What Are You Cooking?

70 responses to “What Are You Cooking?”

1. 

   D.C.

   May 1, 2012 at 11:02 am

   Can’t cook, well versed in the horrors of microwave meals though. That totally counts, right? 😛

   Reply
2. 

   ShiggyNinty

   May 1, 2012 at 11:07 am

   I love cooking. Make a lot of stuff. Ribs, roast dinner, satay chicken, pasta, salads, cakes. Anything really. Nothing better than making something others really enjoy. But gimme some bacon and I’ll whip up deliciousness.

   Reply
   1. 

      CookingMama

      May 1, 2012 at 1:19 pm

      But you have tried making bacon?

      It’s totally possible to do at home.

      Reply
      1. 

         Strange

         May 1, 2012 at 3:01 pm

         This is next on my list of things to perfect. I’m so tired of the bland bacon you get from the supermarket.

         Reply
3. 

   Rocketman

   May 1, 2012 at 11:07 am

   I made cannoli the other day and i made these Sicilian S biscotti biscuits a few days ago. I also make a mean crumbed steak.

   Reply
4. 

   Jordaan Mylonas

   May 1, 2012 at 11:08 am

   I know a half dozen meals, and I know them well. Everything outside of that domain, I am subpar.

   Reply
5. 

   DAN!

   May 1, 2012 at 11:09 am

   Man, I’m on a mean omelette spree at the moment.

   I’m the cook in my house, unfortunately my sweet lady doesn’t/can’t cook. Plus I’m a weak armed vegetarian so it’s just easier for me to cook.

   Reply
   1. 

      lambogirl99

      May 1, 2012 at 11:30 am

      Weak armed vegetarian hi-5! *arms only lift 10 cm* Eh, that’ll have to do…

      Reply
   2. 

      D.C.

      May 1, 2012 at 11:41 am

      I’ve been weighing up the vegetarian thing lately, the idea of giving away so many awesome tastes and flavours is unappealing, though.

      Are there any vegetarian dishes you think rivals the best meat has to offer? (That’s a real question, I’m interested. :P)

      Reply
      1. 

         Strange

         May 1, 2012 at 12:00 pm

         I’ve been making sure we have at least one meat-free dish for dinner each week to cut back on food costs, and some of the vegetarian dishes have been more enjoyable than meaty ones. We had burgers where instead of the meat I used sweet-potato rosti kind of things. Even the kids loved them and they don;t usually like sweet potato.

         Reply
      2. 

         Zap

         May 1, 2012 at 12:08 pm

         Spiced chick-pea and sweet potato rosti tend to be awesome.

         Reply
      3. 

         CookingMama

         May 1, 2012 at 12:22 pm

         Do the Tuesday Night Vego Challenge! It’s a great way to try out vegetarian eating without feeling like you’re committing to some sort of cause. Tonight I’m doing ramen noodles in miso soup with pumpkin and green beans.
         http://witcheskitchen.com.au/the-tuesday-night-vego-challenge/

         Reply
      4. 

         D.C.

         May 1, 2012 at 12:30 pm

         Oh, good ideas! The burger in particular sounds all kinds of awesome!

         Reply
         1. 

            Strange

            May 1, 2012 at 12:54 pm

            A lime mayo made the burger even better. You can even buy a lime and chilli aioli in a jar to save yourself the effort of making it.

            Reply
6. 

   PrettyTones

   May 1, 2012 at 11:14 am

   Umm, my Mi Goreng game is off tha chain…?

   I’m also good at boiling corn.

   Reply
7. 

   Bish

   May 1, 2012 at 11:14 am

   FOOD!
   My speciality is telling Pez he is wrong and fixing his mistakes.

   Reply
   1. 

      Pixel The Ferret Viking

      May 1, 2012 at 11:28 am

      Bish food is Best food

      Reply
8. 

   Ben “Falkirion”

   May 1, 2012 at 11:25 am

   If you’re a gamer and you can’t cook anything you need to get inspired to get in the kitchen and give it a shot. I find cooking just as enjoyable as gaming. And others like my cooking too. BBQs, roasts, stir frys, pastas. I can cook a fair few things when I set my mind to it.

   Reply
9. 

   Vapor

   May 1, 2012 at 11:27 am

   I don’t know how, but apparently I have the ability to turn your standard stir-fry/pasta/whatever sauce in a jar, into a really good meal. I don’t do anything special, but it always comes out pretty damm good.

   I do also enjoy cooking from scratch. Have a few recipes (Usually chicken or pasta based) that are my thing. Not too bad with taking new rcipes and trying them out either.

   Reply
   1. 

      Becaroonie

      May 1, 2012 at 11:42 am

      That’s a good skill to have! Being able to know when certain foods are cooked just right, when to turn something over, what temperature your own oven should be on – all important. It makes the difference between a bad cook and a good cook, in my opinion. I’m the same way, I made chicken tonight last night just outta a jar, adding some chicken and bacon and it came out freakin’ amazing!

