Question: How much does 1 cup of flour weigh?
A. 4 ounces?
B. 5 ounces?
C. 6 ounces?
Answer: All of the above.
Huh?
Volume measurements work well for some things. It would make far more sense to measure out a 1/2 cup of chopped basil than 1 ounce of basil. But for other things, such as flour or sugar…you’ll need more accuracy if you want to get consistently good results in the kitchen.
Flour can weigh anywhere from 4oz. to 6oz. per cup.
What makes the difference? Moisture, age, type of flour, etc..
Consider this:
Let’s say you are making a recipe that calls for 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Knowing that flour can vary between 4oz. and 6oz. per cup makes that 4 cups of all-purpose flour weigh anywhere from 1lb to 1.5lbs. That’s a half-pound variable in just 4 cups of flour! You can start to see why it’s easy to get inconsistent results when baking things.
More and more great cookbooks and recipe guides are listing ingredients by weight rather than volume and that’s because it’s so much more accurate. It makes your life so much easier too.
When I am making bread, I simply put my mixing bowl right onto the scale and zero out the weight of the bowl. Then I add in my flour. The bread I often make requires 20 ounces of flour and 12 ounces of water. These measurements couldn’t be easier on the digital scale.
There are so many applications where a digital scale is so useful, I’m confused as to how I managed without one for so long. These digital scales are especially useful if you are implementing ratios into your cooking rather than just recipes. I use 20 ounces of flour and 12 ounces of water for bread because the recipe is a 5:3 ratio. 5 parts flour // 3 parts liquid. (5oz. flour : 3 oz. water) – or – (10oz. flour : 6oz. water) – or – (15 oz. flour : 9 oz. water) – or – (20 oz. flour : 12 oz water)
Are you picking up what I’m putting down?
Again, the book RATIO helps tremendously with this. Michael Ruhlman is going to owe me some serious commission for all the attention I’ve been giving this book…it’s just that good.
Check out this video:
Ready to buy that scale now? I’ll tell you what. How about a chance to win one?
I’m giving away one of these puppies:
I actually own a Taylor food scale and it’s pretty decent. There are a couple of things I don’t like about it though and this one from is highly reviewed and loved.
To enter this contest, simply leave a comment below listing the person or people who have most greatly influenced your cooking ability. This could be an author, your grandma, or even a Food Network personality. Who has taught you to cook better?
Also, please take the time to subscribe to this blog if you’re interested in more information and giveaways such as this. —->SUBSCRIBE via RSS<—–
I will randomly choose a winner tomorrow morning and post the results shortly after. Good luck!
It would have to be my mother. All of my family says that i am the one that cooks like she does and like it!!! It is really sad now, she has alzheimers and does not remember how to cook anymore, so i do it for her.
Well my mama taught me how to cook, but I think I’ve learned a lot more recently from paying attention to you and The Pioneer Woman.
Grandma. Hands down.
Pioneer Woman is the person who has made me a better cook (or a cook at all). No one cooked much of anything in my house growing up and since Ive became a newlywed/mother i feel like i have been through cooking bootcamp. There were a LOT of failures and I learned I don’t do well by recipes alone. I love PW’s step by step pictures and convinced me to try things I would never attempt to make because I thought they were too “fancy” and I would for sure make it unedible, but a lot of times it doesn’t take very much to make her meals and my husband is very thankful!
It started with my mom, but I have picked up quite alot from different food network chefs, blogs and just experimenting.
My mother and my great-grandmother are my inspirations when it comes to cooking. They both enjoy cooking so much that it was natural for me to love it as well. I have learned lots from other places, and the hundreds (if not thousands) of recipe books I collect, but it always goes back to Mom and Granny. Granny is no longer with us, but I still feel her when I get to use her dishes to cook with.
Well, I started learning from my mother, who refers to her method as “quick and dirty”, but also freely admits I’m a much better cook. But she started me down the path.
My mother and grandmother were always cooking. In an Italian family food is vital. However, it was their kitchen and they didn’t teach me. I’d say my husband’s excitement over food and new recipes and my own large appetite have been the greatest influence. Bobby Flay has been great for my husbands interest too.
