American Cooking Meme

[minoanmiss]

To save time I'm going to say above-cut that the only ones of these I haven't done are 14 and 30. I subsequently remembered that I tried to do 14 when I was younger than fourteen, but with fresh pineapple, so it Did Not Happen. 30 is the only one I want to do, and I *have* made laminated dough, just not croissants, so I think I get a half a point. And the number for #25 is about a dozen or so, maybe a few more.

Now, the questions as julian prepped them, blank for easy C&P:

1.Have you... made biscuits from scratch?
2.Fried fresh okra?
3. Made sourdough bread?
4. Fried chicken?
5. Made spaghetti sauce from scratch?
6. Made any kind of yeast bread?
7. Baked a cake from scratch?
8. Made icing from scratch?
9. Cooked a pot roast with all the veg?
10. Made chili from scratch?
11. Made a meatloaf?
12. Made scalloped potatoes?
13. Made mac/cheese from scratch?
14. Made a jello salad?
15. Made peanut brittle?
16. Made fudge?
17. Made cookies from scratch?
18. Cooked a pot of beans from dried beans?
19. Cooked a pot of greens?
20. Made cornbread from scratch?
21. Made a pie dough from scratch?
22. Cooked a whole turkey?
23. Snapped green beans and cooked them?
24. Made mashed potatoes from scratch?
25. What’s the most people you have (alone) prepared a whole meal for?
26. Poached an egg?
27. Made pancakes from scratch?
28. Roasted vegetables in the oven instead of boiling them?
29. Made fresh pasta?
30. Made croissants from scratch?
31. Made tuna salad?
32. Fried fish?
33. Made baked beans?
34. Made ice cream from scratch?
35. Made jam or jelly?
36. Zested an orange or lemon?
37. Made grits from scratch?
38. Made an omelette?
39. Lived in a house without a dishwasher?
40. Eaten a bowl of cereal for supper?



rosefox came up with some interesting and broader additional questions:

Things I'd add from my own culinary background, going with the vague theme of "things that one frequently gets in a restaurant or otherwise pre-made"...

Jewish: chicken stock (yes), matzo ball soup (yes), latkes (yes), personally dismantled a pomegranate (yes)

American: roast beef (yes), roast chicken (yes), fried eggs (yes), corned beef hash (yes), creamed corn (yes), creamed spinach (yes), T-bone steak (yes)

Asian: rice (yes), stir-fry (yes), ramen (yes), fried rice (yes), poached chicken (yes), curry (yes, starting with Jamaican but with some forays into custom curry blends), dumplings (yes), dumpling wrappers (yes), soup dumplings (no)

European: beef stew (yes), canard à l'orange (no -- duck tastes better without overly sweet orange glop on it), coq au vin (no), bolognese (yes), waterzooi (no but I want to), gazpacho (no), risotto (yes, wasn't worth it), paella (as Rose said, "yes, half-assedly")

Caribbean and Latin American: jerk chicken (yes), rice and peas (yes), salsa verde (yes), ropa vieja (no), mole (kinda), horchata (no), chicharrones (yes), fried plantains (yes), empanadas (yes)

Desserts: tempered chocolate (yes), marble cake (yes), rainbow cookies (yes), granita (yes), custard (yes), crème brûlée (no because neither WD nor TL will trust me with a blowtorch, I am sad), toffee pudding (no but I should)

Talk to me about food!

Comments

[kore]

I found that list SO weird and typically I like memes but it was annoying seeing it going around everywhere because it is just. so. weird! The ONLY things I have done on it are made spaghetti sauce from scratch, cooked a pot of beans from dried beans (once and never again, man), snapped green beans and cooked them, made mashed potatoes from scratch (whut? like, you peel them and boil them and mash them up? Sure?), poached an egg, roasted vegetables in the oven, tuna salad, fried fish, zested a lemon, made an omelette, eaten a bowl of cereal for supper, and the last time I lived in a house with a dishwasher I was 17 and it was my parents'. It's a very odd mix of stuff I consider really complicated and beyond basic? IDK.

