What do you think is the most challenging thing in cooking?

[fmw]

For me the main challenge is getting everything to finish at the same time.

 

[obillo]

Mise en place. I generally am short on time and I'm throwing things together haphazardly.

The "mise" is something I finally forced myself to do every time, but otherwise I'm thinking "What? There's just ONE most challenging thing?"
What I've noticed a lot among family and friends is poor knife skills: crap knives, low-quality, usually too small, always dull, never steeled, tossed in the dishwasher. The pinch grip is unknown to them. Instead, some use the prissy index-finger-on-the-spine grip, others the full-fist serial killer grip.

 

[Linda0818]

The "mise" is something I finally forced myself to do every time, but otherwise I'm thinking "What? There's just ONE most challenging thing?"
What I've noticed a lot among family and friends is poor knife skills: crap knives, low-quality, usually too small, always dull, never steeled, tossed in the dishwasher. The pinch grip is unknown to them. Instead, some use the prissy index-finger-on-the-spine grip, others the full-fist serial killer grip.

Wasn't aware that laying your finger on the spine of the knife was "prissy". Huh. Learn something new every day. I guess I'm prissy, then, and would get Anne Burrell's red mark of death.

I personally don't give a how people hold their knives. As long as the food tastes good.

 

[dragnlaw]

I've had to re-enforce my 'mise en place' because when ever I have a miserable meal it is almost always because I missed an ingredient, didn't do the correct order and timing because of it. Can't believe it can actually change a recipe that much but it can! Believe me!

 

[obillo]

You're right--how you hold the knife doesn't affect taste. But a poor grip makes the work harder and less accurate, and that usually affects the cook's morale.

 

[Linda0818]

You're right--how you hold the knife doesn't affect taste. But a poor grip makes the work harder and less accurate, and that usually affects the cook's morale.

That's pretty deep. I don't think of knife cuts in those terms. I've never had a problem and don't feel I have a poor grip and am able to cut through all of my vegetables with no problems.

 

[Andy M.]

Professional chefs have, over time, figured out the most comfortable grip for long periods of knife use. So perhaps the pinch grip is less tiring than the index finger on the spine grip.

I suspect the type of grip you use with your knife could make a difference if you were cutting and chopping as part of a full-time job. Most of us are not in that situation.

If you don't care about using a certain "preferred" grip, go of it. Ultimately, being comfortable with your tools is the most important factor.

 

[Linda0818]

Professional chefs have, over time, figured out the most comfortable grip for long periods of knife use. So perhaps the pinch grip is less tiring than the index finger on the spine grip.

I suspect the type of grip you use with your knife could make a difference if you were cutting and chopping as part of a full-time job. Most of us are not in that situation.

If you don't care about using a certain "preferred" grip, go of it. Ultimately, being comfortable with your tools is the most important factor.

I'm very comfortable with it, thanks

That and I'm not a professional chef. Wish I could cut like one, though. I've tried to teach myself how to do the 'chunk chunk chunk' cut with the whole rocking the knife thing, but I've never mastered it. I just can't do it. I've even watched tutorials on how to 'properly' cut vegetables, but it just doesn't feel right to me. Maybe it's my DNA

However, I'm still able to cut my veggies quickly and precisely, so it works for me.

 

[Andy M.]

I'm very comfortable with it, thanks . . . However, I'm still able to cut my veggies quickly and precisely, so it works for me.

After all, this is what counts.

 

[rodentraiser]

If I had to pick just one thing, I'd say the most challenging is chopping things up. When I make my potato cheese bacon soup, I'm chopping potatoes, bacon, onions and shredding cheese. My shrimp rice dish requires chopping shrimp and celery. I love them both, but it gets to be a bit much and takes forever because I always have to sit down and rest.

I think I'm going to start buying the prechopped celery and onions from now on. I think it will make things much easier. I already went over to buying Ore-Ida chopped hash brown potatoes for my soup.

 

[blissful]

@rodentraiser do you have something that will help you chop like a slapper chopper, or food processor? I don't think I would enjoy cooking without those kinds of helps.

And what I do is chopped/dice a bucket of onions at a time, freezing it so I don't have to deal with chopping onions on my next week of cooking. Same with peppers, celery, carrots. Potato/veggie hash is easy. Making salsa is very easy with it. I only use the two dice sizes and not the rest of the blades it came with.

 

[taxlady]

@rodentraiser do you have something that will help you chop like a slapper chopper, or food processor? I don't think I would enjoy cooking without those kinds of helps.

And what I do is chopped/dice a bucket of onions at a time, freezing it so I don't have to deal with chopping onions on my next week of cooking. Same with peppers, celery, carrots. Potato/veggie hash is easy. Making salsa is very easy with it. I only use the two dice sizes and not the rest of the blades it came with.

