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Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

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Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#151

Post by josiahpeters »

caseyohara wrote: post #131
xormapmap wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> shortcuts like bagged premixed salad, bottled dressing ... At what point is something no longer a shortcut? Do you also consider the time it takes you to track, shoot, carry, & butcher an animal? Or do you take the shortcut of buying your meat? Do you grow your own wheat? Grind your own flour? Or are those shortcuts too?

This reminds me of a quote that's been around a while (about music production but perfectly analogous to cooking) > I thought using loops was cheating, so I programmed my own using samples. > I then thought using samples was cheating, so I recorded real drums. > I then thought that programming it was cheating, so I learned to play drums for real. > I then thought using bought drums was cheating, so I learned to make…

Oh no. This describes my desire to make a large following the Gingery Machine shop series.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#152

Post by Matticus_Rex »

mabbo wrote: post #52
kevinmchugh wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I found his written work (which is how he built his following) _much_ more useful, but part of that's just about how I process information. Certainly it's valuable to be able to see how certain things are done, and it's hard for cooks to describe techniques sometimes.

For my birthday my wife got me "The Food Lab" and I'm dying to read it, but it's like 800 pages and we have a toddler to take care of. The time has not been made yet.

I've been reading it in 5-10m increments for 5+ years. That's all you need to learn something neat.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#153

Post by OJFord »

manishsharan wrote: post #62
kevinmchugh wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I found his written work (which is how he built his following) _much_ more useful, but part of that's just about how I process information. Certainly it's valuable to be able to see how certain things are done, and it's hard for cooks to describe techniques sometimes.

His articles on SousVide cooking on SeriousEats have been very helpful to me. His writing style is accessible to beginners such as myself. And the results always beat restaurant foods in taste for similar meals.

That's a ridiculous thing to say without saying which restaurants (or some idea of a class thereof that) you're eating in. As if any 'dummy' armed with some articles is 'always' beating 'restauraunts'.

Don't get me wrong I'm not anti home cooking or massively pro restaurant, I love cooking & food, large categories of restaurant (and especially 'restauraunt') are no longer interesting to me due to the cost vs. taste relative to what I can do, but I don't kid myself, there's plenty of places I can eat the food of professional cooks and be impressed, inspired, enjoy it, find it good value; especially with company. And without touching the Michelin guide.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#154

Post by tracerbulletx »

I think that the internet is making everyone (on average), better at everything and we just don't really notice because we get used to it. I've seen higher standards for almost every hobby, chore, sport, and daily activity because everyone is comparing themselves to the global experts in whatever it is that they do and have access to being taught by them.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#155

Post by jamiepenney »

throw0101a wrote: post #47
theshrike79 wrote: post #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…

> 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. You may wish to look at cookbooks produced by America's Test Kitchen. They try to create instructions that are clear and easy to follow. This is done via a 'beta testing' program which you can join: > As a recip…

I came here to talk about ATK, Lan Lam is amazing and has really helped me make nicer dinners https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnbzopdwFrnYyvwrqTB_5...

I just used her fast caramelized onions technique last night actually. I like that she explains why she's doing everything and how it contributes to the flavour of the meal.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#156

Post by Finnucane »

prpl wrote: post #69

I think some Jacques Pepin videos, especially old ones, helped me to the next level, more than anything else. I have a 70s print of La Methods and, while I was fairly advanced before getting it, it is pretty thorough on methods for cooking. The thing I love about his later stuff especially is that it is practically freestyle. Ming Tsai has a bit of that too.

Years ago I worked in the library at the French Culinary Institute and I had all of the demo videos on a shelf behind my desk, including the ones Chef Jacques made. And his demos often focused on very basic techniques like knife skills, but it was stuff you’d be doing every day, and he made it clear why getting good at them mattered.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#157

Post by OJFord »

esafak wrote: post #147
throwaway154 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The basics never end. There is no strict vertical. When you stir-fry vegetables, salt the oil before adding the aromatics. That's basic. How many years was it until I figured that out? How many pro chefs have never figured that out? What's pro? What about mincing your meat with one cleaver and one chef's knife? Not two cleavers. Not two chefs knives? That's basic. For a certain type of mince. How many people figure t…

> When you stir-fry vegetables, salt the oil before adding the aromatics Are you sure? What is it for, evenness, or are you playing with the chemistry? I never got this memo and a search suggests otherwise: https://magnesol.com/six-enemies-of-oil-salt/ https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos...

Not GP but I'll often do so to test the heat. Doesn't read like that's what they meant though. It'd surprise me to learn that it made a difference either way to flavour or anything.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#158

Post by deprecative »

amrocha wrote: post #53
deprecative wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kenji is great until you have misophonia and his mouth sounds get you and you have issues with how unclean everything he does is. But his videos are a goldmine for great skills, recipes, everything. It is very good if you have a little basic hygiene and food safety skills and do not pick up bad habits from him. The knife manufacturer he uses has been very, very good as well. I have a few of their knives and it's been…

The guy is a professional chef that has run multiple restaurants and teaches people how to cook. Your standards for cleanliness might be unnecessarily higher, but don't you think it's a bit disingenuous to call his cooking "unclean"?

Dude straight up uses a sponge to clean up the fluids from raw chicken and wipes down his stove with it. He rinses with water and uses utensils after handling raw meat.

Why are you taking my observations personally? It doesn't make sense.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#159

Post by deprecative »

kevinmchugh wrote: post #38
deprecative wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kenji is great until you have misophonia and his mouth sounds get you and you have issues with how unclean everything he does is. But his videos are a goldmine for great skills, recipes, everything. It is very good if you have a little basic hygiene and food safety skills and do not pick up bad habits from him. The knife manufacturer he uses has been very, very good as well. I have a few of their knives and it's been…

I can't think of anything unhygienic I've ever seen Kenji do - do you have an example?

Doesn't (always) wash his hands after handling raw meat. Uses a sponge to wipe up raw chicken fluids and smears it all over the counter and stove.

Re: Are cooking videos making us better cooks?

#160

Post by daft_pink »

It's making me actually cook, which by default ia making me a better cook, because I don't cook. I watch Ethan Chlebowski on youtube. However, the comments thread here is full of so many ideas that I'm going to check them out when I get a chance. Thanks everyone for commenting!
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