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Oh Helena, you're in Tennessee! I fear the only thing you can do is mail order ingredients and start cooking yourself. That's how I started cooking. I came from a pasty white rural family. My grandmother excelled at making traditional American food but my mom.... well.... not so much. For me, learning to cook was like doing my laundry (where my mother consistently managed to turn my underwear pink. Just the thing for a newly adolescent boy in the locker room ): an autodidactic class in self defense. My family thought spaghetti was, "ethnic." At the age of 9 I received my first Chinese cookbook and at 10 I made my parents buy me a wok for my birthday from Chinatown. With my 1001 Chinese Recipes, Mrs. Ma's Chinese Recipes, Joy of Cooking, Larousse Gastronomique, and Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for the Food I've gotten pretty damn good.
Don't put it off. Get the right tools, the right ingredients, and really go look at what you can find in the butcher and grocers. Make recipes with the best stuff you can find and just go for it. If it's a flop then, well, hey you've tried. By all means, TiVO or buy or download Alton Brown's Good Eats show and buy his book (see above). He's exceptionally good at teaching the science of cooking. He tells you what's worth buying and what isn't and why you cook things certain ways. It's very nuts-and-bolts but he, combined with one of the good versions of Joy and Larousse, should help you invent your own workable recipes. Alton Brown is, for me, an, "Ah Ha!," kind of experience. By far the best cooking show on TV.
lol- when you said your grandmother thought spaghetti was ethnic!!! Where I live people are like trhat (BORING). They think biscuits with fatty gravy is a staple. Yuck, I cant be that boring- biscuits have no taste.
I would be interested in trying more sushi and exotic foods- guess I will have to see if NY Dean and DeLuca fly orders in-lol.
Even the most elite retaurant is a steakhouse- typical American fare. I also hate the thick greasy barbecue. I guess having lived in NY I am spoiled- but I cant think of one good ethic restaurant- people here are just discovering Amigos-lol- I had Mexican since the 80's. It just is very limited.
Even the most elite retaurant is a steakhouse- typical American fare. I also hate the thick greasy barbecue. I guess having lived in NY I am spoiled- but I cant think of one good ethic restaurant- people here are just discovering Amigos-lol- I had Mexican since the 80's. It just is very limited.
I ran into that in Ohio. Went for Chinese precisely once and never again. It was awful, not even take-out quality. My biggest thrill was going to Chi-Chi's for chain TexMex.
You know there are good and bad editions of Joy of Cooking, right? Read the reviews on Amazon, they'll tell you the good one to get. I have the 1965 version my mother never cracked open except to make tuna casserole . I don't mean to knock my mom too much. She has a great recipe for asparagus (when she doesn't overcook it into oblivion), and a super one for grasshopper pie, and another for chicken adobo she got from my father's cabin boy in The Philipines. Other than that... I love my mother .
I don't know what happened. It started with Benihana and went from there. Any time I could go someplace exotic or good, there I was. My first taste of caviar was around 10 and I just wanted more. It's depressing because once I realized everything that was out there, I discovered what wasn't anywhere near me. Things are better now, but I still make better Pad Thai than the place 15 miles from here. Every month or so I make a pilgrimage to the Asian market which is about 30 miles from here and takes over an hour to get to.
There are good mail order places like Williams Sonoma and all that. I would suggest that the best thing is to look for websites for all the places you went to in New York. Many of them will do mail order and, more importantly, you know the quality of the merchandise. Definitely get on the cookbooks and order all the kitchen stuff you need. Good food really, really, goes a long way to making a house a home. At the very least you'll wow them at the dinner parties. And rent To Wong Foo to keep your spirits up. Throw in a Bergman film and make some paella. Be a beacon of civilization in the wilderness.
lol nice post. Yes there is a problem in middle America- we drove up to Southern Ohio. Boring and bland.
In S florida there were some excellent Thai places. We dont have that. There is a small Indian place that's good- But Moto's Japanese, Yuck! So bland and they didnt even have fresh shrimp or Miso soup!
lol- when you said your grandmother thought spaghetti was ethnic!!! Where I live people are like trhat (BORING). They think biscuits with fatty gravy is a staple. Yuck, I cant be that boring- biscuits have no taste.
I would be interested in trying more sushi and exotic foods- guess I will have to see if NY Dean and DeLuca fly orders in-lol.
Even the most elite retaurant is a steakhouse- typical American fare. I also hate the thick greasy barbecue. I guess having lived in NY I am spoiled- but I cant think of one good ethic restaurant- people here are just discovering Amigos-lol- I had Mexican since the 80's. It just is very limited.
Well, Boca Raton has good food available, but you decided that it wasn't worth it because of your spew of hatred for your neighboring county to the south. You can't always get what you want! Open your own good restaurant! Or maybe we can become business partners and we will start the best pizzeria in Johson City and make some money .
Anyway, adventurous foods....uhhh.....I haven't even tried Sushi .I have had lobster, thats kind of like eating roach, does that count???
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): an autodidactic class in self defense. My family thought spaghetti was, "ethnic." At the age of 9 I received my first Chinese cookbook and at 10 I made my parents buy me a wok for my birthday from Chinatown. With my 1001 Chinese Recipes, Mrs. Ma's Chinese Recipes, Joy of Cooking, Larousse Gastronomique, and Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for the Food I've gotten pretty damn good.
. I don't mean to knock my mom too much. She has a great recipe for asparagus (when she doesn't overcook it into oblivion), and a super one for grasshopper pie, and another for chicken adobo she got from my father's cabin boy in The Philipines. Other than that... I love my mother 
.
.I have had lobster, thats kind of like eating roach, does that count???
wow-
