Cooking Phobias

11 years ago

Ok confess it! There are foods out there that terrify you to try and cook. Sure, you've probably eaten them in restaurants; bought cookbooks that had recipes for them, even looked up how to cook them online. But yet, when it comes to actually cooking them, that fear kicks in and you back away from the oven!

I have two. I've always been afraid to cook lamb chops (rack of lamb, most things lamb). The other is salmon. I've always been afraid of messing them up and taking a beautiful food and making it only fit for the garbage can!

So what foods are you afraid to try and cook?

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Comments (64)

Solsthumper
11 years ago
Cooking has never scared me. Cooking equipment, on the other hand . . .

Throughout my life, I've witnessed not one, but two pressure cookers explode. Yes, your heart does return to its normal rhythm, eventually.

However, pressure cookers, gas stoves, gas grills, or anything with the potential to go "KaBoom!" will never make it on my wish list. Respect.

Sol
writersblock (9b/10a)
11 years ago
>However, pressure cookers, gas stoves, gas grills, or anything with the potential to go "KaBoom!" will never make it on my wish list.

Me, too, Sol!
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Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 11:06 Jessy has picked mangos for our Cookalong. I love mangos and they are now available all year, in my grocery store. Do you have a favorite recipe? Please post T+T recipes only Thank you! Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #49 ----- FISH!!! Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 13:13 Oh wow thanks for picking me, Nancy! This one has been in my summer repertoire (or any time I find a mango at the store LOL). I have noted my changes. Roasted Corn, Black Bean & Mango Salad http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/corn_bean_mango_salad.html From EatingWell: Summer 2004, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) This simple, fresh-tasting salad adds delicious variety to grilled foods, such as salmon, halibut, chicken or pork. 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Jessica's notes: (1) if I don't have leftover roasted corn on hand from a prior dinner, I use TJ's frozen roasted corn kernels. (2) I use Penzey's ground chipotle powder - mixes in easier and more completely. (3) I don't cook the garlic, I add it in fresh. Here is a link that might be useful: Eating Well's Corn-Bean-Mango salad o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by natal (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 17:57 Mango Salsa 1 fresh mango, diced 1/4 cup red onion, fine chop 1 serrano pepper (or jalapeno) seeded and finely diced 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro Juice of one lime 2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste Combine all and let sit at room temp for at least an hour. Serve on top of blackened or grilled fish. blackened tuna... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cubed mango is also good in tuna salad made with leftover grilled or blackened tuna. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ancho-Marinated Pork & Mango Kabobs I've made variations of Ellie's recipe. We like it with a little more heat. I like to add chipotle powder and increase the citrus. Here is a link that might be useful: Ancho-marinated pork and mango kabobs o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 18:26 I love, love, love that corn, black bean and mango salad that Jessy posted! If anyone has not tried it, I urge you to....it's THAT good! Here are my contributions: This first one is my own creation. Really tasty on a hot summer day (like today)! Kiwi Mango Ice Pops 3/4 c simple syrup 4 kiwis 1 mango 1T lemon juice Juice of 1 lime Peel and dice the kiwis and mango. Put fruit in bowl of food processor, add simple syrup, lemon juice and lime juice. Process until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze until firm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This one is from Simply Recipes blog. The only change I make is to use flour tortillas as corn tortillas don't hold up well to eating out of hand if they are not fried. Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa From Simply Recipes 1 lb of very fresh fish fillets - (Good fish for tacos are firm fish like swordfish or shark) Salt and pepper Olive oil 1 doz corn tortillas (3 tortillas per person) Vegetable oil or butter (optional, depending on how you heat your tortillas) Salsa - (See Mango Salsa Recipe.) 1 ripe Avocado Cabbage (or iceberg lettuce) Cider vinegar Salt 1 Prepare the salsa. Either use store bought or make your own. (See above link for Mango Salsa, which is especially good with fish.) 2 Prepare the cabbage and avocado. Thinly slice cabbage. Put in a small serving bowl. Sprinkle with cider vinegar (about a Tbsp) and salt (about a tsp). Mix in the vinegar and salt. Peel avocado and remove seed. Chop and reserve for later. 3 Heat the tortillas. Unless you have made fresh tortillas from scratch, you will need to soften them somehow. One way to easily soften and heat a tortilla to simply heat it in the microwave for 20-25 seconds on high heat, on top of a napkin or paper towel to absorb the moisture that is released. We often will heat two tortillas at once in the microwave, heating them for a total of 40 seconds. Another way is to heat a well seasoned (black) large cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spread a half a teaspoon of butter on one side of one tortilla. Place tortilla in the pan (butter side down if you are using butter). 