Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook





Cooking - its harder than you think !

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On 28/09/2009 09:09am, AskCy wrote:

Recently I've been asked by members of the family how to make soup. This I thought didn't really need explaining as all you do is throw things in a pan. Well to me thats all it feels like but then again I know what things to throw in, when and how !

What sounded like a 5 minute job to explain has now turned into day two of a simple chicken and veg soup. Its made me realise even more how hard it is to write a decent recipe that works for everyone and should come out the same no matter what your skill level is.

This is something along how things are going...

(original thought/comment) - just add some veg and chicken into a pan with stock, you know bits of onion, carrot whatever you have.

To which you get asked what sort of stock ? Well if you are having a chicken on Sunday use the bones and bits to make stock and use that the day after.

How do you make the stock? Again to me as I'm used to doing it this is simple but if you have never done it/seen it done then you have to remember to explain add spices, cover with plenty of water, bring to boil then simmmer, strain, leave to cool (over night) skim the fat off...

Its a bit like learning to drive a car ! When you first start you aren't even sure if you are sitting properly and where exactly you should adjust the mirrors to, which buttons you should press, do you start it with the clutch in etc. As you practice a little those things are forgotten about (but you still do them without thinking).. then you start to worry about which gear you should be in going up this hill, you look at the gear knob when you change gear, you watch the rev counter and try to hold the revs at a set mark when you are getting the bite on the clutch... (I could go on lol).. anyway now all you do is jump in the car and go to your mates without considering any of those things.

So when a novice looks at a recipe you have to think right back to all the things you have forgotten and make sure you explain them, why, when, what to look for, what to do if that doesn't happen etc...

as I said, its a lot harder than you might think...

lol

Steve

On 28/09/2009 09:09am, Wilsonz wrote:

Well come on what spices did you put in the soup? :)

On 28/09/2009 10:09am, AskCy wrote:

lol, I haven't made the soup yet as I put the stock in the fridge last night (after making sunday roast for tea yesterday)....Put some bayleaves, garlic and peppercorns in the stock...

soup will get a little more garlic, possibly some smoked paprika, celery salt... not sure yet.. depends on how it feels when I'm putting it together... lol (just a thought ! won't get celery salt as I'm out of it... lol)

Steve

On 28/09/2009 12:09pm, Lapis wrote:

I would have to agree, cooking is not easy so as to get perfect results every time. There are too many variables, like quality of ingredients, pots and pans, temperatures, timing, etc. The experienced cook is just that, experienced in dealing with all those things. And how difficult can it be cooking in someone elses kitchen, maybe one that doesn't have what you have in your own kitchen to help in the preparation.

However, once a little experience and explanation has been gained, most things tend to fall into place. When to use oil/fat and when to add water based ingredients, how to develop flavours and which flavours to add. All these can be mastered without any understanding of the underlying science, but when an excellent result is produced, its surprising how the science and culinary experiences coincide.

For a veg and chicken soup, I think it would depend on whether the chicken was cooked or not, I assume the veg is fresh (ie not canned/frozen). To get a deep roast chicken flavour, some cooking in fat/oil is necessary, to develop flavours that cannot be obtained when using just boiling the chicken. However, it is not necessary to roast the chicken (or chicken bits) just frying in a saucepan with a little fructose sprinkled over (about the same amount as a pinch of salt)will provide that 'roast chiken' flavour. Once fried, water can be added, and the lot brought to the boil, then turned to a simmer for half an hour (no more, as the reactions involved will continue, and you will lose the roast chicken flavour). If you want more of the gelatin from the connective tissue of the chicken, then pour off the stock and reserve, then add fresh water and repeat simmering.

One of the best chicken soups I ever made was produced by putting a chicken leg (more like half a chicken, minus the breast)into a pan, covering with water, and simmering with celery leaf, black peppercorns, parsley stalks and green cardamom seeds. The flesh was then stripped from the bones and added to the strained liquid.

On 28/09/2009 12:09pm, oddies wrote:

As Askcy SAID practice makes perfect, as I have been in the catering business for over 35 years, 20 of which as a chef cooking is like chemistry, mixing various components to get a correct result.

Having made various soups over the many years my experience tells me I don't think about it I just do it. The same for making cakes, curries etc I rarely measure anything I know what to use and when to use it!

IT IS EXPERIENCE!!!!!

On 28/09/2009 01:09pm, Lapis wrote:

Oddies, would you rather a commis chef just work in the kitchen until s/he gets it right, or send them to catering school where they can be shown how it should be, and with, hopefully, an explanation of why it works.

I would rather eat in a restaurant where the cooking brigade have a thorough understanding of food hygiene, rather than wait until they have 'gained' enough experience. :?)

