Food What would you like to learn to do in the kitchen?

I am starting this thread as a sharing space and a repository of information. Here, we can share our skills with others that would like to learn them. I understand not everything in the kitchen can be taught via the Internet, but I believe there is a great deal that we can cover here nonetheless.

What would you like to learn to do in the kitchen?

Perhaps it's something simple--like frosting a cake or baking bread or knife skills. Post what it is, and we can use our collective know-how to point you in the right direction, whether it's because we have the experience ourselves, or because we know a good resource.

Personally, I'd like to learn to make my own kombucha. Not your typical thing, I know, but I really enjoy kombucha and it's expensive (I think this has more to do with the overblown health statements about the drink). From what I hear, it's similar to making vinegar in that there is a "mother". I have a friend who makes his own at home and he is supposed to share some of his mother with me.

I found some instructions here: My First Experience Making Kombucha | The Kitchn

I'd also like to learn to make my own fermented sauerkraut. Before I get started, I plan on acquiring a small food-grade bucket and airlock (this will be good for future fermentables). Does anyone have any experience with making sauerkraut, kim chee, or the like?

 

I'd like to learn something really simple.... make bubble tea.

mostly, it's all about getting the jelly or bobas, oh and the straw. but after that it's not being lazy and actually putting it all together.

 

Skillshare - Search Site: Cooking: NYC

Skillshare has been really cool, the things I've attended. One camera class and another on food and photography. Low commitment, it's one day usually. I found it's enough to help decide if one wants to pursue more. Kind of like Learning Tree or Learning Annex, but just normal people.

 

Me too. I'm awesome at researching a recipe for a random dish and replicating it so it tastes great. I'm very good at taking a recipe and tweaking it a touch to dial it up a notch for my preferences or my wife's. But I'm not that great at saying 'I have X, Y, and Z, so I'm going to creat THIS dish from it'.

 

Focus on learning cooking techniques first: broiling, braising, sauteing, roasting, etc. From there, learn which ingredients possess which qualities: which are sour, acidic, savory (umami), salty, sweet, spicy, etc. Look at different cuisines and their flavor combinations. Experiment. I really believe the foundation here is cooking technique, though, because once you have that under your belt, it becomes easier to experiment and learn to match flavors. Yes, you will fail, there are times what you make will just be okay and not great, sometimes it might even be awful. But cooking is an organic, living process. You'll learn by doing.

 

Orange pulp/pith is high in pectin. You couldn't make marmalade from the straight-up pith; you would need to add some segmented/supremed oranges/grapefruit/other citrus. Marmalade is really easy, though. I will link you the recipe I use when I am on a computer and not a phone.

 

Here you go: ThreeCitrus Marmalade Recipe - Food in Jars | Food in Jars

 

Check out: Cookistry: Technique: High Altitude Bread Donna Currie is a food blogger and bread expert from Colorado, so I would assume she's had some experience with altitude; she has many recipes on her site for baking at higher altitudes. Just search "altitude."

 

I've always wanted to be a zymologist.

I'm getting more into fermented food. I've read too many benefits of beneficial bacteria, specifically in foods such as sauerkraut and kefir. Plus, they're rather delicious.

Sauerkraut, or fermented cabbage, is supposedly simple to make. It's also different from your run-of-the-mill brand-name "sauerkraut," which is often just pickled cabbage, meaning it has none of the benefits of the bacteria from fermentation. Real sauerkraut needs to be properly fermented. I don't really have the room for big-batch preparations of anything, but I wonder if it would be worthwhile making smaller batches.

Kefir is also supposed to be easy to make. It's basically fermented milk. You put some kefir grains (yeast and bacteria culture) in some milk and then go to town. Compared to your typical health-benefit-touting yogurt (most of which is laden with added sugar), the amount of beneficial bacteria in kefir is simply mad stupid. It's also rather tasty and can be used in place of yogurt in many things. I tend to just put it in with my granola for breakfast.

The major thing holding me back from attempting this stuff is the very thought of fermentation itself. I mean, we're dealing with bacterial growth here. Sauerkraut will grow scum on top, and with kefir, you let the milk sit 24 to 48 hours at room temperature depending on your desired thickness.

That sounds like recipes for food poisoning! I know, I know....a different kind of bacteria... This is good bacteria.... And remember: kefir is traditionally made in sacks of milk hanging in doorways where they can be regularly agitated as people walk by.