I was bummed there were no tacos, no quesadillas, carnitas, menudo, huevos rancheros, green chile rellenos, carne asada, SOPAPILLAS....God I miss all that really spicy stuff.

[acequeenking]

The original list seems so southern-US to me.

Biscuits, okra, grits? Really not things here -- not that they aren't available but generally I don't think it would be a Thing you'd have without going out of the way to experience it. Ditto jello salads which my grandmother made but which I haven't had since the late eighties because of it. I have never even heard of dried beans.

On the other hand, I have made most of rosefox's additions, so I wouldn't say I'm an uncultured swine-bag who makes pre-made kraft mac and cheese dinner and nothing else. I suspect this list really depends on where you got your culinary knowledge.

Though I did laugh at #40, because that is my father if he is left unattended at every meal.

[minoanmiss]

Yeah, it's not just US but Southern-US tilted. So I guess we should add things to tilt it back!

Dried beans are ripe beans (not green -- the pods wither and become brittle during the ripening process) which are harvested, broken from the pods, and dried for storage. When they're canned they're put in cans with water and salt, sealed in, and then cooked during the canning process. I grew up cooking and eating dried beans rather than canned, for the most part. It's just what my Mom was used to.

[julian]

Calluna has a (very small, creme brulee appropriate) blowtorch that she uses for jewelry making. I am sad on your behalf.

Do you *like* scalloped potatoes? (Or, I suppose my question is, a) do you like potatoes, and b) if so, how?)

[minoanmiss]

I LOOOOOOOVE potatoes. SO MUCH. I'm trying to think of a potato recipe I don't like. Potato salad with too much mayonnaise is the only one I can think of (I like potato salad, it just needs to be potato salad and not studded mayonnaise). Scalloped potatoes are tasty and rich. I should try making them again now that I have my paddle slicer...

[acelightning]

1.Have you... made biscuits from scratch? Y (Regularly.)
2.Fried fresh okra?
3. Made sourdough bread? Y
4. Fried chicken? Y
5. Made spaghetti sauce from scratch? Y
6. Made any kind of yeast bread? Y (Regularly.)
7. Baked a cake from scratch? Y (Regularly.)
8. Made icing from scratch? Y (Regularly.)
9. Cooked a pot roast with all the veg?
10. Made chili from scratch?
11. Made a meatloaf? Y
12. Made scalloped potatoes? Y
13. Made mac/cheese from scratch? Y
14. Made a jello salad? Y
15. Made peanut brittle?
16. Made fudge? Y
17. Made cookies from scratch? Y (Regularly.)
18. Cooked a pot of beans from dried beans? Y
19. Cooked a pot of greens?
20. Made cornbread from scratch? Y (Regularly.)
21. Made a pie dough from scratch? Y (Regularly.)
22. Cooked a whole turkey? Y
23. Snapped green beans and cooked them? Y
24. Made mashed potatoes from scratch? Y
25. What’s the most people you have (alone) prepared a whole meal for? 11
26. Poached an egg? y
27. Made pancakes from scratch? Y (Regularly.)
28. Roasted vegetables in the oven instead of boiling them?
29. Made fresh pasta?
30. Made croissants from scratch? Y (Regularly.)
31. Made tuna salad?
32. Fried fish?
33. Made baked beans? Y (Boston baked beans, my Chelsea grandmother's recipe)
34. Made ice cream from scratch? Y
35. Made jam or jelly? Y
36. Zested an orange or lemon? Y
37. Made grits from scratch?
38. Made an omelette? Y (Regularly.)
39. Lived in a house without a dishwasher? Y
40. Eaten a bowl of cereal for supper?

