How does somebody acquire a particular set of skills? Authorities at the Chongqing Children’s Training Center in China believe an individual’s capabilities might be determined by superior genes. Using DNA microarrays – tests enabling the identification of 13 traits–they recently began testing their theories on 1,000 children.. (Got eugenics?) Eschewing nature in favor of nurture, renowned authors Geoff Colvin and Malcolm Gladwell maintain that 10,000 hours of practice and countless variables yield mastery.
As I have yet to display traces of any talents displayed by the past two generations of Stallocks, Nays, Augustsons, Wikstroms, etc., I’m banking on Gladwell, et. al., especially in the kitchen.
DNA.
My grandmother Rose was a born cook and compulsive baker: the five-foot tall, half-blood Indian baked all kinds of bread, buns, bars, and hardtack on a regular basis pretty much until the moment of her death.. During holidays, she served dozens of family members and friends food she’d spent an entire week preparing. The sparkplug even grew her own vegetables in a garden double the size of the national average (600 square feet), and, at the end of the season, pickled everything possible.
My humble mom will never admit it, but she inherited every bit of her mother’s talent.
I, on the other hand, could barely boil an egg upon leaving high school. Sure, I took Home Economics for three, four, years, but the teacher and I strongly disliked each another. Just to spite her, I refused to learn, choosing instead to familiarize myself with the arts of subterfuge and manipulation. I ended up with “A’”s and ‘B’”s–not through perfect attendance and stellar homework–but simply by working the the system.
In the end, she’s the one laughing (assuming she reads this blog). I now possess a strong desire to cook, especially after watching Chef Ramsay on Kitchen Nightmares reinvigorate an entire restaurant with just a few beautiful recipes. With my preferred tutor (mom) 300 miles away, who can I turn to? The internet, of course.
Text-based recipes can’t help me. I need video tutorials, and no one creates more polished, varied, and straight-to-the-point content than the folks at CHOW.com.
Here’s the video (below) that hooked me. “How to Cook Bacon with Scott Vermeire” in the series “You’re Doing it All Wrong” Admittedly, I saw the advertisement while perusing one of my regular game sites. I guess the ad agency figured bacon and videogames go together.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/wGDBZmKHAOk" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]It’s okay to feel a sense of “Ohhhhhh that’s how you do it” wash over you. That’s the point.
Here’s another from the series “Obsessives.”
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/mz91GfoZ-Zs" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]I’ll never look at Papa John’s pizza the same.
Another of my role models, Robert Rodriguez, typically writes, directs, produces, and scores his films, He’s comparably versatile with victuals. The filmmaker’s even shared a couple favorite recipes in DVD “extras” sections. He calls the short tutorials “10 Minute Cooking School.” The one on breakfast tacos (below) is my favorite.
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In a 2003 poll on Britain’s Channel 4, the public voted “Naked Chef” Jamie Oliver the 28th “worst Briton.” Whatever. Jamie’s a charming guy who refuses to use processed foods and makes captivating videos. Here he shows how to make pizza.
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As far as I know, Nicko, the guy in the video below, is just an average dude who loves to cook and upload videos to YouTube. Regardless of fame, or lack thereof, his recipe for French fries changed my perception of the American staple.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/pfQPRXcihkI" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /] Paprika on fries? Oh, yes.
Finally, here’s a great recipe for donuts from everybody’s favorite Swedish chef:
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Take advantage of your mother’s talent and ask her to teach you! Culinary skills are essential throughout life – what a better person to learn from than one’s own mother!
The Internet has vaulted the cooking ability of millions of people worldwide.
Everyone I know how at least looked online for cooking help at some point and many are now using it as the “new cookbook.”
What’s not on the Internet? That’s easy. It’s all those secret family recipes handed down from your mother, grandmother and great great grandmother.
I use youtube all the time to learn new dishes!!!
You truly make it seem so fabulous with your presentation, but I find this subject to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post; I will try to get the knack of it.