Best Cook in Your Family

[barbszy]

Who's the best cook in your family? (It could be your extended family; the family you grew up with; or the family members you live with now)

[DeBora4BobbyL]

This is such a good topic! People usually ask about gardening and other stuff in which I rank low! Cooking is an area that I can truly brag about! LOL I am the queen. I have been cooking ever since I was a toddler if you count me breaking into the kitchen and making batter on the floor when my parents were unconscious. Well, I had to because my mother wouldn't let me "cook." My mother finally gave in and let me "cook." By the time I was a teen, I was cooking for the family of 5!

[trekmom]

I started cooking when I was in junior or senior high and my mom had to work outside the home. simple meat and potatoe meals usually, but when I had home ec I got to experiment at home and didn't do to badly. I love to cook-but not clean up. My girls are good cooks too, although my middle dd didn't really learn to cook at home. When she was married her dh did most of the cooking-she was given more than a couple of cookbooks at her shower because everyone knew she didn't know how to cook much-she's cooking more now.

[ajrsmom]

I started cooking when I was in 9th grade. My mother worked odd hours and then most of the time, she wasnt home after that anyway. My father didnt know how to cook a lot of meals so I was in line to take over the cooking. Through trial and error, I became a pretty good cook. Before my MIL passed away, she taught my how to make a lot of my DH's favorite foods. Today, I think that I am a good cook. :)

[cat lover]

I really didn't "cook" till I was married. I could get by, but when I was growing up you didn't "mess" up the kitchen; in other words meal time was determinded when my parents decided and you stayed out any other time! So when I got out on my own I decided to COOK! Have really enjoyed learning all types of recipes and my grandmother's love of baking came to me! Every Saturday after I married was "cookie day"; I would fill the cookie jar for the week. So I just developed a love of all cooking and collect cookbooks.

Due to hubby having been through many different diets for health reasons it has caused me to explore lots more varieities of ways to cook. Still enjoy it!

[momperson]

Two of my sons, but they are grown men & neither live near us. DS #3 is training to be a dinner chef at Disneyland (New Orleans SQ). DS #2 is a chef at a casino in N. Calif, near OR border. & plans to travel to France in a few years to learn more.
I'm a decent cook, but rarely do I do the big la-de-da dinners as it's just DH & I now. I learned to cook from my Mom, who was a wonderful cook, both Southern & California cuisine & from Julia Child----I watched her very first shows after school & bought her books with babysitting $. When I was young & single I cooked lots of Julia's recipes. After I married I soon had to cook for 3 on a very, very tight budget.
Basically my boys learned to cook from me & the food network-----& they LOVE to eat good fresh food, well prepared----no mixes or shortcuts for them--- they want cuisine, lol : )

momperson

ps..our other 3 DS's cook also but not as refined as thier two brothers

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Momperson, it must be nice to have DSs who are chefs. Do they cook for you when they visit?

[boggsZ]

I didnt really cook untill i got married the second time around I have to say my dh taught me alot but my mom is a wonderful cook she is a school cook the kids love her

[cat lover]

I didnt really cook untill i got married the second time around I have to say my dh taught me alot but my mom is a wonderful cook she is a school cook the kids love her


Oh bet you have some wonderful recipes to share from your mom! I remember the wonderful yeast rolls we used to get on school lunch trays. Does your mom have a recipe for anything like that; that she would share with us?

[boggsZ]

Cat lover she does make the best Rolls she is famous in our county for them Ill be glad to post the recipe where do i post it??

[cat lover]

Cat lover she does make the best Rolls she is famous in our county for them Ill be glad to post the recipe where do i post it??

I would post it in the "Breads, Biscuits & Muffins" forum. Go down to Forum Jump and scroll down to that one and click on it, then hit go and it will take you there, then you just post! Looking forward to getting the recipe!:)

[Catwoman]

In my own household, it's me, but when we go visit my mother and her family, my stepdad cooks just about everything. He worked as a cook at a seafood restaurant in Maine for a while after college and the techniques stuck.

[sweetnell3]

My grandmother was a great cook, my mother was also a good cook but can no longer cook because of her health.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I also miss my grandmother (Nana). She passed last August, but when she was in good health, we had either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner with her. Both my kids loved going to her house to see what she made. When I was little, she always had homemade cookies for us grandkids.

[sweetnell3]

I know what you mean, I lost my grandmother 5 years ago and still miss her very much. She also died in August.

[tutterbear35]

My husband grills the best but i'm the baker. When we go to potlucks or camping or family gatherings i'm always the one that is asked to bring the baked goods!! I love when hubby cooks though gives me a break...

[cat lover]

In my own household, it's me, but when we go visit my mother and her family, my stepdad cooks just about everything. He worked as a cook at a seafood restaurant in Maine for a while after college and the techniques stuck.


