Flying_V_Goddess

I recently got "America's Test Kitchen: Let's Get Cooking" for the Nintendo DS. I'm currently using it to help teach my little brother how to cook.

Besides grilled cheese, I don't think he's made anything that hasn't come out of a box. He'll live off of Kraft mac and cheese and ramen noodles if he wants. I think he needs to learn how to cook. He wasn't all for the idea at first, but in my defence I gave him reasons for learning how to cook.

1. One day I will move out of Mom's or he'll move out of Mom's or Mom won't be around or I'll have moved out and Mom isn't around. In any case, there won't be anyone to cook for him.

2. For the hypothetical scenario that Kraft and Maruchan have their factories flooded just like the makers of Eggo waffles did and there is a shortage of mac and cheese and ramen noodles.

But the most important reason of all:
3. Knowing how to cook is one of the ultimate ways to impress chicks.

For this last one, I explained the time my last ex first tried cooking me breakfast one morning. I ended up cooking breakfast in the end because after breaking his third or fourth egg I offered to make it. But I still thought that was sweet of him for trying. "If I think its sweet for him just trying to make breakfast, just imagine how far cooking your potential girlfriend a pot roast will take you!"

We've made two recipes so far. The first was Beef Stroganoff. He learned a lot from that one: mincing, draining the fat after cooking hamburger, making a sauce, putting salt in the water for noodles, substituting ingredients, how you're not supposed to drink the cooking wine, making sure you have pot holders when cooking with a cast iron skillet, and why he of all people should wash their hands before cooking anything. It was delicious! The second recipe was Chicken Piccata. The recipe called for half a lemon and I thought the lemons we had were quite small so I ended up telling him to use a whole one. The sauce was a bit sour. That's when he learned about doctoring up a recipe you screwed up. It turned out pretty decent, but I’m sure it would have been better if I had listened to the recipe and used half a lemon.

Today we're going to try making a Maple Glazed Roast Pork Loin. It'll be a learning experience for me, too, because I get roasts in theory, but haven't had experience with them outside of making Thanksgiving turkey. It took me forever to find butcher's twine for this! Hopefully all will go well. Wish us luck!

cathyvv

What a good sister you are! And this builds your relationship with your brother, too, You are so smart, and he is smart for listening to you!

chris_quilts

If you have an old-fashioned hardware store, they should have butcher's twine there by the ball. This is if you ever run out of what you've already bought and need more.

cashmommy11

just make sure you teach him how to clean up when hes done to..lol love it when dh cleans the kitchen

Flying_V_Goddess

We do have an old fashioned hardware store downtown. I wouldn't have been able to look there anyways. I got the stuff after I got off work at 9:30 and they close at 6. But I'll have to remember that for future reference.

Flying_V_Goddess

I did forget to mention I have been trying to teach him to clean as you go.

azdesertrat

All kids should know how to cook basic meals, do laundry, by the time they turn 18 if not sooner. Good For You!

Flying_V_Goddess

One of his arguements was that he can't learn how to cook. You know, like he's incapable of learning. I told him if he can boil water to make ramen noodles, use a skillet to make grilled cheese, or turn on the oven to throw in a frozen pizza then he has the ability to learn how to cook a meal.

We're going to get the roast going pretty soon. It looks delicious on the cooking software.

Flying_V_Goddess

The roast was awesome. It was very moist and had a sweet maple and cinnamon glaze that had sort of spicyness to it. Zach asked me what's the point of wrapping the roast in twine and it occured to me that I don't really know. I've watched a lot of cooking shows and own two cooking softwares and one cooking game for the DS and none of those things ever explained the purpose for wrapping a roast in twine. Well, whatever the reason the roast was delicious. Zach said he'd even make it again and that glaze was to die for. Must be doing something right if he wants to cook something again and its not out of a box or freezer.

When I get out of my bout of laziness I'll upload the picture I took of the roast.

chris_quilts

The twine holds the roast together so that you have a piece of meat to carve/eat versus pieces of meat to find and pick out of the pan. Hope this helps. :) :)