I don’t know, its a toss up between my Mom and my Dad. My Mom worked full time as a machinist and still managed to have a delicious home cooked meal on the table every night. My Dad on the other hand has some great signature dishes, all very fattening, but very comforting.
My grandparents raised me and my grandmother was one of the finest cooks I’ve ever known. But of course there are a lot of new styles, equipment and techniques available now. Great blog, thanks.
My mom and my grandparents were my inspiration. They are all full-italian, so I grew up around food and have really come into my own in the kitchen now that I am on my own.
My mother is a fantastic ‘by feel’ cook and has a skill with spices that I’ve yet to master. I think her personality lends itself to tads, pinches and shakes of choice ingredients. My personality is more structured and really needs to measure out everything. This can be a disadvantage though… limits the ‘creation’ of new & better ways of cooking.
My grandmother was an awesome cook and baker. I also enjoy watching a lot of cooking shows and visiting websites, such as Pioneer Woman, and learning as much as I can from them.
I’d say that the faint memories of my grandmother inspired me to be interested in cooking. She passed away when I was only 3 so I don’t remember much of her, but I do remember whenever I helped in the kitchen or made something for dinner or desert, my mother would always say that she (my grandmother) would be so excited and so proud to see me have an interest in something that was so dear/important to her (that is, cooking from scratch). So yes, my grandmother, via my own mother – who made a homecooked meal 6 nights of the week my entire life. Meat, vegetable, starch. Every. Night.
My mother taught me to cook, but my husband and I are teaching each other the things we know and learning together from web sites, tv shows, and books.
My Dad. My parents had 6 kids so my Dad did all of the cooking while we were growing up. He never used a recipe and was the best cook ever. I’ve always been a recipe user, so I love to watch him just throw stuff together without measuring anything.
My mom was definitely my inspiration for baking. But I think of a former roommate who really made me think about cooking in a different way–I’m not even sure it was that big at the time, but looking back I always associate this roommate with helping think about recipes more as guidelines rather than rigid limits.
Definately my “MawMaw.” Growing up I spent many hours just standing beside her, watching and learning while she worked her Southern magic in the kitchen. She taught me that it’s ok to measure if you have to, but a little of this, and a dash of that make it so much better. Hmmm…I sure do miss her biscuits and gravy. Nobody can make them like she could!
My mom had the greatest influence and first taught me how to cook by following a recipe. Then she taught me not to be afraid to modify a recipe or how to just “throw things together,” which sometimes works and other times…well, you know. Thanks for the giveaway!
My grandma taught me everything about food and cooking. She is still the best cook. I take her recipes and add my own spin.
I love the concept of ratios and I’m getting the book today. I mostly learned to cook by trial and error – no one in my family is a really good cook. I love Rachel Ray on the Food Network. I typically don’t measure things (and as a result I am a lousy baker). My 19 year old daughter keeps trying to get me to write recipes down so I would love to be able to teach her using the ratio method.
That would be my dad!!! My mom is the baker of the family – follows the recipe to the T, precise and accurate. But my dad is the COOK – he loves to experiment with things, and that has really influenced and encouraged me to do the same! (He’s also one heck of a grill master!!!)
My grandma was most influential. She taught me how to bake. I can bake and assemble anything except for wedding cakes. I’ve never really wanted to bake one of those. My grandma was a stickler for measuring, so I’m interested in ‘Ratio’ and when I go to Barnes and Noble I’ll take a look at it to see if it’s a book I’d like. Thanks for the giveaway!
My Mom (and other country ladies) and the folks from America’s Test Kitchen who produce “Cook’s Illustrated” and “Cook’s Country” magazines.
I never actually learned to cook at home; although not for lack of trying on my mother’s part. Rather, I think I was influenced by “food memories” from mom and grandma that made me want to create for myself and my family.
I think I have to credit Alton Brown with a lot of my knowledge of cooking. I found his show a few years ago, and what really catches my interest is the science behind the cooking.
It was my mother, but not completely from her own skills. It was mostly because she gave up (on everything) when I was quite young. I was baking cheesecake from scratch at 6 years old…I managed to feed my own three kids into adulthood and some really weird stuff has come out of my kitchen. Like my chicken nugget gravy…
I don’t know where my love of cooking came from. All I know is I love being in the kitchen. Most recently I get a lot of my recipes from Paula Deen and Pioneer Woman. I like the fatty, home cooked stuff! (I tried your shrimp though and got rave reviews from my friends, thanks!)
