Cooking errors.


 
Bob Bailey

Bob Bailey

TVWBB Guru
Every time my Miriam tries to pin me down to when whatever I'm smoking or grilling will be ready, I give her a range. She's never happy with that, as many times as I've explained that every cook is different. That won't happen anymore after her faux pas this evening. She whipped up a batch of Mac & Cheese with shrimp. When the oven timer went off, I pulled it out and immediately noticed that it was quite runny. Put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes. She played around for 1/2 hour before telling me she'd forgotten the macaroni. She'll definitely be reminded of that every time she complains about me not committing to a specific time for a cook. Pretty bad when there are 2 ingredients in the name of a dish and you forget to add one :)
 
I've gotten a little tired of answering that question over the years as my wife seems to think everything should be done in no longer than 30 min. One time I gave her two done times. The faster one being the minimum for safely eating some drumsticks I was making, and the second time being where I would actually consider eating them myself. There was a considerable difference in those times and I still don't think she understood what I was trying to tell her.
 
My ol lady is a champ. She knows I have the best of intentions but "done" times can vary all the way up to a couple hours for longer cooks. She has her sides ready and waiting and never gives me a hard time. Just wants a ten minute warning. That's what cocktails are for. Another martini and it doesn't matter too much.
 
JimK said:
My wife still doesn't like it when I respond to "What time is dinner?" with "When it's ready.". :)
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Been there, done that - this past Monday evening. And I was only 3 minutes late of my predicted ready time. But the Mrs. wanted it 20 minutes earlier no matter what I estimated.

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I just don’t tell, I’ll give a “window of edibility” if pressed but, since I do the cooking, the family knows that it’s going to be done when it’s finished and it should be fit to eat. Granddaughter tends to want to push things later more often than not.
I‘d planned on Christmas dinner about four in deference to the aged relative but, little one was really cranky about that so, I “forgot” to get the potatoes in the oven for about half an hour and she was far more pleasant the rest of the afternoon!
 
Guess I'm just lucky, Barb and I do all meals as a team, and it's done when it's done. Sometimes I handle the grilling of the protein and she handles the sides whether their grilled or not or she does the grilling, she is capable of using any of our grills. We share preparation to clean up.
Seeing that both of us don't like grilling in the cold, I got us an air fryer for Christmas, and she is loving it.
 
A few years ago, my dad decided to do his instant oatmeal in the microwave. He got it all together stuck it in and turned it on. While cooking he ran in to have a "pee" and while it was cooking. When he came out he wondered what the orange "glow" was in the microwave. Needless to say he had forgotten the liquid and the oatmeal had caught fire, and was burning the inside. Thankfully he was able to put it out and the only casualty was the microwave. But wait...................it gets better. That weekend he had bought another and asked my brother to install it. So he and his wife figured they'd both go. He installing and she grabbing something for lunch. We had a very strong storm that day. While on his way home to Mundelein, he was on Midlothian Rd and saw a huge flash. Noted how "close it was". Got home garage door did not operate, finally got in, security system screaming, dogs whimpering in their cages. Did not notice a lot right off. When he went to the staircase to go upstairs he said it looked like there was an orange light turned on. Didn't hit him right off the whole second floor was on fire. By the time the fire dept got it out pretty much whole roof was gone and most of the second floor. All because of burned oatmeal :D
 
The only one that complains about my estimations is my dad. He comes over for birthdays and holidays since I’m the cook, and he being a punctual person it just irritates him if it’s not right on time. Sorry dad I can’t really help that.

The ol lady. We’ve got 6 kids between us, from 8 to 17, and I’ve got them all trained that food is ready when it’s ready, I’m doing my best. She probably hasn’t cooked a meal in…..a year at least?
 
I tell my Wife that even when cooking in the indoor oven all cook times are a estimate, based on different variables.
We have a double oven and the top cooks faster then the lower at the same temps.
 
GaryP said:
My ol lady is a champ. She knows I have the best of intentions but "done" times can vary all the way up to a couple hours for longer cooks. She has her sides ready and waiting and never gives me a hard time. Just wants a ten minute warning. That's what cocktails are for. Another martini and it doesn't matter too much.
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Congrats! That makes me teary eyed.
 
LMichaels said:
the whole second floor was on fire. By the time the fire dept got it out pretty much whole roof was gone and most of the second floor. All because of burned oatmeal :D
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I'm lost. What happened to set the second floor on fire if the burned oatmeal occurred previously?
 
My wife is great about this. My mother in law is the one always badgering me if the food is ready yet. I'm pretty good about timing things, but with barbecue things can go wrong. For Thanksgiving I cooked the turkey on my kettle. I never have any trouble getting a kettle to 350, right? This time it for whatever reason wouldn't go above 270. I added more lit charcoal. I did all kinds of things, vents were wide open. Things can just go wrong. ( I'm pretty sure I know what went wrong, I used the slow n sear delux, charcoal was B&B and got crumbly and clogged the bottom vent holes most likely, and I used water.)
 
OliverLeveritt said:
I'm lost. What happened to set the second floor on fire if the burned oatmeal occurred previously?
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The house was hit by lightning while my bro wasn't home. He wasn't home because he was replacing the incinerated microwave my dad set fire to. Had he been home it's likely he would have been able to get to the fire before it got the second floor so involved
 
It’s not MY timing that chaps my cheeks it’s when people are invited for 5:00 and they walk in at 4:59 and just want to sit down and start stuffing their face, I telling people when the cocktail hour will start, dinner will happen “sometime after that”!
it’s not just sitting down and eating, it’s as much about the conversation as food! That’s been somewhat disrupted by the dining room being the “office“ for the last couple of years and now, the boss has been told that she is welcome to be a permanent “off site” employee. Which is great for the commute in bad weather but, tearing it apart for dinners gets old.
 
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