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A thin fillet may take only one minute on each side to cook. A thicker fillet may take a couple of minutes. Fish should be still barely translucent when cooked. Break off a piece and test if you are not sure. Do not overcook the fish. Remove from pan when done to a separate plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 5 Assembly. I think tacos are best when you assemble them yourself. Place the plate of tortillas, the plate of fish, the salsa, the cabbage, and the avocados on the table and let everyone assemble their own. Serves four. Mango Salsa 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 1/2 cup) (See: How to Cut a Mango) 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped 1 Jalape�o chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired) 1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup) 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice Salt and pepper to taste Also good with diced red bell pepper and jicama. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the salsa ends up being a little too hot or acidic for your taste, you can temper it by adding some diced avocado. Linda o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 18:37 I seem to flunk mangos...have great trouble picking a good one that's not over ripe or under ripe. But when I do....It's Jessie's salad that I make!! o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by publickman (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 19:37 I pretty much only eat ripe mangos plain with lime juice or in smoothies/sorbets, but if I put them in a savory dish, I like to use green ones, which are tart and firm instead of sweet and mushy. My friend Eury from Senegal also prefers the green mangos for such dishes and says that they are what is popular in Africa. Since I had a mango tree in Venice, I was able to pick green mangos for her, but they are often difficult to find in markets. However, if you can find them, they work very well in the recipes so far posted. Now I miss my mango tree :(. Green mangos are popular in Mexico (eaten with chili powder) and in Thai and Indian cooking. I thought I would mention this so that you might think of more recipes and consider using the green mangos. Lars o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by barnmom (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 21:19 I love mangoes and they are very nutritious but always seem like an indulgence to me. I have been making many salads with mangoes recently with a dressing of rice vinegar, sesame oil, low sodium soy, lime juice, and a bit of sweetener like honey or maple syrup and some chipotle or cayenne and cumin. The rest of the salad is usually some greens (baby lettuce or spinach), red bell pepper, avocado, cilantro, mint, cashews, and some grilled chicken or salmon. Like Cindy and Linda above I also make mango salsa. This recipe is one I devised on the fly but I liked it so well I wrote it down. I have shared it I'm sure but will place it here to have on the same thread as the rest of the mango recipes. Mango (or Pineapple) Salsa 2 small ripe mangoes, peeled and diced (or half of a pineapple, diced) 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced 2 tangelos (or small oranges or tangerines), peeled, seeded, and diced 3 tablespoons red onion, minced (or 3 scallions, minced) 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar juice of one lime 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (or cayenne) Mix all ingredients together. Serve over salmon or chicken or eat with corn chips. I usually double it. Eileen o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by grainlady (My Page) on Thu, Jun 28, 12 at 9:02 This recipe for MANGO LEATHER from the National Center for Home Food Preservation is a granddaughter favorite. I've also made it using fresh peaches and mangoes. - Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: MANGO LEATHER - NCHFP o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by booberry85 (becky@leadtesting.net) on Thu, Jun 28, 12 at 12:29 Mango Lassi (Mango Smoothy): Very easy. Very yummy. Great for a hot day like today! I've seen recipes where they've added cardamon and or nutmeg. I never have though. Mango Lassi 2 mangos - peeled, seeded and diced 2 cups plain yogurt 1/2 cup white sugar 1 cup ice Directions In a blender, combine mangos, yogurt, sugar and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Fri, Jun 29, 12 at 0:23 I see some recipes in this thread that I'd definitely like to try -- and soon! You know I like to make flavored butters and this one is good on mild flavored fish, pork and beets. MINT-MANGO BUTTER 1/2 cup sweet butter 1/2 fresh mango, peeled and pureed 2 tsp. fresh lime juice 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh mint Dash of salt Cream the butter and mix all the ingredients together until well blended. Roll into a log shape, wrap well, and refrigerate. NOTE: This doesn't freeze well and is best if used within 24 hours of when you make it. I have posted this recipe before but here it is again since it really showcases the mangos. BLACK BEANS IN MANGO SAUCE 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil 2 cups minced red onion 1 Tbs. minced garlic 1 3-inch jalapeno chile, seeded and minced 1 1/2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger 1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds 1 1/2 tsp. salt About 6 cups cooked black beans (or 3 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained) 6 Tbs. fresh lime juice 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and minced Freshly ground black pepper to taste Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add 1 3/4 cups of the onion, and the garlic, chile, ginger, cumin seeds, and salt. