Do You Want to be a "Good" Cook or a "Great" Cook?

 Christopher Kimball, founder and editor of Cooks Illustrated  said you really only need 25 good recipes to be considered a "good" cook.  That's spreading it a little thin and I'm wondering if I've given you enough to go on after two years of blogging and only 86 recipes so far.  It takes about 150 to publish a decent cookbook. Well, I've got some gaps to close and I'll get on it right now. Anyone can be a "good" cook; bad cooks consciously choose not to cook. They may like to eat but other priorities trump their attention.

 Notice, Kimball didn't say great.  A great cook has more than a good recipe box.  Elevation to "great," but not professional, requires three characteristics . Taste, technique and timing.  Taste is not easy to define.  It's a knowledge and appreciation for quality - an understanding of flavor beyond salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami(savory).  Technique is ability to roll out a flaky pie crust, poach a perfect egg or chiffonade basil.  It usually takes practice and repetition like an athlete achieves muscle memory and coordination.  Timing is an innate instinct to a great cook.  They don't need too much instruction and operate in the kitchen more by sensory perception.  They smell, see and feel the food as a conductor to an orchestra or coach to a team, coaxing the most out of the ingredients.  If you want to be a "great" cook devote more time and thought to developing these three qualities.

I'm nominating these recipes for the "good" category. They are all doable for anyone who aspires to qualify as a good cook.  Some haven't been published yet but do exist in my repertoire and I'll get to them shortly.  An "*" indicates the recipe can currently be found in the Recipes & Random Thoughts Index.

Main Dish:

Roast Chicken (I have about 5 favorite versions but have only published "French Roast Chicken in a Pot"*.  Find one you like and master it.), Beef Stew(coming soon), Turkey Time Meatloaf*(again, find a meatloaf you like and master it),  Apple Cider Braised Pork Chops*, Shrimp Gumbo*, Pecan Roasted Salmon*

Vegetable:

Spinach Souffle*, Eggplant Parmesan*, roasted vegetables, potatoes au gratin

Bread;

Popovers*, cornbread, biscuits(coming soon)

Soup;

Sausage Pasta Fagoli*, Cream of Chicken*

Salad:

Balsamic vinaigrette, Green Goddess*

Dessert:

Fruit Cobbler*, Chocolate Cherry Cake*, Hemlock Inn Strawberry Pie*

Eggs:

Fluffy French Omelet*, Deviled Eggs(coming soon)

Sauces:

Blender Hollandaise(just Google and you'll find this one)

Condiments:

Strawberry Fig Jam*

Spreads;

 Pimento Cheese(coming soon)