Can anyone help me with a cooking question?

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After having lived all of my life in an apartment that had a gas stove, I have now been relegated to living in a house (woe is me!) with an electric stove.

Determining the different cooking times on the stove top isn't so bad; but I can't seem to get the hang of the electric oven.

I used to be able to time the stove-top dishes with the oven and get it all perfectly synched. But now, well, I'm lost.

Have any of you had any experience in this? It seems I have to add cooking time (and in some cases, alot of cooking time), but it's not constant and I've gone from being a good cook to ..... I burn almost anything I put in the oven.

(Being Italian, it's probably the worst crime one can commit.)

Help?!?! (I hope it's OK I posted this here. Some of you have invited me over, and I haven't taken you up on the offer until now.)

-- Patricia (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), June 26, 2001

Answers

Welcome! I hate electric ovens. If I remember right, I used to have to reduce the temperature and make sure the oven was completely preheated before putting the food in. Then I rotated the pans 90 degrees every so often.

-- helen (cook@home.shack), June 26, 2001.

Brother - I'm giving cooking advice?????.....!!!@#$%^&*()

Okay - I've only used electric ovens, so this is what works, based on what Veronica does.

(My electric oven cooking is limited to frozen pizza, turkey(s) at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and french fries or potatoe buds... she who must be obeyed does all the rest, so your mileage may vary.

There are almost always two elements that heat up: the top is for broiling, and it comes on for pre-heat too. The botttom is the standard, regular element.

To pre-heat the oven - and ALWAYS pre-heat it, turn to pre-heat mode, then set the timer for 10 minutes. Set the temperature at whatever the final cooking temperature you want. When it buzzes, tuen the thermostat down slowly until you hear the click of it going off - that's the current temperature of the oven. If it's "close-enough" set the thermostat at the required temperature on the box, put the stuff in (stuffing in ?) and reset the timer for however long you want it to run. ("Close enough" is say 50 to 75 degrees.)

If it's still a bit cool - say only 325 or 350 rather than 425, let it heat up another two-three minutes and try again. The oven of course will cool slightly when you open the door to put the stuff in.

I've always used the recipe/box requirements for time and temperature.

For broiling, ALWAYS leave the door slightly ajar to prevent fires from teh sudden inrush of air. Use the top shelf too.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), June 26, 2001.


Wow. Instant responses. Now if only management here at my company would get this concept....

(And you wonder why I was a polly? LOL.)

Helen, thank you. I've been doing that -- turning the trays 90 degrees every half hour to forty-five minutes or so. And baste, baste, baste because it's so dry here.

Robert, you are hilarious. Did you buy her that T-shirt -- She Who Must Be Obeyed? I think they sell it in the Signals and/or Wireless catalogues.

Here's a silly thing; I don't recall seeing the heating element on the top of my oven. It must be there, but I also don't remember seeing a "broil" option either.

Like you, I always follow the "package" directions when applicable, but it's the Turkeys and the Chickens and the like that I can't seem to get right. Well, I haven't tried the turkey yet; we went out to dinner last Thanksgiving. It's only the two of us.

I do the pre-heat thing and it's got the timer and I can set the temperature, etc.

I've been adding a few minutes to the total cooking time and sometimes that works. But most times I just can't get it right. I know I'll get used to this, but I'm so impatient.

Thanks guys; I'll try this again this weekend and see where it gets me. Don't worry -- I won't blame you :-)

BTW, nice place you got here. Some funny stuff; some stuff that made me cry this AM.

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), June 26, 2001.


My best advice is to get a propane camp stove and cook on that. It will be easier than using an electric stove.

gene

-- gene (ekbaker@essex1.com), June 26, 2001.


Patricia-

I hate electric ovens too! But if that's what you have to live with, my best advice is to get a oven thermometer (cost: around $4). These are th kind that sit upright in the oven, staring back at you with the temperature, if ya don't know what they are. Usually about 3"x3" and they sit on the oven shelf, or hang from the wire rack-most can do either. Electric ovens are famous for being miscalibrated. Test the oven to see how accurate the thermostat is. Preheat for 20 minutes at 350, with the oven thermometer and nothing else in the oven. After 20 minutes, you can check your oven setting against the oven thermometer to see if you need to adjust your oven thermostat. For example, if you preheated to 350 degrees, and the independent thermometer is reading 400 degrees, then you know you need to reduce the setting by 50 degrees on anything else you cook. Also preheat 20 minutes before putting the food in, and make sure you have your food on the center rack, not the bottom one, where the heat element kicks on, and can heat the food more intensely. Be aware that glass dishes need 25 degrees less heat than called for on the directions. Dark pans are the same, 25 degrees less. Keep us posted, and let us know what works, woncha? What are you cooking next? Maybe you could share some of your famous italian recipes with us? I'd love to have some new ones!! Stay in touch, and as Jacque Pepin would say: "Happy Cooking"!!!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), June 27, 2001.



Okay - So dark pans need less temperature, hence a little bit of electric savings in the summer time.....