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the beans and about half the lime juice. Cook for about 5 minutes more until the beans are heated through and then transfer to a bowl. Stir in the remaining lime juice and about half of the chopped mangoes directly into the hot beans, mashing the mangoes a little as you stir. Grind in some black pepper, then cove and let stand for about 15 minutes to let the sauce develop. Serve warm, at room temperature, or even cold, topped with the remaining red onion and mango, and some minced parsley or cilantro, if desired. Good served with plain cooked white or brown rice. Source: Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by bob_cville (My Page) on Fri, Jun 29, 12 at 15:21 I don't have a mango recipe, but I do have a story about a mango recipe. A friend had invited me over for dinner and he was planning to make peaches flambe for dessert. However he got to the store and there were no peaches to be found. After standing around trying to figure what to use as a substitute for peaches, he decided to make mangoes flambe. The mangoes were slightly underripe, so the dish had a slight astringent aftertaste, but was otherwise delicious. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Fri, Jun 29, 12 at 15:41 Marcella Hazan actually suggests substituting mangoes for peaches in desserts, in her first cookbook. Because she found American peaches (where did she get them?) not as flavorful as Italian ones. I like mangoes well enough, but not nearly as much as peaches. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Jul 2, 12 at 17:00 I hesitate to post this recipe without adding a warning that if you plan to make it omitting or substituting other ingredients for the corn syrup, don't. TRADEWINDS SORBET 2 cups water 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 2 large ripe mangoes 1 (16 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juice 2 Tbs. lemon juice In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar and corn syrup. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside and cool to room temperature. Peel mangoes. Cut pulp from seeds; discard seeds. In blender or food processor, puree mango pieces, pineapple with juice and lemon juice until mixture is almost smooth. Stir into cooled syrup. Pour into ice cream canister. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Makes about 2 quarts. Freezer method: Pour prepared mixture into 9 inch square pan and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Place mixture in freezer; freeze until almost firm, 1 to 3 hours. Break into small pieces. Spoon half of mixture into chilled food processor bowl or a chilled large bowl. Beat with metal food processor blade or with electric mixer until light and fluffy but not thawed. Repeat with other half of partially frozen mixture. Immediately return beaten mixture to pan and freeze until firm, 1 to 3 hours. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Tue, Jul 3, 12 at 10:04 Having grown up with a mango tree in the yard, I took mangos for granted and ate out of hand mostly. I do make mango smoothies for breakfast several times a week. I make the ice cubes from Looza Mango Nectar. 8 mango ice cubes 1 fresh mango 1 container mango yogurt 1/4 cup Looza Mango Nectar Here is a link that might be useful: Mango Nectar o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by publickman (My Page) on Tue, Jul 3, 12 at 11:51 Cathy, that looks like a good recipe and is similar to something I have made in the past. However, Trader Joe's has mango nectar for half that price. We buy two bottles at a time. I also find mangos to be very similar to peaches in flavor but also very superior to peaches. I had more mangos as a child than peaches even though we had a peach tree. I do like peach ice cream, however. I think I want to try Ruthanna's sorbet recipe, but I would like to substitute some of the fresh pineapple that I put in the freezer a couple of days ago. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Tue, Jul 3, 12 at 12:30 Hey Lars, yeahbut we don't have a TJ's. Thanks for the heads up. I can get mango nectar less expensive at the Mexican markets. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ynnej (My Page) on Tue, Jul 3, 12 at 15:36 I've never tried mango nectar but I must! Thanks for the links. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Wed, Jul 4, 12 at 14:31 Sliced my hand up real bad on a mango and have had mango-phobia ever since. I buy the frozen ones if I ever need them, which is rarely. I'm like CC, I vastly prefer peaches, I like the tartness that they have. My favorite mango dish was coleslaw but BF didn't like it. I just used my regular coleslaw dressing--I think this time lime juice, canola oil, cilantro, honey, touch of mint, ginger and hot sauce. I also like mango in smoothies. Makes a good salsa too. o RE: Cookalong #50 ------- MANGOS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Bumblebeez (My Page) on Wed, Jul 4, 12 at 14:59 The past several mangoes I've picked have all been duds, similar to avocados, it's made me give them up as I can't count on what I buy and I hate buying unusable produce. But I love them! I usually just eat one over the sink when I do find a good one.
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dancingqueengw
11 years ago
Another pressure cooker chicken here. Also afraid of Phylo dough and don't ever fry anything but eggs.
bbstx
11 years ago
Man! I never knew I had so many cooking phobias until I read this list. I'm nodding with quite a few.

