Learning to Cook: My Winter Break Experiences with Walter Staib

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around personal experiences with cooking during winter break, specifically focusing on attempts to prepare dishes from a European cookbook by Walter Staib. Participants share their culinary endeavors, challenges, and thoughts on cooking techniques and tools.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares their experience trying to cook poached salmon, brussel sprouts, and macaire potatoes, expressing that the results did not match the cookbook's presentation.
  • Another participant admires the effort and suggests that presentation improves with practice.
  • Some participants discuss the distinction between cooking and baking, suggesting that baking may be more scientific.
  • Several participants comment on the importance of having good kitchen tools, particularly a high-quality chef's knife, and share their own experiences with knives.
  • One participant encourages creativity in cooking, suggesting that improvisation can lead to delicious meals beyond what cookbooks offer.
  • Another participant reflects on the challenges of finding specific ingredients, such as rye flour, for baking bread.
  • There is a humorous exchange about the size of knives and cooking skills, with some light-hearted teasing about cooking abilities.
  • Participants express encouragement and support for each other's cooking journeys, highlighting the learning process involved.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the value of trying new recipes and the importance of practice in cooking. However, there are multiple competing views on the best approach to cooking, with some advocating for strict adherence to recipes while others promote creativity and improvisation.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the challenges of presentation in cooking and the subjective nature of taste and creativity in meal preparation. There are also references to personal experiences that may not be universally applicable.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in cooking, especially beginners looking for encouragement and tips on improving their culinary skills, as well as those interested in the creative aspects of meal preparation.

  • #61
turbo-1 said:
You can do that, Cy. The best bet is to get some salt pork and sear that in the pan to release fats, then brown the sausage in those fats, then reduce the heat and dump in the 'kraut to heat it.

That would be the healthiness equivalent of cooking them with lard, wouldn't it? Not that there's anything wrong with that. The lard has feelings too.
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  • #62
BTW, for those without dietary restrictions concerning pork, salt pork is THE secret to high-temp pan-frying. Pork fat has a very high smoke-temperature and does not break down when searing like many vegetable oils. Many of my mother's culinary creations started with a heavy Revere-ware pot and salt pork. Most times, the pork ended up in the final product. She rarely steamed vegetables like fiddleheads or other greens, but the finely-cubed salt pork would end up getting spooned into your bowl with the boiled greens. That was a Depression-era mind-set, but it got our family through some hard times and I appreciate her example.
 
  • #63
CaptainQuasar said:
That would be the healthiness equivalent of cooking them with lard, wouldn't it? Not that there's anything wrong with that. The lard has feelings too.
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huh?
 
  • #64
turbo-1 said:
BTW, for those without dietary restrictions concerning pork, salt pork is THE secret to high-temp pan-frying. Pork fat has a very high smoke-temperature and does not break down when searing like many vegetable oils. Many of my mother's culinary creations started with a heavy Revere-ware pot and salt pork. Most times, the pork ended up in the final product. She rarely steamed vegetables like fiddleheads or other greens, but the finely-cubed salt pork would end up getting spooned into your bowl with the boiled greens. That was a Depression-era mind-set, but it got our family through some hard times and I appreciate her example.

Do they sell salt pork at the local gorcery store or do I have to go to a butcher? Basically, just use the salt pork like you would normally use butter?
 
  • #65
CaptainQuasar said:
That would be the healthiness equivalent of cooking them with lard, wouldn't it? Not that there's anything wrong with that. The lard has feelings too.
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When you cook with lard or pork fat, you can use MUCH higher temps, sear the food, and prevent further penetration of fat into the food. Food deep-fried in lard at proper temps sear very quickly, and ends up with less fat than those fried in vegetable oils. Plus, the nature of the fats involved favor lard over vegetable oils for heart health.
 
