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Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

nytimes.com

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Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#2
Didn't read the article.

That said, on the general topic hinted at by the title: Yes, they do.

I followed Gordon Ramsay's many videos for a couple of years. I went from being able to a repertoire of eggs, rice and barbecue to cooking as close to world-class meals as I can imagine. This, to the point that we stopped going to expensive restaurants because, in most cases, the food is inferior to what I am able to cook at home. When you come out of a restaurant with your family, having dropped the equivalent of a car payment for the meal and your kids tell you "Dad, what you cook is massively better than that", well, you know you learned something.

I also helped me learn and understand about such things as sauces, spices, proper preparation and generally giving me a sense of the things I can experiment with, have fun cooking and have more variety at my fingertips than just three dishes.

So, yeah, for me, absolutely. Of course, what you get out of it is a function of the time and effort you put into it.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#4
I got unlucky one day and watched a cooking video while intoxicated... it's so awful how they have to put some more of this and some of that and it wouldn#t be good without another spice... it's like sorcery... and the ppl doing it behave like that as well... horrible vibes, doesn't help that they all look sick and fat.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#5
Most cookbooks tend to be like the meme about drawing an owl [0]. Mostly because the people making the instructions make assumptions about Stuff One Should Just Know and skip those bits in the instructions.

On video you can actually see the consistency of things as they are cooked and maybe even hear what the process sounds like (frying spices in oil has a distinct sound if the oil is at the correct temperature).

You can also see the proper cutting technique, hopefully saving your fingers from pain later on.

[0] https://www.danielzarick.com/uploads/2018-05-draw-the-owl.jp...

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#6
I think especially the videos that show the process, like J. Kenji's, are pretty good (don't expect to be as fast as him when making things, though). But you still have to try it and practice, not just watch.

The part of cooking I'm struggling with right now, and would love some guides and content on, is how to prepare a menu and plan groceries. It's a lot of work, but I'm sure there are ways to make it easier.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#7

Didn't read the article. That said, on the general topic hinted at by the title: Yes, they do. I followed Gordon Ramsay's many videos for a couple of years. I went from being able to a repertoire of eggs, rice and barbecue to cooking as close to world-class meals as I can imagine. This, to the point that we stopped going to expensive restaurants because, in most cases, the food is inferior to what I am able to cook a…

I'm a fan of the various Jacques Pépin videos on youtube because they give a lot of advice on technique. There is an hour long one I cannot find right now that basically has almost everything you'll ever need in a video. And I like (also on youtube) Italia Squisita, because they nicely show what variations you can do, showing italian classics and their michelin-star version of it side by side.

Edit: found the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CshkecuFfMc

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#9

Most cookbooks tend to be like the meme about drawing an owl [0]. Mostly because the people making the instructions make assumptions about Stuff One Should Just Know and skip those bits in the instructions. On video you can actually see the consistency of things as they are cooked and maybe even hear what the process sounds like (frying spices in oil has a distinct sound if the oil is at the correct temperature). You…

Ye but then it has to be a running video without cuts.

But even then they might assume too much about my competence.

I am trying to figure out how to use a specific tool to correct hinches with.

And in each video I find the carpenter is like "then you bend in this direction" and stuff gets alligned.

But I have no idea how they know which direction to pull on my door and they skip those steps while trying to explain.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#10

Didn't read the article. That said, on the general topic hinted at by the title: Yes, they do. I followed Gordon Ramsay's many videos for a couple of years. I went from being able to a repertoire of eggs, rice and barbecue to cooking as close to world-class meals as I can imagine. This, to the point that we stopped going to expensive restaurants because, in most cases, the food is inferior to what I am able to cook a…

Chef Jean Pierre is another gem of a cook.

https://www.youtube.com/@ChefJeanPierre

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