kitchen fails

[crafter]

i usually start a thread like this when i first in a new board. i'm a pretty good cook who got her basic training from a grandmother who hardly ever measured anything or used a recipe.

dad like to cook/eat and was a big fan of the pioneers of TV cooking shows... Julia, Jacques, Jeff, etc. after seeing beef wellington on one of those shows, he decided that would be Sunday dinner. i thought... how tough can it be? a big $$ hunka filet baked in pastry. it looked great going into oven and FABULOUS coming out! problem was... we couldn't CUT thru the crust! almost had to chisel thru it. luckily the beef was perfectly cooked... medium rare.

so what have you attempted in the kitchen that ended as a total FAIL?

 

[Kale]

I honestly for the life of me have never been able to make instant mashed potatoes worth a damn. I have just resorted to buying the Bob Evans or store brand mashed potatoes which taste just as good as homemade.

 

[passenger]

Air-fryer potato wedges (from scratch) last nite. Good thing the dog likes potatoes.
Much better tonite, just needed a better method & a little practice I reckon.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

dad like to cook/eat and was a big fan of the pioneers of TV cooking shows... Julia, Jacques, Jeff, etc. after seeing beef wellington on one of those shows, he decided that would be Sunday dinner. i thought... how tough can it be? a big $$ hunka filet baked in pastry. it looked great going into oven and FABULOUS coming out! problem was... we couldn't CUT thru the crust! almost had to chisel thru it. luckily the beef was perfectly cooked... medium rare.

I've always wanted to try making that too! Mine would probably turn out the same way

 

[Kale]

Air-fryer potato wedges (from scratch) last nite. Good thing the dog likes potatoes.

I am sure you'll get it next time. I think just putting it in for 5-10 mins and checking would maybe work. I just buy the frozen fries and stuff for mine.

 

[passenger]

I am sure you'll get it next time. I think just putting it in for 5-10 mins and checking would maybe work. I just buy the frozen fries and stuff for mine.

Thank You!
Yeah; I tried some of the store-brand frozen wedges & went ape over them, so instead of running to the store & since I had potatoes on hand I thought I'd try some from scratch. First time was not exactly a charm.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

I just buy the frozen fries and stuff for mine.

I'll bet freshly cut potatoes will taste better (if done right).... but I also just get the frozen ones.

First time was not exactly a charm.

Practice makes perfect.

 

[passenger]

I'll bet freshly cut potatoes will taste better (if done right).... but I also just get the frozen ones.


Practice makes perfect.

So true!
Just glad it was a couple of potatoes this time instead of a toikey!

 

[crafter]

I am sure you'll get it next time. I think just putting it in for 5-10 mins and checking would maybe work. I just buy the frozen fries and stuff for mine.

i really need to use my air fryer more often. from the few times i have used it, i've concluded it has too many buttons. i'd prefer to just set time and temps... whether it's french fries or chicken fingers.

 

[Kale]

i really need to use my air fryer more often. from the few times i have used it, i've concluded it has too many buttons. i'd prefer to just set time and temps... whether it's french fries or chicken fingers.

It took me a bit to learn ours, but it works wonderfully.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

i really need to use my air fryer more often. from the few times i have used it, i've concluded it has too many buttons. i'd prefer to just set time and temps... whether it's french fries or chicken fingers.

Mines pretty easy, you just put stuff in the basket close it and press "Start" simple as that.

...the default settings are 375 degrees for 15 minutes. If you want it hotter or more/less time then you can use the other buttons, but the default settings usually cook most things just fine. I don't pay too much attention to the timer, I just pull the basket out and check on the food every few minutes until its cooked enough.

 

[passenger]

i really need to use my air fryer more often. from the few times i have used it, i've concluded it has too many buttons. i'd prefer to just set time and temps... whether it's french fries or chicken fingers.

In looking around I see that there are so many variations in the controls. Mine has a 400°, 20-minute default. That's pretty easy to override with the +/- buttons. Pre-heat default....which I don't necessarily care for, but I think I'm stuck with that anyhow, so I may as well get used to it.
It also has the mandatory (I think) 'turn over at half-time' signal, which I've found out that I can ignore, if desired, & there's no harm done....it keeps on it's cooking journey regardless.