      Reply
10. 

    Stevorooni

    May 1, 2012 at 11:28 am

    I love cooking, I don’t have the skills for something like Master Chef but I’ve been cooking for myself for years and I’m still alive.

    Every weekend I usually cook up something to stock the freezer. Spring rolls, vegetable pasties, chicken and vegetable sausage rolls, soups, stir frys, curries, cakes (I always have a steady supply of banana and blueberry loaf in the freezer ready for snacks), I’ve got a pile of recipes I’ve just printed out when I’ve felt like something in particular and searched for it.

    I decided some time ago that I would try and eat less from a ‘packet’ and focus more on healthier homemade meals, and by having a selection of pre-made meals in the freezer I can just nuke something and maybe boil some rice or noodles to go with it during the week when I have less time to cook.

    Reply
11. 

    Dave

    May 1, 2012 at 11:29 am

    My fav is to cook some gnoci, then in a fry pan cook some bacon, snow peas and the add the gnoci with some olive oil and cajin spices. cook untill the gnoci is a little crisp on the outside yum!

    Reply
12. 

    Charlie

    May 1, 2012 at 11:31 am

    I like making my own pizzas. The dough is fun to throw around (plus it’s super easy tomake) and it’s a great thing to cook if you’ve got friends over because everyone can join in.

    Reply
13. 

    lambogirl99

    May 1, 2012 at 11:32 am

    I can cook salads (well, make not cook), boiled vegetables, roasted vegetables, soup, stir fry, and PIZZA! That’s all really, haven’t tried anything else.

    Reply
14. 

    Strange

    May 1, 2012 at 11:33 am

    I’m pretty good at cooking. I get obsessed and tend to cook one thing until I get it how I like it best. I recently became obsessed with making proper pretzels so I was making them every few days for a while there. But it was worth it.

    Reply
    1. 

       Zap

       May 1, 2012 at 12:06 pm

       I’ve never made pretzels. Do you have a recipe to share?

       Reply
       1. 

          Strange

          May 1, 2012 at 12:12 pm

          This is the one that ended up being the closest flavour and texture: http://www.theoktoberfest.com/HTML/pretzel/index.html

          I do find if you leave it to prove and then knock it back instead of just rolling them straight away you get a greater depth of flavour though.

          Reply
15. 

    Becaroonie

    May 1, 2012 at 11:37 am

    I’m not gonna lie – I’m an awesome cook, baking especially. I made a chocolate cream pie last night. Words alone cannot describe the amazing chocolatey goodness contained within it’s chocolate ripple biscuit base. Maybe this picture can. http://instagr.am/p/KENIfZidoA/

    It certainly doesn’t do it justice though. Homemade baked goods = most delicious things ever.

    Reply
    1. 

       Rocketman

       May 1, 2012 at 11:47 am

       Mouth watering, That looks delicious, nice work. 🙂 Also awesome avatar.

       Reply
       1. 

          Becaroonie

          May 1, 2012 at 12:27 pm

          It was sooo yummmmm! Eating some of the left over chocolate puddingness while it was still warm was the best – and thanks! I like yours too! Now I wanna play Pokemon.

          Reply
          1. 

             Sir Greenius

             May 1, 2012 at 12:57 pm

             Stop teasing us with your food…

             Reply
16. 

    Shane

    May 1, 2012 at 11:42 am

    When I met my wife, she was living on toast and spaghetti. When I showed her that I could make cheese toast the way Sizzler does, the deal was closed for good 🙂

    That’s my best/only thing, though. Otherwise, if it can’t be microwaved, oven baked or pan fried straight out of the packet, I don’t want no part of it.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dave

       May 1, 2012 at 11:50 am

       Care to share the toasty cheesy Sizzler bread recipie with us?? 🙂

       Reply
       1. 

          Strange

          May 1, 2012 at 11:57 am

          Cut the bread yourself so it’s nice and thick, and make sure you use parmesan cheese, but fresh stuff, not the dried stuff from the shelf in the green boxes. Mix it with butter, spread it on your bread and grill.

          Reply
          1. 

             Strange

             May 1, 2012 at 12:04 pm

             You can also pan-fry it butter side down but it’s prone to sticking.

             Reply
          2. 

             Shane

             May 1, 2012 at 12:07 pm

             Yeah, this, but I put them back to back in the George Foreman instead, because it presses the cheese down!

             Reply
             1. 

                Shane

                May 1, 2012 at 12:09 pm

                Actually, I butter the bread first and then press the cheese into the butter so it sticks a bit better. Also, I found the parmesan powder tastes more like Sizzler than the flakes (though it’s better with nicer parmesan). Just sayin

             2. 

