Try a New Recipe

I’ve mentioned before how I watch Worst Cooks in America and how I don’t believe they can really be that clueless when it comes to cooking. These people claim they can’t even boil water and act like they’ve never even seen a stove before. I don’t understand this. I wonder how they’ve survived as long as they have. Surely they haven’t eaten fast food their entire lives and surely there hasn’t always been somebody there to cook for them. Add in the fact that I love to cook and try new recipes, and I just don’t get it. But it does make me wonder how many folks out there can’t cook, won’t cook, or are afraid to cook.

I eat a lot of things now that I wouldn’t eat as a child or even a young adult. I have some picky eaters for children. I’m hoping that they, too, will broaden their food horizons as they get older. I keep trying to tell them what a great food world they are missing out on because they won’t try new foods or new dishes. I’ll admit there are things that I won’t try, but I have as I’ve gotten older been more willing to try things I wouldn’t have even considered trying 20 years ago. Then, there are those things that I have tried and I just don’t like. I don’t think anybody likes everything out there, but you have to be willing to try, and the same applies when it comes to cooking. You have to be willing to try new recipes. I’ve made sure that all my kids can cook enough so they won’t starve when they are on their own, and I’ve also made sure that they know how to follow a recipe (and that they can call and ask when they get stuck on something) for when they want to try something new.

Yesterday, I tried a new recipe because Cody had asked me to. He loves French bread, and he asked me to try to make it. Normally, we just buy it, and let’s face it, it’s a whole lot easier to just go to the store and pay $1.50 for a loaf of French bread. However, because he asked, I was willing to try. I’ve never cooked with yeast. I avoid all-purpose flour and use self-rising whenever I bake anything. Until yesterday. The whole process took a couple of hours, but it was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when I had finished, and when I took the bread out of the oven and I had two loaves that actually looked like French bread. It wasn’t perfect. The texture was a bit dense, but for a first effort it wasn’t bad. First, we just spread a little Shedd’s Spread on there and let it melt, and later, we used a loaf to make cheesy garlic bread to go with our Cajun chicken pasta dish for supper.

By the time Cody actually got home, the remaining loaf had hardened up. I had left it on the counter, unwrapped, and that was definitely a mistake on my part. Unfortunately, though, that meant he didn’t enjoy it as much as we did. However, I learned my lesson. Don’t leave the loaf out and uncovered for six hours.

I will try to make this French bread again, and I have a few things I’ll do differently. Whenever we do a new recipe, we generally follow the instructions as they are written (unless it calls for an ingredient we don’t like, such as mushrooms, and then we just leave those out), and then based on how it turns out, we make modifications for future attempts. I think the texture of the bread will be a little better next time because I’ll make sure I use warmer water to mix with the yeast, I will cut out about a half cup of flour, I will allow about ten extra minutes of rise time than the recipe calls for, and I will not leave the loaf sitting on the counter for six hours. I’m not going to stop taking the easy route of just buying French bread at the store, but from time to time, it will be a nice treat to do a homemade loaf.

Like all things you do for the first time, trying a new recipe can be a little scary, but that feeling of accomplishment when it turns out pretty good should be enough to keep you looking for new recipes to try. Cooking can be great fun. Think of it as an adventure. So get out those cookbooks or go over to Pinterest and find yourself a new recipe to try. If you’re interested in homemade French bread, here’s the link to the recipe I used: http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/easy-french-bread/

Can the Worst Cooks in America Really Be That Bad?

The new season of Worst Cooks in America has started on Food Network. Tonight was the second episode of the new season. I haven’t chosen a favorite yet, but I do have some questions.

1. Can these people really be that bad? They are adults, and we aren’t talking about teenagers who have just turned 18. These are folks who have been adults for a while, some of them a lot longer than I have. If they are that horrible as a cook, how have they survived? I suppose it could be a combination of using a microwave, eating out, or having someone cook for them. These cooks, though, can’t even boil water. In the preview for next week’s episode, one of the cooks is grilling cheese, literally. It showed him trying to flip a big ole clump of melted cheese. No bread. Really? I find it hard to believe that someone that old would have no clue that a grilled cheese requires bread.

2. What do you have to do to get on this show? Tonight, the “winners” of the challenge each received $1,000 Kohl’s gift cards. I can pretend not to know how to cook if I could get on the show, win a challenge, and get a $1,000 Kohl’s gift card. That’s a pretty nifty prize.

