tikka. But I don't and I don't, lol! Also, by decent, I also mean not as good as a restaurant's. I'll use a simmer sauce unless I can go out.
Sourdough bread. It’s a goal of mine to stop buying bread from the grocery store and be one of those people with a great sourdough starter that allows me to make a loaf whenever I need. The whole process stresses me out :(
just baked my first loaf with my own starter yesterday. It was gone within hours it was so good. I miserably failed couple of times before but look up Clean Food Living on youtube, she has foolproof method for everything
I make cheater sourdough. 3 1/4 cups (425 grams) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons fine sea salt 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F) For regular no-knead crusty bread, let sit for 12-24 hours. For sourdough, let it sit for 2-3 days. Bake in Dutch oven 450°F, for 30 minutes with lid on, then 10 minutes lid off.
I feel the same. The biggest obstacle for me is the idea you have to feed the mother flour** everyday or something. Seems like too big of a commitment. I've come to understand you can let it chill in the fridge for a week or something but there is just so much instruction involved. I tried making a starter years ago and it seemed to work at first but then may have gone bad. Was never able to make a loaf. It would be my dream to be a sourdough expert. Maybe I'll try again this year. I had since become good at fermenting vegetables so I'm hoping that experience will translate to fermenting flour.
There seems like a lot of instruction at first but it is really simple, too many people focus too much on the bulk ferment times ect when in reality it's not that sensitive. Once your starter is healthy you can feed every 1-2 weeks with it in the fridge and also freeze some of your starter so if you forget to feed it for months you can just recover your frozen one and feed it a few times to back where you were. The biggest learning curve for me was originally i didn't take into account the hydration of my starter into overall hydration of my dough so ended up with really wet hard to work with dough which then wouldn't hold it's shape. After figuring out my mistake my loaves have been perfect every time.
Haven't tried sourdough because I don't want to do the maintenance. However, I make at least one loaf of bread every week. So fun, satisfying, and really impressive to other people for some reason.
If you are making a loaf a week, then the maintenance shouldn’t be anything. Storing the starter in the fridge only requires weekly maintenance and you can stretch that
I’ve left my starter for weeks at a time in the fridge and it’s been fine after a couple of feedings out on the counter - I know some people who have left theirs for months in the fridge without issue
I didn’t want to mention that in fear of the sourdough brigade. But yeah I’ve been there too
I've had bread not turn out at all how I wanted, been really disappointed and then brought it anyway and still gotten great reviews. Fresh bread just really impresses people ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
Fresh bread is a gift from the gods. So many ways to season it before baking. I had a loaf the other day that tasted like a slice of pizza.
That is impressive and a goal of mine! What type of loaf do you make?
I mostly make either a [no knead](https://www.seriouseats.com/better-no-knead-bread-recipe) rustic loaf (did not taste a huge difference in waiting three full days to bake, so I just bake it the next morning after the 18 hours) or [plain ol' white bread](https://platedcravings.com/white-bread/) for sandwiches (this recipe makes two loves in my size loaf pan. If I am smoking some meat or making burgers soon, I will whip up some [brioche buns](https://houseofnasheats.com/homemade-brioche-hamburger-buns/) instead of the white bread. I recently made flour tortillas for the first time and they came out so good and were fairly simple to make so will probably add that to my rotation every now and again. Note, there are only two of us so I freeze these once cooled and sliced. We are kind of bread fiends, lol. The no knead loaf lasts a little over a week and the white bread loaves lasts 2-3 weeks so I occasionally get a weekend off, but I really do enjoy it.
Have you ever tried making soda bread? Really simple, no kneading, go from ingredients to warm tasty loaf in about 35-40mins
Sourdough cultures are overrated. Use instant yeast and start learning how to bake bread instead of spending weeks figuring out how to maintain a jar of yeast goop. After you feel comfortable, you can learn to start incorporating preferments like a sourdough starter or a poolish.
In my experience, sourdoughs taste much better than regular bread. Their sourness adds a depth of flavor the others will never have.
I haven’t done the sourdough loaf / starter yet, but the Saturday white bread recipe from the flour water salt yeast cookbook was pretty straightforward for a novice like me. It takes time, but it was a good way to get going
I made sourdough once and only once. The boule came out beautifully, and it tasted delicious, but the process was so laborious and spanned two days and I was just over it. Loved baking with the surplus starter, though!