                Shane

                May 1, 2012 at 12:11 pm

                But it’s hardly sophisticated, and would probably taste better if I could work out how to turn my oven into a grill.

                So listen to Strange, people. She knows her stuff… and knows my stuff better than me 😛

             3. 

                Strange

                May 1, 2012 at 12:16 pm

                If I had a George Foreman grill I’d probably use that!

                And yeah, the powder stuffs probably does taste closer to Sizzler’s, I usually grate the parmesan in a really fine grater so the texture is similar, anyway. I do think mixing the butter and parmesan is key though.

17. 

    Ben J

    May 1, 2012 at 11:56 am

    I’m a pretty mean microwave meal cook. It’s hard work y’know, figuring out how long to cook things for when the wattage is different.

    I can’t make anything though. I’ve tried, but I suck! I gave my brothers food poisoning from my fried rice.

    Reply
18. 

    Unicron

    May 1, 2012 at 12:00 pm

    Pesto pasta with chicken, avocado and fetta, with Afghan Garlic bread.

    Reply
    1. 

       Strange

       May 1, 2012 at 12:02 pm

       I have no idea what Afghan Garlic bread is, but it’s making me hungry anyway. 😀

       Reply
       1. 

          Unicron

          May 1, 2012 at 12:39 pm

          It’s long and flat bread, you toast it of course and just rip or cut pieces off. Good stuff. It’s in coles, woolies etc.

          Reply
          1. 

             Strange

             May 1, 2012 at 12:44 pm

             Sounds tasty!

             Reply
19. 

    Zap

    May 1, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    I’ve never had complaints. Also, I can make Shapes. I can also make giant versions of them.

    Mark: Omelettes are awesome. Have you considered:
    – Using a splash of cream instead of milk in your premix. Bonus: include a sprinkle of smoked paprika, white pepper, and parsley to really make it taste awesome.
    – Use tiny cubes of haloumi instead of feta (works better with salami than feta)
    – Use a mix of rice bran oil and unsalted butter in the pan. The changed cooking temp ensures a perfect omelette without browning the bottom.

    Reply
    1. 

       Strange

       May 1, 2012 at 12:03 pm

       Oh Zap, is there anything you’re not awesome at? I think not.

       Reply
       1. 

          Zap

          May 1, 2012 at 12:05 pm

          You should see me be humble. I knock that right out of the park!

          …obviously I’m awesome at jokes, though.

          Reply
    2. 

       Zap

       May 1, 2012 at 12:04 pm

       Also, if you’re feeling adventurous – small cubes of black pudding as the filling.

       Reply
20. 

    N3RD1001101

    May 1, 2012 at 12:05 pm

    I can practically cook anything but if I have to name my specialty, i guess it would have to be whole lamb on the spit, & Lasagna 🙂

    Reply
    1. 

       Strange

       May 1, 2012 at 12:52 pm

       Whole lamb on the spit?! When can I come over? 😛

       Reply
21. 

    Justin

    May 1, 2012 at 12:08 pm

    I’m the cook in our house and I really enjoy trying new things (which makes my housemates the guinea pigs haha). Last night I made a seafood paella and the night before that tandoori chicken skewers on garlic spinach and onion with a home-made mango chutney. I also really enjoy making sauces and things (though my tomato sauce attempts have all been fizzers so far), and recently ‘invented’ a jalapeño mayonnaise (from scratch) which actually worked quite well.

    Reply
22. 

    AlexPants

    May 1, 2012 at 12:13 pm

    I usually cook my own meals every night, but I find that most nights I do that it becomes some kind of variation on chicken and rice and a few added vegetables, nothing really special, but filling nonetheless. I need more red meat in my diet…

    When I’m not out on Fridays I usually cook a lemon chicken hot pot, which is all kids of deliciousness. It’s become a tradition of sorts. Especially good in the winter months, when you come home late in the evening and you’re freezing your ass off, hot pot warms you up so gooooood.

    Reply
23. 

    Jiff

    May 1, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    Just last night I made an Indian chicken curry from scratch, made my own paste and everything! It had coconut, tomato, garlic, ginger, spices – oh the SPICES – and it tasted absolutely rad! A bit like korma but with something extra. It’s about the third time I made an indian curry and the first time I was happy with the result!

    My usual repertoire is fried rice, pasta bake with three cheese sauce and two other cheeses thrown on top of it all (so 5 cheese), salads with random homemade dressing (my last success was dried mixed italian herbs with ponzu and a touch of sesame oil), steak, thai panang curry, tom yum soup, homemade chicken noodle soup (the secret is to use wholegrain pasta, and throw in a dash of soy sauce) and I make a pretty good bolognese sauce, and by extension, a pretty good lasagna.

    Cooking is awesome fun

    Reply
    1. 

       Jiff

       May 1, 2012 at 12:31 pm

       Aaand if I have to use a jar of sauce ie. Chicken Tonight I end up modifying it in some way to take the ‘jar sauce’ flavour out of it.

