Welcome to Baking Hugs!

so today at school i saw a poster and it was for the best teen chef…..!?

I want to apply and compete in this:) i love the food network. i’ve been watching it for about 5 years but i stopped cooking and i took a home ec class 2 years ago at school and then i complety stopped cooking? but i was thinking if i got in i would make a recipe rachel ray made because she’s my hero. but i don’t know how to get stated what to do and how to get good at my cooking skills. cuz i completly stopped cooking and baking. but that poster made me want to enter. it said artinstitutes.edu/btc ? so i’m confused.
if you are good at cooking/love it help me out here…!

You can do it all in 4 steps. 4 steps that you can continue for the rest of your life to get better and better.

Know the fundamentals: Racheal Ray does not go over basic techniques and focuses on cooking fast and making new recipes. Check out Chow.com or Epicurious(below) they have some good videos to get you started. You can get more practical stuff from my blog as soon as my brother and I figure out how we will go about doing our videos. I will be doing quick one on bread making this week, so check it out. Next snag a classic cook book. I like “How to cook everything” by Mark Bittman. It is very clear and practical, and I think everyone in the US should own a copy. Go through some of the basics there, make your own chicken stock, your own bread, read about why things work.

Explore: Learn from everything you eat. This is a great way to find you pallet and learn new flavors, textures, and techniques. Before long you will know the how to cook it just on the taste.

Practice: You get at least 3 chances everyday. I use all of them (except once a week when I go out to eat)

Improve: Always ask yourself. Is this good? What makes it good? How can I make it better? Then try it. This means you have to know what you like, and how to make what you like. This works when you cook, and when you eat someone else’s food.

If you can do that you are on your way.

Baked Bean & Bacon Casserole-Food Network

Taylor 1470 Digital Cooking Thermometer/Timer $10.95 This thermometer with probe allows you to gauge the internal temperature of whatever you are cooking without opening the oven door, which is convenient and saves energy (as well as saving your face from a blast of heat). It also has a timer so you can be reminded when it’s time to go check for doneness….

Demarle Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat A must-have for every pastry chef, this thick but flexible silicone baking sheet acts as a non-stick work surface, needing no grease Freeze or bake with it: withstands temperature from -40 to over 480F Great for all your chocolate & sugar work Can be reused thousands of times SilpatCare Instructions Handling Work with Silpat ona flat surface with the smooth side facing up (Silpat logo up). Check t…

Cuisinart CBK-100 Programmable Breadmaker $84.95 Includes measuring cup, measuring spoon and recipe book…

Cooking At the Academy Home Entertaining: Fancy Cookies (Professional Techniques Taught By Chef Instructors of the California Culinary Academy) $45.00 Whether accompanied by a glass of ice cold milk or as a sweet counterpoint to a steaming cup of coffee, cookies are always a welcome treat. Academy Chef Instructor Michael Kalanty demonstrates some of his own favorites including classic Palmiers adn Sacristains, Browned Butter Cigarette Cookies, and Crystallized Ginger Biscotti. Go behind the scenes of the renowned California Culinary Academy in…

Down Home with the Neelys: The Complete First Season $7.22 Pat and Gina Neely and their family own and operate some of Tennessee’s best barbecue restaurants. Now they’re ready to share secrets from their famous restaurant dishes along with their tastiest family-friendly recipes. In “Down Home with the Neelys: The Complete First Season”, watch as the Neelys teach you their favorite family recipes, foolproof dishes for entertaining, and delicious tricks of …

why are macarons so expensive?

I’ve looked about almost everywhere in Toronto and judging by the even fancier ones in France, I don’t think they will be even cheaper. Sometimes, they’re also really tiny and can cost about $1.99…it just doesn’t seem reasonable to me. Is there a certain type of ingredient that makes the baked good worth more or is it the technique of how they make things?

there a pain to make . have to be cooked perfect easy to stuff up

French Baguette Bread Recipe : Baking Baguette Bread in Oven

At Home with the Range: Cake Baking and Decorating (Learn to Bake a Delicious Cake and Simple Decorating Techniques) $35.00 Planning a birthday or holiday party? Tired of store bought cakes? Want to learn how to bake a delicious cake and decorate it yourself? In this video, Sharon Salomon teaches you some of her favorite family recipes, as well as, provides helpful hints for making moist, delicious and level package cakes. She shows simple decorating techniques that make the cake look as good as it tastes. Sharon demon…

Cooking At the Academy Home Entertaining: Fancy Cookies (Professional Techniques Taught By Chef Instructors of the California Culinary Academy) $45.00 Whether accompanied by a glass of ice cold milk or as a sweet counterpoint to a steaming cup of coffee, cookies are always a welcome treat. Academy Chef Instructor Michael Kalanty demonstrates some of his own favorites including classic Palmiers adn Sacristains, Browned Butter Cigarette Cookies, and Crystallized Ginger Biscotti. Go behind the scenes of the renowned California Culinary Academy in…

Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes $19.98 The warm, complex aroma of a fresh-baked loaf of bread can be utterly tantalizing; the first bite, a revelation. In Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes, award-winning master baker Jeffrey Hamelman presents the definitive, one-stop reference on the art and science of bread baking – a kitchen essential for seasoned home bakers and professionals alike. Hamelman, a professional baker for n…

Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner $36.69 Book annotation not available for this title.Title: Chocolates and ConfectionsAuthor: Greweling, Peter P./ Culinary Institute of America (CON)Publisher: John Wiley & Sons IncPublication Date: 2007/03/06Number of Pages: 388Binding Type: HARDCOVERLibrary of Congress: 2006004538…

Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor $21.44 Book annotation not available for this title.Title: Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain BreadsAuthor: Reinhart, Peter/ Manville, Ron (PHT)Publisher: Random House IncPublication Date: 2007/09/01Number of Pages: 309Binding Type: HARDCOVERLibrary of Congress: 2007106660…