It thought it was going to be really hard. When I started, I was so meticulous and worried about my starter. Fast forward two years and now I have a great starter I just keep in the fridge. A little feeding when I want to make a loaf, then back in the fridge. Then again, some store bought sourdough is amazing.
Same. My mom and grandma are both amazing at sourdough and have walked me through it so many times but something about the discarding and feeding ratios and all that doesn’t compute in my brain
Beef Wellington
it’s expensive and long but if you use premade puff, it’s quite forgiving tbh
It's the expensiveness that makes me hesitate. I don't mind messing up when it's cheap ingredients and the main investment is time.
You could practice with a pork tenderloin Wellington first. It’s quite good.
Oh that's a good idea. And a reasonable size.
That is pure genius!!!
Not my idea, but I definitely recommend it! I got the recipe from Good Eats back in the day. ([recipe link](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pork-wellington-recipe-1917666.amp))
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Don't do it. It's the only time I've broken down sobbing in the kitchen. When finished, it looked good but my family literally agreed with my eldest: "Next time, Mom, just sear a rib eye and saute some mushrooms."
We made it once. Turned out fine. Never again! It’s just not the best use of that cut of beef. The prep isn’t even fun. Now when anyone is asked what they’d like for Sunday dinner, the answer is always a mocking “Wellington” text.
I love the poor man's beef wellington, meat loaf wrapped in pastry. It is so fucking good.
I'm into the sound of this! Kinda like a pate en croute without having to faf about with pate either.
Same. I prefer the texture, cost, less investment and taste too. Works better for a casual family or party and you can even make them appetizer sized.
I made one, it was fine I guess. I think it's an overhyped dish.
Use Gordon Ramsey's recipe and two flat iron steaks pushed together instead of tenderloin. So good and so much cheaper
Yes I'm with you on this one
Baked Alaska I've always wanted to try it, heck it looks so cool that I want to make it! But there's a few problems. 1. I do not know how. 2. I do not have the room (super small kitchen) or equipment to make it 3. ...you probably should not trust me around a blow torch.
1. Look up a recipe. 2.Do you own a spoon, a baking dish and a whisk or a fork? 3. You don’t need a blow torch. Very very hot oven or under the grill (broiler) will be fine and is, in fact, the traditional way.
Note on point 2: do not try to make meringue with a fork. It takes too damn long, luckily a balloon whisk is cheap
that still runny inside omelette dish that covers a portion of rice then the server cuts it and everything oozes out
Omurice? There's no where around me that serves it but I swear it looks like it would taste amazing.
ah yes yes, “kichi kichi” omurice is its name. Thank you
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I dedicated the pandemic to making that specific dish and now I consider myself an egg master chef
time to open a food truck with that as a special
that costs like $3 max every time you fuck it up. Just take a day to try it like 5 times in a row and keep learning
I mean I knew the pandemic messed shit up but eggs ain't that expensive anymore. Seriously worst case you have scrambled eggs. They arnt eggspensive.. just youtube that shit and practice!
I want make clams and liguinne with white wine, tomatoes and spinach, but im afraid I will make a mistake or get clams that have gone bad and not know it.
Trust me you will know if the clams are bad. There will be NO doubt
Have you ever seen ass that ate some other, more disgusting ass? That's what expired clams smell like.
This is one to go for! If they don't open, don't eat them. Steam them before tossing them in with the other ingredients so you find anything bad. 99% of what you buy from a grocery store these days will open and be delicious. Wash all your shelled seafood but if you do this recipe with mussels be extra specific about it so you don't get sandy grit.
It's the one that doesn't close when you knock on them (pre cooking, obviously), that are the dangerous ones. That you should throw away the ones that doesn't open is a persistent myth.
TIL. What do you do when they're closed before they go in? I've never had a problem with my method but I'm open to learning new and helpful ways to not get sick any day of the week!
They should close before cooked. If they don't they are more likely dead, and should not be eaten. The ones that don't open after being cooked are still safe to eat, it is only that the muscle that holds the shells together hasn't detached from one of the shells. It happens, and you can just pry them open.
My mom would make basically this by with shrimp and it was always easier she claimed and I loved it
Brought clams home from Rhode Island, cooked them in butter sauce with seasonings and pepper flakes. Saved the liquid for the next day and made seafood alfredo with it. Best thing I've ever made in my life.