       Reply
24. 

    Becaroonie

    May 1, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    Since Greenius refused to take one for the team, can anyone else please call in a bomb threat to my work so I can go home? Thank would be great.

    Reply
    1. 

       Becaroonie

       May 1, 2012 at 12:48 pm

       Reply fail. This is why I don’t post!

       Reply
       1. 

          Sir Greenius

          May 1, 2012 at 12:53 pm

          HI!

          Reply
25. 

    James Mac

    May 1, 2012 at 12:48 pm

    I worked in a restaurant for a while… and whilst my cooking is pretty damn good; it’s my deserts that are the stand out.

    Lemon meringue pie is my speciality…

    Reply
    1. 

       Becaroonie

       May 1, 2012 at 2:48 pm

       Lemon meringue pie… /drooooooooooool

       My favourite!!!

       Reply
26. 

    Sir Greenius

    May 1, 2012 at 12:56 pm

    I can’t and don’t cook :/ (making sandwiches, mi goreng, nachos don’t count)

    I’ll probably need to learn someday though unless I find a personal chef, yes, I’m talking to YOU)

    Reply
    1. 

       Becaroonie

       May 1, 2012 at 12:59 pm

       Mmm… nachos…

       Reply
       1. 

          Sir Greenius

          May 1, 2012 at 1:10 pm

          HINT: you’re the “YOU“

          Reply
    2. 

       CookingMama

       May 1, 2012 at 1:16 pm

       I think the Women’s weekly cookbooks you get in the supermarket and newsagents are the best to start with if you’re learning to cook. The recipes work, the ingredients are simple and everything is in aussie amounts, so no fiddling around with conversions. Pick one and have a bash!

       Reply
       1. 

          Sir Greenius

          May 1, 2012 at 1:19 pm

          Thanks for the advice :), I’l have to check one out one day.

          Reply
          1. 

             Becaroonie

             May 1, 2012 at 2:18 pm

             Psh, “one day”. We will know you have a subscription to Women’s Weekly.

             Reply
27. 

    CookingMama

    May 1, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    I love cooking, and sometimes I even blog about it (http://sarah.hudweb.net)

    Although I don’t get to do many dinner parties these days and get terribly excited when my toddler eats his plain pasta and vegies.

    Reply
28. 

    Virus__

    May 1, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    I love cooking, baking, barbecuing etc.

    Some think of mind that I think stand out are; my burgers whether they’re beef, chicken or turkey along with pasta, rice, potato & Greek salads. My home made dips, I cater for any and everyone (well I try to), I can make vegan, vegetarian & non vegan/vegetarian.

    I usually do alright with baking as well, I like to think I am pretty well versed in the kitchen, i’m yet to attempt to make my own bread/pizza dough. I just let dad do that =P

    I grew up with my parents letting me help in the kitchen and even letting me cook meals for the family when I reached appropriate age. I was always top of the class in food tech in high school, no idea how some managed to screw it up, made no sense to me since it always seemed so easy…

    Reply
29. 

    peir

    May 1, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    im not Italian but pretty much all of my culinary skill is in italian food just love making pasta its the best

    Reply
30. 

    kksl1der

    May 1, 2012 at 11:10 pm

    Anyone should be able to whip this one up in between a level of Mario, or a race of Forza:

    1 x small bottle of basil pesto (homebrand etc will do) – $3 roughly
    1 x block of cheese/or pre shreaded cheese (again the homebrand version will do) – $2 – $4
    1 x packet of ham slices – $3 roughly
    1 x pack of noodles (any variety) – $2 max (homebrand variety etc)

    Boil pasta, at the same time slice the cheese (if you bought a block of it) and the ham. Once the pasta has boiled, rinse, add the pesto in and then mix it around for a bit. Add in the ham and chesse then, and a bit of salt and pepper if you want. Mix it up for a couple more seconds and serve in a bowl. Feel free to add more cheese or ham if needed.

    Prep time: Depending on how quick you can cook pasta, prob 10 minutes at first. After a while you should be able to whip out the dish in 5 minutes.

    Servings: Depending on how much pasta, cheese and ham you bought should serve about 4 people or bowls if you’re big eater.

    Reply
31. 

    Morgrog

    May 6, 2012 at 5:24 pm

    I cook most of our meals. The Heston Blumenthal technique for roast chicken does produce an insanely tender, juicy bird (brine the chicken overnight in water with 60g of salt for every litre, be really accurate with the measurement).

    Omelettes can be taken to the next level if you separate the whites, add salt, whisk until soft peaks form. Put a dash of water in with the yolks, mix thoroughly, then fold through the whites just before putting in the pan. I tend to quickly fry some mushrooms in olive oil in another pan and lay this over the omelette just before folding.

    Reply