Such as, pressure cookers - Mom had one and used it from time to time but she was afraid of it and, consequently, I am too.

Canning, something else Mom wouldn't do, so another area of ignorance for me. We had a large garden and a big freezer. Everything got frozen. I've made pepper jelly and peach chutney and green tomato chutney. No one died. It was probably just good luck, though and not skill.

Sous vide. I've read the explanations about why you aren't going to get botulism from it, but because of all of the negative press when it first became the thing to do, I can't get it out of my mind. dcarch is here to tell about it, but I'd be afraid I would do exactly the wrong thing and kill off my family.

Those are the phobias I have. The list of things that I just don't want to do is much longer and has been repeated above. I don't like frying chicken or pork chops or green tomatoes. Even with the vent hood going full blast, the odor lingers and the clean up just isn't worth it to me.

I don't like to make pie crust or anything that has to be rolled out. DD and Pillsbury make excellent pie crusts. I bow to them. Mary B's makes wonderful frozen biscuits. I'll pretend I'm supporting the economy and buy my biscuits.

I'd love to learn to make an authentic cassoulet instead of faux cassoulet, but I'm a little put off by storing duck legs in the fridge in oil for two weeks - or as one recipe said, "up to three months." And besides, I have no idea where I'd find duck legs short of shooting the ducks myself.

I'd like to make petit four. I watched a Martha Stewart video and read several recipes. Seems like a PITA. I think I'll call the bakery.
PRO
beesneeds
11 years ago
I don't have any cooking phobias. But because of my schooling experiences, my own and other students, I'm extra careful with burns. Deep frying hands, sugar burns that keep burning... ugh. Steam burns suck too, so I'm super careful there too.

My big worry spot is safety and sanitation with storage and defrosting. Like improper defrosting of frozen chicken, or making sure I cool down a huge kettle of stock quickly and effectively. Or making sure that cooler full of food is really at fridge temp. My sister says I'm paranoid, but hey, I've never gotten anyone sick because of my paranoia, hehehe.
alex9179
11 years ago
I don't know about phobias. I don't fry because of the clean-up. I can be talked into it maybe once a year. I don't stir fry because it's frenetic. No venting makes the aftermath undesirable.

I JUST bought a pressure cooker this year and love it. The modern ones are not scary, at all. Highly recommend it!

I'd love to delve into sous vide, but don't have the disposable income to play with it and lack the desire to hack. I don't like desserts, so rarely make pastry but I bake bread weekly. Got a Thermapen so not afraid to ruin steaks! Hmm, I guess using the grill. I just couldn't tell when meats were done and find standing over a fire uncomfortable.

Hey! FlambÃÂ©. Big fire is not my thing.
arkansas girl
11 years ago
Most of the above and add to that BBQ on a charcoal grill. I've never figured out how to grill with charcoal.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
Some thoughts on a few topics:

There has not been a documented case of PC exploding with billions of PC in use.

Very much the opposite about cooking safety and sous vide cooking. With regular cooking, you can never tell if your meat is really cooked to safe temperature even you use a good thermometer. Where do you probe? how do you probe? there can be areas where temperature has not reached safe cooking temperature. With sous vide, you set whatever temperature you feel is safe, you are guarantee the entire piece of meat will be at that safe temperature, regardless how thick and how cold the meat was when you start. Ultra safe way of cooking.

How expensive is a sous vide device? Now if you shop around, as low as $150. How expensive is it if you mess up $100 worth of prime ribs? How much do you save each time you cook you save 5% less meat shrinkage? How much can you save if you can buy and enjoy the cheap cuts of meat?

I am not going to buy a rack of lamb at $15.00 a lb (really $30 if you remove the bones and fat) when I can buy semi-boneless leg of lamb at $2.99 a lb on sale. There is no difference in taste and more tender after sous vide.

dcarch
gyr_falcon
11 years ago
I have a mandolin slicer; used once or twice. It was briefly stainless steel-colored with red spots. Now it is idle and buried in the garage.

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Deeby
11 years ago
Oh yeah, BBQ and charcoal and all that, me neither ! How could I have forgotten waffle irons? I have never owned one, probably because when I was little I touched a hot one and have never forgotten the pain and shock. Besides, I prefer pancakes over waffles.
annie1992
11 years ago
No phobias here either. I bake bread, cookies and biscuits, can vegetables and meats, roll pie crust, render lard, deep fry, make my own cheese and use a pressure cooker on a regular basis. I haven't done my own sous vide, but I've had it in restaurants without fear.

The only thing I hate to do and refuse to do is grill. I'm too impatient. I toss a piece of something on the grill and then think "I have time to finish _____" and wander off to do that. I come back to charcoal dinner and smoke that would make my Native American ancestors proud of my communication skills.

If I concentrate really hard I CAN grill, but I just hate everything about the process and do not love the finished product enough to do it. I'll just put the stuff in the smoker, where I am encouraged to walk away.

Well, now that I think about it, I always make way too much food when I'm having a family gathering, I hate to run out of anything. Is that a phobia, as long as I do it knowing that someone is always happy to take home leftovers?

Annie
lucky123
11 years ago
I didn't think I was afraid of anything in the kitchen but I discovered one fear last winter. I was making chocolate covered cherries and thought that making almond rocha might be fun or even some old fashioned fudge. Then I realized that I am very afraid of the ugly burns from sugar solutions over 212 degrees. I have a small kitchen, very limited workspace.
The burns from candy making scare me very much so I stick to chocolate at max temp of 90 -/+ degrees although the wax, if used. is a bit hotter.
plllog
11 years ago
Annie, Being scared of having too much food is only a phobia if you make way too little because of it. I know a hostess who is like that. She wants not a spec left over, so even with people taking minimal portions there's never enough to serve everybody, let alone enough to satisfy them. Making your guests happy with leftovers is a nice thing. :)

Is this a phobia? I was given a RÃÂ¶aut;sle torch quite a number of months back, and I bought a can of gas for it. I still haven't filled it, let alone lighting it. I'm sure I will when I have something I want to blast with dragon's breath, but I'm guessing there's some phobia behind not just jumping in and playing with my new toy. :) OTOH, my sous vide circulators came the other day and I had to hide them in the laundry room, rather than opening, because company is coming. ...

