What cooking skill would you like to improve on?

[lurker17260]

I watch quite a few cooking shows and I wish I could use knives like they do.  I would love to be able to go chopchopchopchop instead of chop...chop...chop...chop like I do,  I get there in the end but wish I was a little more flashy with my knives :^O

What about you?

[freakiness]

Cooking rice on the stove....

put rice in a sieve and rinse with cold water, then put in saucepan.  Put your fingertip on the rice and fill the pot slowly with cold water until it reaches your first finger joint., bring to the boil and when tunnels start appearing in the rice, turn the element to the lowest, put the lid on and leave it for 10 mins.  You can turn the element off and leave it for a bit longer instead of using the lowest setting.  Take off the lid and fluff with a fork...Taa Daa!

The microwave method is so much easier than that.

Add rice

add water

set timer for 10 minutes

Done.

[freakiness]

I'd like to cook for you Bump.  Don't put your veggies in the slow cooker with the lamb.   The frozen veggies don't need to be cooked at all, they just need a zap in the microwave to make them hot.

I could make you a mean shepherds pie for winter 🙂

They need heat to kill any microbials that might be present.

2 minutes I think is the minimum.

[i-once-was-bump]

joono you are welcome to cook for me anytime but I think you might be in WA and I am in NSW.

Is shepherds pie the one with lots of tasty mince and mashed potato on top??

Please send one immediately as I am hungry now.:^O

[j*oono]

That's the one.  Dead easy to make too.  It's going to be a bit cold by the time it gets there.

I can't wait for winter cooking weather again.  Well, I don't want it too cold but I love winter cooking with soups and stews and slow cooking.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM6xVQwIOYQ

[patchoo78]

I wish I could cook rice in  a saucepan like my mum does... 😐

she brings it to a boil and then turns it off and it cooks with magic... i could never perfect it like she does. 

It's called the absorption method.. It's all about the ratio of water to rice... A housemate showed me how to do it once but I forgot... 

[i-once-was-bump]

The rice in the saucepan absorption method depends on the type of rice used.

Long grain and short grain need different cooking times and jasmine and basmati also need times specific to them.

Rice is the only thing I cook successfully 95% of the time I cook it and most people say I cook rice perfectly.

I usually use Jasmine rice and it is so simple, bring 2 cups of water to the boil and then add a bit of salt, put in a cup of jasmine rice and stir gently and once it starts to bubble up you turn the hotplate down to the lowest possible setting without actually turning off the hot plate, put the lid on the saucepan and cook for 20 minutes. Fluff up with a fork.

Works perfectly so long as you use the same cup for the rice and water and you always have 2 water to 1 rice.

[newstart2380]

Cooking rice on the stove....

put rice in a sieve and rinse with cold water, then put in saucepan.  Put your fingertip on the rice and fill the pot slowly with cold water until it reaches your first finger joint., bring to the boil and when tunnels start appearing in the rice, turn the element to the lowest, put the lid on and leave it for 10 mins.  You can turn the element off and leave it for a bit longer instead of using the lowest setting.  Take off the lid and fluff with a fork...Taa Daa!

Easier still, buy an electric rice cooker, works every time and keeps it warm.

[katydidthat]

Sometimes I use the rice cooker ... but if I want a deeper flavour, this is how I do it.

Bring olive oil to a pretty high heat in a saucepan.  Add basmati rice (it's best for this method), and stir until some of the rice whitens.  Add pre-measured amount of water (or stock) according to rice packet instructions.  Watch rice and liquid foam up and listen to the sizzle.  Place saucepan lid (should be close fitting) on and then turn off heat.  Leave until the rest of dinner is ready (it will retain heat for ages).  

[i-once-was-bump]

It is a bit chilly here today so I bought a large packet of lamb chops, large bag of frozen "winter" vegies and some Moroccan sauce stuff and put it all in the slow cooker. i forgot to get some lemons to slice up in the slow cooker but it should be OK.

I also had a new smoke detector installed yesterday (they wear out from over use) so it is safe for me to get into cooking again.

BTW how often does everyone here have to have their exhaust fan in the kitchen replaced?

I have been in this unit 13 years and have had 3 new fans so far.