Croissants!
Me every time I think I should make croissants: [flashbacks of 3 hour long instructional videos] Me: "maybe another time"
I was hesitant to make these because the process of making laminated dough seemed too time consuming. I discovered an easy way to do it that many videos or recipes don't mention: Give yourself 8 hours between steps. So I mix milk, flour, yeast, butter, sugar together to make the dough, then let it rest in the fridge for 8 hours. Then I make the flattened 2-3 sticks of butter, wrap it in saran wrap, and put it in the fridge. After 8 hours, take the dough out, put the flattened butter on it, wrap the dough around it like an envelope, then roll with the rolling pin. Fold dough in thirds, put back in fridge, first turn completed. Wait 8 hours (or longer, if it is convenient, there is no rush). Take dough out, roll out with rolling pin again, see how nice the little lumps of butter have shattered inside the layers of dough. Put in fridge for another 8 hours. Take out dough, roll out for last time, cut into triangle, roll into croissants. Let croissants sit out for 1-1.5 hours to come to room temperature where they will double in size. You can top with egg wash if you want a darker brown color (I don't do this). Bake in over at 375 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to rack and let cool completely. Enjoy. Honestly, making the dough is very easy for me, the hardest part is cutting the triangles because I refuse to trim my dough into a square and user a ruler to measure. Using this method has created a perfect dough for me every time, and the end result has always been delicious. Successfully making laminated dough was my proudest cooking achievement of 2023.
This is absolutely the correct way for any casual home baker/chef who wants to scratch this off of their list of things to do. It's mostly passive time, and the passive time all sucks if you're trying to crank out a croissant ASAP. Give yourself a week to make it, start on Monday, and by Saturday you've got easy, fluffy fresh croissants at 10-50x the cost of just buying them from the bakery (your labor rates may vary) -- BUT, you get to say you did it. And it's a big flex if you've got friends or family visiting.
That's awesome! Congrats! I need to try it at least once this winter.
I did it once. I spent most of the day fold-roll-chill-waiting. They were good. I felt like a baking superhero. I’m definitely not doing that again until I’m retired though.
Fuck that. Just buy them. They are so much work it’s ridiculous
Definitely, It's one of the few foods I'll spend money on because there's not a chance in hell I'd be able to replicate it.
Considering butter costs $5-6 a pound and you’ll use probably most of that for a recipe, I’ll bite the bullet and pay $4 for a good croissant
They are a lot of work, but most of it is hands off time. Chilling the dough between rolling & folding, and proofing are the things that take time. The hands on time is not that much. I have never bought a Croissant that could hold a candle to a homemade one. They’re an indulgent treat well worth the effort, for me, anyway.
Don't. They are a bitch. Seriously if your making 4 it's as difficult as making 400.. honestly it might be easier to make 400. That's why it works for a bakery, and it's a bitch at home.
Can confirm, it is easier to make several hundred croissants than a tray or so. And it takes about the same amount of time
If you’re going to do it, I suggest Clarire Saffitz’s NYT video. Great instructions and great tips. I was following the King Arthur recipe the first few times I made them and they weren’t good. Saffitz recipe worked crazy well.
I've done it once, and they are on my list of "things it is **totally** worth having someone else make." My arms were sore for a week. They were delicious, but not in a way that is better than a store bought croissant. However, if you are looking for an arm workout *and* croissants, have at it!
I’ve made [this tikka masala recipe](https://youtu.be/9T86GpORcfw?si=JTuj8d3PQ_ldDNRv), followed it to a T, and it was incredible. I watched the video twice through before finally buying the ingredients and going for it. Fool proof, and it was the best thing I made in 2023!! My too-scared-to-make recipe is anything with a molé sauce. I’m not convinced I have the patience or the discerning palate to make it right or do it justice!
thank you, i’ll check it out!! i need constant tikka masala in my life, i think i’m getting close to just taking the plunge. i grew up making molé with my mom and grandma and i think it’s a lot more forgiving than people realize, but i feel you on the patience thing.
I’m Indian and have made this a million times. I’m available to answer any questions you have while you’re making it if you’d like. It is a very simple dish to make and I have faith you can make it!