  • #66
turbo-1 said:
You can do that, Cy. The best bet is to get some salt pork and sear that in the pan to release fats, then brown the sausage in those fats, then reduce the heat and dump in the 'kraut to heat it.
I've never heard of putting salt pork in sauerkraut. The traditional German dish is made with pork spare ribs or sausages.

Although I love the flavoring of salt pork.

My mother used salt pork for black eyed peas and ham hocks for large white limas. OMG, large white limas cooked until they disintegrate, then add a bit of butter. My kids would suck that down like there is no tomorrow and they have asked me to teach them how to make it, now that they are on their own.
 
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  • #67
Cyrus said:
Do they sell salt pork at the local gorcery store or do I have to go to a butcher? Basically, just use the salt pork like you would normally use butter?
Salt pork is pork-fat (often streaked with some meat that you might consider bacon) that is brined in salt. You should be able to get real salt pork from any butcher worth his salt, but the stuff in the stores might be fat that was soaked in a brine solution. Real salt pork is firm and solid-feeling, and is not wiggly-feeling when you want to cut it up. The salt used in the brining process pulls a lot of fluids out of the pork fat and that condenses and firms the fat.

When I was a kid, we would buy salt pork in quantity (we used a lot in cooking) and it always came out of small unrefrigerated wooden casks. Great stuff.
 
  • #68
I bought a can of campbells clam chowder soup. I also bought some snow crabs that came packaged (pretty expensive though :rolleyes:) and cooked the two together. The crabs were sold unfrozen. Then I smashed some crackers and put them on the bottom of the bowl and then poured the soup on top and mixed it all up. Putting the fresh crab meat made the flavor of the soup pop out a LOT.

It was two big things of soup for $5. The crab was $7 and I used half of it. The crackers were probably like $4 for a big box of them.

Thats like $8 each meal. And you get two big meals out of it. It was a rather large can.
 
  • #69
Cyrus said:
I bought a can of campbells clam chowder soup. I also bought some snow crabs that came packaged (pretty expensive though :rolleyes:) and cooked the two together. The crabs were sold unfrozen. Then I smashed some crackers and put them on the bottom of the bowl and then poured the soup on top and mixed it all up. Putting the fresh crab meat made the flavor of the soup pop out a LOT.
Man! If I could have afforded to eat like you are eating, I never would have had the discipline to learn how to cook!
 
  • #70
turbo-1 said:
When you cook with lard or pork fat, you can use MUCH higher temps, sear the food, and prevent further penetration of fat into the food. Food deep-fried in lard at proper temps sear very quickly, and ends up with less fat than those fried in vegetable oils. Plus, the nature of the fats involved favor lard over vegetable oils for heart health.

Mmmm, I need more lard in my life.

Cyrus said:
huh?

Lard is rendered pork fat the way tallow is rendered beef fat. So melting the fat in a piece of salt pork, or cooking something in bacon grease, is basically the same thing as cooking with lard.

I guess that there were industrial processes in the U.S. beginning early in the last century that consumed those parts of the pigs for other purposes, which sort of weaned the general populace off of using lard for the same things it might be used in Europe for today.
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  • #71
turbo-1 said:
Man! If I could have afforded to eat like you are eating, I never would have had the discipline to learn how to cook!

When you sum it up, it costs about the same as going to a place like Quiznos or Subway and getting a large sandwich. :smile:

The whole thing of soup was only $8.00

Plus I want something that cooks FAST.
 
  • #72
Cyrus, Legal Seafoods has a location in DC and they are known for their clam chowder, have you tired it?

They had some great mussels last time I was there, and the best wine I'd had in ages, but can't remember the name of it. :frown:
 
  • #73
Cyrus said:
When you sum it up, it costs about the same as going to a place like Quiznos or Subway and getting a large sandwich. :smile:

The whole thing of soup was only $8.00
I couldn't have afforded to eat at a sub place in college on any regular basis. I'd have to save my money from frat-party gigs, etc, to be able to treat a lady to such a low-cost date. Once in a while, I'd sell a guitar or amp that made me flush for a bit - still I wouldn't change my overall diet/cooking strategy. I'd go to school every year with insufficient money to get me through the year, and I'd claw my way through, somehow. (want to buy a guitar?)
 
