What can't you cook?

[ScoutTN]

Seconding the Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe. It’s on the cocoa box. 

[teachermom2834]

I was going to share the Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe. I generally think cake mixes are very strong performers but that chocolate cake is excellent and people just go crazy over it when I take it somewhere. 
 

Someone on some baking show did the boiling water in a chocolate cake trick and I was like that is my trick! Don’t tell everyone! As if it isn’t on the Hershey’s cocoa box. Top secret! 😂

[popmom]

7 hours ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

But the food is never anywhere near fully cooked after covering. Let's say it's chicken and the recipe says cook for an hour covered and 15 minutes uncovered. Well, after an hour the chicken will still be dark pink. Rather than being nice and hot, it'll be lukewarm. 

Yikes! You might want to invest in an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is heating to the correct temperature. There is no chicken that should take and hour and 15 minutes to cook--not even bone in chicken. eta: I guess if you are cooking at 300 or something.

And an instant read meat thermometer--also very handy. Much more reliable than relying on a recipe's time recommendation.

Edited October 27, 2023 by popmom

[Ginevra]

Pork chops; fried chicken. Basically, any meat you’re supposed to be able to fry in a cast iron pan on the stove. I couldn’t get them done but not burnt and quit trying (quit ruining meat) many years back. 
 

I don’t like either anyway, so I guess it’s not a big loss, but dh loved them both in the past. Sorry-not-sorry. 

[Ginevra]

12 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

I was going to share the Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe. I generally think cake mixes are very strong performers but that chocolate cake is excellent and people just go crazy over it when I take it somewhere. 
 

Someone on some baking show did the boiling water in a chocolate cake trick and I was like that is my trick! Don’t tell everyone! As if it isn’t on the Hershey’s cocoa box. Top secret! 😂

Giiirrrlll! That is hands-down the absolute best, most foolproof chocolate cake recipe of all time! Any time I’m ever called upon to make chocolate cupcakes for a crowd, I make those and everyone goes bonkers for them! Yes, siree! Back of the Hersheys Cocoa box all the way! 

[Ginevra]

9 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

For the longest time it was gravy.  My mom always made it by pouring the juice in a pot. Put flour and water in a leak proof container, shake and add to juice, boil and wah lah perfect gravy.  Except when I made it, it was always a lumpy running mess.  But I could always make a perfect roux style sauce.  So I skipped mom's method, start with flour and butter in the pan and then slowly add the juice.  Now I can finally make good gravy.  But I ruined way too much gravy before I figured out it still tasted like gravy even if I made it in a different order.

That’s how I do it too, and I once could not make gravy either. I only ever make a roux first. I never understand recipes that do it the reverse way - adding flour into liquid. That never, ever worked for me. 
 

One thing that does work, though, is to put some liquid and flour into a small container with a lid, shake it up hard, then pour it into the juice while whisking. That’s my go-to if, say, a soup needs a bit of thickening. 

[cjzimmer1]

26 minutes ago, Ginevra said:

That’s how I do it too, and I once could not make gravy either. I only ever make a roux first. I never understand recipes that do it the reverse way - adding flour into liquid. That never, ever worked for me. 
 

One thing that does work, though, is to put some liquid and flour into a small container with a lid, shake it up hard, then pour it into the juice while whisking. That’s my go-to if, say, a soup needs a bit of thickening. 

That is the way my mom always did but I can never get it right.  Either I don't put enough flour in with the liquid to adequately thicken the amount of juice I have or I don't whisk well enough and it gets lumpy.

I have to have the roux first and slowly add the juice so I can control the ratio and amount of thickening.

[Amoret]

Does anyone know the secret to injera? Every time we have tried it, we end up with a gummy, sticky mess that is nothing like it should be.

[DawnM]

Speaking of bread.....I have always wanted to learn to make those small round loaves like Panera uses for their bread bowls.  I tried once, it was a lot of work, and they didn't even turn out.

[saraha]

Fried chicken. My mother, who is not a good cook, makes killer fried chicken. When I’m done, it looks like fried chicken, all crispy and beautiful, but it doesn’t taste good, or it’s not cooked all the way, or the outside is kind of burnt because I wanted it cooked all the way through

[popmom]

25 minutes ago, saraha said:

Fried chicken. My mother, who is not a good cook, makes killer fried chicken. When I’m done, it looks like fried chicken, all crispy and beautiful, but it doesn’t taste good, or it’s not cooked all the way, or the outside is kind of burnt because I wanted it cooked all the way through

Do you brine the chicken first?

