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anything to do with a whole fish. Seeing the eyes & the head disturbs me, & I end up not eating any of it, even if hubby chops off the head. Also do not like to mess with shrimp poops/shells. I tend to buy the fish in fillets, ready to go, same with shrimp, ready to eat or cook. I sometimes get given a whole fish by people who fish.
Although cleaning raw shrimp is very easy, it's a pita. I can clean several bags of them in the sitting.
But it breaks my back doing it. I'd rather prep live lobster, less backache.
Whole fish isn't much a problem. You just scale it if has large scales. Clean out the innards, make a few cuts on the side to help season/cook. Then batter/fry cook it how ever you choose. Plenty of videos
to see how.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts
My most dreaded task is peeling butternut squash.
In general, I don’t like anything that requires a lot of preparation. I had a meal plan for awhile. While I loved not having to think about what to make three nights a week, I did not enjoy all the chopping, sautéing, and other steps required. The process was much more labor intensive than usual.
1. Wash / dry it
2. Heat in microwave for 3 minutes, carefully remove
3. Cut the rounded bulb section off, cut that section in half
4. Use a melon baller to remove all the seeds, peel/cut as you like
5. Peel/cut rest of squash as desired.
Quote:
Originally Posted by evening sun
When we get the hard shell squash, I stab it a few times, & then microwave it, Once it has cooled down, then you can peel it easily, or sometimes, I just cook it, skin on (stabbed) & then use the cooked flesh.
Although I've never found the need to stab my squashes.
I love garlic , and lots of it, but I really don't like the peeling part so I use granulated more than I should.
I don't have a full oven because I don't care to bake.
That was easy.
But if anything cooking-wise filled me with dread I sure as hell would never do it.
1) Deep fat fry in my home kitchen
2) Peel garlic
3) Puree hot soups
4) Make recipes with 25-50 steps. One of my chef friends had a mole recipe developed by Rick Bayless. There were like 30 raw ingredients and MOST required some preprepping. I honestly thought that it would take me eight hours to produce.
I don't dread it I just don't want to be bothered with it. Properly disposing of oil that was used for deep frying. The required way seemed to keep changing over time. Now I think the mandate is to take the oil to some center where they know what to do with it. As a result very, very, seldom are there french fries, fried chicken, veggies, handpies. So delicious.
But prepping? This soup recipe gives me a good laugh each time I read it or watch someone make it. It did launch this woman's career though.
I agree with everyone who said "peeling garlic". I am a large man and with that comes large paws. Peeling garlic is the bane of my existence. I MUCH prefer it over minced because I find I have to use more minced to get enough flavor but I still end up using it more than fresh.
Also, I TOTALLY dread anything that requires a roux. I think a lot of that comes from my brother though. He is a soux chef and always tells me "be careful with the roux because it is easy to break it". In reality the few times I have made one they havent been a problem. Even still I hate making them.
In the "I dread it because it is tedious" vein I despise tomatillos. I LOVE fresh tomatillo salsa. I DESPISE peeling tomatillos. The husk that they always come with is sticky and they take a month to peel.
Chopping/cutting up/peeling vegetables. So tedious and such a waste of time. Plus it's uncomfortable for me to stand in one spot for so long so I'm always shifting from foot to foot so my back doesn't feel it.
As another poster said, I will sometimes buy the pre-chopped stuff, but that's doesn't always work because I am alone and it might be more than I can use. On the other hand, I love that Trader Joe's sells the "mirepoix", chopped carrots/celery/onion in a container when I make soups. It's such a waste to buy a whole stalk of celery when you need one or two ribs. The rest doesn't keep and just rots in the fridge.
Didn't have any mirepoix yesterday when I made lentil soup to share with a friend (who gave me carrots and celery because I didn't have any in the house, so there I was, chopping. Ugh. So annoying, but it's a first-world annoyance. The soup came out great, though.
I agree with everyone who said "peeling garlic". I am a large man and with that comes large paws. Peeling garlic is the bane of my existence. I MUCH prefer it over minced because I find I have to use more minced to get enough flavor but I still end up using it more than fresh.
Also, I TOTALLY dread anything that requires a roux. I think a lot of that comes from my brother though. He is a soux chef and always tells me "be careful with the roux because it is easy to break it". In reality the few times I have made one they havent been a problem. Even still I hate making them.