I think it would be the Food Network in general, starting with Rachael Ray. I watched ALOT of Food Network while nursing a newborn baby.
My biggest influence on my cooking would be my granny–she was an awesome southern cook. She made the best yeast rolls! Unfortunately, she is gone now, and alot of her recipes, too.
I would say my wife has been the most influential, but experiencing different foods, restaurants, and others interpretations has taught me the most.
For me, it’s a cross between my grandmother and Alton Brown. My grandmother taught me that food was more than nourishment, it was what brought people together. Alton Brown has taught me the sceience of food and freed me from recipes. Oddly, since Alton Brown, my grandmother’s vague recipes make a lot more sense.
My grandmother and mother. I am a great cook today because of the.
It sounds really selfish, but I learned how to cook for and by myself. I am having weight issues, and health issues associated with that weight, so I am learning to cook to save myself. I’ve got an analog scale now that my mother gave to me but I can measure something, take it off the scale, and put it right back on and it’s much heavier or lighter (depending on the mood of the scale I guess). I can never trust it.
Also I had a question about your bread- Do I need to add anything else if I make it with whole-grain bread flour?
My mother-in-law.
And most recently PW.
My stepmom is my greatest influence cooking wise and in every other area. She’s a fabulous cook and I am constantly stealing her recipes and 90% of the time my kids love them!
My grandmother and mother taught me to cook, but it was Pioneer Woman who got me to love cooking!
I was most influenced by watching syndicated episodes of Julia Child’s “The French Chef” on PBS in the early 80s. She was making fancy food, but even on TV she’d drop things on the floor but brush them off & keep cooking, or her souffles wouldn’t rise or she’d have one too few eggs for the recipe. It made cooking “real” to me…even watching my mom cook stuff seemed too easy or perfect. It was nice to see the mistakes.
I cried at work when she died in 2004.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Child
I strictly follow recipes because my mother never did. She made something wonderful once then the next 2 or 3 times it was terrible because she didn’t use a recipe so she didn’t really know what she was doing. She definitely influenced the way I cook more than anyone else.
I would love a scale – I need one to measure yarn and flour!
My mom. She was always making fun new recipes for dinner and now I find myself doing the same thing for my family! That scale would be awesome!
My husband has greatly influenced my cooking, everytime he showers me with compliments about what i make it encourages me to continue to try new things!
my mom. and the many delicious food blogs out there.
I would say my mom is the one person who really taught me to cook and I still find myself in the grocery store calling her to know what to buy for a recipe that she would make when I was a kid.
Alton Brown. The one cooking show I love to watch!
My grandmother who has all the patience in the world!!
It’s a common answer to a question like this, but my mom has taught me more than anyone about cooking. Even the things she said were hard and fast rules when I was young have changed because she’s learned more herself and has kept me up to date. She’s in the food science industry, so we get to try some pretty great experiments.
Teresa D. influenced me the most. Though I remember cooking in my grandmothers kitchen nearly every weekend, it was T that actually taught me stuff that stuck. I love baking – and that bread you did on PW’s site – I plan on making that this weekend!
My mother influenced me through her sheer confidence in the kitchen. But my biggest influence came from living in Italy and experiencing the blessing of truly fresh ingredients, seasonality in cooking and the simple pleasure olive oil and salt add to food!
Pfft, I subscribed after all those food photos at PW’s blog.}:P
My mom got me started, but the rest I taught myself. In fact, she says I need to quit cooking for the hubby and come home to cook for HER, immediately.
I do watch a lot of Gordon Ramsay though. This is a relatively recent thing in terms of cooking and really has no influence as to how I cook… yet.
Now, the Daring Bakers and Daring Cooks? Yeah, they’re a different story.}:P
But most definately my mom, for getting me started.
Moosewood Cookbook’s Molly Katzen! Not only is she my go-to for almost any kind of recipe, but my 9yo son is learning to cook from her kid-oriented cook books as well. And yes, I’m a vegetarian.
Would love a scale – I’m very intrigued by the ratio method. It makes sense when you figure the whole world is ordered on proportion.