 

[saraha]

No? But my mom doesn’t either 

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, saraha said:

Fried chicken. My mother, who is not a good cook, makes killer fried chicken. When I’m done, it looks like fried chicken, all crispy and beautiful, but it doesn’t taste good, or it’s not cooked all the way, or the outside is kind of burnt because I wanted it cooked all the way through

Are we talking deep frying or air frying? I  find it easier to air fry since I would have to use up a lot of oil deep frying to get the fried chicken fully cooked on the inside. Also are you frying chicken wings, drumsticks or thighs?  My friend uses a deep fryer machine for convenience since her husband and children like fried chicken and chicken nuggets. 

[saraha]

My mom fries it in a skillet with a bunch of oil. That’s the only way I’ve tried it. I don’t have an air fryer or a deep fryer

[marbel]

I love fried chicken but have never tried to make it.  I have a love/hate relationship with cooking bone-in poultry. It is so fraught with danger; even when I have used an instant-read thermometer I can still end up with some iffy areas. I can't imagine trying to fry it correctly. 

Fortunately, our local grocery store chain sells good, basic fried chicken! 

[Amira]

13 hours ago, Amoret said:

Does anyone know the secret to injera? Every time we have tried it, we end up with a gummy, sticky mess that is nothing like it should be.

I’ve only made injera with teff a couple of times, but I don’t know any secrets since I didn’t have trouble with it.  Are you using teff or another grain?  This site has tons of info about making injera. https://teffco.com/traditional-injera/tips-tricks/

[ScoutTN]

8 minutes ago, marbel said:

Fortunately, our local grocery store chain sells good, basic fried chicken! 

This is what we rely on for fried chx too. Though it’s not a favorite with my family. Hooray for Publix!

[ScoutTN]

My MIL can make good fried chicken. She brines it in salted buttermilk first, and uses an electric skillet. And cooks outside, so the grease and smell is not in her kitchen.  Way too much work to do for something I do not love. 

[GailV]

42 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

My MIL can make good fried chicken. She brines it in salted buttermilk first, and uses an electric skillet. And cooks outside, so the grease and smell is not in her kitchen.  Way too much work to do for something I do not love. 

The one and only thing my mom made in the electric skillet was fried chicken. And it was the definitive way to make fried chicken - she never used anything else to make it. She didn't brine it, though. Oh my goodness, I loved Mom's fried chicken.

I had forgotten about that - thanks for bringing up that memory! Now I'm wondering what happened to that skillet. I have the little covered metal jar that was used to shake the flour and milk to make the gravy (I'd have to research to figure out what the measurements mean and how to use it) but I think the skillet is gone. (Gravy shaker)

[saraha]

Yeah, I decided that even though we love fried chicken, it is a special occasion food. We order it from the local grocery store where my daughter works and are content. I’ve decided that there are just some things I just can’t make, and I’m just going to quit trying. I can’t really bake well either and don’t particularly like to. But I come from a long line of non bakers. My mom doesn’t bake, my grandma didn’t bake. When we would visit she would give us 50 cents to walk to the store to buy cookies

[popmom]

3 hours ago, marbel said:

I love fried chicken but have never tried to make it.  I have a love/hate relationship with cooking bone-in poultry. It is so fraught with danger; even when I have used an instant-read thermometer I can still end up with some iffy areas. I can't imagine trying to fry it correctly. 

Fortunately, our local grocery store chain sells good, basic fried chicken! 

I rarely make fried chicken--maybe 3 times a year, but I only use boneless cuts for that reason. And I will butterfly the huge breasts and cut them into more manageable sizes. I actually made "nuggets" from chicken breasts yesterday. 🙂 I usually brine in a mix of buttermilk, water, a little sugar, and a little pickle juice. 

Edited October 28, 2023 by popmom

[regentrude]

20 hours ago, Clarita said:

Crusty bread. That's because I don't have a steam oven. I tried once with a tray of ice, that didn't work. I do know what I can try next which is to babysit my tray of ice to make sure the steaming is happening for a certain amount of time.

I bake my bread in a large Dutch oven. Gets a beautiful crust.

