My friend Shari has a great blog called My Judy the Foodie (I shamelessly linked to the post where she asks me “is homemade healthier”). She's teaching herself to cook using her mother's recipes. It occurred to me that, in a way, Shari has created a cooking school for herself with her mother as her teacher. Shari is a great storyteller and readers follow her buy a Dutch oven, plant an herb garden and make her first holiday meal. As I've watched Shari learn and grow I've done what any friend would. I’ve grown jealous of Shari too.
I miss the challenge of entering new territory and gradually gaining proficiency. I even crave the inevitable fumbles along the way. I cook, you see, but I keep to my comfort zone. As a parent, I encourage my kids to try new things. I nudge my non-cooking clients to use their ovens and try easy recipes and then go home and whip up my old, reliable ones. So rather than sit here and let my jealousy surge, I thought of a solution. I’m assigning myself homework. In the next month (deadlines need to be realistic) I’m going to:
- Buy a new slow cooker and use it
- Bake at least once; while I cook I’m baking illiterate
*For extra credit, I’ll make at least 1 dish without a recipe if I’ve completed #’s 1 and 2.
I’d love for you to join me and assign yourself homework too.
Don't be a slacker, what’s your cooking homework going to be? Can you pick one ingredient or type of cooking you’d like to tackle in the next month? In my school copying is fine so feel free to try one of my assignments. Oh and anything you’re jealous of? You can vent it here.
I'm the exact same way... totally stay in my comfort zone. I hardly ever follow recipes -- and when I make something I do alot of estimating ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI really should take the time to follow a recipe and measure ingredients. That will be my homework -- to find a recipe (not sure of the category yet) and follow the instructions/measure the ingredients.
OK Lisa, I'm checking back on everyone at the end of November, start studying.
ReplyDeleteI have slow cooker on my registry list. It's the one thing I REALLY hope I get!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out that my blog post recipe failed to mention the spaghetti squash layer :) That was VERY helpful!!
I always loved to cook and never got too excited about baking - I didn't want to deal with exact measurements b/c that's boring! It wasn't until my son was a toddler that I realized i needed to start baking since any baked item for purchase (even the "healthy" ones) had way too much crap and/or not enough good stuff in them. I will say: the more you bake, the more you'll feel comfortable with making substitutions and additions (ie. I've learned you can throw chia in almost everything!). Anyway, now i bake at least once a week. May I suggest the Pumpkin Choc Chip muffins on our blog as a potential recipe for you?
ReplyDeleteAs to the homework assignment: my friend is actually coming over next week to teach me to make homemade bread! I haven't tried my hand at bread since a failed challah attempt in the 5th grade...
Gina- I am such a recipe follower that if it doesn't say it, I don't do it. I read it 3 times thinking for sure I missed it. I will let you know how the slow cooking goes. Justine- if you can GF those muffins for me, I'd love to try (actually just a different flour will do), can I put chia in them? Breadmaking, that sounds scary.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun assignment! I think I'll jump on the baking bandwagon and say that I'll learn how to make a good loaf of bread. I'm a cook, and the precision needed for baking just escapes me entirely. Time to get more precise, just to see if I can.
ReplyDeleteI have a great slow-cooker cookbook that I never use...if you'd like, I'd be glad to send it to you. I loved my slow cooker for about 2 months. Then I realized that the slow cooker makes way too much food for a family of 2 when I looked in the freezer and saw tons of frozen chili, frozen stew, frozen pulled pork. Looking forward to hearing about your experiments.
How much fun will this be?? I will have to think of a challenge for myself ... I guess I am learning to make Korean food while my mother-in-law is in town so maybe my challenge will be to duplicate it once she leaves?
ReplyDeleteAs for the slow cooker ... I LOVE mine! I use it at least once a week for a quick, easy, healthy dinner. Love the minimal clean up also :)
I LOVE cooking, baking, and experimenting! This assignement will be easy for me!
ReplyDeleteI have had "pick up crock pot from mom's" on my to-do list for months now!!! Every time I go over to my parent's house I end up leaving with out it though! My cooking homework is always 1 new veggie a week!
ReplyDeleteHmmm, i'm not so adept at GF-ifying things. You can try Elana's Pantry for lots of GF baking recipes. I do have a flourless PB Dark Choc Chunk cookie on my blog or - one of our most popular - a flourless Chocolate Cupcake made with chickpeas and prunes, among other tasty things (and it's crazy easy).
ReplyDeleteAnd, yeah, I'm definitely a bit nervous about my homemade bread experiment!
On Monday I cam into work and instead of catching up on emails from over the weekend, I searched for slow cooker recipes. I live with a cook, so I am spoiled--now I want to learn how to pitch in and do some healthy soups and stews for fall and winter. I'll let you know how it goes!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI can't/don't bake since I just won't follow a recipe. I'll bake something in the next month (and will follow the recipe!).
Great! I love this! Once you get the crockpot you can do the "no recipe" homework easily!
ReplyDeleteGreat assignement Lauren! You should really consider joining the Recipe Redux because it forces you to come up with your own recipe (or own twist), but also gives you a starting point (I.e. Pumpkin :-) to work with. I, too tend to follow recipes and often resort to making the same thing, but this past year with my blog, I've amazed myself that I can actually create my own recipe that tastes pretty good :-). I've been putting off trying to make sourdough gluten-free bread (sourdough was always my favorite), so that is going to be my assignment for November! PS-Love Shari's blog, and all her great stories!
