Cooking is a GREAT topic HERE.

Oh, wow! I'm so surprised at some of your replies. I toddled over there last Thanksgiving looking for help/advice with cooking a turkey breast. They all were the nicest, most helpful people. I learned a lot about saline infused birds as well as roasting methods for such a bird. I'm a pretty seasoned cook so I don't have a lot of cooking related questions...but I stick my head in there from time-to-time just to read the posts. I usually come away a little smarter about one thing or another...and often with a new recipe. They're a savvy group of cooks and I found them quite pleasant. I should add that I introduced myself to the group when I posted my question. I consider that a polite procedure when entering a new venue....any venue.

Thanks for the warning Chi. I do a mix of homemade, instant, canned & frozen. Depends on what’s I have time for.

In a sentence, my kids always said my food was the BEST for peasant food!! That compliment can go either way!!

I'm far from fancy chef dishes. Gordon Ramsay would NOT approve.

I participate on the Cooking board occasionally but I also read and participate on a dedicated food-focused forum that sees quite a bit more activity. https://www.hungryonion.org/

There is a big mix of personalities there but the vast majority of the people on the Cooking boards are extremely nice, in addition to being very helpful. Some truly great cooks among us, too.

I go to the Cooking forum from time to time and have always found the people very nice. I think there is a wide variety of cooking done by the people there.

While I do go and post/ask in the other forums sometimes, I post a lot of my questions here because I think most here have the experience and knowledge to reply, and I already know most of you.

I posted an innocent question in the laundry forum one time and got an extremely nasty reply.

Well, mamapinky, the Cooking Forum IS a group of friends, but it's not exclusive, just as the KT would consider themselves to be a group of friends. We're always glad to see new faces.

And Rita, I went back over the popover thread and I'm jiggered if I can work out why you would have felt snubbed, if anyone should have it would have been Plllog, who posted before your post and that was what Islay Corbel was referring to.

We're not totally snobby about mixes and prepackaged but do like to point out that it's often easier, cheaper, tastier and healthier to use scratch ingredients (particularly instead of "cream of -----" soups. I think 99% would admit to (and post in recipes) using canned and frozen foods.

And while many of us can turn out a pretty fancy meal, that would be the exception to the daily routine rather than the norm. Discussions about beef stew are as common (probably moreso) as discussions about phyllo pastry. Beginner cooks are encouraged because we're always thrilled to see more people cooking!

Don't misunderstand me I never said anyone was mean.

I’m guilty of using canned chicken or beef broth. I’ve tried making broth from bones, but I didn’t care for it.

I use canned tomato paste, diced tomatoes and juice when making chili or other tomato dishes.

I also buy frozen pizzas.

I rarely make my own noodles. I know they’re easy & cheap to make, but they’re too time consuming for me, letting them dry & flip them. I buy the Amish noodles in a bag.

I’m also guilty of using the spice packets, for meatloaf, pot roast & chili. I just don’t stock a lot of spices other than salt & pepper.

With the exception of the spices, the pizzas and a little bit the broth (especially chicken), you'd be pretty much the same as everyone there. I don't care for frozen pizza, and practice has meant that I can turn out a homemade one pretty quickly. I've even been known to make an extra one or two and freeze them.

Everything else is pretty well par for the course.

Goodness, colleen, I was a bit ruffled that when I said the batter for popovers was the same as the batter for crepes, I was told by Islay that I was wrong, the two batters were different. I was in the middle of a move and did not have access to my c.1980 Fannie Farmer cookbook to prove my point and was annoyed at being told I was unequivocally wrong. Maybe some people might find my crepe batter too thick (it is compared to many current recipes that add water to the mixture,) but the two recipes in Marion Cunningham's book are equivalent - now I am not looking at the book as I am away from home and it's not a book you can find online easily- so I might be off by a smidge- but really it would be a very small amount.

I have not re-read the thread, but I do remember thinking that for someone who contributes as much to that forum and as exhaustively as she does, plllog was treated roughly. That only heightened my feeling that the cooking forum was a place where I was out of my depth. I will occasionally post a brava type comment- you are all amazing cooks and as I said incredibly helpful if someone has a question. But I do not feel like I have anything to contribute. I suppose it would have been more accurate for me to say my feelings were hurt when Islay said I was wrong- since it was not a matter of opinion whether or not both recipes were the same. I was reporting what I knew from a reliable source and was shut down in no uncertain terms.

