Cooking shows: Do you use their recipes and methods?
By lynnes75
@lynnes75 (443)
Malaysia
November 14, 2012 7:38pm CST
I was watching Jaime Oliver's cooking show last night: Jaime's 30 minutes Meal I think it's called. And he gave some great recipes with fast and simple cooking methods. Just my style since I really dislike to cook but have to. Anyway, I used one of his recipes today, except I changed a few of the ingredients because I didn't have those in my refrigerator. It was great, and I think that the cooking show served it's purpose: to help me prepare fast and simple meals.
How about you? Do you watch any cooking shows, and more importantly: do you use the recipes and cooking methods? Or do you just watch the shows for entertainment and to look at all the delicious food?
Happy MyLotting!
2 people like this
12 responses
@baddkabee (115)
• Singapore
15 Nov 12
Hi lynnes75! I also cook 30 minute meals but sometimes I do not follow recipe books. Not that I am a good cook but I only cook simple meals. It's fun to cook and discover new recipes. I also like to watch cooking videos in youtube if I want to make my cooking right :)
Happy myLotting!
@lynnes75 (443)
• Malaysia
17 Nov 12
Hello 
I like simple meals too, and ones which require minimum work but taste delicious all the same. I think I've tried several of Jamie's fast meals already and I like them, such as the way he prepares his omelette, salad, fish and prawns in his 30-minute meals. Very simple that even though we don't live in the same country I can still use his methods and recipe. In this certain 30-min show, he uses many simple ingredients, and when he doesn't, I just skip the item or use something else.
I think I'll watch youtube too, thanks for the idea 
Have a nice day!
I like simple meals too, and ones which require minimum work but taste delicious all the same. I think I've tried several of Jamie's fast meals already and I like them, such as the way he prepares his omelette, salad, fish and prawns in his 30-minute meals. Very simple that even though we don't live in the same country I can still use his methods and recipe. In this certain 30-min show, he uses many simple ingredients, and when he doesn't, I just skip the item or use something else.
I think I'll watch youtube too, thanks for the idea Have a nice day!
@winniemariposa (255)
• China
15 Nov 12
I will choose to watching the cooking shows when I have idle time, although I never try to cook according to their recipes. I always encourage my mother to learn from these kinds of TV shows because she is also not good at cooking. Even though I have never attempted to cook before, I can imagine that those courses must be quite delicious when tasting.
@lynnes75 (443)
• Malaysia
17 Nov 12
Most of the food looks delicious, but some not really, in my opinion. Sometimes I wonder why they cook it in such a way or if they really would eat the food after they finished preparing it 
I actually think the food from some of the European countries need more salt or a few more minutes in the cooking pan before I can eat it 
But it always interest me to see their method.
I actually think the food from some of the European countries need more salt or a few more minutes in the cooking pan before I can eat it But it always interest me to see their method.
@prashu228 (37524)
• India
15 Nov 12
No No , i cant follow their methods . I don't think we can be healthy if we prepare such dishes,instead we gain a lot of weight.They use a lot of oil and cheese and claim that its healthy dish.
@lynnes75 (443)
• Malaysia
17 Nov 12
It's true that too much oil and cheese might be unhealthy for some people. But even so, it's not just one method, and not just one cooking show, and most of the shows I watch show healthy dishes. I don't think they use too much oil or cheese that the certain dishes are unhealthy, at least not the ones I watched, such as Jamie Oliver. He uses oil and cheese sometimes, but his dishes are fine and healthy enough.
But if you're talking about the show Man Vs Food, I agree that many of the food Adam Rickman eats are fast food and not healthy for daily consumption . But sometimes you eat for indulgence and taste, rather than health 
There's lots of methods and recipe being shown, you just have to find which one works for you, if you're so interested
. But sometimes you eat for indulgence and taste, rather than health
There's lots of methods and recipe being shown, you just have to find which one works for you, if you're so interested 
@Gretchen522 (715)
• China
15 Nov 12
Sometimes I will. My boyfriend bought me a book about how to make dishes, if there's some materials I don't have I would find some others instead of it.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
15 Nov 12
I love cooking shows.. Ive really learned alot from them. Of course the great recipes are great as well. Im off to go cook something now.
@graysky (132)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
i watch Jamie Oliver too, i like his style of cooking and his passion for teaching everyone how to cook in as easy and simple ways but healthy.I havent try to cook any of his recipes for i am in a Chinese country,first,they dont have those kinds of ingredients he use and second they dont like western foods.
When i first came here i dont have any idea of their food so i got some menu books with me and study,i cook some of it though i made some twist sometimes and they loved it.They enjoy my cooking all the time.
@lynnes75 (443)
• Malaysia
17 Nov 12
Hello graysky, I see you're new, if the number of your posts are any indication, so welcome to myLot
It's true, it's hard to follow a recipe from another country for many reasons, such as the ones you mention. But congrats on managing to twist it to fit your own way and preferences, as well as learning about the cuisine in the country you're at and making it your own 
. Maybe you can make some sort of hybrid between your own meal and the chinese's dishes, that'll be very creative and a whole new recipe to follow 
It's true, it's hard to follow a recipe from another country for many reasons, such as the ones you mention. But congrats on managing to twist it to fit your own way and preferences, as well as learning about the cuisine in the country you're at and making it your own . Maybe you can make some sort of hybrid between your own meal and the chinese's dishes, that'll be very creative and a whole new recipe to follow 
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
15 Nov 12
I am watching cooking shows on the Food Network and get many ideas from the shows. I'm a big fan of Chopped and even watch a few episodes in repeats. When I see an episode that will help me I go up to the web site and take notes or print out recipes. I really like to serve different foods when its affordable.