ReplyDeleteIf you really want to get into baking, try reading Ratio by Michael Ruhlman. It's a good way to start to learn how to bake without having much of a recipe. It is a good way for me to get out of my comfort zone because, like you, I am a big recipe follower - almost to the T. I'll make simple substitutions, like switching to lowfat milk instead of whole, or reducing the amount of butter, or changing the dried fruit for another type, etc. But whether it's baking or cooking, I like to follow a recipe, it's just my nature. I just finished reading through Ratio and this might be the push I needed to read through parts of it again and apply some of it.
ReplyDeleteI love this! Please share how your baking goes/bring in goodies to the office :)
ReplyDeleteI love browsing recipes, but I rarely follow through on making them. And I no longer have the excuse of a painfully small kitchen, so my homework will be to cook an actual recipe once a week-- with the Basisfoods fruit/veggies I dont know how to use. Currently beets/pomegranate are staring me down. My homework part 2 will be to get back to starting the day with lemon water or green juice. Please check back on us Ms. Slayton!
Just yesterday I counted my crock pots. I have five. One huge, a large, small, smaller and wee. I use the small one the most. It's only two of us, so I can buy a pork loin on sale, cut it in half and make pork for tacos and bbq pork on different days. Last winter had an eat-down and came up with some delicious combinations only from what I had sitting around.
ReplyDeleteI have been watching a show called Feed Me Bubbe and I think my assignment will be to make some of her recipes. I'll start with Kasha Varnishkes because my kind co-worker brought in a box of Kasha for me to use, but I haven't done it yet.
I have a slow cooker we received over 2 years ago and only used it once, I am scared!!
ReplyDeleteI also am an awful baker and much much better cook!
Please keep us posted on your progress, super fun :-)
What a great idea! My assignment for myself is to try at least two new recipes from the plethora of cookbooks I own. I just bought a couple of new vegan cookbooks (I'm not vegan but we like to pair vegan dishes with a side of meat, kind of a vegan-non-vegan diet of sorts) and have yet to try any recipes. My mom is also visiting for 2 weeks so it will the perfect opportunity to test out new recipes.
ReplyDeleteI'm am exactly like you when it comes to school. I just can't stay away and like to slowly plug away at things. I am currently working on a Public Relations diploma through distance education and it's been great for getting the mind working!
I have a crock pot and use it once a week for tomato sauce and occasionally for soup. I'm on a mission to use it more this year. Please post any recipes you make it in!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I was unable to email today (at Dr Oz) and love the enthusiasm here. Lots of great ideas to use cookbooks, appliances, use recipes more or less. I will update all of you and hope you update me too: tweet/comment. This is fun.
ReplyDeleteI'm a really awful baker (unless you count mixing cake mix and canned pumpkin and letting it cook until it's done), so I probably should say my homework would be baking related, but I don't know. I'm much more interested in experimenting with a butternut squash mac and cheese recipe I've been wanting to try.
ReplyDeleteHaha that reminds me of that time in high school they let me drop chemistry and take a creative writing independent study. Go figure ten years later I'm taking Advanced Nutritional Biochem. Does this mean I'll be come a pastry chef in my '40s or something?
"I was unable to email today (at Dr Oz)" Are you going to be a guest on his show?
ReplyDeleteI've tried to give myself this assignment many times, but maybe having to check in here will hold me to it this time. I tend to stick with cooking soup, grains and veggie dishes since that is what I am most comfortable with (and usually eat). I need to start cooking fish. Cooking fish intimidates me. That and my fear that it will stink up my studio apartment and linger for days. I also want to learn how to make a roast. While I don't eat much meat, I have a manfriend who is quite the carnivore :) Should be interesting and I will be sure to keep you posted. Thanks for the homework!
ReplyDeleteFun! While I enjoy school, I'm sooo glad to be almost done! I need a break from extra 'homework' for awhile :) I need to do some more baking. I've been so busy it's been hard to try new things in the kitchen lately. Yay crockpot!
ReplyDeleteI have a five-tray dehydrator. I've had it for 4 years. I've used it exactly once. I think that will be my homework. Thanks for the push!
ReplyDeleteLauren..good luck. I am sure you'll do great. Baking sounds like fun :) My mom was a great baker and I wish I learned more from her while she was alive.
ReplyDeleteGood luck everyone! I just bought my very first Le Crueset so I'll be on a mission to make more braises and stews. I've started with Indian food, yummy.
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren, I've completed 1 year of my 2-year nutrition course, and I'm constantly jealous of you & other seasoned nutritionists who know what they're doing and have experience under their belt. I can't wait until I get to the point where I'm searching for new things to learn! Good luck with the assignment...here's the link to my Healthy Brownie recipe that you can try (don't worry, it's easy!) http://theotherbigo.ca/2011/08/22/healthy-brownie-recipe/
ReplyDeleteOoh, will you be coming on Dr Oz soon? You must give us a heads-up!
ReplyDeleteHaving gone back to school after many years I can tell you that I completely hear you. My inner nerd is thoroughly enjoying all the homework and assignments. Even with midterms this week I am not complaining!
Anyway, this is a great idea. I have been wanting to bake a cake from scratch but have always shied away. Maybe this will be the month?
So happy to hear you're enjoying it Sam. Bake and cake and check back!
ReplyDeleteawww i love it! you can do it lauren! <3
ReplyDelete