I have rendered lard for making biscuits and pie crust. I have made yogurt. I tried to grow watercress hydroponically, but it didn't grow fast enough to be useful. I have made cannabis-infused edibles in another millennium. I had to make a jello salad in 7th grade Home Economics class in 1959. I have made (and use often) my own Chinese-style "chili oil". I once had someone show up at my place with a half-cooked duck and ask me to finish the cooking (and prepare some side dishes). I have made flavoring extracts, cordials, and various other things by soaking spices, herbs, fruits, and other things in high-proof liquor. I have burned various parts of my body while cooking. I have made chicken broth. I have cooked an awful lot of things that I couldn't eat because of allergies and/or deep revulsion. I have actually churned butter. I have a creme brulee torch. I taught myself how to temper chocolate so I could make chocolate-dipped candied ginger. I watch a lot of cooking videos on YouTube.

[julian]

Why *did* you churn butter?

[darkmarcy]

Reading all this made me hungry :D I think I can only say Yes on the Personally dismantling a pomegranate question, however...

[sabotabby]

1.Have you... made biscuits from scratch? Yes (for both sides of the Atlantic's definition of biscuits)
2.Fried fresh okra? Yes, didn't go well
3. Made sourdough bread? Every week!
4. Fried chicken? I fried fake chicken.
5. Made spaghetti sauce from scratch? Yes.
6. Made any kind of yeast bread? No.
7. Baked a cake from scratch? Yes.
8. Made icing from scratch? Yes.
9. Cooked a pot roast with all the veg? No, unless you count Tofurky and similar things.
10. Made chili from scratch? Yes.
11. Made a meatloaf? No.
12. Made scalloped potatoes? No.
13. Made mac/cheese from scratch? Yes.
14. Made a jello salad? Eww, no.
15. Made peanut brittle? No.
16. Made fudge? I think so? Once?
17. Made cookies from scratch? Yes.
18. Cooked a pot of beans from dried beans? Yes.
19. Cooked a pot of greens? All the time.
20. Made cornbread from scratch? Yes.
21. Made a pie dough from scratch? Yes.
22. Cooked a whole turkey? No.
23. Snapped green beans and cooked them? Yes.
24. Made mashed potatoes from scratch? Yes.
25. What’s the most people you have (alone) prepared a whole meal for? Good question. 8-10?
26. Poached an egg? Yes.
27. Made pancakes from scratch? Yes.
28. Roasted vegetables in the oven instead of boiling them? Yes.
29. Made fresh pasta? From a bag.
30. Made croissants from scratch? No.
31. Made tuna salad? No.
32. Fried fish? No.
33. Made baked beans? No.
34. Made ice cream from scratch? No.
35. Made jam or jelly? Yes.
36. Zested an orange or lemon? Yes.
37. Made grits from scratch? No.
38. Made an omelette? Yes.
39. Lived in a house without a dishwasher? Most of the places I've lived.
40. Eaten a bowl of cereal for supper? Yes.

[ororo]

I've seen the list going around. I've made half of these things, and the biggest group I've cooked for by myself was a brunch for 10. Out of the 20 I didn't do, 10 I don't want to.

I found the list heavily southern and was amused that there were only two fish dishes.

What I made this past weekend: chick pea cavatapi with arugula, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, garlic, topped with balsamic vinegar. Also, huevos rancheros, but with another failed attempt at arepas instead of tortillas (I have so much masarepa it isn't funny)

What I'm making this weekend: lentil/carrot soup, and white bean dip that I refuse to call hummus. Possibly also going to try grating a lot of ginger and putting that in a vacuum bag with chicken for sous vide.

I just realized

[ororo]

there is no lamb on this list. Not chops, not a leg.

Re: I just realized

[minoanmiss]

Americans should really eat more lamb.

[gingicat]

When did you do #3?

[minoanmiss]

When I was living with WD. It did help that I had the bread machine.

