How did you learn to cook? / LJWorld.com

Asked at Massachusetts Street on August 9, 2012

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“My aunt Gladys taught me — she was my favorite. And from observing my grandma.”

— Sue Suhler, retired, Lawrence

“I had to start after I moved out, so I just did.”

— Judy Graversen-Algaier, looking for work, Lawrence

“My mom and dad taught me, and then I did some experimenting.”

— Mihir Singh, student, Lawrence

“From watching my mom, and then from lessons from a girlfriend in college.”

— Cale Moore, student, Lawrence

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"Food for Fifty". Great book. Dinner cook, Grace Pearson Scholarship Hall, 1987-1989. You quickly learn to cook good food when you're serving 50 college kids. Do something wrong and you could end up on the losing side of a 49-against-1 food fight. It happened. More than once.

Chris Golledge 1 year, 8 months ago

Anyone familiar with the term 'biochar'?

Ronda Miller 1 year, 8 months ago

Bon appetite

Ronda Miller 1 year, 8 months ago

Flim flam man Got tossed in the pan Fried right Salted light Turned out alright A bit up tight

tange 1 year, 8 months ago

My dad picked me up and threw me into the middle of the frying pan.
I quickly made the leap into the fire.

/ yeah, flambéant

Ronda Miller 1 year, 8 months ago

sure, rockchalker, go with ignorance. Hehe. It's never worked for you in the past.

Bluecharley, if your wife sees this, it isn't what wives are for. ....it's a I remember when.

River, shrimp would make it a complete meal...sounds divine.

Roe, someone in your household makes a mean potato salad and I'm not just wiping spurtle off my face

RoeDapple 1 year, 8 months ago

Ain't that big of deal frankie8. Skip to about 6:45 to see the process . . .

Gunsmithing: Casting Bullets (Gunworks) by downeastgunworks

riverdrifter 1 year, 8 months ago

I gots a muddler which I use to make caipirinhas but have no use for a spurtle.

RoeDapple 1 year, 8 months ago

R_I - I gots it from the kitchin, she has so much of that stuff she never missed it

Leslie Swearingen 1 year, 8 months ago

You can get an 8" wood muddler for $3.35 http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/foodservice/beverage-centers/bar-supplies/muddler-8-wood?utm_source=google_pr&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Bar-Supplies-google_pr&infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=CLbz6s7d27ECFUOQ7QodMmAAPg

Or get a spurtle here from a Scot which you should really consideering that it is the traditional Scottish porridge stick. Only $12.00

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com/Shopping/spurtle.htm

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 1 year, 8 months ago

blue73harley 1 year, 8 months ago

Cooking? Isn't that what wives are for?

rockchalker52 1 year, 8 months ago

I have no idea what you are talking about so here is more proof that mizzou is still a clown factory.

http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/missouri_coach_asks_girls_running_on_stadium_stairs_to_leave_because_they_were_a_distraction_picture/11413432

RoeDapple 1 year, 8 months ago

Hell, I didn't even know what a spurtle was til I looked it up! Thought I might be missing out on sumpin kinky! Turns out I've had one for years. Use it to knock the sprue off the bullet castings!

Andini 1 year, 8 months ago

Still learning.

Leslie Swearingen 1 year, 8 months ago

Here is my favorite recipe. Go out into the woods, the deep, dark, furtive woods where lurks the very essence of nature. 1. find a clearing 2. find some dead wood and pile in up in a circle about six feet around and about three feet high. 3.pour some Jack Daniels on the wood 4.using a long handled lighter gadget light the file 5.put a marshmallow on a stick that is about four feet long. 6.reach out and place the marshmallow about three inches from the flame. You may have to try several times before you get this to the degree of brown/black that you prefer.

The Jack Daniels on the wood will give the marshmallow a special flavor or you can soak it the the liquid.

Ronda Miller 1 year, 8 months ago

My spurrle erupted and almost took out one of my eyes. Obviously, I was hovering too close to the spurrle and my tongue was extended. I hoped to catch the spurrle on my tongue instead of displacing my eye.

Leslie Swearingen 1 year, 8 months ago

Hank Williams - Hey Good Looking (1951) The Original by Banzeken

Leslie Swearingen 1 year, 8 months ago

Heres a shout out to all the brothers who cook for their ladies.

Hank Williams - Hey Good Looking (1951) The Original by Banzeken

Ronda Miller 1 year, 8 months ago

Cooking is similar to poetry. What is a good mix for one is nix for another. Creativity is the key. Don't be afraid to go into the deepest recesses of your cupboard, reach past the brown recluse lurking nearby (unless you're a cuzin - then rip their bitty heads off with urine teeth), and throw any old combo in the pot. If you're hungry enough, you'll be surprised at your delicious combo.

River, may I get your dip/ casserole recipe from you? It was good enough to eat directly out of the bowl.

My fudge frosting recipe is one I watched my auntie - not second cousin uncle autie - do the slow ball method with cool water until it was just right for years. Apparently, from the texture this last time I shared it at a backyard event, I need a refresher course.

Keep eating! It's the American way.

