Casual Cooks--for SERIOUS foodies!!!!

Bunti · 09-04-2006, 04:35 PM

What fun this site is. But not because we are CASUAL, a casual cook wouldn't necessarily know an asiago from a gouda...but lots of the folks here do. What is the most fun, is that this site is full of good cooks who are not snobby or preachy. (at least so far!!)

Before I had kids, I worked as a chef in the wine country of California. I was a true food snob. (I could afford to be, at work and at home, there was just me.) Then came kids. WOOOO. Reality check. Needed to learn to cook good, healthy and cheap. Needed to integrate my hubby and kids food preferences and also, needed to come up with shortcuts to my favorite foods.

So now I am somewhat split personality when it comes to cooking or eating. I want only Kuminost on my dark pumpernickel with paper thin sliced red onion and Turin Sinappia mustard.........I want French's mustard on my oscar mayer weiner, with relish.

Love AHI grilled with a wasabi teriyaki also really like starkist water pack albacore with dill pickle and mayo on sourdough bread.

Am I the only one here like that???

I want a lovely whole grain flat bread with sesame seeds, but also love Goldfish. (cant buy em, I'll eat em)

Does anyone else feel this way, or am I all by my lonesome?

Mike · 09-04-2006, 05:02 PM

Good point, Bunti. We aren't trained cooks, but we do watch a lot of cooking shows and love trying out new recipes ... usually with great success. I don't think our knowledge is nearly as developed as yours, but we do like good food. We like regular food too. I guess we can't qualify as food snobs!

mctrekkie · 09-04-2006, 05:06 PM

Bunti, I'm like you. I'm always up for a 5 course dinner with paired wines at a very fine restaurant. I'm also content with Taco Bell or leftovers.

I'm not a snob, but my tastes are changing as time goes on.

Napa? Going to be there in late October, best friend and I are going to spend a weekend eating and sipping our way up Route 29. Some darn fine food and drink down there! DH and I were there in April 2003 on our honeymoon.

Bunti · 09-04-2006, 05:30 PM

Classically trained means many different things. I apprenticed, did exchanges at various types of restaurants, took some classes at college, and paid an arm and a leg for workshops with famous chefs to learn technique. I worked as a short order cook at a second job to afford to apprentice with master chefs for hardly any money. Took classes in resort/restaurant management as well. I really enjoyed the front-house management part of the business. That was the direction I decided to go for, and keep the cooking as my recreation and art. Then we moved to Washington with two toddlers, to a small town and I found that restaurants weren't the career they are in the wine country. So I went back to school yet again. Tended bar and cooked again to survive during school. That was 20 years ago. Since then I have learned that I am a BABY when it comes to being knowledgeable about foods of the world. I love to learn new things, and things have changed drastically in the years since I have been in the business. I imagine I could still fall back on it if I needed to, though I am pretty old and slow now. lol

Bunti · 09-04-2006, 05:31 PM

Peggy, the more I know about you, the more alike I think we are!!

becca23 · 09-04-2006, 05:34 PM

Very nice post good input...

Please keep .

ing....

David

mctrekkie · 09-04-2006, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunti

Peggy, the more I know about you, the more alike I think we are!!

Bunti, I was so bummed we couldn't meet up when you were in Seattle recently! PLEASE let Chud and I know if you get down this way again!

**mango** · 09-06-2006, 05:53 PM

I liked your post Bunti It was allright.

Iron Chef Heather · 09-06-2006, 07:45 PM

Thank you for this post. I wish I could have takn lessons in cooking. I try and do my best tho.

I have a friend who has traveled to Italy and France for cooking lessons (that was his vacation time).

Mike · 09-07-2006, 10:41 AM

I aslo would enjoy cooking lessons. Maybe us DFW area cooks can get together and take a class. That would be fun!