[baranduin]

1.Have you... made biscuits from scratch? Y
2.Fried fresh okra? N
3. Made sourdough bread? N
4. Fried chicken? Y
5. Made spaghetti sauce from scratch? Y
6. Made any kind of yeast bread? Y (for piroshki)
7. Baked a cake from scratch? Y
8. Made icing from scratch? Y
9. Cooked a pot roast with all the veg? Y
10. Made chili from scratch? Y
11. Made a meatloaf? Y
12. Made scalloped potatoes? Y
13. Made mac/cheese from scratch? N
14. Made a jello salad? Y (Pretzel salad is delicious)
15. Made peanut brittle? N
16. Made fudge? Y
17. Made cookies from scratch? Y
18. Cooked a pot of beans from dried beans? Y
19. Cooked a pot of greens? N
20. Made cornbread from scratch? Y
21. Made a pie dough from scratch? Y, badly
22. Cooked a whole turkey? Y
23. Snapped green beans and cooked them? N
24. Made mashed potatoes from scratch? Y
25. What’s the most people you have (alone) prepared a whole meal for? 20-30
26. Poached an egg? N
27. Made pancakes from scratch? Y
28. Roasted vegetables in the oven instead of boiling them? Y
29. Made fresh pasta? N
30. Made croissants from scratch? N
31. Made tuna salad? Y
32. Fried fish? Y
33. Made baked beans? N
34. Made ice cream from scratch? N
35. Made jam or jelly? N
36. Zested an orange or lemon? Y
37. Made grits from scratch? N
38. Made an omelette? Y
39. Lived in a house without a dishwasher? Y
40. Eaten a bowl of cereal for supper? Y



[personal profile] rosefox came up with some interesting and broader additional questions:

Things I'd add from my own culinary background, going with the vague theme of "things that one frequently gets in a restaurant or otherwise pre-made"...

Jewish: chicken stock (yes), matzo ball soup (no), latkes (yes), personally dismantled a pomegranate (yes)

American: roast beef (yes), roast chicken (yes), fried eggs (yes), corned beef hash (no), creamed corn (no), creamed spinach (no), T-bone steak (yes)

Asian: rice (yes), stir-fry (yes), ramen (yes), fried rice (yes), poached chicken (yes), curry (yes, starting with Jamaican but with some forays into custom curry blends), dumplings (no), dumpling wrappers (no), soup dumplings (no)

European: beef stew (yes), canard à l'orange (yes), coq au vin (no), bolognese (no), waterzooi (no but I want to), gazpacho (no), risotto (no), paella (no)

Caribbean and Latin American: jerk chicken (no), rice and peas (no), salsa verde (no), ropa vieja (no), mole (yes), horchata (no), chicharrones (no), fried plantains (no), empanadas (no)

Desserts: tempered chocolate (no), marble cake (only by accident), rainbow cookies (no), granita (no), custard (yes), crème brûlée (no), toffee pudding (no)

Adding my own category:

Russian/Jewish: Piroshki (yes), Pilmeni (no), Kulich (no), Borscht (no), Honey cake (no), Mandelbrot (yes), Gefilte fish (nooooooooo), Bialy (no), beef stroganoff (yes),
Chopped liver (no), Lukshyn mit Leybern--chicken liver with noodles (yes, though with rice and soy sauce not sugar since my Jewish food came via Shanghai, same with stroganoff).

[minoanmiss]

I love your additional category. And I want to make gefilte fish one day!

[amaebi]

I really, really want to make bialy. It's been decades since I saw any to buy, and I'm egregious fond of them.

[annonynous.livejournal.com]

I'll start off by mentioning that most of my suppers (I don't technically eat dinners) involve a TV dinner and a microwave.

22. and 23. Yes.
24. - Yes. I've also made smashed potatoes (Yes, there's a difference.) from scratch.
34. - Yes, on a friend's farm up in Maine. My shoulders have long forgotten how sore they were from the exercise.
38. - Yes, although I spell if omelet.
39. - Yes. Most of my life (until I bought my own house).
40. - Yes. Also for break fast (my spelling) and broke fast (also my spelling).