3. How is it these folks never learned how to cook? I’ve been on my own for over 25 years. Over the years, I’ve learned a wide variety of ways to cook. I’ve always been able to follow a recipe. I was never afraid to call Mom and ask for help. I’ve made sure my kids, even the boys, can cook. It may not be a complete restaurant menu, but they can cook the things they like and will not starve or have to eat burned food. They can follow recipes. They aren’t afraid to call and ask questions. It’s really not that difficult.

The show makes for interesting television, but I have to wonder how much of it is staged. I just find it hard to believe that adults who are as old as these “recruits” are could be that bad, but maybe they are. If nothing else, the show should be motivation for all parents out there to make sure their kids can cook before they send them out in the world.

Counting Down the Days

Spring break is nearly officially over. As the evening winds down, thoughts of what I have planned for my classes tomorrow start to fill my head. I’ve successfully kept those thoughts at bay for most of the break, but with 6:30 A.M. lurking just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about getting back to work.

Upon our return, we have 25 days of school left. That’s not a lot. Those days will fly by. The end of the school year is always somewhat chaotic; there’s so much to try to get done before the year officially ends. Considering we only have 25 days left, and we’re getting out in April (I think we’re all still having trouble believing that), this year may well end up being more chaotic than all the others.

I enjoyed my break, finished reading a book, started another but don’t think I’m actually going to have it finished by the time I go to work in the morning, helped Trav move into a new apartment, and tried some new recipes. It’s a good thing I managed to get caught up on a little bit of rest during the break because I’ll need it to get through the marathon that will be the end of the school year.

The last week of school is senior trip, which means I only have 4 weeks to make sure that I’ve covered everything I need to cover. The last two weeks of school are reserved for testing, which takes me down to 3 weeks to make sure I have everything covered. Final projects and presentations will fill at least a week of that time, which brings me down to 2 weeks to make sure everything is finished. If I were prone to panic attacks, now might be a good time to have one.

When I look at how filled the weekends leading up to the end of school are, it just makes me realize how quickly the time will indeed fly by. The remaining weekends will be filled with dress shopping for Nic’s graduation, an anniversary trip for Jimmy and me, prom, my Rick Springfield concert, leaving for senior trip, and graduation. I get tired just thinking about it.

Fortunately, my evenings will be mostly free. There are two evenings I will need to stay for PD to finish up my hours, but other than that, I should have most of my evenings free. As the school year winds down, there are fewer papers to grade. Of course, right now, I’m choosing not to think about the 30 English 200 research papers that will be coming my way on April 6. With everything else going on, there’s no point in stressing about that right now.

For now, though, it’s time to settle in and watch the new episode of Worst Cooks in America, and I’ll save thinking about work until tomorrow. I’m entitled to a few more hours of peace, right?

Lou Is No Loser on Celebrity Cookoff

I told you a couple weeks ago that I wasn’t overly impressed with the Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cookoff, and the reason for my unhappiness with the show is based on their choice of celebrities. Last night, the final two epsiodes of the series were shown, and while I’m glad a $50,000 donation was made to a charity on behalf of the winning celebrity, I’m not sad to see this series end. Should they decide to have a second season, I do hope they find celebrities with better personalities.

The first episode from last night had Lou Diamond Phillips and Taylor Dayne from Team Rachael compete against each other for a spot in the final epsiode. Coolio and Joey Fatone from Team Guy competed for the other spot in the final episode. Lou Diamond and Coolio were the winners, but all wasn’t lost for Joey and Taylor, who had a cookoff. Joey won and received a $5,000 check for his charity.

I was disappointed that Coolio beat Joey. While this wasn’t my favorite Food Network show, since I was watching, I chose Joey and Lou Diamond to be the two I’d like to see in the final episode. At the end of the show, I was glad Joey beat Taylor and glad to see her gone.

Immediately following the first episode, Food Network aired the season finale. As it started, I was still cheering for Lou Diamond to take out Coolio. The next thing I know, Rachael and Guy give Lou Diamond and Coolio an assistant to help with the formidable task for the final challenge. Just when I thought I was Taylor-free, she popped back in to be Lou Diamond’s assistant. Joey, obviously, returned to help Coolio.

The final task was for each man to set up his own fine-dining establishment. Joey and Taylor were placed in charge of decorating the restaurant with items chosen by Lou Diamond and Coolio. Decorations and supplies were provided for them. Ten minutes into the episode, Coolio was calling Lou Diamond and Taylor “Deco-hogs” because he thought they were monopolizing all the chairs. Then showing his vast degree of maturity, he aruged, “quit” and walked out after Taylor chose a chair he wanted.  Here’s the thing. All the items were up for grabs, on a first-come, first-served basis. If he wanted the chair, he should have taken the chair before she did. Considering the ultimate goal of this show was to win $50,000 for a charity, it’s very childish to walk out over a chair, when you’re that close to winning.