  • #74
Evo said:
Cyrus, Legal Seafoods has a location in DC and they are known for their clam chowder, have you tired it?

They had some great mussels last time I was there, and the best wine I'd had in ages, but can't remember the name of it. :frown:


If you want good mussels, I'll take you to a small spanish resturant next time your in town.
 
  • #75
turbo-1 said:
I couldn't have afforded to eat at a sub place in college on any regular basis. I'd have to save my money from frat-party gigs, etc, to be able to treat a lady to such a low-cost date. Once in a while, I'd sell a guitar or amp that made me flush for a bit - still I wouldn't change my overall diet/cooking strategy. I'd go to school every year with insufficient money to get me through the year, and I'd claw my way through, somehow. (want to buy a guitar?)

I can believe that. You guys have such a different lifestyle up north. When I visited Mass. it was quite different from being in DC. The people really seemed to be beaten down by life and generally unhappy. No one I talked to had any pride about where they lived. The food was MUCH better though. In general though the people seemed pretty...miserable.

I donno, just an observation I had.
 
  • #76
Cyrus said:
If you want good mussels, I'll take you to a small spanish resturant next time your in town.
:!)
 
  • #77
Cyrus said:
I can believe that. You guys have such a different lifestyle up north. When I visited Mass. it was quite different from being in DC. The people really seemed to be beaten down by life and generally unhappy. No one I talked to had any pride about where they lived. The food was MUCH better though. In general though the people seemed pretty...miserable.

I donno, just an observation I had.
I am proud of my family, friends, and was hopeful of my prospects when I was a kid. New Englanders (at least us in the northern reaches) are conservative, self-reliant and resistant to exuberance about small up-turns. Your limited experience in Mass gave you a very slanted look at us. I grew up with people whose families established farms and businesses no more than miles away, and who are proud of their heritage, and they can be trusted with your life. In a place that is as thinly-populated as Maine, your reputation is everything. You might be able to get away with pulling slimy crap elsewhere, but you wouldn't last long here if you were unethical.

BTW, my cousin is heading up the upcoming HST servicing mission and I grew a division of an auction company from $4.5M to over $15M in about 3 years. Neither of us has a 4-year degree.
 
  • #78
Cyrus said:
I can believe that. You guys have such a different lifestyle up north. When I visited Mass. it was quite different from being in DC. The people really seemed to be beaten down by life and generally unhappy. No one I talked to had any pride about where they lived. The food was MUCH better though. In general though the people seemed pretty...miserable.

That's it, the old dour Yankee. It's a New England tradition, being miserable. If there isn't something to complain about life has no meaning. http://www.runemasterstudios.com/graemlins/images/lol.gif
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  • #79
CaptainQuasar said:
That's it, the old dour Yankee. It's a New England tradition, being miserable. If there isn't something to complain about life has no meaning. http://www.runemasterstudios.com/graemlins/images/lol.gif
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I thought you guys grow beards and fix houses like new yankee workshop and do fishing like gordons fisherman (also has a beard).
 
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  • #80
Cyrus said:
I thought you guys grow beards and fix houses like new yankee workshop and do fishing like gordons fisherman (also has a beard).
I spent a whole fall and winter crawling around a barn, leveling the sills, and rebuilding the foundations.

A year later, I spent every day after work and every hour I had on the weekends helping a friend build a stone house. The farm was loaded with stone walls, and mortar was cheaper than plywood.

We're not all backward-looking - only the smart ones have figured that out.
 
  • #81
Cyrus said:
I thought you guys grow beards and fix houses like new yankee workshop and do fishing like gordons fisherman (also has a beard).

