These days, I like to think of myself as quite a good cook.
After 26 years of marriage, and raising a family, I’ve developed a knack for cooking for a crowd – including the ability to s-t-r-e-t-c-h a meal when unexpected stragglers present at the dinner table!
What is Your Culinary Rating?!
On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being absolutely no knowledge of the kitchen, to 10 – being able to cook an entire cordon bleu meal or win Master Chef or the like, I’d peg my cooking skills at a solid 7 or 8. I’m a great home cook, but not exactly gourmet.
It wasn’t always so, however.
Although I’d often helped mum in the kitchen, when I first left home I was pretty clueless at cooking.
Sure, I could peel potatoes, chop vegetables, dice meat, stir a pot and boil an egg.
But the ability to manage the whole production that is dinner – and to have it all ready at the same time, eluded me. My culinary rating in those days would have been a 1.
In those early days I lived on grapes, cereal, tinned soup and Vegemite sandwiches. I thought I was “it and a bit” if I managed to cook my favourite lamp chops 😉 .
By the time I was a newlywed, thankfully I had developed some basic cooking skills. I probably ranked as a solid 3 or maybe even a 4!
Dinner Party Disasters
We had moved into our new home and what better way to socialise on a budget, than to hold a dinner party or two?
However – although I was fine with cooking when it was just the two of us, as soon as I had to cater for other people, it all mysteriously fell apart.
Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was trying to be a perfectionist, maybe it was sheer coincidence, but those first few dinner parties? Disasters!
There was the time my in-laws came for dinner, and I cooked a roast. I inserted a fork to check if the joint was done – but when I went to pull it out, it lifted the roast out of the pan – before suddenly releasing it, and splattering me with hot fat. Ouch. Not sure what we did with our guests, but hubster and I ended up at the emergency department!
Another time, I steamed some vegetables in the microwave but when I lifted the lid I managed to scald my fingers. Oh the agony! Although the dinner party continued, it kind of ruined it a bit for me.
Dessert Disaster
Then there was the dessert disaster.
I’m a huge fan of meringues and pavlova so I decided to try my hand at a butterscotch meringue pudding. It looked magnificent as I proudly brought it to the table, ready to serve.
All was going well until the first mouthful of dessert.
I had somehow forgotten to add any sugar when whipping the meringue. Mmmm cooked egg white. Not my finest moment!
Still Accident Prone
Despite all my years of experience, I am still accident prone and often sport band aids on my fingers. Let’s just say, me and knives don’t get along …
Do you have any memorable dinner party disasters? What score culinary rating would you give yourself?!
Linking with Kylie Purtell for IBOT.
Nicole @ The Builder's Wife says
I cannot think of too many disasters…..yet! I am sure they are just around the corner.
Liz says
I reckon I’m a 7 or 8 too these days, but was about a 4 or 5 when I moved out of home. I remember serving up very chewy and undercooked corned meat to visitors when I was newly married. Also, adding water to oil when I didn’t have enough, when frying home made chips! Water plus oil equals soggy chips, people! And, something I still do is put something on the stove, and then get distracted until one of us smells something burning. Sadly, I don’t think there’s a cure for being a scatter brain : ) Oh, and I’m not great with sharp things either. When hubby gifted me with a fancy new food processor , I kept cutting myself on the blade! And I’ve been known to burn myself by bumping my arm against the hot oven rack. I think us creatives tend to have these kids of accidents , as our minds are often not in the kitchen … that’s my excuse, anyway : )
Deborah says
I have to admit I don’t entertain a lot. I used to have people over for dinner rarely, but now it’s mostly drinks and nibbles so I’m not required to cook.
I’m nervous about cooking for others and tend to make the same things for myself all of the time!
Toni @ Finding Myself Young says
Funnily enough we haven’t had any dinner parties at all and I was just contemplating getting rid of all the fancy dinner sets and platters I have stored in our buffet to make room for a craft cupboard, ha. No doubt once I get rid of them I’ll want to have a dinner party. I’m a pretty good cook I just hate having to time it all so everything is ready around the same time. Plus I haven’t cooked much the last few weeks because of morning sickness, but that appears to finally be passing. #teamIBOT
JF Gibson says
I’d rate myself pretty high in the kitchen. About an 8 I reckon. I haven’t had too many disasters, just the overcooking here or there. But don’t ever ask me to make a coffee. The last time I did, I put salt in, instead of sugar!
Melinda says
I reckon I’m a 9 on the cooking scale but about a 2 on the presentation side of dinner parties- I spend too much time on the food and forget about things like having a shower myself or making sure there’s enough clean forks. I’ve learnt that wine should not be served to me before dinner is actually on the table or I forget half of what’s supposed to be on there! I also like to try and chop my left index finger off whenever I can but I’ve never had to go to the Emergency dept half way through a dinner party!
Tracy says
I am notorious for using my guests as guinea pigs. I can’t tell you how often I’ve served dinner and realised that in trying out a new recipe I had no idea how it would taste. Fortunately I never had any disasters, or complaints. More like willingness to be guinea pigs on a regular basis.
And then I started working full time. I have completely lost the will to cook for anyone, let alone guests.
Pinky Poinker says
Once I accidentally bought a boiling chicken and served it up roasted. I’d wondered why it was so cheap. It was basically tough skin and bone when I served it. You couldn’t even cut it. Oh the shame.
Tegan says
I’m a bit hit and miss with my cooking. Sometimes I can cook something and it will be wonderful, then the next time I cook it, it will be a complete disaster!
Helen Jessup says
I would say without shame that my cooking skills are an ace 10/10. But alas I don’t cook very often nowadays. I learnt how to cook during 6 years of waitressing in my 20’s with very good chefs who always shared their cooking skills. I would never enter a TV comp though. Couldn’t compete with some of the modern geniuses. But looking for a decent easy cook meal I’m yr cook. I don’t like fussy complicated recipes. They don’t have to be fancy to earn gratitude from yr guests
Janet Camilleri says
That’s awesome Helen! I’m with you – forget the fuss and complicated recipes. Quick, easy and simple is what I prefer.
Lise says
First let me say I hate cooking! but since we have to eat and my husband doesn’t cook, I am it. I have tons of recipes but I have my favorites, easy ones. Weird thing though, I love watching cooking competitions on TV. As for my cooking skills, I am definitely a 2 or 3.
In the early days of my marriage, I wanted to surprise my husband with a lemon meringue pie (from scratch), which he loves. Well it looked good when I put it on the table, but as soon as I cut the first slice and pull it out, the lemon was liquid! I never tried again.
Janet Camilleri says
I’m all for quick, easy recipes 🙂
Beth | AlmostPosh.com says
I’m not much of a dinner partier – if we have people over it’s usually a Weber or BBQ affair and my husband generally takes the lead on those. However, I’d rate myself a reasonable cook, nothing too fancy and still leaning heavily on the dishes of my childhood but not too bad! I am also pretty good at timings and clearing the decks as I go. Time saving devices like pressure cookers make it even easier!