Cooking mistakes and how to avoid them

Grand Island Dispatch, March 2, 2007

No one likes to make a mistake or to have to admit to making one. At the time that you made that error, you had made the choice – and believe it or not, it felt right or you would not have made it.

So, mistakes are accidents – right? A true mistake is doing it twice.

I remember several mistakes that I made early in my career. I’ve learned, I hope, how to scope out a recipe to know what goes with what – what works.

I would still be making mistakes if I didn’t go, step by step, through a recipe, thinking as I read.

The first mistake I made was in trying to duplicate a meal that my mother made. She called it chicken fricassee.

I dredge the chicken pieces in seasoned flour and pan-fried it in vegetable shortening. I added enough liquid to cover the pan – to a quarter inch, and put a lid on the pan. The chicken seemed tender in about an hour.

Actually, Mom’s chicken was a combination of fried and fricasseed. It was good, too.

My mistake was in trying to copy what Mom did. I didn’t ask her and I didn’t have a cookbook.

My chicken was coated with flour. And what did I do to make the gravy? I added flour to the shortening-laced flour paste. What did I get? I dot a real stand-up solid. It sure wasn’t gravy.

The lesson was learned. I bought my first cookbook. I checked ingredients, procedures and amounts.

The meal, though, was not all that bad. I will say, the look on Bob’s face as he took the gravy boat was one of puzzlement. He and his dad, Toddy, began to smile. Smiles turned into chuckles. The atmosphere was almost as thick as the gravy. And then it was over.

I think I gave them both a look that settled them down. They had to be sorry for me, I’m sure.

There are other mistakes that you may want to keep from making – especially if you are trying to be economical. Thrifty. Cost-conscious budgeting!

If you cook or bake something that tastes blah – or worse, terrible – you haven’t saved a buck, you’ve wasted it. Been there; done that.

My cookbook was well over 800 pages of brand new experiences. I believed every recipe was tested and approved by wizards lurking in a dream kitchen. This, of course, was a fantasy. The recipe for a graham cracker cake did not bear out the theory. Caved-in in the center, stuck to the edges of the two-layer cake pans, it was the first disaster in the baking department.

To this day, I haven’t a clue as to why this cake was so bad. It could have been the recipe. It could have been the unreliable temperature settings. Someone could have stomped into the kitchen, shaking the wooden floor and making the cake fall. I will never know, unless I try it again with a perfect oven and a solid floor. But I don’t think I’ll bother. I’m still a cost-wise cook.

Bob and I eat a lot of chicken. It’s so basic. It picks up flavors and assumes an elegant taste if you give it a chance beyond a salt and pepper shake.

This week, I pulled out a package of boneless, skinless chicken from my freezer. I set out two portions to thaw slightly. Then, out came my knife sharpener to get a good edge, my chopping mat and my 3-by-5 card.

Gingered Stir-fried Chicken and Vegetables

Approximately one, skinless, boneless half-chicken breast per person
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons water
1 16-ounce package of stir-fry vegetables
Ginger root to taste (peel the outside and shave an appropriate amount with a vegetable peeler or grater)
1/2-cup canned pineapple tidbits

Sweet and Sour Sauce for Stir Fry

1 10-and-3/4 ounce can of chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 small onion, minced

Slice chicken breasts, while still slightly frozen, into thin strips. Using a sauté pan that is at least 10 inches across and 2-and-1/2 inches deep, spray pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Set a burner to a medium high setting and add the canola oil.

Add chicken strips and stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink. Set pan aside for a minute to add the water, the ginger and the pineapple. Simmer to meld the flavors for a minute or so.

In a small bowl, mix 1/4-cup of the chicken broth, the cornstarch, teriyaki sauce, cider vinegar, sugar and onion. Set aside.

Set the pan on the burner to bring back to a simmer, adding the rest of the chicken broth and the frozen stir-fry vegetables. Cover and simmer for five to seven minutes.

Add the broth/cornstarch mixture to the pan and stir until bubbling. Serve over rice. Make enough rice to fill the hungry tummies.