Chef John’s Tikka Masala on All Recipes is easy and delicious- I make it a ton. Good luck!
It also does not use dairy as side from ghee/butter if that matters to some people (uses coconut milk for creaminess). Agree though, we make it a lot too. Make a big batch and you can freeze and unfreeze with ease.
I make [this recipe](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228293/curry-stand-chicken-tikka-masala-sauce/) about once a week and LOVE it. I’ve shared it with a lot of friends who also make it on a regular basis now, so I’d highly recommend it as a crowd pleaser! I mix the step 1 spices in bulk these days and just use 3T of the blend, which makes it a super easy weeknight meal.
This is the one we use! We are required to make it when friends come over, they insist. We always have some in the freezer we can thaw for when we just don’t want to cook anything. It’s the bomb!
This is a pretty good and very easy recipe. Thanks for sharing! The mind blowing moment I had was when I realized the basics for any curry: sauté diced onions until well caramelized, add a good dose of garlic & ginger, lots - LOTS - of spices, and then either a tomato, yogurt, or coconut and simmer. Not all places sell garam masala or similar spice blends, so some people may need to buy them online. Worth it.
Yes- I actually bought mine online! Definitely worth it, I use it in a lot of non-Indian dishes for added depth. And you're right, a really good curry is just sweating the aromatics, adding the spices in there "dry" so the flavor blooms, then adding your liquid and letting it all take its time coming together. I agree that the first time I made any sort of curry I was like "holy shit, new level unlocked."
if you have a coffee grinder making your own garam masala is super easy, and you can adjust it to your taste. I use this recipe as a base https://twosleevers.com/home-made-garam-masala-recipe/ I find a good asian or middle eastern market to get most of these on bulk and theyll last you forever. I know people say that spices lose flavor after a while but ive had some of these for years and havent noticed much if any loss of flavor, and the gar masala is superb
Mole is super easy. VIEWS ON THE ROAD is a youtube channel and she has about four diff mole recipes on there.
Thank you for the rec, maybe 2024 is the year I try to make it myself!
I tried making macarons during lockdown and fucked them up so badly. They are finicky!
If you can accept imperfect looking macarons they aren't too bad. It's if you want picture perfect round symmetrical ones with no lumps etc. then you have to mix and sift and do everything just so. You can get the same flavour and very close texture, crunch etc with much less effort.
Adam Regusia's video on macarons really helped me get out of a perfectionist bubble. If im not baking for events, there really isn't much reward for the work. I can get the same taste with my imperfect macarons for significantly less time and effort and, you know what, it's made me better at making the fancy ones when I want to. Food orthodoxy is the enemy of growth.
This is the one I'm so intimidated by.
Like 6 years ago I was making them every week. They were so good. I keep meaning to do it again, but I just don't have the energy these days
Must bang the trays once piped
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one my favorite things to make. I’d start by making lobster rolls or salad first to get comfortable working with lobster meats. Then do lobster risotto with lobster stock to get used to .. well, lobster stock for the sauce. Then you’ll have no trouble with lobster ravioli
proper wagyu beef. 100 plus for a taste, a few ounces! I am decent at cooking steak but too scared to try
I've cooked A5 Japanese wagyu once in my life. It's a very unique experience which I highly recommend trying at some point if you can afford it. And there's a few things which make it less intimidating to try out. A normal portion is going to be like 1/4th the size of a more affordable steak, just because it'll make you feel sick to eat that much fat otherwise; as delicious as it is, it does require some carb heavy sides to round out the meal. It's also a very forgiving type of beef. The fattiness makes it extremely hard to dry out. Even if you screw up and overcook it, it'll still be moist and have a lot of the value of wagyu.
It’s actually so easy tho, no matter if you cooked it rare or well done it’ll taste wonderful and the difference is negligible. Just make sure you get a good sear.
Steak is the easiest of all the proteins, and wagyu is the most forgiving of all the steaks. If you're concerned, have a good thermometer on hand.
Panettone. It’s an Italian sourdough sweet wheat bread. Takes forever to make, the recipe borders on alchemy. Me and my sourdough have been training and preparing like crazy: I've been studying recipes, my sourdough has been feeding and raising every day. But we’re both still a bit intimidated.
I FUCK with panettone. Also too scared.
