Pointless Poll Time!

[neadods]

I turned down the chance to go to Malice Domestic so I could put the money into the house or the cards... and now I have the potential of spending the same amount of money on cooking classes. I rationalize this by thinking that I'm getting more out of learning cooking skills than being tempted to buy books.

This is not a bad rationalization. Or so I tell myself.

Anyway! Today I signed up for a cheesemaking class. I have options to also take one-day classes in breadmaking, sauce and salsa making, and/or How To Use a Knife (I don't so much chop things as molest them to pieces.)

And you get to tell me where to go. So to speak.


[Poll #1675799]

Comments

[lagilman]

Everyone should know how to use their knives properly, and it transfers into any kind of cooking that you might do.

[queenmaggie.livejournal.com]

IF you are willing to invest in a fine quality knife. Nothing has made me happier in my kitchen than the purchase of really really good knives. (Of course, I've been learning about breads and sauces for years, so I wouldn't feel the need for those classes. But good knives are a balm to the soul when cooking...

[jeff-morris.livejournal.com]

Bread and cheese--you'd be set in case of a (ahem) blizzard or something along those lines.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

As far as I'm concerned, what I need in the house in case of blizzards are toilet paper, milk, bread, and onion dip. And chips, I guess, for the dip.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've got some fairly good knives; I've been happy with them.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Ironically, I used to collect blades.

[wshaffer.livejournal.com]

I've been dabbling in breadmaking (mostly soda breads and other quick breads), and it's amazing how good homemade bread tastes, so if I had time and opportunity right now, that's what I'd be most tempted to go for.

Having said that, even small improvements in knife skills can make a big difference in how much of a pain in the butt it is to get meals cooked. Jamie Oliver has a short knife skills video on YouTube (I think it was part of his 30-Minute meals series), and I was surprised by how much I, as someone who's hacked my way through my fair share of vegetables, was able to learn from it.

[benbenberi.livejournal.com]

Ninja knife skills are useful no matter what you're cooking. (I love to watch Jacques Pepin do his knife thing -- pure art.) Breadmaking is also useful & fun -- not to mention manhandling yeast dough can be very therapeutic: yeast only gets happier when you thump it around. Sauce & salsa sounds like a tasty class, esp. if it focuses on the base sauces you can build variations on. If you have the time and the $$, go for all of them, if not I'd say knife skills will pay you back the most.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Jamie Oliver has a short knife skills video on YouTube

Ooo!

(Mind you, I have an ipad full of how-to-cook-x video podcasts that I haven't watched yet...)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Only the urge to spend sensibly is stopping me from taking all of them... and I stand a chance of balancing it out by buying stained glass window cling for the bathroom instead of an actual antique stained glass window.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Seconded.

[penfold-x.livejournal.com]

Thirded. All sound good, but I think the knife class would give you the most bang for your buck.

[tchwrtr.livejournal.com]

Come to my house. I teach you making of bread.

Seriously, it's not hard. What it requires is time. If you have a morning (2-3 hours), we can make wonderful loaves together.

I can also proof some yeast the night before for French bread--something to do while the plain white rises. I need to practice that one anyway.

Interested?

[zinelady.livejournal.com]

I took a bread making in college over a January term. It was the same time I took Sex ed and premartital concerns. I called it my bread making and bed making term.

Bread making is a lot of fun...plus you hopefully can eat what you make.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

YES! And it will provide a good excuse to transfer books. Let me get back to you so we can compare schedules.

[sethrak.livejournal.com]

I voted for the Running with Sharp Things class, in part because I myself am utterly rubbish with cutting food objects, and wish to save others from this plight. ^_^ I own a mandoline slicer because I ruined too many perfectly good vegetables, and would own a food processor if I could justify the cost. So many other things to buy, and frankly my Zodlings are so finicky I wouldn't have much call for more complex dishes than we currently make.

Voted for sauce and salsa because OM NOM NOM. ^_^

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I want sauce and salsa because then I can steam or poach meat and then jazz them up with a dozen different sauces and toppings. I've got a monster book on the subject - seriously, I've owned smaller coffee tables - but there's nothing like visuals and hands on.