But, Bbstx, I never thought to be scared of botulism!
alex9179
11 years ago
Re: botulism.

I guess I do have another but it is recent after looking into canning stock. My brother-in-law smoked some salmon and canned it. Lovely gift but still sitting in my pantry because I don't entirely trust him to be cautious, even though they have eaten it and are still alive. I could boil it for 10 min, and mix it with cream cheese, but bleh, sounds like ruination!
ediej1209 AL Zn 7
11 years ago
Gravy. I can't make a decent pan of gravy to save my life. Sigh. Nor am I good at grilling, but I figure that's what I have DH for!

Edie
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
11 years ago
I haven't read all the replies, only a few deep, but flambeing and pressure cookers are on the list as are live lobsters.
I don' t think I could purposely kill another creature diffidently!
Deep frying and fires don't really bother me as I do them outside.
Yesterday, I burned a pile of brush the size of a small house...
User
11 years ago
I've been thinking about this since Thursday, trying to think of something that I have a phobia about cooking and can't think of anything. I bake, I fry/deep fry, and I grill, I don't have a pressure cooker at the moment, but had one years ago and will probably get another one. My grandmother used the old fashion type and I don't recall ever being afraid of it.

I have a number of different mandolines, and although I'm not afraid to use them, I am very cautious when using.

DCarch, I know that you love your sous vide. But I find it amusing when you promote sous vide cooking with these kind of statements.

"With regular cooking, you can never tell if your meat is really cooked to safe temperature even you use a good thermometer. Where do you probe? how do you probe? there can be areas where temperature has not reached safe cooking temperature."

If someone has a problem using a thermometer to test for the doneness of meat, there is a lot of information available. Just do a google search.

~Ann
plllog
11 years ago
Ann, I can cook meat properly, but I can't manage the danged thermometer! I've watched the videos, read the instructions, and all, and it never comes out right. It's fine with bread! With meat, I'm better off forgetting it, and going with weight/time/temperature, and if it looks/smells done.
User
11 years ago
Gas grilling, flambeing, using a kitchen torch for creme brÃÂ»lÃÂ©e or browning meringue. Burning off the alcohol in a dish like Coq au Vin (I guess that's actually just "behind the scenes" flambeing) Those are mine. Also can add making caramel - I fear the sugar burn with that. I do some of these, but always with great trepidation.

Strangely, I do not fear the electric pressure cooker and use mine often. I was always afraid of my Mom's with the jiggling gizmo on top that needed to be put under running water to release pressure. I had to leave the room when I heard it start to rattle. My Mom had no fear of it, but I'd heard stories from others.....
User
11 years ago
Plllog, I'm not at all surprised that you cook meat properly and you don't need a thermometer. And I'm sure that you have never poisoned your family because your meat wasn't cooked to a safe temperature.

To imply that the sous vide method is the only safe method is ridiculous.

I mean come on, how many here are concerned that the meals they are preparing for their families are unsafe because they roast or cook using one of the more traditional methods rather than the sous vide method?

~Ann
CA Kate z9
11 years ago
dcarch: I distinctly remember cleaning up the mess at about age 14 when the lid blew-off the pressure cooker and left a hole in the kitchen ceiling above the stove. I guess one might say the the pressure cooker didn't totally explode, but if anyone had been in the kitchen when the lid blew-off and hot stew flew everywhere, they definetely would have at least been burned if not injured by the flying lid.

I have a pressure cooker that I have used - carefully, but normally don't care for the finished product which lacks the lovely carmelized, melded favors that only develope after long, slow cooking either on top of the stove or in the oven in a Dutch oven.
Deeby
11 years ago
Blenders. Not a phobia but I don't want one. To me a smoothie means a chocolate shake or even better, a malt !
plllog
11 years ago
Agreed, Ann. I was just offering up the side note, for a laugh at myself, that I can't seem to operate a meat thermometer! But I think Dcarch was being tongue in cheek too, because hundreds of millions of Americans eat meat on a daily basis and very few of them get food poisoning.

OTOH, my cooking phobia just bit back. The caterers fried the drummettes, and they were under! NOT cool! Or, rather, too cool to eat!
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
Posted by westelle ,"----dcarch: I distinctly remember cleaning up the mess at about age 14 when the lid blew-off the pressure cooker and left a hole in the kitchen ceiling above the stove. ------"

That is possible with an older PC, but not with a newer one.

If the top cover is not completely turned and locked in place, the pressure can be blow it off, Newer PCs have a safety feature. Unless the cover is in the correct position, the pressure cannot build up.