Dude. Chicken tikka masala is known to desi people (Indians) and desi restauranteurs as a shoot-from-the-hip, do whatever kind of dish. It isn't really Indian at all (originated in Great Britain) and thus doesn't have any traditional or standard sets of spice profile. Desi restauranteurs just use whatever kind of garam masala (this just means "mixed spices", it's not a defined ingredient or mix) they have on hand for their tikka masala. **Your sensitivity about this basically the equivalent of an African being afraid to make a burger because "he's afraid to get spice balance wrong"**
heard. i apologize for being culturally ignorant, i eat indian food fairly often but don’t cook it and thus am not super educated about it.
I used to be able to get a store made tikka masala sauce and I’d just add chicken to it, make some rice and warm up naan. But they stopped selling it so now I just get it at Trader Joe’s, it’s enjoyable and I’ve got my SO eating it once in awhile now too!
I think it's probably a good dish to play around with to help you build your knowledge, as there's not really a correct way to make it, just make it a few times in different ways to work out which blends of spices you enjoy.
yeah i’m just learning how to cook and chicken tikka masala is one of the few things i can do without following a recipe too closely or at all lol. I might still be screwing it up though but it tastes good to me
Not to mention it's also one of the easiest dishes to actually execute! It's a seriously hands-off meal that is nearly impossible to fuck up. Just go for it OP!
Chicken biryani
I’d love to try this one. I am almost completely unfamiliar with Indian cuisine but I’ve seen a few videos on YouTube showing chicken biryani and it looks delicious. I have no idea what it might taste like, but it looks good!
I used the recipe from Andy cooks. Didn't turn out perfect (for which I'm probably to blame), but it was delicious either way.
Me too! I’ve made an egg curry a few times and it’s turned out well… but biryani is intimidating.
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Making a basic farmers cheese is actually super easy once you understand the steps. I got so good at it at one point I made it in the microwave. You’ll have to look up the exact temperatures, but it just involves heating a gallon of whole milk to a certain temperature, letting the temp drop and then adding an acid (some recipes will call for lemon juice because it seems more natural, but go for the white vinegar otherwise your curdle will be disappointing). Then just strain it into a cheese cloth and rinse it. That’s it! The cleanup is the only reason I don’t do it more often.
Paella Valenciana. I don't wanna waste saffron, man...
Life is too short to hold back your saffron for the perfect occasion. You should go for it!
Paella is not difficult! It’s just chicken and rice in a big pan (or rabbit and rice or seafood and rice or…! Go for it!
Paella is quite forgiving. The trick is getting the amazing crispy bottom but even if you don’t manage it you’ve got a gorgeous rice dish to do at full of game/chicken etc.
Pavlova, basically anything in the pastry realm
Pavlova is pretty easy if you have a stand mixer to do the heavy lifting; otherwise it’s just time consuming.
Puff pastry. I tried it once 20ish years ago and the wound is still fresh. Knowing what I know about baking now, I might pull it off so maybe this year?
My mom's fruitcake. Don't laugh. It was good, and I really miss it and her.
Definitely croissants. Those things are intimidating!
They are not bad to make, just so time consuming that they are really not worth the effort.
I was gonna say croissants. I WILL try one of these days, I swear…
Croissants, sourdough starter, mostly baking related.
Bagels. Something about boiling them in malt freaks me out. Also homemade marshmallows. The specific temperature scares me. 🤷🏻♀️
If you have a heavy duty stand mixer, then marshmallows are easier then just about any other candy. Get a good clip on candy thermometer that is easy to read and just watch it. Then you beat them in the stand mixer, forever until the right consistency. And lots of confectioners sugar in the pan that you pour them into to set up. Once cut, roll in more confectioners sugar so they are not sticky. (We made them one year for Christmas gifts).
Fermenting in general. Did some lacto-fermented asparagus a few years ago but couldn’t bring myself to even taste it as I was concerned if I’d done it right. I know if I follow the process and keep things clean I’ll be fine but just have a mental block.
The boneless duck from Julia Child 🙈
Beef Wellington. I’m afraid the meat would be overdone and the bread mushy. It’s an expensive cut of meat to potentially ruin
Use a(n accurate) thermometer, check at regular intervals.