In the "I dread it because it is tedious" vein I despise tomatillos. I LOVE fresh tomatillo salsa. I DESPISE peeling tomatillos. The husk that they always come with is sticky and they take a month to peel.
I used to peel a half gallon bucket of fresh garlic daily very quickly.
Crush the bulb and throw it in a deep saucepan , hold a tray over it and start shaking vigorously, lay it down on its side on the table if thats easier, just shake as vigorously as you can for 30 seconds.
They'll all be out of their skin or will pop out with the slightest squeeze.
The more you do the faster it gets.
I've never heard of a roux breaking. its just fat and starch, what could possibly "break"?
I am with the person in the article who hates fussing with fresh garlic. And, truth to tell, most fresh garlic I get has little flavor. I switched to jarred garlic awhile ago, and I’m not changing back.
There are many types of garlic, from mild to wild (like Bogatyr), you just have to know what it is that you're getting.
Peeling fresh garlic is easy, once you know the trick- get a wide blade knife, place the garlic clove on the cutting board, lay the flat of the blade on the garlic and hold it with one hand, then thump your other (fisted) hand on the blade. Practically all of the skin comes loose and you can easily pull it off and discard it.
While I have made risotto as it is supposed to be made (with Arborio rice, toasted, etc.), and had it come out very nicely, most of the time I cheat- I use regular rice, cooking it in stock made with a 'Better Than Bouillon' base ( www.betterthanbouillon.com ).
First, take a goodly amount of butter (depends on how much rice you are making) and melt it in an appropriate size saucepan. When the butter is almost completely melted add the rice and stir it around until it is completely coated, then add the appropriate amount of water, and the appropriate amount of bouillon base (more or less, depending on how you like it)...if you are adding onions and/or garlic, you can saute them in the butter before you add the rice...
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook as directed depending on whether you are using regular rice or a 'quick cooking' type. If you are going to add peas and/or carrots, or something else, put it in before you get to boiling.
When it's ready, add some shredded cheese, like a mild white cheddar (or even sharp or extra sharp, according to your taste) and some milk and stir it around until the cheese melts. Keep adding cheese and milk until it gets to the consistency that appeals to you, while doing that, also add any salt, pepper or other seasonings that you want (I like a bit of rubbed sage...if using savory or rosemary, add those in the water before boiling).
It might sound more complicated than it is, but it's actually fairly simple and a lot less time and hassle than a true risotto...and I would almost be willing to bet that even Gordon Ramsey wouldn't be able to to tell that I 'cheated' if he didn't see me make it.
Sometimes I'll add some canned diced tomatoes (plain or with spices, even Rotel with chilis) to change it up a little.
My wife keeps telling me to write recipes down, but I rarely do, and usually I'm just making it up as I go, 'winging it', and it's a little different every time.
What's bugging me right now, is my ceramic-topped electric range, it seems like I have to try to guess and control it in advance when I need/want to change the temperature. I started looking at gas (propane) ranges this week but the prices for the size I want seemed a little high...and then I discovered that I can get a brand-new *commercial* restaurant range for less money ($1200-1400)! 6 burners and a 7+ cu ft oven in a 36" wide package, I can't really go any bigger without ripping out the counters and cabinets and doing a remodel...
The only drawback that *I* can see, is that it isn't as 'pretty' as the consumer models...but, really, I want function more than form.
I agree with everyone who said "peeling garlic". I am a large man and with that comes large paws. Peeling garlic is the bane of my existence. I MUCH prefer it over minced because I find I have to use more minced to get enough flavor but I still end up using it more than fresh.
Also, I TOTALLY dread anything that requires a roux. I think a lot of that comes from my brother though. He is a soux chef and always tells me "be careful with the roux because it is easy to break it". In reality the few times I have made one they havent been a problem. Even still I hate making them.
In the "I dread it because it is tedious" vein I despise tomatillos. I LOVE fresh tomatillo salsa. I DESPISE peeling tomatillos. The husk that they always come with is sticky and they take a month to peel.
I have found that if I smash the garlic before peeling, the peel comes off pretty easy.
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I can clean several bags of them in the sitting.
It did launch this woman's career though.