Oh yes. Except for the Yankee computer guys, we have goatees and ponytails.
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  • #82
CaptainQuasar said:
Oh yes. Except for the Yankee computer guys, we have goatees and ponytails.
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Damn, I knew it. Your abundance of beards is going to take over the world...
 
  • #83
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/4729/pict0341wr0.jpg

1 Can of tuna fish
1/2 lime (juice & zest)
chives
mayo
crushed crackers (as many as you want)


Tastes pretty good!

The magic is using lime. It makes the flavor pop.
 
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  • #84
Cyrus said:
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/4729/pict0341wr0.jpg

1 Can of tuna fish
1/2 lime (juice & zest)
chives
mayo
crushed crackers (as many as you want)


Tastes pretty good!

The magic is using lime. It makes the flavor pop.
Lime is a wonderful substitute for lemon. I can tell you like mayonaise. :approve:
 
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  • #85
Cyrus said:
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/4729/pict0341wr0.jpg

1 Can of tuna fish
1/2 lime (juice & zest)
chives
mayo
crushed crackers (as many as you want)


Tastes pretty good!

The magic is using lime. It makes the flavor pop.

What did it look like before the cat vomited it up? :rolleyes: Sorry Cyrus, it might taste good, but you need to work on presentation and photography...it looks like a bowl of vomit.
 
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  • #86
Moonbear said:
What did it look like before the cat vomited it up? :rolleyes: Sorry Cyrus, it might taste good, but you need to work on presentation and photography...it looks like a bowl of vomit.

:smile: HAHAHAHA It does look like cat vomit!
 
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  • #87
Cyrus said:
:smile: It does look like cat vomit!

I think the basic recipe sounds pretty good, but I'd add a lot of celery (and maybe peas) and serve it on egg noodles rather than crackers.

But granted, crackers are easier!
 
  • #88
lisab said:
I think the basic recipe sounds pretty good, but I'd add a lot of celery (and maybe peas) and serve it on egg noodles rather than crackers.
Isn't that tuna casserole? :biggrin:

My favorite tuna spread is tuna, mayonaise and chopped green olives. I ate my last can of tuna 2 nights ago and now I'm craving it.
 
  • #89
Cy, you've got to come to Maine. You can camp out in my garage, and I will teach you to cook actual meals made out of actual food. Opening cans and heating stuff up doesn't cut it! Today, I put a large roasting chicken in the oven around 1:30 at 450 deg. (F, for the smart-assed Euros who will make jokes) I put the bird in a large pan with about 1/2" of water in it, along with a large quartered yellow onion. I rubbed the bird with peanut oil, and dusted it with powdered sage, paprika, salt and black pepper. After about 45 min of browning, I tented the bird with aluminum foil and continued cooking at 350 deg F for another couple of hours. Add side dishes of steamed green beans, mashed potatoes made with fresh garlic and onion, and you've got a meal that is killer.

Secret: There is no secret. Good cooking is simplicity, a bit of planning, minimum prep, and a lot of waiting around (if you are roasting large critters). You can learn to cook - you just need motivation and some inventiveness.

Have chicken parts? Wet them in raw scrambled eggs, and roll them in crushed Panko bread crumbs with sage, pepper and salt added. Place the chicken parts in a roasting pan lubricated with peanut oil, garnish them with a bit of lemon zest (shredded peels) and drizzle a bit of lemon juice over them. Bake in a hot oven until done. One of the quickest, tastiest entrees you will ever taste.

BTW, all the juice from the roasting pan, and all the juice from the potato/garlic/onion mash-up, and from the steamed beans is now in a large revere-ware pot along with all the bones, giblets, and other parts that didn't get eaten tonight. I'll boil that tomorrow to make chicken stock for stews or soups.
 
  • #90
lisab said:
I think the basic recipe sounds pretty good, but I'd add a lot of celery (and maybe peas) and serve it on egg noodles rather than crackers.

But granted, crackers are easier!

Damn...peas. Genius. That's a good idea.