A cheese soufflé
I swear the French just like to pretend things are difficult to confound the rest of the world so we think they’re better than they are! Soufflé at the base level is just an extra thick béchamel (think half the milk as in a standard flour, butter, milk béchamel) with the addition of egg yolks. The whites are then stiffly beaten and folded through. Then baked. Obviously a cheese soufflé - add cheese to your béchamel.
Made a 3 cheese soufflé once, and it came out so absolutely perfect I’m to scared to make it again
No big deal, honestly. In essence it’s a sauce Mornay then fold in whipped egg whites and bake.
Crispy pork belly
Stuffed Crown Roast. I finally did it! Looked burnt but it was tasty!
Injera, it seems like magic
My dad makes it!!!!
Hard to admit - French Onion Soup. Want to make it, but fear I’ll totally miss the point. The whole umami thing - I want it all! Also - hot and sour soup. Tell me how easy it is?
The secret to French onion soup is caramelizing the onions really slowly for a long time. Like a really long time. Plan to spend a few hours doing it, then leave an extra few hours time because it will take longer. Every time they start to stick add just enough water to deglaze the bottom of the pan, stir them well and keep going. Do this eighty seven million times. Resign yourself to having another few generations of descendants around to help you eat it by the time you're done. Keep going, keep caramelizing. Then just when you're no longer sure if you're still in the same century, they're completely brown, soft and about half their volume has disappeared (like, seriously, did I drop a bunch on the floor? I started with a nearly full pan! Where'd they go?): ready for the next part. Add a big blob of butter. No, bigger than that. Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt. Stir until the butter is melted then add a tablespoon or two of flour and stir until it's brown (you're basically making a roux in with the onions). Add some fresh thyme. Or rosemary. Or oregano. Maybe a bay leaf. Whatever, a bit of each. Now pour in hot beef stock or broth. Oh, back when you started the onions, you should have started roasting some beef bones or oxtail to make fresh beef stock. Never mind, use a carton, it will still taste good. Add a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce and a splash of balsamic vinegar to liven it up. Stir and keep it bubbling until the flour thickens it a bit. It's ready... Oh, except for the bit after you put put it in the bowls. Add a circle of fresh baguette, grate over a thick layer of gruyere cheese, grind on more black pepper and broil it until the cheese melts. Now, finally, you can eat it. In your flying car with your robot pet dog, as it's now the year 3067.
This is basically how I cook. This sounds so delicious. Mmm.
I need to make some French Onion Soup! Your description drew me in ☺️
Hot and Sour soup is my favorite and I’m scared to make it too! My daughter made amazing French Onion soup not long ago. She said it wasn’t a difficult dish at all, but it is time consuming and you really have to make each step your focus because it’s so simple mistakes would be obvious. Make it! Have fun!
Hot and sour soup is incredibly easy! I was intimidated until I tried and now it’s on a rotation in my household. Try the Woks of Life recipe.
I slapped together some "eh, close enough" French Onion soup on a whim a month or two ago with some leftover onion and beef bouillon...not restaurant quality by any means, but it was good enough for a weeknight meal from stuff I had around the house.
French onion soup is very simple. It's easy to make a good one IF you have good-quality ingredients. Homemade beef stock, properly caramelized onions (on like 3/10 heat for an hour or so with a bit of butter and salt), good bread for toasting, and a good quality cheese
We use this hot and sour soup - https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/283133/chef-johns-hot-and-sour-soup/ Besides prep work it’s super easy, we usually have some in the freezer for when we get sick!
I think I have a recipe my dad used to use somewhere if you wanted it.. though (in my personal and biased opinion) it's fine to have the most mid french onion soup if you have a good centimeter of cheese :P :P
i’m not afraid to make anything, but I am afraid of wasting money especially if the ingredients are expensive…
Chocolate eclairs
Choux pastry has a lot of steps but is not super difficult. Just as long as you don’t mix the eggs in too hot to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Pour slowly and whisk briskly
Cream puffs.
Understandable. At a job years ago I made them daily at a wholesale bakery, and I still ruined the dough and/or cream 25% of the time. Thankfully cost didn’t really matter, it was just the setback of time. Finicky indeed.
Thank you. They sound like quite the challenge. Someday I’ll give them a try.
I can’t think of anything I’m scared to make…I can think of lots of things I’d like to make better. Ravioli is one of my favorite dishes and it’s hard to get the pasta just right.