Damian666 1 year, 8 months ago

I discovered solar cooking when I received my first magnifying glass.

autie 1 year, 8 months ago

My, that dress is very becoming on you Mrs. Cleaver. Is Wally home? And how is little Thedore? He is growing up so fast these days.

ohjayhawk 1 year, 8 months ago

I'm surprised a good chunk of the day has gone by without a "To Serve Man" reference.

g_rock 1 year, 8 months ago

I baked cookies for work last week. You would think these people had never seen a homemade cookie before. They went nuts! Either that or they were really really good.

FlintlockRifle 1 year, 8 months ago

My mommy many years ago, then Griffs Burger Bar on 23rd street for about 10 days

thebcman 1 year, 8 months ago

With My Hands.

CWGOKU 1 year, 8 months ago

Tomorrows OTS question: Who taught you to get dressed. With a special commentary from Randy Travis. Welcome back, um, "Eddie"

Eddie_Haskell 1 year, 8 months ago

But then, Randy's always looked like he's been chasing parked cars. It's sort of an improvement.

Eddie_Haskell 1 year, 8 months ago

Randy Travis stole his 2012 from my 2011. I racked up 2 Dooeys last year. He's still got plenty of time. He trumped me with the nekked stuff, though. Much better mugshot, too.

emily_litella 1 year, 8 months ago

I read that real good book, Cooking With Gas, by Sylvia Plath. Borrowed it from Lecter.

I'll tell you why people are cranky though. It's those circus acts being called Olympic sports. Those darn smiling robot mimes in the water, somebody needs to just how long they can hold their breath and just because you can catch a hula-hoop, a ball, or wave a streamer while tumbling doesn't make you a gymnast. You should be in Vegas, not London...freaks!

The_Original_Bob 1 year, 8 months ago

"Christ, people sure did get uptight on this page since I went to jail."

It has been kind of dead here, Eddie. The OTS needs a spark.

riverdrifter 1 year, 8 months ago

Self taught but I've gotten pretty good, I think. The other day, though, I took a spinach/artichoke dip to a backyarder and everybody thought it was a casserole.

RoeDapple 1 year, 8 months ago

Just not enough happy pills to go around Eddie . . .

by RoeDapple

prospector 1 year, 8 months ago

Did Randy Travis go to Spacehog's Driving School? Naked and combative driving is an advanced course for the pros.

http://www.kansas.com/2012/08/08/2441431/country-star-randy-travis-accused.html

George_Braziller 1 year, 8 months ago

Learned from watching my mom and grandmothers as well as helping in the kitchen when I was a kid. Also learned a different way and type of cooking from two years watching my Chinese Malaysian college roommate cook.

Eddie_Haskell 1 year, 8 months ago

Christ, people sure did get uptight on this page since I went to jail.

Eddie_Haskell 1 year, 8 months ago

Whatever. If I wanted to watch women's volleyball I'd just go to one of them Sporting KC games. They have a show on Sunday nights with some Britsh guy and a dude with male patern baldness and a goatee.

CWGOKU 1 year, 8 months ago

If it don't involve flame, I ain't cooking

rockchalker52 1 year, 8 months ago

Betty Crocker is my hero. She is real & if you cook stuff like she sez to cook it, you can amaze your friends & fill your belly. I love Betty.

autie 1 year, 8 months ago

Good morning Ms. Mathews. Does that sound like Mr. Fienny on boy meets world?

Sherry Warren 1 year, 8 months ago

My Mom, reading Betty Crocker, and patient 4-H leaders.

wmathews 1 year, 8 months ago

Googles.

CWGOKU 1 year, 8 months ago

I watched countless hours of Rachael Ray

RoeDapple 1 year, 8 months ago

My_Life . . . exposed! (You been outed there son . . . er, hun!)

The Naked Cook - How to Make English Rock Cakes by TriangleProductionTV

My_Life 1 year, 8 months ago

Started with a soup stone, was hooked after that. Still have the stone. It's full of love. What a beautiful day!

somedude20 1 year, 8 months ago

reading the directions on stuff and this chick, though I never really do remember much of what she said

by somedude20

moralebooster 1 year, 8 months ago

I'd like to hear what women feel their significant cooking influences are. not just the (and I say this affectionately) the men's menopausal club. Whatever happened to women posters on LJW? That can be tomorrows question.

g_rock 1 year, 8 months ago

I was taught by that Hamburger Helper glove guy.

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 1 year, 8 months ago

Eddie,
I don't know, she does have a little of that "rode hard and put up wet" look to her, but she is an amazing volleyball player, and she has never been involved with Sean Penn.

So she has that going for her.

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 1 year, 8 months ago

"Actually I have a custom made muddler that doubles as a spurtle. And a weapon." - autie

There you go again with the revisionist history. While a custom made muddler is an item that every person should own and use, the spurtle was never intended to be solely a porridge stick. Just like the 2nd Amendment was designed to provide a way for "We the People" to prevent abuse from a governmental standing army in addition to providing for self-defense, the original spurtle was more of a flat flowing shape with curves and straight portions allowing it to get into crevices of a cooking pot, strain items, and yes, even flip those evil, vile, stinky, thin little commie cheese eating surrender monkey pancakes.