I’d say the internets as a whole have influenced my cooking the most… Ree and you and other food bloggers have given me all sorts of ideas for things to try.
Irma S. Rombauer, the author of The Joy of Cooking cookbook!
While my mom is a great comfort foods cook, I’ve picked up a lot of skills, recipes and techniques that my mom has never even heard of from Alton Brown (Good Eats – Food Network). I just love him and all his practical advice…. and all the science behind it!! I’m a nerd!
my granny and my mom–both gone now–oh, how I wish I had made notes or paid better attention…
My husband has most influenced my cooking. He always pushes me to try out different flavor combinations and has taught me the art of improvisation. He’s still much better at it than I am but I’m getting better
My husband (a chef) has helped greatly in refining my skills. I’m a Baker/Pastry Chef, so his help with knife skills and showing me better & nicer ways of doing things has made me a better cook. And of course, mom & grandma were also a huge influence!
I have two influences – my sister-in-law, who makes EVERYTHING from scratch and is an amazing cook and baker. She helped teach me simplicity often makes the best result.
The other is Alton Brown – I love the science behind baking and cooking now – and I know why I need to use certain ingredients instead of others !
I think my mother was my original influence, but I’ve found myself expanding my horizons after following so many cooking blogs & reading cookbooks. I’m finally confident enought to experiment without recipes!
Definitely my grandmother! Please don’t enter me in the drawing as I already own a digital scale and don’t need another, but I just wanted to chime in with my two cents about the wonders of weighing ingredients. It will change your life!
I would have to say the person that has influenced me the most in the kitchen would be my step mom. From the day she married my dad, she has allowed me to be in the kitchen with her and try recipes on my own.
It was my DAD!!! He is a great cook, and did most of it growing up. Not one for recipes, he could just throw things together and it tasted really good. My mom could bake, but it was my Dad who really influenced my own cooking.
It’s funny, the contest/giveaway/prize posts always get MUCH more comments than any other posts… aren’t we a greedy species, hehehe
Somehow, much to my mom’s chagrin, my grandmother most influenced my cooking. She never was one to follow a recipe, and neither am I. Though I’m intrigued by the ratio method, that’s right up my alley. It’s on my wish list at amazon as we speak!
Like a lot of people, my mother was the most influential person in my own cooking. I havent mastered all of her recipes (I think she keeps a few secrets to herself
) but I hope one day my own son will learn too. Thanks for the contest and congratulations in advance to the winner.
My Dad loved to cook so I was always in the kitchen with him helping out. Sadly some of his best recipes where lost when he passed away. I’ve figured out most of them but there are a couple that are still elusive. He instilled the love of cooking… but Alton Brown is the one that made me a better cook. And Shirley Corriher. I just love how they explain the *technical* reasons that things work the way they do.
The perosn who has influenced me the most is my Aunt Dora. She is such a blessing and gives me tons of encouragement. I have won two baking contest so far with her help.
mom, she great #1. and my grandpa, he was just about the most amazing guy you could imagine.
My family weren’t known for their culinary skills, so I guess would have to choose my husband – I always say I married him because he could cook!
Unfortunately, my mom and grandmothers did not encourage me to get in the kitchen and learn. I started cooking after I was married when I realized that I was now responsible for my own meals. I started reading food blogs and have learned a lot from Stacey Snacks, Pioneer Woman and am now reading (and experimenting as I go) from the book, Ratio. Online resources have been my most valuable source.
Growing up my mom! As a young adult my 3 sisters. All of them continue to influence me and of course now food blogs…..oh the delicious things I make because of them
[...] originate with her but with one of her occasional blog contributors, Pastor Ryan, whose own blog is worthy of subscription. And by the way, he’s having contest today so you should go [...]
I am thinking that was probably my mom. I come from a family of 6 children and she always cooked without a recipe and made a lot. Even though I have a smaller family I still end up cooking enough for an army!
yup, my mamma too.
Although she would tell you I have surpassed her as a cook, she gave me all the good foundations…And always used fresh good ingredients.
Feeding people is one of my greatest pleasures!
Thanks mom!
My mom has influenced me the most, who was taught by her mom. I can make a mean chicken paprikas, but don’t ask me for the recipe… I don’t measure!