[marbel]

10 minutes ago, popmom said:

I rarely make fried chicken--maybe 3 times a year, but I only use boneless cuts for that reason. And I will butterfly the huge breasts and cut them into more manageable sizes. I actually made "nuggets" from chicken breasts yesterday. 🙂 I usually brine in a mix of buttermilk, water, a little sugar, and a little pickle juice. 

Yeah, that sounds good. But, the few times a year I want fried chicken, I want bone-in, pick up with your fingers, picnic friend chicken, with a massive amount of crispy coating... and for me, that's best bought than made. 🙂

A boneless fried breast or thigh is good, and manageable for me to do at home. For some reason I guess I don't think of that as "fried chicken." Like, if we go to Chick-fil-a, that's not fried chicken to me, though of course it is fried! 🤷‍♂️  

[popmom]

1 minute ago, marbel said:

Yeah, that sounds good. But, the few times a year I want fried chicken, I want bone-in, pick up with your fingers, picnic friend chicken, with a massive amount of crispy coating... and for me, that's best bought than made. 🙂

A boneless fried breast or thigh is good, and manageable for me to do at home. For some reason I guess I don't think of that as "fried chicken." Like, if we go to Chick-fil-a, that's not fried chicken to me, though of course it is fried! 🤷‍♂️  

I get it. I get my "real" fried chicken at Publix. 🙂 So good! I can't replicate that.

[Arcadia]

4 hours ago, saraha said:

My mom fries it in a skillet with a bunch of oil. That’s the only way I’ve tried it. I don’t have an air fryer or a deep fryer

For that I have to partially cook the chicken in water first. Then keep flipping the sides when cooking in my skillet.

[ScoutTN]

28 minutes ago, popmom said:

I get it. I get my "real" fried chicken at Publix. 🙂 So good! I can't replicate that.

Yes. I am trying to get our Publix to do a spicier version. ❤️ Nashville Hot Chicken! 
 

Now I want fried chx! 

Edited October 28, 2023 by ScoutTN

[TravelingChris]

I cook and bake anything.  However, I haven't gone through most of the Cordon Blue cookbook either.  And we don't like fried chicken sow we don't make that. But brownies, lasagna, gravy, pie crusts, biscuits, etc.  

Unfortunately, I can't cook or bake much nowadays since my kitchen is barely functional and has been since mid June and the way it is going, it may be Spring before its done finally.

[Jaybee]

22 hours ago, Amoret said:

If you ever decide to try chocolate cake again, this is our go-to recipe: The batter is really thin, but it always turns out well, and the frosting is just the right amount for two 9" layers.

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

 

This is our go-to recipe as well. It is delicious and very moist. I usually bake cakes in a 9x13" pan since my layers are always crooked in this oven. We don't use any other chocolate cake recipe. It's also good for a devil's food cake if you frost it with 7-minute boiled frosting.

ETA: Okay, I see now that lots of people use this recipe. It really is so so good!

Edited October 28, 2023 by Jaybee

[Jaybee]

Now I'm craving fried chicken and chocolate cake!

For the crusty round bread loaves, I can't use my Dutch oven (that we got for a wedding present over 40 years ago) because it has a plastic knob on the top. I haven't bothered buying a new one. But I have found that putting a 9x13" pan with water in it on the lower shelf in the oven works well. I still end up with a loaf similar to the one on the right in the picture a pp included. I put it in before I turn the oven on to preheat. Then when the oven is preheated, I put in the bread, which is on a cookie sheet on parchment paper. 

[kbutton]

I can’t make Indian food from a recipe, and that would probably apply to other foods that involve that many unfamiliar spices. There is always some spice mix as an ingredient, and they are not all the same. Once in a while we get food made by someone who brings their own mixes for this, and it makes a big difference. I need to actually learn how to cook those foods from cooking with someone who can set me up with spices they like.

Also, I don’t really like to cook unless I’m doing batch cooking, and that is kind of thankless in my kitchen with not enough counters, etc. I don’t hate it, it’s just gone faster than it took to cook and feels like a thankless task. I loved to bake before going GF.

On 10/27/2023 at 8:54 AM, athena1277 said:

I have issues with brownies.  They are either too done and crunchy (in a bad way) on the edges or not done enough so they are too gooey.  There is no middle ground for me.  Note that I always use a box mix, so it shouldn’t be so hard.

An uncoated metal pan helps sometimes. Glass pans and brownies are not a good mix, IMO.

On 10/27/2023 at 12:13 PM, alysee said:

Biscuits or scones. It's even worse now because I keep trying to make them glutenfree. 