Once you have made beans in a PC, you will not be making beans the regular way.

dcarch
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
Ann_t Ã¢ÂÂ--To imply that the sous vide method is the only safe method is ridiculous.----Ã¢ÂÂ

Perhaps I should put it in another way. Sous vide is the only method that will give you absolute precise temperature control, some as good as +- 0.01F, regardless of the thickness of the meat, and the start out temperature of the meat, from edge to edge. Not only that, sous vide equipment is programmed to learn to automatically adjust for the cooking environment. There is no need to worry about kitchen temperature, gas, electric convection, induction stove, cast iron, st. steel, aluminum pot, etc. Truly set it & forget it.

I cannot think of any other way you can achieve that kind of certainty in food safety, relative to safe cooking temperature.

In any case, please donÃ¢ÂÂt get offended by my comment, it really is just to respond to this comment by the poster, Ã¢ÂÂ------ but because of all of the negative press when it first became the thing to do, I can't get it out of my mind. dcarch is here to tell about it, but I'd be afraid I would do exactly the wrong thing and kill off my family.----Ã¢ÂÂ

Ã¢ÂÂ If someone has a problem using a thermometer to test for the doneness of meat, there is a lot of information available. Just do a google search.Ã¢ÂÂ

My point is, Ã¢ÂÂprobe measure the thickest part of the meatÃ¢ÂÂ is unreliable because it is difficult to judge where is the thickest part of the meat and how deep to insert the thermometer. Googling is not going to help.

Ã¢ÂÂI mean come on, how many here are concerned that the meals they are preparing for their families are unsafe because they roast or cook using one of the more traditional methods rather than the sous vide method?---Ã¢ÂÂ

I am in agreement with you. I know of very few cases of people getting sick cooking using the traditional methods. Thanks to all safety cooking temperature guidelines and recommendations, they all have margins built in to compensate for inaccuracies in general cooking methods and tools.

dcarch

This post was edited by dcarch on Sun, Dec 21, 14 at 9:19
gsciencechick
11 years ago
DH and I were watching "The Taste" the other day, and we were talking about pressure cookers. Also, some of the contestants were cooking goose, which neither of us have ever tried, so I wouldn't know what to do to cook it. I do roast duck.
lucillle
11 years ago
I have used a pressure cooker many times, but can't can. I bought the whole schlemiel twice- pressure canner, canning jars, lids and took up the time of the nice people on the Harvest Forum asking questions, and when it came time, I chickened out.

I ordinarily have confidence in what I do, and I believe that millions of people who can do so safely (we would hear about it if they were dropping like flies) and there are clear, specific directions like the Ball canning booklet.

So, it is a genuine phobia:
A phobia is an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger but provokes anxiety and avoidance.
queen_gardener
11 years ago
Maybe we should all make a New Year's Resolution to BE MORE CONFIDENT IN THE KITCHEN!!!

yay!

:-)

Happy Holidays!
nancyofnc
11 years ago
Baked beans are my phobia. After years (off and on - not constantly) trying different recipes and methods (including buying an authentic Massachusetts bean pot) I just have given up. Too mushy, too hard, not enough flavor, or just yuck. I now just buy Bush's original in a can, ignoring how much sodium is in them, add some diced onions and a squirt of mustard, and heat them up.
Nancy
lucillle
11 years ago
"Maybe we should all make a New Year's Resolution to BE MORE CONFIDENT IN THE KITCHEN!!!"

That's the thing about real phobias. People who don't have them and don't understand what a phobia is, will say 'just have more confidence' or 'spiders are nothing to be afraid of' or 'just be careful of heights, don't panic'.

A phobia is irrational, and a reassuring, well intentioned, rational response doesn't always work.
plllog
11 years ago
Ah, Lucille, that's it! And when I add to it that the chicken I buy is much less likely to be a salmonella fest than the run of the mill bird from the big box store, my fried chicken trepidation is completely irrational. I can fry other things! (Though I might be braver if I did it more.) So I'm really looking forward to that sous vide perfect temperature chicken, with fully killed bacteria but not overcooked, where my frying will be merely to cook the coating. :) I've fried dough concoctions, and that's like breading/batter, right?

I think your canning phobia is pretty rational though. I've only water bath canned jam and fruit, and when I did marmalade all by myself I was worried enough that it wasn't sterile enough that I put the jars in the fridge anyway. :) I'd do it again, but processing the kumquats destroyed my hands.

I remember when I was young that whole families were wiped out by botulism fairly regularly, and my mother always inspected commercial cans regularly. Now when we hear about botulism it's mostly about celebrities injecting it into the faces to poison the nerves/muscles that give them wrinkles. I think a certain amount of expertise is needed for canning, especially pressure canning, and it's hard to get that expertise from reading.

Lucille, maybe the thing to do, if you want to start using your equipment, is find an expert mentor whom you can work with until you feel like you really know what you're doing?

