I was thinking back on my history of cooking. I first got interested in cooking thanks to Food Network, I remember watching Emeril Live and loving it. I actually remember watching Emeril's sit com, it took place during the commercials on Emeril live, I really don't remember if it was funny at all, just that it, at one point, existed.
I think I actually learned all of the techniques I know from the Food Network. I am sure there are many other Food Network taught cooks out there. I can't imagine what it would have been like for me in a previous age. Of all things to cook as a first real dish, I made risotto. Risotto is not a beginners dish at all, but I wanted to make it and my parents were happy to oblige. I actually remember now that it was a 3 cheese risotto, and we used 3 real italian cheeses, which really opened up a whole new world for me. I must have been like a freshman in high school at the time, maybe a sophomore. I don't think the risotto turned horribly, but I also don't think it was perfect.
The next dish I tried to make might have even been more difficult to make than risotto, it was gumbo. I guess I didnt know how to start small. Gumbo is a layered dish that has many steps. It was the first and only time that I have ever made a roux. What guy wouldn't want to make a stew with some chicken and sausage in it. It was andouille sausage if I remember correctly. I think I burned the gumbo just a little bit, and I didn't even know what to expect from it, but it was edible at the very least.
I think after those 2 dishes I took a bit of a break from cooking, but still enjoyed watching Food Network. Who doesn't enjoy some good food porn anyway?
I didn't really give cooking another shot until I had moved out on my own, and even the first year living with a bunch of roommates, I didn't really cook much, we didn't have that much room in out fridge to allow me to cook, and I guess I just really wasn't up for it at that time. When I was living in an apartment alone, and also with my little brother for a time, is when I started to really start cocoking, it gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted to do. Since then my cooking has become much more frequent.
I have memories of a show on Food Network that I really miss called Mario Eat Italy where Mario Batali and another guy travel to different parts of Italy and tried all sorts of different Italian dishes, and it was awesome. I loved learning about food back then, and I still do.
I think the show on Food Network that is my favorite right now is Good Eats with Alton Brown. I think it is such a cool show. Good Eats is a great cooking show for geeks that really get into the details of cooking things. I have always wanted to try to make his Dr. Pepper glazed ham, but it seems like a lot of work for a single guy to do, maybe some day, if/when I have a family I will be able to try it.
I also remember loving a show called The Naked Chef with Jamie Oliver. He had a way of making food seem so simple and easy to make, even when he was making something like sushi. I wish those old episodes were still shown, even if they were late at night. I loved watching that show so much.
My cooking method is a bit weird. I tend to create my own aggregate recipe from around 3 recipes that I will find online. I think every time I make a recipe I want to try something new in it. I love changing things and adding things to my recipes, I have been making a variation of my Chunky Chicken Chili for like 3 years now, and no 2 times is it quite the same, but it is consistently very good.
I have a weirdly good memory, I remember things that I have cooked just once. I remember the only time I made stir fry, it was a teryaki stir fry with pineapple and pineapple juice in it, and it was awesome. I don't know if I will ever be able to make it that good again,
I like grilling in the summer months, and I know I cacn make a good burger, my father's recipe, but I like to try to make some new things as well. I remember making teryaki chicken kabobs with my brother last summer that I thought was really good. I grilled lots of vegetables to go with it, and served it all on rice with some extra teryaki sauce, can't go wrong with that.
If anyone wants some help learning to cook, let me know. I wouldn't mind helping someone learn how to cook. I really think that everyone should be able to cook, its one of the most fun ways to feed yourself.
I actually consider cooking as one of my creative outlets. I love using my brain to think up new ideas of things to make. If I see something on tv that I like I will get a recipe, but that is just the beginning of the process, even before I make the recipe for the first time, I will think of ways that I can alter the recipe in a way to make me like it even more. I have definitely substituted items as I wished to make a recipe that I would love, rather than one that I might just simply like.
Food is one of the topics that I could literally blabber about forever and ever. If you want someone to talk to about food, please let me know. I think this has given everyone a glimpse into my world of cooking. Sorry if it rambles on a little bit, but I wrote it at 2:00 AM.
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