I don't think I'll dare show my face at the Cooking forum again. I am now thoroughly embarrassed.

ETA When I say I don't have anything to contribute- that is because everyone there is a much better cook than I am.

I go to the Cooking Forum everyday. Enjoy doing so.

But the thing is, Rita, you were not referred to in Islay's answer, she merely posted a recipe for crepes and for _Yorkshire puddings_- which were referenced by Plllog. Her comment about Yorkshire puddings was clearly directed at Plllog. (And while popovers and crepes have a similar batter, Yorkies do not have any butter.)

Do visit the cooking forum as often as you like! You have no reason to be embarrassed.

So I just went back to the thread and see what you mean colleen. Sometimes people change their answers on a thread. I assure you my memory is correct. I think I have a long enough history at the KT, Appliance forum, Decorating Conversations, Kitchens and Decorating, for people to know I am not one who gets ruffled easily. I do not charge people of changing their answers- this is the first time. But Islay posting her recipe is not what happened originally.

Right now Islay's comment that came directly after mine is for a crepe recipe:

Crepe recipe :

250 g flour

4 eggs

1/2 litre milk

1 pinch salt

2 soup spoons sugar

50 g melted butter

Yorkshire pudding recipe :

Equal volume egg, plain flour, milk.

They must be puffed and CRISP, not custardy!

They were originally eaten at the start of the meal with gravy to fill up hungry tummies before the meat course. Leftovers can be eaten as pudding with jam.

And her comment on the recipe is perfectly apt vis-a-vis my using the same batter as for popovers. My Fannie Farmer recipe yields a more eggy batter than what is ideal- I have mitigated that by adding some milk as needed and using a large pan that allows me to spread the batter very thinly. Many current French recipes feature a mixture of water and milk in the recipe.

PS Thank you for your kind words, colleen. I will peak into the cooking forum again, if sheepishly.

I dabbled there as a trial not too long ago but stopped. I didn't find it interesting.

JeCrigler,

I have one of those electric pizza makers that gets hot enough and has a pizza stone and it is wonderful, and pizza is one of my faves 'Nature's most perfect food' lol.

Whenever you are in the mood for a new cooking adventure, you might experiment with pizza, once you get the hang of it, it is fun and delicious.

I think each of us decides on which cooking short cuts are for us, and which aren't. For instance, I use frozen vegetables a lot of the time in casseroles instead of peeling carrots and so on most of the time, at Thanksgiving I use real carrots.

But I like making my own pizzas. And ever since, some years ago, the cream soups changed from what I remembered when I was younger, I have been making white sauce instead of adding cans of soup to a casserole. It too took a little practice but was worth it.

There is no right or wrong, it is just your own preference and you get to decide that.

I check it out every so often to find out "what's cookin". I found them to be very helpful whenever I asked a question.

Me too

I love the cooking forum. Many of the regular posters have much more cooking expertise than I could ever hope to acquire, but they are always willing to answer questions and provide guidance. I don't post a lot but I read and learn a lot from everyone who participates.

I've been posting on the Cooking forum since about 2000. More so in the early years, but I still pop in about once a week. It's not anywhere near as active as it once was. People move on.

I won't mention some of the past tiffs over there, but in retrospect they could be pretty comical.

I'm not above using a bottled tomato sauce every now & then or a box of jambalaya mix, but everything else I pretty much cook from scratch. Love homemade chicken stock, but only seem to make it a few times a year; it's easier to grab a box from the pantry.

Btw, I have quite a collection of recipes from the forum. Tonight I'm making Chase's Roasted Red Pepper soup and Susan's Tuna Melts.

I mostly just read over there to get dinner ideas. I also make most things from scratch which isnt to say I dont grab the occasional jar of Ragu or a boxed cake however I'm pretty much a basic, non-adventurous cook. I'm also not a fryer, its rare for me to fry anything and when I do I do it outside. Sure I'll sear a beef roast or cook omelets, but no real frying.

Did I also mention I don't enjoy cooking, I do it and I do it well, but nope I don't enjoy it.