I looked up this particular chopper and all the parts can be washed in a dishwasher. Even though I don't have a working dishwasher at the moment, I consider that an important factor. I don't want a gadget that makes the cutting quicker, if I spend more time cleaning it than I would spend cleaning a knife and cutting board. Oh, and another factor, it shouldn't take up too much space on my dish drainer. I wash stuff as I use it, when I'm cooking. I hate not having space to wash an item because, something else is taking all the space on the dish drainer.

 

[blissful]

@taxlady the slapper chopper comes with lots of different blades but I just use the two dicing sizes. The dicing blades are easy to wash and rinse. The part that presses the vegetables down, that is the part that needs to be cleaned with a knife, getting the vegetable parts out from between the small parts.

 

[dragnlaw]

But being plastic, I've found other tools like that rinse/swish very easy. Well, maybe not cheese, lol.

 

[taxlady]

I have a wonderful food processor. When I bought it, it said dishwasher safe. I didn't know and it didn't specify, that it is only dishwasher safe on the top rack. Well, back then, I did have a dishwasher, but the bowls didn't fit on the top shelf. I seldom use this food processor. First I have to check if there is anything else drying on the dish rack. Even if there isn't, I will have to wait for hours to use that dish rack for anything else because, the danged food processor fills up the entire dish rack.

 

[rodentraiser]

@rodentraiser do you have something that will help you chop like a slapper chopper, or food processor? I don't think I would enjoy cooking without those kinds of helps.

And what I do is chopped/dice a bucket of onions at a time, freezing it so I don't have to deal with chopping onions on my next week of cooking. Same with peppers, celery, carrots. Potato/veggie hash is easy. Making salsa is very easy with it. I only use the two dice sizes and not the rest of the blades it came with.

I actually have a food processor but then I'd have more dishes to wash when I was done chopping. So I haven't used it yet.

Plus I have a fridge that's only about double the height of a dorm fridge and has half the depth of a regular fridge. Once I get done with my monthly shopping, I'm pretty close to leaning a large elephant against the doors to keep them shut. I'm dying to get a larger fridge. Maybe next summer.

 

[Linda0818]

I actually have a food processor but then I'd have more dishes to wash when I was done chopping. So I haven't used it yet.

Plus I have a fridge that's only about double the height of a dorm fridge and has half the depth of a regular fridge. Once I get done with my monthly shopping, I'm pretty close to leaning a large elephant against the doors to keep them shut. I'm dying to get a larger fridge. Maybe next summer.

I have food processors as well (a large size and 2 small ones) but rarely use them for the same reason. I actually don't mind chopping vegetables and I'd rather do it myself than create more dishes to wash. Plus when I chop them myself, I can cut them into the shapes I desire. Sometimes I do dices, sometimes I do julienne, sometimes whole slices, sometimes half slices, etc.

Hope you get your larger fridge soon.

 

[Jusa]

The "mise" is something I finally forced myself to do every time, but otherwise I'm thinking "What? There's just ONE most challenging thing?"
What I've noticed a lot among family and friends is poor knife skills: crap knives, low-quality, usually too small, always dull, never steeled, tossed in the dishwasher. The pinch grip is unknown to them. Instead, some use the prissy index-finger-on-the-spine grip, others the full-fist serial killer grip.

I'm laughing because I've got nice knives but crappy knife skills. It still tastes good though.

 

[dragnlaw]

Jusa, spot on - no matter your knife skills, the food still tastes good. How you hold your knife and how you get to the end product, is entirely subjective. Plus IMHO highly overrated.
Sure it would be nice to perform like a teppanyaki chef but as long as I get a close approximation of julienned carrots for those sushi rolls, I'm happy! LOL
I actually have (somewhere) a hand cranked chopper. I used it for everything! Used no power, easy to clean (run under running water and then swish is soapy water for the sharp blades). Used no electricity, handle stored inside when put away, about the size of a large cereal bowl - stored anywhere! I should see if I can find it - must be in storage.

Think mine was/is slightly larger than the one pictured.

 

[bethzaring]

I have a wonderful food processor. When I bought it, it said dishwasher safe. I didn't know and it didn't specify, that it is only dishwasher safe on the top rack. Well, back then, I did have a dishwasher, but the bowls didn't fit on the top shelf. I seldom use this food processor. First I have to check if there is anything else drying on the dish rack. Even if there isn't, I will have to wait for hours to use that dish rack for anything else because, the danged food processor fills up the entire dish rack.

I have the same issue with my Cuisinart food processor. I still put the plastic parts in my dishwasher but do not use the heated final cycle. This has worked for at least 5 years with no warping of the bowl or lid.