Comments on: What is most important to new cooks?

By: Cooking class report card: Let’s call it a B- | foodperson.com

Cooking class report card: Let’s call it a B- | foodperson.com — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:27:00 +0000

[...] As promised, here’s a look at those two cooking classes, each attended by ten persons. (You can read the course descriptions and reader suggestions here.) [...]

By: A return to the Foodperson venue | foodperson.com

A return to the Foodperson venue | foodperson.com — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:21:19 +0000

[...] bit. I finished the manuscript I was working on and took a wee breather. I also presented the two classes I’d signed up for at the Community Mercantile, and signed on as a new member of the Lawrence [...]

By: Janet Majure

Janet Majure — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:53:51 +0000

More good suggestions. Thanks, Sylvie, and I’m sure I’ll post on how it goes!

By: Sylvie, Rappahannock Cook & Kitchen Gardener

Sylvie, Rappahannock Cook & Kitchen Gardener — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:27:17 +0000

I’ve been teaching cooking for a while, but while I have beginners, I’ve never had absolute beginners. I think it would be a challenge to realize what is not known.

I would indeed focused on a few simple techniques and illustrate what they do to different ingredients and how versatile they are. Example: sauteeing (chicken, pork, veggie) and stir-fry. Also would emphasize the type of recipes where you can have some freedom 9Who cares if you are short a vegetable or two in a multi-beg stir-fry) vs. the ones where – at least for now – it’s better to follow.

But really I would emphasize that it is not cooking is not about “recipes”, it’s about techniques and tastes.

I, for one, would love to hear back on how it works. I would think that a series could develop from that 2-hour course.

By: Janet Majure

Janet Majure — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:50:46 +0000

Thanks, Nancy, for the nice remark and the humor.

Wow, Ed! I’m grateful that you would spend so much time on your response. This clearly is something you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I will definitely give a lot of thought to what I can incorporate of your suggestions in my two-hour time slot.

And Susan, another good point, duly noted.

Wow! I’m definitely going to have to report back here on how it turns out after all these great suggestions. Thanks, everybody!

By: Susan G.

Susan G. — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:28:19 +0000

Another thought , even though I heartily concur that quick and simple will be the best emphasis, encourage people to take some time. A slow roast in the oven for 3 hours or some crockpot concoction are time savers in their own way and are a great way to build flavor, no need to be constantly attended to…

By: Ed Bruske

Ed Bruske — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:38:44 +0000

Janet, I’ve been teaching kids how to cook for several years now, but never adults. I always fantasized that if I had my own class of beginners, I would start by teaching them how different kinds of heat work on food: radiant heat, convection heat, direct heat, steaming. They all have their different effects on ingredients, and they have their uses. For instance, if an oven is so much hotter than a pot of boiling water, why does it take so much longer for food in the oven to cook than it does in a pot on the stove? With kids, I sometimes use a blow torch on food to show how direct heat affects different foods. Also important for people to know is the cooking temperature of water versus oil. Water will only heat to 210 degrees before it turns into steam. But oil will often heat to 400 degrees before it begins to burn. You can’t brown foods in water. But you can poach them, by controlling the temperature of the water to remain below the boiling point. I always thought that if I gave this class, I would use eggs to show how different cooking methods work.

With meat I think doneness is the biggest issue and the only way to really measure doneness iw with a good thermometer. First thing, students need to know how to use an instant-read thermometer and how to calibrate one (if it’s not digital). They should also know that the most flavor comes from muscles that work hard, and these typically are not cuts for grilling but for slow cooking (braising or smoking). With these cuts, fat is your friend, whereas the better cuts for grilling are leaner and cook faster. Students should also be familiar with the concept of meat “coasting” after its been taken off the heat. A roast–whether its beef, pork or chicken–will continue to cook after its been removed from the heat, and the internal temperature will often continue to rise by as much as 10 degrees if its allowed to “rest” 15 minutes before carving. In that same regard, ignore the doneness temperatures handed out by the USDA and copied in most cookbooks. These temperatures a meant purely to destroy disease organisms. They have nothing to do with the way people like to eat meat. For instance, we cook a prime rib to about 118 degrees internal temperature. Let it rest on a cutting board 15 minutes before serving and it will come out perfectly medium-rare.

But any cooking method you can apply to an egg you can apply to meat as well: saute pan, oven, boil, poach grill.

By: Nancy Marshall

Nancy Marshall — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:07:43 +0000

In good cooking, timing is everything. No, wait, that’s comedy. But good timing helps in cooking too.
Your site is great.

By: Janet Majure

Janet Majure — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:30:56 +0000

Great list, Susan! That timing thing is one of the ongoing challenges, isn’t it? And Diane, you have some excellent suggestions too.

Thanks, both of you!

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:34:09 +0000

Learning to fix creative, simple main dishes with or without meat–and they should be inexpensive. Also, learning to substitute when you don’t have all of the ingredients in the house. My mother always said that you should not go to the store until you cannot fix another meal with what you have at hand. You are SO creative with all of this, Janet and you will be the best teacher. I am glad that you are taking on this endeavor. The meat class is great, too, as that is an area that needs much education–also storage info. Diane