After coming to his senses (or perhaps somebody backstage reminded him why he was there), he returned and chose some items for the decor so Joey could go to work. Coolio and Lou Diamond went to the kitchen and started cooking while Joey and Taylor decorated. Finally, time expired and Taylor and Joey were greeting guests. At the beginning, Lou Diamond’s restaurant, Blessings, seemed to be doing well and Lou Diamond took the time to greet his guests. Over at Coolio’s restaurant, Chez Coolys, Joey had to tend to guests who had an extended wait period and when Joey went to try to get Coolio to do something so the guests could be served, what did Coolio do? Why, act like Coolio the stubborn little child again.

Coolio did make an impression on the judges Rachael and Guy brought in, though. Of course, no one has disputed he can cook. Based on everything they’ve said on the show the entire time, Coolio can cook, but I just don’t like him and his attitude. Lou Diamond, though, had much more personality, and his food looked much better to me. And I’ll freely admit, I’m biased. I’m more of a Lou Diamond fan than a Coolio fan.

Finally, Rachael and Guy were ready to deliver the results. And when the results were revealed, I was very pleased to see that Lou Diamond had a resounding victory over Coolio, with a score of 28 to 23. Coolio’s charity of Music Saves Lives will receive $10,000 for his second-place finish, and Lou Diamond’s charity of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign will receive the $50,000.

And now that this season of Rachael vs. Guy is over, I can say I’m only looking forward to another season if they get some celebrities with better personality. What I’m really looking foward to is the next season of Worst Cooks in America.

Celebrity Contestants Lack Key Ingredient

Food Network keeps coming up with new ideas for competitive cooking shows. The most recent offering is the Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cookoff. The concept sounds interesting enough: Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri mentor the celebrities on their teams in cooking challenges. The winning celebrity’s charity of choice will receive a $50,000 prize. Even though my husband and I are watching the series, it’s not the best one we’ve watched. We get more excited when the commercials for the upcoming season of Worst Cooks in America air.

Part of the fun of Worst Cooks is that the people on there seem to know absolutely nothing about cooking. They burn water. The mentoring of returning champ Ann Burrell and her new competitor Bobby Flay will be some true mentoring, and it’s fun and interesting to watch the progress these non-cooks can make over the course of the series. On Rachael vs. Guy, they chose celebrities who can cook and who enjoy cooking, but they are not professional cooks. They, too, do need the mentoring to get through the challenges they are presented. This could be an interesting show. The problem is, even though we’re still watching, it’s not the most interesting show.

The challenges aren’t the problem. As challenges go, they’re as interesting as anything that shows up on Next Food Network Star, Worst Cooks, or Chopped. The mentors aren’t the problem. Rachael and Guy are two of our favorite Food Network hosts. The judges aren’t the problem. The first challenge was judged by a group of 150 guests and was based on taste and entertainment. The second challenge was appropriately judged by students ready to graduate from pastry school. The third challenge was appropriately judged by three of the Chopped judges – Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Marcus Samuelsson. So, if the problem isn’t the hosts, the challenges, or the judges, what is the problem? The celebrities.

The eight celebrities who started the series were divided into two teams of four. Rachael’s team included musician Aaron Carter, Olympic gold medalist Summer Sanders, musician Taylor Dayne, and actor Lou Diamond Phillips. Guy’s team included Miss America Alyssa Campanella, musician Joey Fatone, musician Coolio, and actor Cheech Marin. It’s just hard to choose anybody from this particular list to get behind and root for.

Part of the problem is personality. While they may be really good at whatever talent made them famous, they’re not as inspiring as celebrity cooks. Most of them are so lacking in personality that I think the only reason Jimmy and I are still watching is habit. We watch Food Network, and we like Rachael and Guy, so we keep watching. I’ve had a hard time trying to decide who to root for, but I finally decided to root for Lou Diamond Phillips on Rachael’s team and Joey Fatone on Guy’s team. I simply dislike them (as contestants on this show) less than I dislike the other celebrities on the show.

I’m sure we’ll keep watching until the end, but if Food Network does this show again, I strongly suggest they consider some celebrities who will present some more personality with their cooking. That’s one of the things they look for in their series The Next Food Network Star. It wouldn’t hurt to consider it for this show as well.