The classic story of stone soup is what got me started. The added bonus is that it also implanted the belief in my head that butter makes everything taste better.
As for being a better cook, it would have to be the entire lineup of the Food Network AND America’s Test Kitchen. I suspect the hours of letting the shows play in the background as I worked from home post-9/11 managed to seep into my subconsciousness. (Special mention to Alton Brown and Christopher Kimball for feeding the geek in me at the same time.)
Pioneer Woman – by far!
In my youth, my mom certainly influenced my cooking. In my early years of marriage, it was Martha Stewart. However, more recently it has been the Pioneer Woman, and you, Ryan. Tonight for dinner I am making your homemade pasta and bread you made w/Ree. Thanks!
Actually – The Food Network. Having no family and friends that didn’t cook – watching TV made it look simple and gave me the courage to try different things.
I have a group of girlfriends to thank for my insane love of cooking! They held my hand, talked me through a lot, and now I consider myself a pretty decent cook! I think I’ve also inspired quite a few others (paying it back or is it forward? both maybe?!). I hope to pass this on to my daughter!
Nobody in my family particularly enjoys cooking, so I’d have to say it started with Pioneer Woman a few years ago, and many many other food bloggers along the way. Those step by step posts make it SO much easier on a beginner!
My mama!!!
My mother was always in the kitchen while I was growing up. At the time, I had little interest in learning her ways, but after I moved out on my own, I found myself calling her several times a day to ask for instruction on how to make something. Years later, I’m able to share just as much information with her that I’ve picked up from other places, so it’s been a great partnership!
My mom is a wonderful cook, though she doesn’t enjoy it as much as I always thought she did when I was a kid. She taught me everything.
Honestly, I think cooking is just something I have come to enjoy and appreciate more, as I’ve gotten older. Some of those domestic areas took awhile longer to ‘mature’ in me, in terms of not feeling like a chore. I’ve always done them since I’ve had a home and family, of course. But it’s only been the past few years that I have come to really LOVE doing these things…along with housekeeping, gardening, couponing, etc.
I’m probably still not done growing up. : )
I have floundered around on my own for years. My mother was not a good cook. So I just collected recipes that I liked. I would have to say in the past year tho……..You and The Pioneer Woman. Your recipes are awesome and the videos the best! I have tried a lot of new things for me. By the way, I am 62 yrs. old! So you’re never to old to learn.
My husband, who learned how to cook from his grandmother is my greatest influence. He is an amazing cook, he is such a perfectionist and he really just wants to improve everything he creates. It’s all amazing and he puts so much energy and effort into his cooking. He puts his values from life into his cooking and its always spectacular!
My aunt was a home economics teacher for over 30 years and visiting her has always been a very wonderful experience foodwise. I’ve learned a lot from her about cooking and also from just being willing to try things!
My mom is the one who influenced me. She’s an amazing cook and makes lots of specialty items from scratch (like homemade bread – without a mixer or a breadmaker). She gives me recipes and I try them, but they don’t compare. She has a magic touch
The person who influenced my cooking most is my husband…he isn’t a cook at all (except in name) but, he is the MOST APPRECIATIVE eater (is that a word…is that the right word???) in the entire world and just his enthusiasm for my experiments makes me a better cook. How’s that for a run-on sentence?
My dad, who was a professional chef. He gave me a passion for cooking — especially for loved ones.
My mom and grandmother, and lately, bloggers such as yourself, PW, and SmittenKitchen. It was a great surprise to my husband when we got married 3 months ago and he discovered that I knew how to cook.
Man oh man I’ve been wanting a digital scale! I am pretty sure that my cooking is influenced by both the last cooking thing I’ve read (those cooking mysteries, Julie and Julia, whatever) and the Barefoot Contessa. Anyone who generally cooks without too much cheese. I don’t do cheese at all. Yuuck.
I grew up in a big family where my mother and my aunt seemed to always be cooking (I have four brothers and a sister). My mom was more of a baker. It seemed like it was easier for her to do most of the cooking and baking herself. I basically learned to cook by trial and error. And there were some errors. I think I am a pretty good cook now, but I ‘tweak’ recipes. That’s good, but it can make it hard to duplicate some dishes. I recently discovered the Pioneer Woman. And then your blog. I will be getting the ratio book. I think it will fit with the way I like to cook. Great website, I really enjoy it.
definitely my mom & grandma. my best friend was shocked one day in like 6th grade when we were making a box of brownies and i said i had never made brownies from a box! we made everything from scratch growing up. i still call my mom most days with questions when i’m cooking. thank goodness for cell phones, otherwise i wouldn’t be quite so adventurous in my cooking!