Mamapinky, I don't really know you, but just from reading the laundry thread it's pretty clear where your love lies. ;)

I go there on occasion. I've found people very helpful when I have specific questions or when I'm looking for recipes or menu ideas.

I'm active on the Cooking Forum. I refer to us as home cooks, rather than cooking from scratch. Some grow a huge garden and preserve and can the fruits of their labour. Others open a can of tomatoes and go from there to make a spaghetti sauce.

I post regular pictures of our meals over there, as it fits in the cooking forum.

I go there and post occasionally. You can ask cooking questions here if you want to, it's busier here although the cooking forum is fairly active. I haven't noticed anyone being too picky there but as any forum, you just have to not take comments personally. People are entitled to their opinions. I'm a "semi-homemade" sort of a cook. I like down home cooking like my Mom made, nothing fancy. My husband is very picky about what he eats and he does NOT have a fancy palate. :)

I LOVE the cooking forum! I visit it daily. I occasionally post when I am looking for assistance. Of the 8 or so forums that are related to cooking (listed below the cooking forum), none are as busy as that one. So even though there is a dessert forum, a special diets forum, a cookware forum, etc. I post all my food related questions in the cooking forum, because that's the only one that is busy. And I've only found helpful people there.

And even though there is a laundry forum, a pet forum, etc. unless it is craft related, I post for assistance for everything else here at the kitchen table.

Jas...by the way your apple pie looks great. Just the way I like them, free form crust, country style. Yummm. I need to post about dressing outside the bird as I have questions lol.

Donna, I made your Lemon Butter Chicken again last week. This time I used boneless, skinless thighs and cooked the spinach (doubled) separately. Delicious!

Yes, Cindy, that's one of our new favorites. Glad you liked it, too.

I got the best recipe for Pizelles on the Cooking forum. But I should also add that I got that rockin' good fudge pie recipe from the Kitchen Table. Oh shoot, now I can't remember who posted it. Somebody save me!

I go to the Cooking forum almost every day. I am always awed by dcarch's amazing plating and presentation skills! Sometimes I call my DH over to look at her photos (but he knows better than to expect anything like that from me, LOL). He went through the local hotel & restaurant program so he appreciates people with that creative touch.

Way back in 2009 I copied Sol's very fine Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe, and have several others as well.

I've always viewed the Kitchen Table as a "general discussion" forum, with "Hot Topics" for the controversial, and "Cooking" for food questions and discussions.

This is Sol's recipe, I modified it as we grow Meyer lemons and they're not as acidic as supermarket Lisbon varieties:

======

Sol’s Lemon Garlic Chicken

Revised March 2009 by Jean Komatsu

Lemon pepper

3 lbs chicken thighs, boneless/skinless, trimmed of visible fat

3 Tblsp olive oil

25 garlic cloves, halved

1 Tblsp grated lemon zest

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary and/or tarragon

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

3/4 cup chicken broth, reserved for gravy

1. Lightly sprinkle lemon pepper the chicken thighs, up to the night before, but at least 1/2 hour before cooking.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.
3. In a saute pan large enough for the garlic to spread out, saute the halves over medium heat until lightly speckled with golden brown, and just beginning to soften. Do not let them burn or turn dark brown.
4. Remove garlic from heat. Add lemon zest, juice, and all chopped herbs. Add this marinade to the chicken parts and mix lightly.
5. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread the chicken and marinade into a single layer. If the pan is too large, shorten the foil
   lining, leaving at least a full 1” rim to contain juices.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes.
7. Remove chicken to a warmed serving dish. Lift foil carefully and pour juices into the saute pan. Heat, adding the broth, and thicken with cornstarch.

Excellent with simpler starches: roasted or mashed potatoes, Israeli couscous or orzo, steamed rice.

Jakkom, Thank you for this recipe. I just happen to have boneless, skinless, organic in the deep freezer LOL I will be making this over next weekend. Sounds easy and delicious. But it says 25 garlic cloves halved..is that correct? Just seems like a LOT of garlic.

Thank you.

Jakkom, I love to see the art dcarch creates too, but for some reason I always assumed he was male. Hmmm...

Yes, I'm reasonably sure dcarch is a man.

25 garlic cloves? WHAT? That can't be right!

LOL I know...I would think even a die hard garlic lover that lost their taste buds couldn't eat that.