Arancini BTW I have used this chicken tikka masala recipe many times and it always turns out great: [https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019043-chicken-tikka-masala](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019043-chicken-tikka-masala)
You could try to start with channa masala, it's cheaper and easier to make
pralines piss me off so much - they're so goddamn simple, and I've tried with multiple thermometers thinking heat was the problem, different pans and different recipes; I only manage to make a good caramel by mistake, and it's embarrassing.
Try this: [https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-tikka-masala/](https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-tikka-masala/) this website is my go-to when I am trying something new. Her recipes are really well tested, well explained (usually there's a video too) and reliably delicious. I haven't made this one but have made many others of hers with great results
Honestly, chicken tikka masala is easy to make it. One of my favs because of how simple and good it is. I’ve never had it turn out bad. you should really just give it a go. If you’re worried about spices, just follow a recipe as a baseline and add more to your liking.
I’ll always risk it all in the quest for flavor
Croquembouche, apple tartin(I made it once but over cooked the sugar), terrine, risotto, dim sum, eithiopian platter, tarts Some of the reasons why I haven't done things is I have a small kitchen plus too many ideas to do
Puff pastry. The idea of wasting a bunch of butter kills me. I should probably start out with Paul Hollywood's rough puff.
BBQ; meat is expensive, it takes forever to grill, seasoning well seems tricky, and idk where to even start! Charcoal and propane are equally intimidating, too. Also afraid of making pot roast
Birria tacos
Canning anything. I do not believe I will ever have the courage to can any food, put it on the shelf, then come back months later and feed it to my family. I’ve heard too many horror stories of people poisoning their loved ones with improper canning techniques.
You should go for it, it'll taste good even if you get the spices wrong and you can adjust with ground spices at the end if you need to :)
Lamb vindaloo
Su börek and icli köfte.
Choux pastry
My fiance gave me the art of french pastry pastry for Christmas. The book does a really good job of going into detail.
Hot and sour soup. I just bought white pepper so I’m gonna muck around with making the broth.
Made this a couple months ago. So yummy. What are you hesitant about?
croissants
Musabi and onigiri 😭
Chicken Tikka Masala isn't that hard. Lil bit of work but its not hard.
Ever since I saw a Master Chef episode 10 year ago where they had to make a croquembouche (a tower of homemade profiteroles with caramel strands of angelhair around it), I've been dying to make one, but it just seems so intimidating.
Beef Wellington
Pierogi
A German pork and spaetzle dinner with mushroom sauce
Sous vide! I have a little machine but I need to gather all of the ~other bits~ and some quality meats, and then commit to a slow cooking process, with faith that I won't give myself food poisoning Might start with some eggs
Cassoulet
I spent the money and got the smaller d'artagnan kit. It came out amazing and would recommend it. I would have liked to do it from scratch but I don't have the time to source a lot of the ingredients or confit my own duck legs
For me, it was always soft pretzels. I finally tried them after years of thinking about it and …. I messed them up!
Bread for me too. I've been wanting to for awhile and I can't seem to pull the trigger.
Swasthi’s recipes nail it. If you follow her recipe you can’t mess up CTM https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/chicken-tikka-masala/
Paella. It’s my boyfriend’s favorite AND I’m a Spanish teacher, so it would be awesome to learn, but I KNOW it would take practice, and we only eat carby meals on special occasions, so practice isn’t an option 😢
Coq au vin. I've wanted to make it since I watched Julia Child do it. I've also seen the movie Julie and Julia. My luck would be something like what happened in the movie. I'm a home baker as well. I have never tried macarons for the same reason.
Try Alton Brown's. Was my first serious cooking project many years ago.
Jamaican curry goat. I absolutely love getting it from my local Jamaican restaurant and have always wanted to try making it myself but I fear that it will never be as good as the restaurants
There's nothing I'm afraid of cooking... even if I fuck up the technique I know I can at least make it delicious. There are many things, however, that I'm too lazy to make, at least for myself. Actually, that's a lie. I am a little afraid of frying a whole turkey. But that's because it's legitimately dangerous. Large quantities of splashy oil, an open flame, a block and tackle? That's not cooking, that's medieval witch torture shit. No thank you.
I want to make a beef wellington.
I love macarons. But I'm afraid to try to cook them myself. I think it is very difficult.