Do you cook? What are some notable things you cooked and what were the results?

[Quetzalcoatl]

I keep a spreadsheet and I've done these things with various levels of success


tacos?

I'm curious about the question mark there.  Real curious

[Eja117]

These are just stupid personal notes from my spreadsheet. I don't even know what it means. I thiiinnkk I've made tacos, but I don't remember a specific day that I did it and was like "Aha! I made tacos!" unlike the eggnog croissant french toast.

[Donoghus]

Like Dons I also find cooking soothing, but only if my wife is drinking wine a solid 50 feet away

I find cooking soothing because I don't have a wife.

[ssspence]

Ina Garten's Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. Properly executed (not that hard -- just follow instructions to a T) its one of the best dishes in the world, yet pretty simple and very affordable.

Serve it with a good baguette (for spreading the garlic on), or rice. Killer. Trust me on this.

Suggestion: use a good dutch oven or pot. Cast Iron preferable... Le Creuset or the like. If you don't have one, buy one or ask for it for your b-day. Like this one:

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/le-creuset-signature-5.5-qt.-round-cherry-french-oven-with-lid/s193103?b=1&a=1552

I know, I know, it's expensive. But poke around -- they go on sale, or you can find alternative brands that are pretty good quality. Single best cooking tool you can have, IMO.

[guava_wrench]

I make great moussaka. And chicken piccata.

I also love cooking fish with nice, crispy skin.

[guava_wrench]

pho

Did you like making Pho? How did it turn out? How did you make it?

Just buy some Pho paste. That is the easist way. Get your noodle of choice, some thin sliced beef. I like adding quail eggs and bok choy. Make sure not to overcook the ingredients!

If littleteapot makes the broth from scratch, that is worthy of a TP.

[RockinRyA]

Baking is just too darn precise for my liking. 

Agreed. I remember once, I decided I was gonna make chocolate chip cookies, my wife was sick (she makes crazy good cookies), and I knew I shouldn't make a full batch because I'm...well...I have issues with warm chocolate chip cookies.

So I thought, "Easy, I'll make a half-batch", and kind of rounded everything down to 1/2.

Well, long story short, I threw out a half-batch of chocolate chip cookies.

And I'm a good cook, I swear. I know how to grill, fry, or bake just about any type of protien or vegetable. I know how to properly slice a london broil, how to properly sear a steak over an open flame on a regular gas stove, I'm pretty good.

But baking any type of dough or sweets..just a lost cause.

Yeah, if you mess up somewhere if you're baking, be prepared to throw out whatever's in the oven right now and start a new batch. Of course sometimes you could make a few saves esp if you know what you're doing, but sometimes a slight misstep is enough to ruin everything. (actually just happened to me yesterday, was making Creme Anglaise for my souffle and I dropped my spatula, it was all over after that)

[Donoghus]

Baking is just too darn precise for my liking. 

Agreed. I remember once, I decided I was gonna make chocolate chip cookies, my wife was sick (she makes crazy good cookies), and I knew I shouldn't make a full batch because I'm...well...I have issues with warm chocolate chip cookies.

So I thought, "Easy, I'll make a half-batch", and kind of rounded everything down to 1/2.

Well, long story short, I threw out a half-batch of chocolate chip cookies.

And I'm a good cook, I swear. I know how to grill, fry, or bake just about any type of protien or vegetable. I know how to properly slice a london broil, how to properly sear a steak over an open flame on a regular gas stove, I'm pretty good.

But baking any type of dough or sweets..just a lost cause.

Yeah, if you mess up somewhere if you're baking, be prepared to throw out whatever's in the oven right now and start a new batch. Of course sometimes you could make a few saves esp if you know what you're doing, but sometimes a slight misstep is enough to ruin everything. (actually just happened to me yesterday, was making Creme Anglaise for my souffle and I dropped my spatula, it was all over after that)

Cornbread in the skillet is about the extent of my baking endeavors these days. 

Although, I did make these peanut butter cup cookie cups for Halloween and they came out decent.  Still hate baking, though.

