Hi /ck/ I'm still at college and no job (government gives me money to study), so I have like 20 hours a week I could dedicate to any hobby. I want to not only improve my cooking skills but also learn the theory behind cooking and even history. I have an entire library at college dedicated to food engineering and the following books pirated:
>ratio by ruhlman
>professional baking by gisslen
>le guide culinaire by escoffier
>old cookery by various authors
>the tea book by gaylard
>the flavor bible by page & dornenburg
>on food and cooking mcgee
>edible insects by FAO
I'm overwhelmed by many option and I don't know where to start.
I feel like reading without practicing is a bad way to fix the knowledge so my idea I want to be reading and cooking along. Also I'm reading about sensorial analysis and I plan to somehow, train myself to evaluate the things I cook.
Any recommendation?
>>7850664
cooking can be an expensive hobby.
it's important to learn the basics (aka what you can afford) but it's not going to be that entertaining.
unless you eat rice and beans the rest of the week just to afford ingredients that you see at restaurants/tv.
>>7850664
Theoretical approach isn't easy. It takes time, right? It's nice to see someone else who is willing to eat meat and vegetables, interested in beverages, and food and beverage history. Totally awesome.
Accept that there are so many fucking foods and beverages in this world - like, beyond count. Accept that you will make mistakes. You don't have to like everything. Be accepting. Some people eat bird fetuses in boiled eggs - that's cool. Check out roadkill cuisine. I recently found out fermented milk exists. Check out some food and wine magazines, check out online liquor websites and bars of the month, etc.
Honestly, you seem like a rational thinker OP, albeit a faggot. I recommend familiarizing yourself with what diseases can be caused by what foods commonly eaten - lethal and poisonous foods, etc. Survival foods would be a cool topic to know, like plants and berries safe to digest. Or you could become a medieval healer, and treat poisoning with foods and beverages. Also learn how to give the Heimlich maneuver and learn what a tracheotomy is.
Also, tell me where you get these torrents... I want more books of my own as well.
You need Joy of Cooking, it's not a meme. It's like an 80 year old, 1000+ page manual on everything having to do with anything you can eat or drink.
>Just try to enjoy what you're doing. Learn from experience.
>>7850664
Understand how the digestive system works. Learn how taste buds work. Humans eat and drink for survival and pleasure only, no other reasons.
Of course you need to understand what essential vitamins and minerals the human body needs. It would help to know how long the human body can go without water and/or food, and why that is.
Learn what nutrition facts are and what they mean. What are carbohydrates and sugars, (saturated) fats, protein and sodium and how does the human body process these things?
Can you convert measurements - US vs. Imperial?
It would be nice if you knew about countries suffering from thirst and starvation. Learn what deficiencies are.
Speaking of deficiencies, learn how to gut and scale fish. Then move onto hunting like a badass motherfucker.
Ancient recipes for animals gone extinct maybe?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSg6lwIItU
Check this funny guy out. His videos are fucking amazing. He's a culinary genius and gets laid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fmLlkfGQ_0
This guy is motherfucking awesome. What? Ration reviews? You should learn about your MRE's too, OP.
I guess it's worth mentioning you should know about kitchen safety, like fire safety, etc.
Definitely learn about serving and pairing wines and foods. What are the different alcohols fermented from? Get into cocktails. If you aren't into liquor and are more of a tea and coffee guy, whatever, do yo thing - baristas.
You can always get into the foods of other cultures, and figure out what foods they never eat. Check out kobe and wagyu beef, and definitely check out the fish markets of Japan. You could care about that whole, religious fasting shit, not just Buddhism btw, Muslims and Christians do this crazy shit too.
Also
>PIC RELATED
Folding napkins, tipping, waiting on tables and customer service - by country and state
Some external cookbooks I've found include
>Runescape's Gnome, Cooking and Cocktail Guides.
>Skyrim's Uncommon Taste
>that Nanny Ogg's Cookbook that comes with the Information Library
Speaking of Info library, you should check that torrent out, they're fucking sick (if Version 2 is still around). And it has an awesome cooking folder full of some interesting food pics and recipes. I've been dropping its contents around here from time to time.