Ann O., off to microwave my next meal.

[cjsmith]

I have about as many yesses as nos, and about half my yes answers have the caveat "but food snobs would say no I hadn't REALLY". I guess I've learned not to talk to food people about food, at least until I know the person.

[minoanmiss]

If you think you have then you have, and food snobs can bite my left buttcheek. I love talking about food and I hope to never ever come off as a food snob.

[amaebi]

Just on the numbered list: I have not done 12, 14, 15, or 31. I can't answer 25, really, but I catered my own first wedding reception.

37: What's scratch when it comes to grits? If starting with corn pre-ground for grits counts, yes.

The Rose list: I haven't made creamed corn and I only opened a tin for the first time, when I made corn fritters on Friday. My immediate and lasting response is, "Aside from corn fritters, who on earth uses this for what?"

I have not made soup dumplings, ropa vieja, chicharrones or empanadas, marble cake, rainbow cookies, or toffee pudding.

There is a pudding restaurant in England that I hope to go to, some day.

[julian]

"...but I catered my own first wedding reception."

For cost reasons, or because you wanted to?

[julian]

How do you tell if a quince is ripe, anyway?

[minoanmiss]

It should be redolently fragrant and hopefully on the yellow side of yellow-green.

[loribarett]

1.Have you... made biscuits from scratch? YES
2.Fried fresh okra? YES
3. Made sourdough bread? NO
4. Fried chicken? YES
5. Made spaghetti sauce from scratch? YES
6. Made any kind of yeast bread? NO
7. Baked a cake from scratch? YES
8. Made icing from scratch? YES
9. Cooked a pot roast with all the veg? YES
10. Made chili from scratch? YES
11. Made a meatloaf? YES
12. Made scalloped potatoes? NO
13. Made mac/cheese from scratch? NO
14. Made a jello salad? NO
15. Made peanut brittle? NO
16. Made fudge? YES
17. Made cookies from scratch? YES
18. Cooked a pot of beans from dried beans? YES
19. Cooked a pot of greens? YES
20. Made cornbread from scratch? NO
21. Made a pie dough from scratch? YES
22. Cooked a whole turkey? YES
23. Snapped green beans and cooked them? YES
24. Made mashed potatoes from scratch? YES
25. What’s the most people you have (alone) prepared a whole meal for? 12
26. Poached an egg? NO
27. Made pancakes from scratch? YES
28. Roasted vegetables in the oven instead of boiling them? YES
29. Made fresh pasta? NO
30. Made croissants from scratch? NO
31. Made tuna salad? NO
32. Fried fish? YES
33. Made baked beans? NO
34. Made ice cream from scratch? YES
35. Made jam or jelly? NO
36. Zested an orange or lemon? YES
37. Made grits from scratch? NO
38. Made an omelette? YES
39. Lived in a house without a dishwasher? YES (dear gods it sucks so so so hard)
40. Eaten a bowl of cereal for supper? YES


Jewish: chicken stock (no), matzo ball soup (no), latkes (no), personally dismantled a pomegranate (yes)

American: roast beef (yes), roast chicken (no), fried eggs (yes), corned beef hash (yes), creamed corn (no), creamed spinach (no), T-bone steak (no)

Asian: rice (yes), stir-fry (yes), ramen (no), fried rice (yes), poached chicken (no), curry (yes), dumplings (no), dumpling wrappers (no), soup dumplings (no)

European: beef stew (yes), canard à l'orange (no), coq au vin (no), bolognese (no), waterzooi (no), gazpacho (no), risotto (yes), paella (no)

Caribbean and Latin American: jerk chicken (no), rice and peas (no), salsa verde (no), ropa vieja (no), mole (yes), horchata (no), chicharrones (no), fried plantains (no), empanadas (no)

Desserts: tempered chocolate (no), marble cake (no), rainbow cookies (no), granita (no), custard (yes), crème brûlée (yes), toffee pudding (no)