[Mazingerz]

I cook a lot. My wife and I have an agreement where she cooks during the weekdays and I cook on Saturdays and Sundays; I also bake; Believe me, when I was still single I cannot even be bothered to boil an egg;

I like to cook meat and pasta dishes;

[indeedproceed]

One thing I always try to recommend to anyone who dabbles but doesn't really have the "cooking bug" is a good set of cast iron pots (2 skillets, 1 dutch oven), and a good set of knives (which in the past 10 years have become so affordable that its pretty much silly not to have one)

Cooking and brewing. If I can just do those two things unmolested I am a happy man.

[RockinRyA]

something me and my classmates did a few years ago 99.99% edible. The heiroglyphics are done by hand and about 1cm big

[Sixth Man]

I enjoy cooking stir-fry dishes, mostly in Cantonese or Szechuan style.  I have several different ways of cooking mabo dofu, but I enjoy wok-frying everything from ong choy (morning glory stems & leaves) to bok choy, long bean, fresh bamboo shoot, lotus root, you name it!  Next I need to master the process for making homemade XO sauce, which I've already failed to do once in spectacular fashion...

I used to make a lot of homemade ice cream.  My favorites were garlic, szechuan peppercorn, carrot & orange and avocado & coconut milk. 

[indeedproceed]

I enjoy cooking stir-fry dishes, mostly in Cantonese or Szechuan style.  I have several different ways of cooking mabo dofu, but I enjoy wok-frying everything from ong choy (morning glory stems & leaves) to bok choy, long bean, fresh bamboo shoot, lotus root, you name it!  Next I need to master the process for making homemade XO sauce, which I've already failed to do once in spectacular fashion...

I used to make a lot of homemade ice cream.  My favorites were garlic, szechuan peppercorn, carrot & orange and avocado & coconut milk. 

I want to learn about all of this.

[clover]

My best?  To entertain, probably Paella; my favorite, Thai red curry (also the easiest); my husband's fav, chicken soup.

Thai red curry (also the easiest) sounds great--recipe?

Thai Curry

Basic Ingredients:
   
- 1 can coconut milk,
- one can baby corn,
- Thai Red Curry Paste (my husband likes the smokey one, I like the hot one...but if you use      the hot paste, go light until you find the heat level you like) 
- Fish Sauce (or sea salt for a substitute), 
- 1/4 cup thin sliced green peppers, about an inch in length.
 
What ever veggies you like...I like mushrooms, broccoli, maybe green beans...you don't need a lot...it should be more like a sauce with ingredients than like a thick stew.

You can also add meat (about 1 lb. cooked.)  I like boneless pork loin or chicken breast. (I usually  slice the meat into thin strips and sauté in coconut oil, but you can use pre cooked meat, like rotisserie chicken) If I make it with pork, I  add a can of chunk pineapple.

Directions:  1.  sauté meat

                  2.  add coconut milk

                  3.  add fish sauce (or salt) and curry paste to taste (about 1 - 2 tablespoons), stirring well (I also add garlic  powder,  just because I like it!  lol

                  4.   drain corn and add, together with other (fresh) veggies and pineapple (add the pineapple juice, too).   If  you go for the hot Thai paste beware...for some reason it  seems to concentrate a lot of the heat in the pineapple.

                  5.  cook on low for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is completely cooked.

                  6.  serve with rice (I like jasmine or basmati).

Sorry for the freestyle recipe...I hope you can follow it.  lol.  I don't have a recipe, was taught how to make it by a Thai friend's (chef) brother.  It really is an easy thing to make, is mostly from cans, and uses just one pot or skillet.  Really, if you have coconut milk, veggies and curry paste you can make a curry.  It is like chicken soup...no matter what you put into it, or leave out of it, you can't ruin it. 
               

I always start with garlic and ginger in the frying pan, add curry paste and coconut milk and then add the meat and veggies after a few minutes. Makes it more flavorful IMO. Also if a you saute it for a bit and throw it in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours it will be delicious. I've also only made Thai Green curry tho and indian curries - not sure if you're just supposed to make red curry differently.

Thanks--TB and LT!

About the only Thai cooking I've done is chicken and shrimp satay.