I could eat that, if I ate chicken! Doesn't sound weird for a dish called garlic chicken. It sounds partly roasted anyway and that's far less pungent than raw garlic.

I first made Sol's recipe in 2006. I've also adapted it for the two of us.

Sol's Lemon Garlic Chicken

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, parsley, basil and/or oregano
S & P to taste

1 3½ pound fryer chicken, cut up (I use 4 thighs)
25 garlic cloves (I use 1 head)
¾ cup chicken broth

a little cream (my addition)

In a small bowl, stir to combine, the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, ¼ cup of the herbs, and salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Arrange the chicken pieces in a roasting pan, and pour the lemon-herb mixture over. Arrange the garlic cloves all around the chicken, stirring them to coat with the mixture. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are golden brown.

Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the broth & cream to the pan and place on top of the stove over medium-high heat. Stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, while smooshing the roasted garlic to thicken the sauce slightly. Serve sauce over chicken or potatoes, or pasta, etc. Garnish chicken with remaining herbs.

~Sol

2 thighs ready for the oven:

And yes, dcarch is a man.

It does sound like a lot of garlic but as it isn't peeled and is roasted the taste isn't as strong as it would be if it was.

I've lurked and gathered recipes and information there, but don't contribute beyond a thank you for recipes that we've added to our regulars. I tried to break in a few times, but even though I recognized many of the names there, the regulars usually just chatted around me. It was the same time as the "KT was so much more fun and funny when so-and-so was here--I miss them all so much" thread went trampling through this forum. So I really did not want to do the clique thing again. I've notice it has been less busy in cooking, and that some regular members seem to drop by less often now. That is to be expected as some regulars inevitably move on, and visitors don't return after being brushed off, or bruised up.

I prefer most cooking things stay there mainly because it is easier to remember where I saw that recipe that I now want to try. Especially since the GW search is completely useless now. But I'm not against them being posted here for any reason other than that.

I have a garlic chicken recipe that called for 25 raw cloves, too--dating back to when I first got married. The garlic mellows a lot during cooking, and the meat tastes fine. Chicken can handle it.

Colleen, I've always peeled the garlic. Sol's original didn't say not to.

I have used it but find that I get more immediate responses from KT. If I post about cooking, I generally need help right away!

Yes. I have participated in the cooking forum, a lot. I do find them friendly and very, super-duper knowledgeable. That said, if you want really good recipes that have actually been made (not only recipes that are posted on the internet that look really pretty), with tips and hints, that is the place to go. There are experts in every corner of the culinary world. I still haven't tried a foray into bread, but I know Annie would help. Immediately. Sure, others would jump in, but she'd be first. For instance. She's also good at canning. But say, I wanted to make a very large meal and needed good round numbers to get started, well then, it'd be LindaC. You get the picture. I know I could never cook as well as many of the posters, but I do know they're kinder than kind and incredibly patient.

_______________________

I won't mention some of the past tiffs over there, but in retrospect they could be pretty comical.

I innocuously started the great garlic tiff. I was asking about an Asian dipping sauce and asked if using powdered would work as well as fresh in the one instance. Some said no, and ONE (Lou!) said absolutely. Fireworks! It was more than comical to me. I really, truly, wasn't trying to upset anyone.

I make "Chicken with 40 cloves of Garlic" regularly. Garlic naturally gets sweeter and mellower the longer it cooks. It uses whole, peeled garlic cloves.

An easy way to peel a vast number of garlic cloves is to pop them in very very hot water for several minutes. The skin slips right off.

Mamapinky, making a rustic, apple crostata is so much easier than a formed pie in the dish. We love it.

(DCarch is a man, who lives in New York)

Lucille, since the words laundry might bring thoughts of me I just want to make it clear it wasn't me that was rude to Lucille in the laundry forum.

An easy way to peel a vast number of garlic cloves is to pop them in
very very hot water for several minutes. The skin slips right off.

Jasdip, thanks for the tip! Hopefully, I remember it next time.

If you're doing a search, it's better to use google and add the word 'gardenweb' - it seems to work better than using the Houzz/GW search bar.

And thank you all for the correction on dcarch! Appreciate it.

Graywings, the fudge pie recipe is from Glenda.