How many woodworkers cook?

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

jessecloud

I agree! Woodworking and cooking are my favorite hobbies. Lots of similarities - sharpening is a gateway skill, lots of planning, have to think processes through and do them in the right sequence, both are a mix of rules and room for creativity.

My wife brags that she gets whatever she wants for supper, cooked just the way she likes it and that all the furniture in the house is what she asks for.

One other thing comes to mind, those small cuts on the finger or stains on the shirt - I never can remember whether they are from woodworking or cooking. ;^)

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

Bob Ballard

I have about seven # of pastrami on the smoker.The two daughters and grandson are in the kitchen with the wife for the annual christmas cookie bake.I am in the shop raising my grinder in the forlorn hope it will improve my sharpening skills.... Bob

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

Paul Blackwell

I love to cook! I do mainly desserts and in fact I am doing a baking demo at the apartment complex on Monday. When I'm not in the shop, I can be found in the kitchen.

picture worth 1000 words

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Wife does most of cooking but I specialize in some things that involve tedious and precise. Woodworking has greatly improved my cutting and slicing skills as well as my cutting boards to do it on.

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

JL

I am a better baker than I am a cook.

Breads, cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits, rolls.

I am an okay cook - but I am not an "inspired" cook.

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

John McGaw

I cook all the time and have done so for most of my adult life. Sometimes I'm quite a good cook but from one instance to the next my dishes never turn out the same. Pretty much the same as my woodworking.

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

John Veerkamp

I started cooking about 65 years ago as a kid. In a house of 7 kids we all had to do everything. I still like to cook. I do most of the meat and main dish cooking. I cook outside on the grill whenever the weather is not too extreme. LMOL does the baking.

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

roger lance

I'm certainly not in Bill Tindall's class as a cook.....but, I do spend some time in the kitchen.....I just got back from the grocery with the makings for a big pot of chile.....got to prepare for this heavy snow storm they say will be hitting here starting tonight.

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

William Duffield

I cook.

For example, lamb kebab.

My most "famous" dish is a baked lima bean casserole. I'll be bringing a pot of it to next week's CJWA holiday dinner, again. I brought a pot of it to 5ive Barns several years ago (but I think Bill Grumbine's baked beans are better). It's the only recipe posted on the CJWA.ORG web site. My mother-in-law was a home economics teacher, and taught everyone in the family how to make pies, and we're now all famous for our pastry. We wrote and edited a cookbook, that has been selling several copies a year since 1984. Not only do I cook, but I make cooking tools.

Me too

Ellis Walentine

I cook most of the main courses around here, either on the grill, stove or oven depending on the item. Grilled salmon and various chicken dishes are my usual fare, but I make chili, chowders, soups, back ribs and other things, too. Not much red meat anymore, except the venison that our hunters gift us from our property.

Good question.

Ellis

Not the norm. Really good cook

Gary Smyth

if I say so myself. I live by myself in the suburbs of suburbs. I prefer my solitude, and no hermit, often the company of friends -- away, a distance. At this home I cook so well that I have never heard a complaint. I don’t eat lightly. I cook large, for the week, mostly on Mondays. For three seasons I generally make casseroles, pasta, rice, stews, baked potatoes and one meat. In summer I make hefty salads with meat and lots of fruit. My one take time meal each week is a massive BLT. I rarely have dessert but I binge on (mostly bakery bought} cake if I do. I try to make two different styles each week so there is variety. I cook comfort foods, reasonably balanced. Presentation means nothing to me. I hate dishes and breaking up the day to cook, or eat, for that matter. To quote from Forrest Gump “When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went.”

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

John McGaw

Actually I do a bit of baking, at least if nothing fancy is called for. I make a really mean loaf of crusty country bread and in a pinch I can make a simple pie but nothing too fiddly.

The bread is great with most of the huge-pot meals I prefer: chile, stews, soups, goulash, etc. Make enough to freeze for a half dozen more meals later is my motto. Too bad the bread is so time-consuming in that I have to get motivated the evening before I want it and do the prep to bake it for the next day's lunch.

Pretty soon we might need a recipe forum if we keep this up.

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

John C Lucas

If it fits in the microwave I can sometimes succeed. I've been known to ruin stuff I. There. I do cook a decent pancake.

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

Jim Dillon

Jack, count me in as someone who also loves to cook. Thanks to my mothers inspiration 64 years ago at the ripe age of 10, I have kept at it and the skills have IMO served me well through the years. I like simple recipes (none of the 24 step ones for me) that currently focus on healthy ingredients. Having said that, to paraphrase Julia Child, one can never have too much butter (or coconut milk). I lean toward asian inspired recipes, hence the nod to coconut milk. I think the carryover from woodworking (working with your hands) to cooking is a natural one that I embrace and thoroughly enjoy. My previous profession as a laboratory chemist helped reinforce the "working with your hands" mantra. Thanks for posting such an interesting question. Hey maybe we do need a recipe forum at WC! Jim

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

Joe Bradshaw

As a widower, I had to learn to take care of myself, which includes cooking. I have gotten quite good at it. I am thinking of doing a cookbook, entitled Cooking For Old Single Fat Guys. I think that it would be a best seller.