You can decide which metals you want your cookware to be made of. Do you want full sets? Consider buying some of those awesome appliances - cappuccino and espresso makers, a reliable coffee maker and microwave, small deep fryer maybe, griddles are awesome to have, you will never go wrong with a charcoal grill until you can get a propane grill. Dehydrator maybe? Keep an eye out for new appliances, they make some seriously cool shit you know?
Here's something else, try out those indoor herb gardens. Do you think learning how to harvest crops is worth culinary info?
Also please tell me you know what calories are....
>>7854399
Why would I mention kitchen appliances and not kitchen utensils and tools?
You need grilling equipment. You need cake decorating equipment. You need a nice set of forks, spoons, some butter knifes, and a nice kitchen knife set. You need a wooden utensil set. Get some dope ass spatulas, metal and heat proof plastic - it's up to you. You gotta have some pots and pans. You need some jugs and containers to hold leftovers and beverages. You need glass bowls and whatever, to make casseroles and pies and shit. Get some metal ones too. A good pizza stone can go a very long way.
I would recommend a nice wine set, and a rack if you've got the space and money and drinking habit, you know. It would be nice to have this >>7849761 A nice bar. Or at least know what makes a good bar. Have the right glasses and the right books. Bar equipment must haves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNKhaNRI6_g
This fag makes kickass videos with sexy bitches. Check out Tiki bars.
Check out exotic foods like endangered animals, also exotic fruits. Like imagine those crazy fruits you've never heard of (which by the way there are a million) and think about them as a liquor. Also learn how liquor is made.
>>7854437
You need different sizes of pots and pans btw. I love this small iron frying my mother has, it's easy to clean, and gets hot fast. It keeps me from cooking too much food too.
>Check out cedar plank steaks
Have some plates of different sizes. Sauce and dip cups. Have some bowls, a few interesting ones. Do they all match? Anticipate how many people you will likely be serving.
You can get into food and beverage critics. Read what those people have to say. You can always become a food critic yourself - or a food photographer.
It's also worth mentioning how important atmosphere and setting is. Lighting is crucial in the presentation of food.
Do you eat like a Hobbit? When do you eat breakfast? Do you eat brunch? Do you have time and money for lunch? Do you snack throughout the day? What gives you energy and shit? What's for dinner? What's for dessert?????
How do you serve what and where do you serve what you make according to setting/location, time, and occasion?
What food is served on what holidays?
>BY THE WAY
What you're talking about OP is called Gastronomy.
>the practice and art of choosing, cooking, and/or eating good food.
>>7850664
Get a part time job in a restaurant.
>>7850664
>I'm overwhelmed by many options
Buy The Joy of Cooking, find a recipe you want try, then cook it. Before you do that, read the forward to the chapter, and each time a recipe references another page, turn to that page and read it.
>>7854489
Now I don't typically give a shit about vegetables, since there are vegetables all over the world, different kinds and different types of the same kind, the smell and consistency, etc. Too much money, too over-hyped. I will eat almost anything and this includes vegetables, and I've had worse tasting other meal group items that I probably wouldn't eat if I were starving. So vegetables are an honorable mention. I guess tofu and vegan, veggie dairy products and meat. Like, tofu sausage and shit? Weird, but it's something.
Oh! Learn a little something about diets. There are all kinds out there. I tried the Paleo diet just last year. I might try others before I choose one to devote myself too entirely though.
But all diets aside, you have your baked goods and sweets. What's good candy and what is candy? What sweets can you find around the world? What are some historic sweets and desserts that people around the world used to eat as opposed to the processed, synthetic sugary shit we fill ourselves with today? Then again, there's not a lot wrong with trying those munchpaks you can find filled with different sweets and snacks from around the world.
>cannabutter
>DUDE WEED LMAO
>>7850664
>>7854524
And watch as many food and beverage documentaries as you can.
Check out >>>/tv/ and /ck/ approved movie threads when you can.
Visit your local libraries and their 'reference' sections if you can.
Remember to brush your teeth and wash your hands. GOOD HYGIENE OP!!!!!!
Never worry about knowing nothing about food ever again.
>>7854287
>>7854546
>>7854561
>>7850664
start with on food and cooking
its a good book
>>7850664
Learn how to compliment.