@lynnes75 (443)
• Malaysia
15 Nov 12
I know. I like that we can check out many of the recipes online for our own use, too. Especially the easy and fast ones, since I dislike to cook usually But you're right, the key word here being 'affordable'. Too bad many of the recipes are using highly expensive ingredients 
Ah well, maybe just drool over the food
But you're right, the key word here being 'affordable'. Too bad many of the recipes are using highly expensive ingredients Ah well, maybe just drool over the food 
@lynnes75 (443)
• Malaysia
15 Nov 12
Oh, it's spelt "Jamie" and not "Jaime"?? Ooops, my bad /o\ And yes, exactly, I agree with you. His 30-minutes meals are really fast and easy to do, aren't they? Which is why I tried it the other day. Well, I made it a bit longer since I'm not a pro like him, but it was quite easy to do. I especially like his veggies salad
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
15 Nov 12
I used to watch them years ago, but they have gotten out of control lately. THey use ingredients that either you can't find a your local store, or if you can, they are to expensive! They make them so weird, matching up the oddest things...that I don't even think they sound good! I was thinking just today when I was catching a few minutes of a Chef Challenge cooking show..they had to make 2 dishes...and the chef said the name of the ingredients in the dish, and I had never heard of most of them and the few I had heard of...I think is safe to say most haven't heard of them either...honey infused hominy....(weird name)mushroom with (weird name)olive crumble... turnips with something I didn't even know what was.....i mean come on...that doesn't even sound tasty!
So I dont' watch them anymore, but when they were more "common person compatible" I still didn't make them. Most of what they made, I already make and the only difference was one ingredient that they added or they baked it instead of frying it or something like that.
@lynnes75 (443)
• Malaysia
15 Nov 12
Yeah, I agree. That's one of the things I find issue with these cooking shows: many of the ingredients used are either expensive or hard to find. Sometimes, I can't even find the names to check them out in order to buy them! It's especially frustrating when you like the recipes but can't use them for exactly this reason 
The cooking method might be simple and fast, but the ingredients are mostly expensive!
Still, Oliver's recipes that i watched are mostly easy enough to follow, and some of the things he uses can be substituted with something close enough.
The cooking method might be simple and fast, but the ingredients are mostly expensive!
Still, Oliver's recipes that i watched are mostly easy enough to follow, and some of the things he uses can be substituted with something close enough.
@marguicha (222855)
• Chile
15 Nov 12
I watch cooking shows, but I`d be bankrupt if I made their recipes. They usually use in a single meal the amount of oil I use in a month. I watch them more to get ideas about plating. I want to learn about serving my food is the most beautiful way. But I can fix an easy and cheap meal in 30 minutes any day.
@lynnes75 (443)
• Malaysia
15 Nov 12
That's true. They do use a lot of very expensive items and ingredients which are also very hard to find in my country. I guess they can afford to. Meanwhile, we can only watch and drool and wish we can eat what they just cooked on TV, lol! Good luck with learning about plating. I always find that if the dish is too beautiful, I would be very sad to eat it even if it is delicious, haha!
@airasheila (5454)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
hi there,
honestly our country has a lot of cooking shows being shown in TV. and i do love watching it because i get a lot of cooking techniques from the chef that shares their ideas.
@vidhyaprakash_2 (7116)
• India
15 Nov 12
Hi friend, good to hear that you are watching cookery shows and cooked one of the recipe. I am interested in cooking. I like to cook in the week ends. Some times i will try out the food items which is shown in the TV show. My wife is also in my sort, she is very much interested in trying new recipes and watch out the cookery shows in the TV and try out the food which is shown in them. As we are living in the big city, so most of the ingredients in the food are available in the nearby super markets here.
As we both know cooking well and interested in it, so every week end we will try out some new recipes which we saw in the TV show and enjoy the delicious taste of the new recipe. Recently we saw vegetable cutlet in a cookery show and my wife tried it today morning, really the taste is very great and my kids enjoy the food a lot.
This kind of cookery shows in the TV channels are very useful to know new recipes, we have the ability to watch the cooking method, so it is easy to understand how to cook the food and we will try the same in our kitchen. Tasting new items will give more enjoyment to us as well as our kids.
@lynnes75 (443)
• Malaysia
15 Nov 12
Hello
I agree. The cooking shows are very helpful as well as quite educational. Many of the shows are from other countries and they used recipes and ingredients which are usually not found here, but I have fun learning about foreign cuisines. It's very enlightening, in all sort of ways. Take the New Scandinavian Cooking Shows for example: I don't always follow what the host/hostess say or get what ingredients they use, or why they cook it the way they do; but watching them do so is always interesting. Of course, the dishes they eventually make are always interesting, even if not necessarily for my palate
By the way, I think your wife and kids are very blessed to have their husband/father enjoy cooking so much. I imagine your wife has a lot of free time from the kitchen when it's your turn to cook
I agree. The cooking shows are very helpful as well as quite educational. Many of the shows are from other countries and they used recipes and ingredients which are usually not found here, but I have fun learning about foreign cuisines. It's very enlightening, in all sort of ways. Take the New Scandinavian Cooking Shows for example: I don't always follow what the host/hostess say or get what ingredients they use, or why they cook it the way they do; but watching them do so is always interesting. Of course, the dishes they eventually make are always interesting, even if not necessarily for my palate
By the way, I think your wife and kids are very blessed to have their husband/father enjoy cooking so much. I imagine your wife has a lot of free time from the kitchen when it's your turn to cook 