JC
Cloud Swift
11 years ago
I can only think of one - roasting red meat. I'm not afraid of braising. We will cook a brisket at the drop of a hat. And I'm fine with roasting poultry. Big turkeys are no problem.

Kosher beef and lamb is so expensive that I'd hate to waste a big roast by getting it overdone. Also, uncertainty about how long the roasting time will be makes it hard to plan. So I just shy away from buying and using a roast.
Cloud Swift
11 years ago
Lpink, in that picture, it looks like you did fine with the dough. It's the jelly that's the problem. I used to have that problem a lot when baking with a jelly or jam filling like for hamentashen or thumbprint cookies. High temp plus jelly and it spreads out and burns.

Since then I've found a fruit filling recipe that starts with dried fruit. The result is that it cooks well and has an intense fruit flavor.
Solsthumper
11 years ago
"Some thoughts on a few topics:
There has not been a documented case of PC exploding with billions of PC in use."

Dcarch, since I was the only one who commented on "explosive cookware," not once, but twice, I can only assume your comment was directed at me.

So, I will elaborate.

I have never owned a P.C. and as mentioned previously, never, ever, will.

The first explosion I experienced was in my mother's kitchen when I was a kid. No one was hurt, but the boom and the mess as a result of that metal contraption left an indelible mark on my memory.

The second explosion happened at the house of my best friend Rosie. Where the lid of her P.C. blew off, completely covering her robin's egg blue kitchen with black beans. Can you picture it? I still can.

Nowhere, in my post did I mention whether the pressure cookers were old or new. You presumed the latter, and (indirectly or surreptitiously) implied it was a lie. And I'm not okay with that.
Neither you, nor Google were there, to witness any of it, so why the assumption?

In any case, I will be sure to share your circumspective findings with my friend Rosie, next time we meet. And we'll be relieved (and probably laugh nervously) that because it went 'undocumented' none of it actually happened.

Then again, there's the possibility my mother, my friend Rosie and I may have all been affected with a case of Munchausen Syndrome.

Sol
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
Sol, in general, the public does not make a distinction between eruption and explosion of a PC. Eruption happens all the time, it happened to me twice, there are many youtube videos of eruption.

As I said, the cover blows off is possible if it is not correctly lock in place, causing a major eruption.

Otherwise, true explosion of a PC is almost never happens, considering the number in use world wide.

Can it happen? Yes. I think the follow is possible:

An aluminum pressure cooker was carelessly burned to totally red hot to ALMOST MELTING POINT on the stove. The home cook panicked and poured cold water over the PC to cool it down. The PC was cooled down. However, the rapid cooling of the aluminum changed the metal structure completely from elastic high tensile strength metal to crystalline rigid structure. the next time the home cook overcooks the PC, it can in fact crack like a ceramic pot and explode.

dcarch
Solsthumper
11 years ago
No, Dcarch.

Even though English is my second language, this Ã¢ÂÂpublicÃ¢ÂÂ understands the difference between Ã¢ÂÂeruptionÃ¢ÂÂ & Ã¢ÂÂexplosion.Ã¢ÂÂ

But it seems you chose to focus on a miniscule technicality. Certainly, people whoÃ¢ÂÂve had a P.C. explode/erupt, know exactly what I meant in my original post. At least, I hope.

No matter. ItÃ¢ÂÂs almost Christmas (a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ). And IÃ¢ÂÂm on too much of a natural high to dwell on this.

Have a wonderful holiday.

Sol
plllog
11 years ago
So, in one case a pressure cooker bursts at the seal and the lid and contents are hurled explosively to all corners.

In the other case, a pressure cooker is changed molecularly (or used with a small bomb inside to cause terror) and bursts on the molecular level and the contents are hurled explosively to all corners.

Either way, pressure cookers are scary!

Bring the beans to a boil in your regular ol' bean pot, then put them in the oven for an hour or so (or less if they're not very dry to start with). No soaking, nice even cook, beautifully tender with snap but no toughness.
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
11 years ago
Neighbors canning, especially meats. In clear jars. And room temp catering food.
Bluefish...the worst food poisoning i've ever had 30yrs ago. Every 5 minutes i had a rush of heat with a moment of vision black-out including sparklers and rainbows.
And PC's. My sister travels with hers. It erupted at a holiday gathering. Not an explosion but enough that my mother said "get that thing outta here".
DH wants one. I've researched and picked one out if it comes up again...
SousVid i've picked out but not hit the buy button. Don't like the texture of most meats that way. I've had plenty. I'm more of a rustic hands on cook and adore gathering wood, building a fire for grilling.

Beef Wellington. Not sure why i fear it. DH wants it for Christmas.
booberry85
Original Author
11 years ago
I'll be making an appetizer with salmon for Christmas. So I guess I'll be facing both fears this holiday season. Lamb chops for Christmas eve and salmon for Christmas!
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
11 years ago
We have salmon and lamb chops about once a month if not more...like cooking a hot dog for us now. But we have very small meat portions, not pig-outs like our youth days, lol.
Veggies are the star of the plate. We will split a small filet of salmon, seared, or 2 small lamb chops each, seared. Lots of veg. We like meats and fish. Just very small portions.