Joe

Just for myself....

John in NM

Used to spend half my time cooking for myself at a telescope. Took a new job and I have to cook for myself 5 days out of 7 now

Lucky for me I cook what I like and don't mind eating it several days in a row -- I often make an Italian sausage, green pepper, & noodle dish in the crock pot, that is good for several days.

Also make sauerbraten now and then. Friend at the last telescope spoiled that for me though, by giving me some venison. Beef sauerbraten now seems awfully plain after the venison version.

At the last job I also made bread often, cookies sometimes, and cakes now and then. It was just easier to keep the ingredients on hand and make it when I felt like it than try to plan what I would want a full week at a time. That, and if I ate all the cookies in three days I could simply make more

The difference between this and woodworking for me is necessity. I cook what I like of course, but I would vastly prefer not to have to cook at all.

Man, that looks good

Yonak

Can you share tips on crust making ?

Ditto my comment to Bill

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

John K Jordan

Married to The Best Cook in the Southeast for 46 years, I've learned to stay out of the way, concentrating on feeding the other 57 occupants of the farm.

However, with her foot surgery scheduled for today I'll need to diversify the menu to include more than hay and grain. With this thread I now know who to call on for ideas.

JKJ

Re: How many woodworkers cook?

Joseph Piotrowski

i'm backyard pitmaster! if i do say so myself . i make all my own sauces,glazes,marinades, brine and rubs.

some slow smoked ribs:

i'll make everything from fancy slow smoke surf and turf (with a reversed sear steak) to creative injected hotwings though my almost famous black and blue stuffed bacon burger.

i do some indoor cooking i have about 6 or so killer recipes and working my way through more.

I have become focused on the crockpot as of late. today i will be making a crockpot turkey lasagna. working my way through some times and portions so its store made sauces for now.

Yes to venison sauerbraten

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

The fat in beef takes the edge off this dish as well as Chili. Traditionally it was made with European Red Deer. Today we are cutting up a deer and a large muscle from the hind leg will be saved for this dish. The tough parts will be reserved for Chili.

How to make NY pizza

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

There is no good pizza in these parts so I have to make my own. Basic crust recipe as well as other information to be found in "American Pie, my search for the perfect pizza" by Peter Reinhart.

How the crust puffs up depends on the flour. I have come back to using "All Trumps" from general Mills. In any case use a high gluten flour. But high gluten flours are difficult to stretch. The bromate in All Trumps oxidizes the sulfides in the gluten and keeps them form crosslinking to make a rubbery stretch-resistant dough.

I use less oil than Reinhart for I like a chewy crust.

When ready to stretch, dump out the dough onto a flour bed and dust the top with flour to reduce stickiness. Go watch a pizza place do the stretch and copy it. Sometimes my pizza is nice and round, and other times I have interesting shapes.

Semolina flour is like ball bearings under the crust. A dusting on the peal ( I use a cookie sheet) makes the crust slide off easily. Just before sliding off lift an edge and blow under it to lift the dough before sliding it into the oven . Or , just use parchment paper under it and slide everything in.

Red unglazed quarry tile from the tile store make a good cooking surface. I just line an oven shelf with them.

There is a pizza Forum. Your head will explode reading it. You think sharpening is controversial......

Yepper

A.J. Hamler

Up until now, I've never talked about my books here except to respond to others' comments on them, but this topic seems appropriate to do so. (And if it's not, Ellis please delete this post.)

My newest book, "The Woodworker's Kitchen," just came out a few weeks ago. The opening paragraphs read:

"Most woodworkers will tell you that their shop is their favorite place in the world, and rightly so. But imagine a woodworker with two shops. Say what? Two shops? What woodworker has two shops?

"Well, I do.

"My first shop is a converted extra-large two-car garage attached to my house, and it has just about everything I need to build just about anything I want. But the best part is that because the shop is attached to the house, all I have to do is walk through a door and I’m in my second workshop: my kitchen.

"I’ve been cooking almost as long as I’ve been woodworking – or is that the other way around? There’s nothing I like better than wrapping up a great project in my first workshop, and then capping off a perfect day by spending time in my second.

"As woodworkers, we love making things for our homes. And, while all the woodworking magazines run projects for the kitchen from time to time, it occurred to me that a collection of these projects would appeal to those of us who enjoy creating things at both the table saw and the stove."

So, yeah, I guess you could say that I like to cook.

Now there is a fine idea

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

glad you posted