If you have a 1:1 mix you like and also like oatmeal, I think these are more forgiving: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/6906/scottish-oat-scones/

I *think* that is the recipe I use, minus the currents.

23 hours ago, Amoret said:

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

2 c. sugar
1-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. Hershey’s Cocoa
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. boiling water

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted
2/3 c. Hershey’s Cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 9-inch round baking pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Meanwhile, make frosting: stir melted butter into cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Frost cake when completely cooled, as desired.

Does anyone know if this is the same as the Old Fashioned Cocoa Cake(?) recipe they used to have on the back? My mom recopied that recipe and swears it’s never been the same since; she thinks she made a mistake when she rewrote it. That was the best chocolate cake ever. 

[saraha]

2 hours ago, Arcadia said:

For that I have to partially cook the chicken in water first. Then keep flipping the sides when cooking in my skillet.

When do you bread it?

[Arcadia]

20 hours ago, saraha said:

When do you bread it?

I don’t usually bread it. I coat it with honey before baking or frying. If I bread it, I do that after it’s partially cook in the pot. I use the water that I use to partially cook the chicken for soup stock so its not a waste

Edited October 29, 2023 by Arcadia
clarification

[historically accurate]

I can't make:

rice (I now buy the single-serve brown rice that you microwave)

asparagus (which my kids are just fine with never eating)

 

I'm a pretty good baker, so brownies/pies/cakes/cookies are easy. Rice is hard, sticky, or soggy.

[ScoutTN]

We bake Ghirardelli brownies in a glass pan and they come out perfect every time. There are adjustments to temp and time for the glass pan. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by ScoutTN

[Clarita]

51 minutes ago, historically accurate said:

I can't make:

rice (I now buy the single-serve brown rice that you microwave)

Rice cooker. Even a cheap one makes decent rice. 

asparagus (which my kids are just fine with never eating)

Oven using a stainless steel jellyroll pan at 425F 15mins or until desired tenderness. Trick is to use more oil, if you use too much is just sits in the pan and you can drain the asparagus on a paper towel or cooling rack.

I've also shredded asparagus and mixed it with toasted sesame oil, soy sauce/miso and siracha (other hot sauce could work too - looking for a little spice and a little vinegar) to taste.

 

[mmasc]

17 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

We bake Ghirardelli brownies in a glass pan and they come out perfect every time. There are adjustments to temp and time for the glass pan. 

What temp and time? Is it an 8x8 glass?

I’ve made great Ghirardelli brownies for years in a 9x9 metal pan in the toaster oven (also requires time adjusting), but I decided I wanted my brownies just a bit thicker and bought a glass 8x8 and they didn’t turn out well at all!! Gooey and not cooked and I couldn’t figure out the right time or temp or anything to make them just right. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by mmasc

[ScoutTN]

13 minutes ago, mmasc said:

What temp and time? Is it an 8x8 glass?

I’ve made great Ghirardelli brownies for years in a 9x9 metal pan in the toaster oven (also requires time adjusting), but I decided I wanted my brownies just a bit thicker and bought a glass 8x8 and they didn’t turn out well at all!! Gooey and not cooked and I couldn’t figure out the right time or temp or anything to make them just right. 

I don’t have any right now to check. We just follow the directions on the box. Yes, 8x8. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by ScoutTN

[Arcadia]

6 hours ago, saraha said:

When do you bread it?

Mine is similar to this recipe. Since I don’t use boneless, I do have to precooked the chicken for awhile. I usually use chicken thighs and I use tongs to flip. 

https://www.thebossykitchen.com/wprm_print/104553

[Pam in CT]

2 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

We bake Ghirardelli brownies in a glass pan and they come out perfect every time. There are adjustments to temp and time for the glass pan. 

YES!!  these are what we make, 8x8 pyrex.  Sometimes I Cake Doctor them up by adding a couple extra eggs and a handful of chopped walnuts and sprinkle a bit of confectioners sugar on top, which completely disguises their box origins beyond traceability.  But they're so extremely delicious just out of the box that I usually just do it straight up.

[math teacher]

On 10/27/2023 at 5:27 PM, popmom said:

It is pie crusts for me, too. I just buy the frozen ones. 

And lately I'm really struggling with rice, and I don't get it. I hate to pull out the Instant Pot just for rice, but that seems to be the only way I can make it decent. That or baking it in a casserole dish--but that takes a lot longer.