My sisters inspired me through the years. We try and outdo each other and it’s fun. We love to cook together. Baking is my issue so maybe a scale would help. Thanks.
My dad – he is a great cook and can bake a mean cake. And my mom – she cooks alot of really great “comfort” foods.
Probably my mom…and Rachael Ray
My friend AK, who is from Egypt. And vegan. He has an unbelievable knowledge of herbs and spices. My palette has been enhanced 100 times over since I met him.
My Mom taught me well
My cooking ability? I would say mostly myself. I draw ideas for meals and such from family members (My mom and mother-in-law mostly) and websites, but I have taught myself everything I know. If I don’t know how to do something, I look online. (Either here, or on the PW website, and if I can’t find it either of those places, I google.)
But I love to cook, and to help myself learn, I just make things I have never made before. You’ll never learn if you don’t try right!
Obviously I was influenced by my mom and grandma as a kid, but since Food Network came into being during my teenage years, it is hard not to steal ideas from the variety of hosts and personalities. Lately, I’ve incorporated some ideas from the blog world. Specifically, Mckmama and PW. I’m not a big recipe follower–I often just throw stuff together~
My ‘joy of cooking’ came about after my marriage. Memories of my grandmother and mother filled a cookbook in my mind, and I started trying to recreate recipes they made. I soon learned I needed to follow an actual recipe. Now, after many, many years I’ve learned a lot from my memories, and enjoy creating new ones.
Hm…My very basics come from my mom and grandma, but blog reading has been good to me as well.
I’m intrigued by the ratios idea and see that being a big influence in the future!
My mother was my inspiration when I was single and childless. Her food is always experimental and sinfully rich and delicious. Once I had kids though I started modeling my cooking after my MIL who always had to cook for a crowd. I learned to make beans and potatoes strech, and how to cook casseroles to feed many.
Bloggers. It’s true. I’ve learned so many things from reading all the great food blogs out there, that’ I’d have to say my answer is Bloggers. Thanks for the opportunity!
I’d have to say it was every woman in my family before me. My older sister who cooks wonderful food without recipes, my eldest sister who always made fun foods (like tacos) that my mom wouldn’t make, my mom who has a limited repertoire but has perfect each piece in it, my paternal grandma who had her own very odd style of putting foods together, and my maternal grandmother who only had to look at an ingredient and it magically turned into something special.
Hands down, my grandmother. I spent hours in the kitchen with her as a young child. Later in life, it became the FoodNetwork and then blogs. Most recently, YOU! I only found your site after you visited Pioneer Woman but have gone back to mid 2008 reading and came across the shrimp that you marinated in italian dressing, scewered and sprinkled Old Bay seasoning on. We had a graduation party for our oldest this past weekend and the shrimp were a HUGE success. Everyone walked away with the knowledge of how to fix them!
My dad. He can always find something to cook with whatever little food he has to work with. He’s great at throwing random things together to make a meal. I’m not that creative. I’m still pretty dependant on recipes.
And I already follow your blog through Blogger/Google reader.
AND I bought a dutch oven JUST to make your bread. Then I ate most of it myself.
Oh I do need this!
My mother influenced me the most. She is/was an excellent cook and taught me to be creative and try new things.
Alton brown, Giada, and cooking light magazine.
Definitely my grandma. Although I live in NYC now, I am originally from North Carolina. The first year I was here I would get so homesick for good Southern food – which is very difficult to find in NYC. When I went home to visit after that first year, I spent several days in the kitchen with my grandma, learning all her recipes. I’m still not as good as she is, but it’s a learning process. I love to cook, so I’m always on the phone with her asking about various recipes and meals. It’s something that’s really kept us close even though I live far away now.
I’m a huge fan of Barefoot Contessa!