It is the 'never-made-that-before' fears...and first time.
Like beef Wellington. I did read a few recipes and a bit more confident now. I just think it looks gross. Big slab of loin...
kitchendetective
11 years ago
Pie crust.

I make it, but I always have a back up. Just don't trust myself to get it right.
lpinkmountain
11 years ago
Yeah, I know about the fruit filling but it just seems like EVERY time I do anything with dough, it doesn't turn out right, no matter how many bits of advice I get and follow here or anywhere else. In the words of the late great Roseanne Roseannadanna, "It's always something!" I just don't have the knack. It is irrational, or maybe just a situation where I do the arithmetic of time invested vs. quality of return and I am willing to forgo it most of the time. It seems like and unwritten rule of the universe that dough and I are mortal enemies.

It's not a phobia, but I also have a lot of trouble with meat thermometers and I think it is because most of the ones you can get for home use will not hold their accuracy. As far as I can tell, some never are accurate to begin with, right out of the box.
bbstx
11 years ago
lpink, you can test your thermometer for accuracy and most are adjustable.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Kitchn Testing and Calibrating Meat Thermometer
plllog
11 years ago
LPink, my meat thermometer tests accurate and I have a fancy thermocouple one which is highly accurate. It's my ability to make the thermometer read a number that is on the chart as correct where I've placed it and have it be right in terms of the cookedness that I have an issue with. The part that's the phobia for me is cutting into an undercooked salmonellafest (even though my free range, responsibly farmed birds probably don't have it!).

Re dough, I get it. My best friend (a good cook) made the Toll House recipe when we were teens. I saw her do it and helped drop the cookies. She did it "right". They were awful. Since I'd already made thousands of them by that point of my life, I didn't understand how she could blow it so badly, but they weren't edible. :D Maybe start with baby steps for dough things? First the heat and eat to get the oven part right? Then mixes so you don't have to manage the chemistry?
lpinkmountain
11 years ago
I know how to calibrate a thermometer, thanks! I don't usually want to take the time to do it, but perhaps others can benefit. I just use the time and weight method and sorta test it out. I'm not concerned about it. I used to worry but since I've never had a problem, I got over it.
plllog
11 years ago
So I just read the article linked in the sugar for baking thread which talks about the appreciable differences between sugars in baking. Maybe that's part of your dough problem? Are you using C&H?
Cloud Swift
11 years ago
bbstx, it's very funny that they show a typical meat thermometer in that article so that you can clearly see why that calibration method won't work for a typical meat thermometer.

The marked thermometer range is 140 to 190 degrees. It is typically at the edge of its swing at a temperature above room temperature so putting it in a glass of ice water doesn't move it and says nothing about its accuracy. One could put it in boiling water and at least check that that moves it past 190, but unless it is more than 20 degrees off, it won't tell you much.

About the only way you could calibrate a meat thermometer like that (and most of the non digital ones are like it) is to have another wider range thermometer that you've calibrated with the boiling / freezing method, then put both of them in water that that is in its temperature range and comparing the results.

(The boiling and freezing test also assumes that the thermometer is reasonably linear in its measurement range.)

I haven't had good luck with that type of meat thermometer. Something goes wrong with the spring over time and it stops measuring at all well. I've sometimes put two in and they measure totally differently.

We finally got the digital ChefAlarm thermometer from TheroWorks (the same company that makes the Thermopen instant read thermometers).

Sometimes placement is a challenge - is it deep enough yet not too close to a bone?

This post was edited by cloud_swift on Mon, Dec 22, 14 at 19:53
bbstx
11 years ago
c_s, I had not noticed that! HA! Thermopen has a place on their website about how to calibrate a thermopen using ice water. The instructions on where to place the probe in the ice water are quite specific.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
It has been really hectic these few weeks dealing with year end work schedule. I finally got a few minutes to read more about my posts.

Sol, I was not picking on you, because you were not the only one mentioned PC Ã¢ÂÂexplodeÃ¢ÂÂ.

My comment was really just for the general public, those who have PC phobias. In fact from what I have found almost all phobias are based on exploding PC. If you try to search PC eruptions on youtube, you will find nothing, but if you search PC expolsions, you will find people call eruptions Ã¢ÂÂexplosionsÃ¢ÂÂ.

And If I Google PC explosions, all I get are Boston Marathon Bombing using PCs.

Sorry if I mislead you, and yes, Happy Holidays.

dcarch
wintercat_gw
11 years ago
Lpink - those jam cookies look nice enought to me. Wish I could have one. They look just like my mother's (Yes! she was no great baker either but what the heck). I must have acquired a taste for burnt jam. I used to love peeling it from the baking sheet & feasting on it.

Cooking Phobias

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