I bet he has some good recipes he might let you share with us?!?!?!;)

[pag36]

I am a fairly good cook on "down to earth" meals but nothing fancy. My G-Mom (Dad's) was a super good cook as was my Mom and her brother my Uncle Ralph was even better he was a cook in the army. Mom never could master his knack with biscuits but they were still good. As for me and biscuits thank God for bisquick and making drop ones. Happy cooking al

[Coll]

It depends on the meal being cooked. My dad is the best for spaghetti & meatballs. I'm the best at turkey and stuffing. Mom was the best at roast beef and gravy. Tara is the best at desserts, Jamie is best at lasagna, Elaine was best at apple dumplings.
Most of the things I cook taste just like mom's.
My kids won't eat spaghetti unless its Pap's. They know the difference in the taste.
Once when mom was away I made roast beef with black gravy (Andrew's fave) and mashed potatoes. Andrew said, mmmmm, Nanny better watch out mom, yours is almost as good as hers. I was so flattered.

Coll

[cat lover]

[B][COLOR=#0000ff]Once when mom was away I made roast beef with black gravy (Andrew's fave) and mashed potatoes.

Coll


I've never heard anyone talk of "black gravy", so I have to ask. What is it and how do you make it?

[dval]

I voted my husband as the better cook. I think I'm a good cook. But I'm not real imaginative to come up with my own recipie. I can follow a cookbook recipie and not destroy it and if the recipie is a good one my cooking is good.
My husband looks through the cookbooks and will sometimes combine 2 different recipies together and it's great. He's better than me, but rarely makes the same meal more than once. So when he makes something that I love I don't usually get it again:( .

[cat lover]

Welcome aboard dvalliere! Hope to see you in several places here! You are really lucky to have a husband that will cook! Maybe you could get him to write down his "new" recipes and you could start your own cookbook for your family. (And you could get the ones youl like again)!;)

[Coll]

cat lover,

All black gravy is- the gravy you make with the broth and drippings from the roast.
Here's how we do a roast and "black gravy".

Preheat a large skillet until very hot, add a little olive oil and sear the roast on all sides. Place into roasting pan, sprinkle one or twop packets of onion soup mix over and around the roast. ADd a large can of beef stock. Cook at 300* for 2 or more hours. Check it hourly, add more stock if needed.
To make the gravy, pour the liquid inot a pan adding more stock if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Also a beef bouillon cube or two if needed. Heat to a boil. Using 2 T corn startch and enough water to make a slurry, whisk it into the boiling broth. Turn it to a low heat. Stir occasionally.

The color should be a dark color making it "black gravy".

Coll

[cat lover]

Thanks for the black gravy explanation! Sounds really good. I love anything that has onion soup mix in it! One night when I fix my cheater roast I'll have to fix some of it while hubby has his fish!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Coll, I have never added onion soup to my gravy, but it sounds wonderful.

Another wonderful gravy is red-eye gravy? After you fry ham, you add left-over coffee, water, and salt and pepper to taste. It isn't supposed to have flour in it, but I always add a tiny bit to mine.

[dval]

Most of hubby's recipies are just general ingredients, spices are always 'to taste' never measured. It would be difficult to write them down. Ususally he makes me guess the ingredients. We have an agreement... he cooks, I clean... works for me :)

[Coll]

I wish I could get my hubby to agree to something like that. I cook, he would clean. But he's always busy with work so I get to do both. Aren't I lucky?

Coll

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Coll, have you tried to get him to grill out? Some men will do that because it isn't so "girly."

[cat lover]

I wish I could get my hubby to cook anyway at all! LOL He has no interest in the preparing part. I've even waited and waited to see how long he would wait on supper; doesn't work either! Grill; no way he'll touch that even less! We don't grill as much as I would like because I have a hard time watching food in on the stove and down on the grill. Our living quarters are on the second floor and I have 19 steps to go up and down and the kitchen is at the other wnd of the house so..... not much grilling unless I mke the entire meal on the grill. We even have two firepits, 4 grills an he won't use any of them! We have that many because we have a "private" camping area for family and friends. He usedto cook when he had to before he had an accident, but now with the brain injury he has bad moments so I guess we can blame it on that. He has had a bad experience with the stove since then so... I'm the Cook!:eek:

[bjptl]

I am probably the best cook in our family with many runnerups. I learned to cook when I was in 4-H as a kid.( with Mom's help, of course) She too was a very good cook. I taught my 4 boys and 1 daughter to cook also. Surprisingly enough the boys are much better cooks than my daughter !! My daughter-in-laws are happy that I taught the boys to cook. My son who lives nearest me loves to cook. He does most of the cooking indoor and out. He is probably my toughest rival. LOL !!! He has taken cooking courses as well. I've never done that! I'm not into Gourmet cooking, just good old fashioned home cooking. I don't do much any more with all the family grown and having their own families. I do get special requests when we do a pot luck thing with family or even at our church. Guess that's enough bragging for now.
Grama Judy:rolleyes:

[cat lover]

Welcome to MomsMenu bjptl! If you ever need any help just ask. That is so great all your family likes to cook!