On 28/09/2009 02:09pm, JL wrote:

Cooking does not come naturally to me, maybe cos I was hopeless with chemistry at school.However I do like trying new and interesting recipes and I do like making soups.

One tip I had from a close friend for all those veggies lying in the vegetable drawer of the fridge, still good enough for consumption but possibly a bit droopy was to cut them into large chunks, a slurp of olive oil, black pepper, on a baking tray with a couple of cloves of garlic then into the oven at 200deg C for about 20 minutes.

Let them roast until they start to slightly caramalise. Then heat a pan with home made stock, throw in the roast veg and cover till a slight simmer and veg soft.

Blitz with a Bamex or hand held stick blender.

The roasting gives the soup a new dimension, makes it taste fuller, the roast garlic gives it a sweet flavour, .

Its also a good way to use up week old vegies and to avoid wastage. Besides the usual pumpkin, sweet potato, potato etc have also used cauliflower, brocolli.

cheers

June

On 28/09/2009 03:09pm, AskCy wrote:

When I've finished with the soup and get it all together I might just end up with a "how to use a chicken" guide... LOL As I said soup to me tends to just happen usually because we've had a roast chicken on sunday which I make stock from or because there is veg that needs to be used up... I don't do many soup recipes as they are so variable (I'd like celery in this but haven't got any and I'm not going shopping for it.. it will be fine without...)

With Experience I get to a point where I think I'm able to share a recipe with other people, rarely would I try to write a recipe from the first go... I need to tweak things, alter, work out what caused the difference to the last one etc... once I'm on top of all that then I'd put pen to paper (finger to keyboard)..

As for Experience of Catering colleges and such... some people do very well and come out the otherside being very good cooks/chefs, other don't. One thing that college/tv chefs/restaurants I've eaten in tend to do is try to make up the flavour by adding far too much salt !

Another problem with recipes are where in the world you get your ingredients from... as an example Cyprus Potatoes are very nice here in the UK (if you can get them) however when they are picked out of the field and delivered from up the road the same day in Cyprus they are a whole step up again ! Tomatoes grown in the UK, vine ripened (even home grown) can be great but go where its constantly sunny and the flavour is boosted in leaps and bounds....

Have you noticed how much passion comes out when we talk about food? Other forums I go on (cars, computers, holidays etc) tend to get a couple of word answers, you asked this and this is your answer type replies... but when it comes to food everyone has lots of information, help,ideas and thoughts.. !

Steve

On 28/09/2009 07:09pm, oddies wrote:

Lapis I spent 2 years at a Catering College I was successful in all aspects of the catering industry training ie Hygiene, Nutrition, Health and Safety Restaurant service and Cookery. My aim was to become a hotel manager, which I did, working for many national hotel companies. In these hotels was a responsibility to train newcomers into the industry, which I think I was capable of achieving.

I spent 15 years operating my own business successfully and then retiring comfortably.

On 29/09/2009 08:09am, Mamta wrote:

Yes, cooking can be hard to some and very easy to others. It depends on how much you enjoy it, what you already know/have learnt (including courses), and how much effort you are prepared to put in it. Chefs prepare excellent food in restaurants, but it can not be cooked/eaten every day at home. It is tasty, but far to rich for everyday meals, IMHO. If you ate restaurant food or takeawasy everyday, they will eventually cause health problems, unless you are one of those people who have the strength to leave perfectly tasty food on your plate, eating only small amounts :-).

Writing recipes is another ball game, I have learnt. Like most of you, I don't often measure things, just chuck them in as I go along. However, when I have to write a recipe, I stand there with measuring spoons/cups/scales etc. and it becomes quite laborious and long. These days, I try to take pictures too, which takes even longer. Then there are several things I do during cooking without thinking, I am sure you all do. It is hard to remember to write them into a recipe, so the reader can avoid the pitfalls.

So, I am grateful to all those who sent in their recipes and pictures, and to those who take pictures of my recipes and send them in. I know how much work is involved.

Steve, I have received your chicken soup recipe with a million pictures :-), 2-3 recipes there ;-), and will eventually get around to sorting it out. I will probably have to split it up into two, giving links to each other. Otherwise it may become to hard to follow. Today is dig in the garden day, so see you all later!

Mamta

On 29/09/2009 09:09am, AskCy wrote:

I thought you might need to split it up ! lol - The whole reason I did it though was because I was asked how I make my Chicken and veg soup. That meant I had to show how I end up with the chicken and stock etc. I could have written a chicken soup recipe saying buy chicken breast, use chicken stock cubes etc but thats not how I make mine. I tend to make soup because something shouts out like having left over chicken and the bones which just want to climb in the stock pot...

Steve

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