I have a long-running project on the go... Basically, I'm trying to teach myself to cook. Now don't get me wrong, I've been able to "cook" for a while (being the oldest of four, it's kind of a given). But it's me; I don't just want to be able to do it, I want to do it really really well. Though I'd love to be super-adventurous eventually, right now I'm concentrating on trying to be competent on the solid, crowd-pleasing traditional stuff. I mean, really, what's the point of being able to incorporate essence of lavender if I can't make a decent steak, right?
But I'm wondering: What do YOU consider to be the dishes that every decent cook should have in their arsenal. Or baker, for that matter?
The project for today is sugar cookies. Yup. That old kid favorite is the next thing to be tackled. I just have a hard time believing that the sort of bland, too-crunchy cookie that so many of us have grown up with is the only option. I am DETERMINED to improve upon this one! So, right now (literally) I've got a couple of cookies in the oven, from this recipe over at the kitchn... Wish me luck, and I'll let you know how it goes. And, seriously: What else should I be making in order to call myself a decent cook?