For rice, I use a rice cooker. It's a cheap, no frills one, but I'm satisfied with the way the rice turns out. I've been meaning to cook some rice, then make rice pudding. Love that stuff.

[marbel]

On 10/27/2023 at 6:27 PM, popmom said:

It is pie crusts for me, too. I just buy the frozen ones. 

And lately I'm really struggling with rice, and I don't get it. I hate to pull out the Instant Pot just for rice, but that seems to be the only way I can make it decent. That or baking it in a casserole dish--but that takes a lot longer.

I used to have a rice cooker, and loved it, but when it died I switched to using the instant pot. I love it - it's so easy and fool-proof! I would get another rice cooker if I didn't have the IP. I can't imagine going back to using a pan on the stove. 

[Lady Florida.]

I can cook most anything but I've been cooking since I was 9 years old. My mom often worked nights as a server (then called waitress) and our babysitters were terrible cooks. I cooked for my brother and me out of desperation for a decent meal. I also grew up helping my mom in the kitchen bit by bit with age appropriate tasks.

That said, even at my age there are some things I've never been able to master. Pie crust is one and at this point in my life I don't care. I buy refrigerated crusts and no one seems to mind. I had trouble with rice all my life until I got an Instant Pot a few years ago. Now I won't cook rice any other way. And pork chops. I always overcook them even when I try hard not to. Partly that's because I grew up when trichinosis was a real concern with pork and partly it's because pork chops are much leaner than they used to be. I have no problem with various cuts of pork roast because they have enough fat to not dry out. I also have no problem with pork tenderloin which are quite lean but for some reason I find not overcooking them is easier than with pork chops.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Lady Florida.

[Clarita]

1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said:

And pork chops. I always overcook them even when I try hard not to. Partly that's because I grew up when trichinosis was a real concern with pork and partly it's because pork chops are much leaner than they used to be. I have no problem with various cuts of pork roast because they have enough fat to not dry out. I also have no problem with pork tenderloin which are quite lean but for some reason I find not overcooking them is easier than with pork chops.

I tried porkchops one time. From now on I sous vide pork chops and pork tenderloin. In fact I sous vide steaks too. It takes the timing issues out. 

[Pippen]

I can handle icing, yeast breads, pie crust, biscuits, scones, and I'm an old hand at the Hershey's chocolate cake (I prefer their Celebration Chocolate Cake recipe). 

What I'm really inconsistent with is rice. Sometimes I forget to rinse, sometimes it's a little under or over done. It shouldn't be this hard.

[Pippen]

On 10/27/2023 at 5:48 PM, Ginevra said:

Pork chops; fried chicken. Basically, any meat you’re supposed to be able to fry in a cast iron pan on the stove. I couldn’t get them done but not burnt and quit trying (quit ruining meat) many years back. 
 

I don’t like either anyway, so I guess it’s not a big loss, but dh loved them both in the past. Sorry-not-sorry. 

Try these! Brine bone in pork chops first, then use cast iron in the oven. 

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-perfect-pork-chops-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-194257

[Lynn in al]

Cooking and most baking I got it's baking biscuits I can't quite master.   I've tried so many recipes, tips , suggestions nothing helps I just don't have the knack for it.     

[Green Bean]

Lasagna. After the last soogy debalcle, I told my family never again.

Meraginue like lemon meraginue pie. I live in TX. Nuff said. (and no, I can't even spell it. That's how deficient at it I am.)

Pie crust. The times i tried, the kids had PlayDoh for days. I just buy frozen shells, but not generic! They shrink. Pillsbury all the way or Marie Callendar's.

But I make an amzing chocloate cake and biscuits using old family recipes.

The trick to biscuits is to not roll them too thin. You want them like 1/2 thick.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Green Bean

[popmom]

8 hours ago, Clarita said:

I tried porkchops one time. From now on I sous vide pork chops and pork tenderloin. In fact I sous vide steaks too. It takes the timing issues out. 

I'm with you on the sous vide. I don't sous vide tenderloin though. I just use a meat thermometer to know when to stop cooking. 

My new oven has "air sous vide". It actually works really well. I did steak last week and chicken breasts yesterday. 

[ScoutTN]

Suzanne Somers has a yummy recipe for pork chops in a skillet with a red wine reduction sauce. Yummy and easy and fast! Until I made this, I had no success with pork chops.

Edited October 30, 2023 by ScoutTN