Is this an excuse (excuse me - reason) not to wash the pans quite as thoroughly as before?

And does that mean a dirty pan would save even more? (After all, the food (at least some of it) has been heated at least once....so certainly that part wouldn't need re-heating as much.)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), June 27, 2001.


Hi Patricia. Aunt Bee's idea is a good one. It sounds like the thermostat on your oven may be malfunctioning. I had that problem once and could not keep a steady temperature. The element would heat up, but wouldn't shut off. As a result, things would burn.

If you use a thermometer and find too much fluctuation, you might want to consider having the thermostat replaced. Good luck!

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), June 27, 2001.


AB, I'd love to share them, but I don't know too many. You see, when my Grandma was still alive, I was too young to pay any attention. My Mom isn't much of a cook (I still love her though!) and Grandma's way was (as you may have guessed), "Oh, a little of this and a little of that". The woman never measured anything. (And didn't speak any English.) What I usually do is take something out of a cookbook and change it. It's all trial and error, but sometimes the most amazing things come out.

And then there's Other Times, which we won't discuss. Suffice it to say that over the years I have learned to have a Back-Up Plan handy.

I'll try that with the oven thermometer. Maybe that's the problem. I bought one of those meat thermometers, and (no thanks to the Internet and a library of cookbooks, none of which say the same thing) I have a fairly good idea of what the temp inside the meat is supposed to be.

Hey, I haven't killed anyone yet. I suppose that's a Good Thing (with homage to Ms. Martha).

Robert, ROTFLMAO! I didn't know those little tidbits about glass and/or dark pans either. Good info.

I hope it's not the oven thermostat, Gayla. But thinking back, that could be it. Will let you know.

I think I might bravely attempt a . . . Whole Chicken this Sunday. Or maybe a roast if I can find a nice piece (I ruined the last one I tried).

(If you all hear massive quantities of sirens around 6 PM PDT, you'll know what happened. Hey, I never give up.)

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), June 27, 2001.


Crockpot is the way to go. You can even put it outside to keep from heating up the house. No chicken ever went wrong in a crockpot. Better than a convent, even.

-- helen (crockpot@crackpot.who.can.tell), June 27, 2001.

Alright now, this is getting just a leeeetle bit too feminine. (cooking?, Robert, how could you?!)

The best thing to know about an electric stove, Patricia, is to keep the extended service contract. Especially if it's from Sears. Otherwise, it's a very plausible excuse for pink-in-the-middle chicken or crematorium cassorole.

Did you ever see that movie, "The Accidental Tourist", where they cooked the turkey at something like 120 degrees for two or three days? Me and Katy liked that movie; the hero was a Corgi that looked just like her. (same temperment, too)

-----------------------------------------

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), June 27, 2001.



helen: You're saying that a chicken went wrong in a convent?! Did it lose it's head? Have too many teeth? Did it flock with the wrong kind of bird? Did it decide to be brave after all? Enquiring minds want to know!

Patricia: Crock-potted chicken in a bath of barbeque sauce...deeeelicious!

-- LindaMc (jmcintyre1@mmcable.com), June 27, 2001.


Patricia - I love this simple roast chicken of Marcella Hazan's. I also throw some peeled garlic cloves & a sprig of oregano or rosemary into the bird's cavity before baking {since I've never met a recipe that I could follow to a T {it's a genetic weakness}).

Roast Chicken with Lemons from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan Knopf, 1995

If this were a still life its title could be "Chicken with Two Lemons." That is all that there is in it. No fat to cook with, no basting to do, no stuffing to prepare, no condiments except for salt and pepper. After you put the chicken in the oven you turn it just once. The bird, its two lemons, and the oven do all the rest. Again and again, through the years, I met people who come up to me to say, "I have made your chicken with two lemons and it is the most amazingly simple recipe, the juiciest, best-tasting chicken I have ever had." And you know, it is perfectly true.

For 4 servings

A 3- to 4-pound chicken Salt Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill 2 rather small lemons 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, both inside and out. Remove all the bits of fat hanging loose. Let the bird sit for about 10 minutes on a slightly tilted plate to let all the water drain out of it. Pat it thoroughly dry all over with cloth or paper towels.

3. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and black pepper on the chicken, rubbing it with your fingers over all its body and into its cavity.

4. Wash the lemons in cold water and dry them with a towel. Soften each lemon by placing it on a counter and rolling it back and forth as you put firm downward pressure on it with the palm of your hand. Puncture the lemons in at least 20 places each, using a sturdy round toothpick, a trussing needle, a sharp-pointed fork, or similar implement.

5. Place both lemons in the birds cavity. Close up the opening with toothpicks or with trussing needle and string. Close it well, but dont make an absolutely airtight job of it because the chicken may burst. Run kitchen string from one leg to the other, tying it at both knuckle ends. Leave the legs in their natural position without pulling them tight. If the skin is unbroken, the chicken will puff up as it cooks, and the string serves only to keep the thighs from spreading apart and splitting the skin.