>>7854577
>philharmonic
>not Philharmonic
reeeeee
>>7850664
Cooking is not a hobby unless you actually do it socially and go out of your way to try and replicate complex meals
>LEarning about different ways of cooking around the world
>Trying new spices
>Learning where to get fresh fish
>Looking for authentic ethnic meals
>Learning to overall shop and stock your kitchen
>Learning to handle different knives and tools
>Inviting people to regularly try your cooking
That's cooking as a hobby
>Learning how to make cheap quick easy tasty food
It's not
>>7854561
fuck off vegan shill
>>7854885
Mmmmmm, anon you're on point. But just call it this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastronomy
Food Science
Cultural food studies
Culture, Food, and Human development
Food manufacturing
Health and nutrition
Food writing / blogging
>If these don't interest you OP
look into the four areas of Gastronomy, specifically theoretical and food
>>7850664
The Food Lab
How to Cook Everything by Bittman
If you are particularly interested in the science behind the techniques I would get the food lab. If you are more interested in having a lot of recipes and better instruction on technique i would get how to cook everything. HtCE is also more comprehensive
The other option and one that I recommend is to watch youtube videos. Foodwishes, some of Ramsay's quick and dirty videos, and whole episodes of Jacques Pepin are great starting points. Watch a few and make what looks good, like any other hobby it takes practice and that means you will be fucking up a lot
>>7855003
Like using aluminum to collect drippings you aren't going to reuse.... And I didn't use aluminum foil, plus I don't have any steel wool.
>>7854369
Never seen a water goblet before. It looks more like a red wine glass desu, what is the difference?
>>7855183
For one, you need to drink more water than anything else. For another, wine glasses and their shapes are crafted in a way that compliments the aroma of a wine.
>>7854369
Just found and edited this. I used to make a million pyramids when I worked as a server, setting tables for events.
>>7855274
I see. I guess I am just a pleb that only eats at shit tier restaurants then.
I always get a "red wine" glass with a regular glass for water, when I order wine.
>>7852870
I regret eating these 15 kg of beans I bought back in january by R$ 5/kg. Now they tripled in price due to rains and I lost the chance to be rich :(
>>7854287
Got all my books on piratebay when it wasnt shit and missing everything. I never ever need to find books now, college somehow has almost any book ever written.
>>7854504
Would love it but I don't have time and nobody is finding a job where I live.
Thanks for all the non fast food, good content. Since I don't have money to spend on cookware or ingredients I'm going to focus on old techniques like fire cooking, fermentation, jam making, cleaning a chicken; bread because flour is cheap; vegetables for soups, sauces and broth and use cheap cuts to try peasant`s food, probably using old recipes even if I heard they are shit.
I can read and write for free so it`ll be like 80% theoretical and 20% practical but it`s better than nothing.
I`m going to start a small garden and try to find uncommon edible plants in my city.
>>7855411
I can't spend much time in my community college's library. It's got an edgy feel to it. I get lost in their reference sections for hours and then feel like the world outside has disappeared and I start sweating.
If you want camp cooking give some Boy Scout manuals a scim.
Good luck with the bread by the way, I recommend light sauces and dips you can make with vinegar or oil. I'm a fucking imbecile with bread though. And don't fret over the altitude meme.
What's your plan with broth might I ask? I heard bones make a good ingredient to it, but I'm a total noob, so you know..
>>7855678
Bitches love a guy who makes peanut butter jelly sandwiches with bread and jelly that he personally made
>Pan fry that sandwich like a grilled cheese
>On some rye
>>7855318
Lol, stop ordering wine from restaurants, you can bring your own.
>>7854948
Only you will ever know the truth as to why you ate your best friend when all food was gone and you were stranded in a deserted land, forgotten. Was it because you were getting hungry? Or because your friend was getting hungry....?
I've been doing broth for months now but they still come inconsistent, sometimes it's really good, sometimes it's just colored water so always measure water to bone ratio and always use the same time. I need to start keep annotation.
>>7850664
honestly taking food science 101 as an elective gave me a good base of knowledge, watching food network for years allowed me to approach that knowledge artistically