6. Put the chicken into a roasting pan, breast facing down. Do not add cooking fat of any kind. This bird is self-basting, so you need not fear it will stick to the pan. Place it in the upper third of the preheated oven. After 30 minutes, turn the chicken over to have the breast face up. When turning it, try not to puncture the skin. If kept intact, the chicken will swell like a balloon, which makes for an arresting presentation at the table later. Do not worry too much about it, however, because even if it fails to swell, the flavor will not be affected.

7. Cook for another 30 to 35 minutes, then turn the oven thermostat up to 400 degrees, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Calculate between 20 and 25 minutes total cooking time for each pound. There is no need to turn the chicken again.

8. Whether your bird has puffed up or not, bring it to the table whole and leave the lemons inside until it is carved and opened. The juices that run out are perfectly delicious. Be sure to spoon them over the chicken slices. The lemons will have shriveled up, but they still contain some juice; do not squeeze them, they may squirt.

Ahead-of-time note: If you want to eat it while it is warm, plan to have it the moment it comes out of the oven. If there are leftovers, they will be very tasty cold, kept moist with some of the cooking juices and eaten not straight out of the refrigerator, but at room temperature.

http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/roastchickenwit.html

-- flora (***@__._), June 27, 2001.


flora, the hens have fainted.

-- helen (this_a_real_address@yahoo.com), June 27, 2001.

A case of the vapors, eh? So sorry to have offended their avain sensibilities {but trust me, if I was a full-blown brooder - this would be a fabulous way to go!}.

-- flora (***@__._), June 27, 2001.

A warm bath in scented lavender leaves is one thing, but BASTING THEM IN THEIR OWN JUICES?!

-- helen (this_a_real_address@yahoo.com), June 27, 2001.


Better that than pasting them in their own petard.....

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), June 28, 2001.

I have to remember to NOT read this stuff at work. I had a semi- crowd around my desk wondering what the heck I was laughing so hard (and so LOUD) about.

Well, I was going to try that chicken thing on Sunday; turns out we're probably going Out To Dinner.

:-)

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), June 29, 2001.


Pat, If it doesnt come in a box,bag or envelope usually I'm lost. But w/chicken, its pretty hard to mess it up. Try the McCormicks Bags w/seasoning pop them in the oven. Do NOT forget to poke a few holes in the bag or uh-oh you get bag burst and messy oven.

-- me (I Sez@you.know), June 29, 2001.

Patricia,

So how WAS Sunday dinner? Feast or famine????

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), July 02, 2001.


Heh. Trying to remember (obviously I didn't cook). Oh that's right. We were going to BBQ. But SO (who's in charge of that kind of stuff), fell asleep. So I just did an on-top-of-the-stove thing. (Not real cooking, you understand.)

(Of COURSE the BBQ wasn't my idea. Only a man would have that train of thought. "It's 110 degrees out. I know! Let's build a FIRE.")

Well, we'll be doing the BBQ

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), July 03, 2001.


Hmmm.....perhaps I'll finish that thought (stupid fingers).

We'll probably be doing the BBQ thing tomorrow, even though it will be around 110 again. Then tomorrow night we'll probably go up on the roof and watch the fireworks (did that last year; what a blast).

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), July 03, 2001.


Patricia,

How was that BBQ on the fourth? And the display from the rooftop?? Bet Vegas as some spectacular ones!!

Today, is Sunday, no? Are ya gonna TRY that chicken in the oven today?? Hmmmmmm???? Do tell!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), July 08, 2001.


Uh, it was about 115 on the 4th, so no BBQ. But the stove-top was quite sufficient.

Don't know about dinner today (I am so lazy when it comes to summer); but I have some grocery shopping I have to do, so maybe something will come to mind.

I did make some dynamite stuffed mushrooms last night (it was only in the mid-90s -- a cooling trend!). I stuffed them with onions, garlic, celery, shrimp and clams (all minced), salt, pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and mixed in breadcrumbs. I added some shredded mozzarella on top and a little clam juice for flavor.

I opened a nice bottle of red wine and had some bread, and VOILA! a meal.

I've noticed that at higher temps (e.g., 450 for the mushrooms last night), the cooking times are genuine. It's just when using the lower temps (anything under 400) that I have to adjust. Well, it only took me a year to discover that one. Should be pretty smooth-sailing from hereon. LOL.

From the roof we can see two of the local casinos and from all reports (of people who went up to Summerlin to see "the whole city"), that was the best show. Beat the Strip hands-down. They even had these fireworks that spelled out "U-S-A"! It was very warm (and the exhaust from the AC didn't help), but there was a wind (not a "breeze", but a WIND), so it wasn't too bad. It was still over 100 at 10:00 that night. There was lightening to the North, but it stayed there so we were OK.

How was your Fourth? And everyone else's?

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), July 08, 2001.


patricia if you cannot cook in time,time is also that you learn how to make things in the right moment. bye dean

-- dean raymond jezzy-morrish (jezzymorrish@aol.com), September 23, 2002.

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