So, naturally my Mum is the best cook in the world! But, my sister, Peta, has been the most influential for me. She trained as a chef – not that she needed to – and owned a restaurant. Although I was a kid, I managed to pick up a number of tips from her. Now my speciality: White Chocolate & Kahlua Cheesecake – Don’t tell the diet crowd…
Sarah Foster has encouraged my love for cooking!!
My god-mother taught me the basics, but I’ve learned more since I’ve been on my own (and have even taught her quite a few things). When I got married and had a little person, cooking from scratch became more important to me, so I’ve learned a lot on line. I’ll research recipes and combine things I like from more then one and come up with something of my own a lot of times.
It’s a toss-up between myself and food bloggers. My parents never taught me how to cook. I didn’t even start learning how to cook until about six months ago, at 26. So I’m constantly reading food blogs and buying cookbooks to try out new recipes and teach myself new tricks and stuff.
My grammie influenced my cooking with her out-of-control carrot cake recipe. I cook it for her every Christmas since she’s unable nowadays. My husband, surprisingly, taught me to cook better. For someone who doesn’t like to cook, he is so great at it. Men are the best cooks, it’s astounding!
My grandmother and my dad both contributed to my love for cooking. My dad and I like trying to figure out just the right recipe for things and I think I’ve gotten to be a better cook just experimenting and practicing!
My mom died when I was young and as the oldest child the responsibility of feeding the family fell on me. Dad worked a ton. It was the late 60′s when, as a 10 year old, I could be left home alone with my 3 younger siblings and it wasn’t frowned upon. I guess what I’m saying is I learned to cook on my own through trail and error, lots of errors.
I have started cooking so much more in the last year. And it is because of all the inspiration I have been getting from blogging. I have run across some amazing cooks who have shared many recipes that my family now loves. But the person who originally got me into cooking was my mother. As a child mom made everything from scratch
a little from my mom, but she was one of those who would rather everyone sit and “visit” with her while she did it all, so we all ended up spoiled and having to learn for ourselves when we got married. I am very sentimental so I have a “favorite” recipe from just about everyone I have ever known. Whatever makes me think of them!
My 82 year old grandmother is one of those no measurements kinda gals…a little of this, a little of that…you never leave their home hungry…my 92 year old grandfather insists you eat, whether you are hungry or not….now if I could just get her to show me how to make her fried chicken..she says she’s too old, I say she just doesn’t want to clean up the mess! God is good all the time.
My mom started the love, but since I’ve met my fiancee, he is my biggest influence now. We both love to cook anything and everything and expirement with all kinds of new foods. The kids are starting to enjoy being in the kitchen too and that’s lots of fun
My mother tried to teach me how to cook, but I was not interested at the time. Now, I am trying to catch up.
My mama of course taught me to cook, but hand down Rachael Ray has changed my life. I started watching Thirty Minute Meals a while back and started DVRing most of them. Being a single mom that works full time, I just got sick of spending all my free time in the kitchen. Now I whip up something awesome, feed the girls, do the dishes and leave the kitchen in a little over an hour. It has really made a difference.
My mom was a home economics teacher way back when and I’m a Food TV junkie. My favs are Barefoot Contessa and Giada de Laurentis!
I do need a digital scale and would love to have that one…
I like watching Bobby Flay cook. But most of what I know came from my parents.
-Chris
Weather Moose
My mother was the first great influence on my cooking both in ability and in my over all love of cooking. When i got married i was introduced to all sorts of new recipes and cooking methods from my MIL. I also very much enjoy blindly trying out a new recipe or two!
My dad’s mom. She was a fantastic cook, and I love using her recipes. She died in 1987, so I feel like one way she lives on is through her recipes in my kitchen…
I have discovered I love to cook from my dad (and his many batches of sugar cookies), Gordon Ramsay, and countless blogs. I will say, though, that you actually got me to make pasta, which was something I never thought I’d attempt.
My cooking has been influenced most by my mom and the internet! Gonna have to read Ratio…
My mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all amazing cooks. I learned different things from each of them!
It would be my mom since I have learned to cook since a young age because that is what she liked to do and gave us time in the kitchen together.
My grandmother. She was nice enough to let me experiment in her kitchen, with the only rule being that I had to eat whatever I made. She also made the best hot dog and cheese omelet an 8-year-old ever had.
I would have to say my kids
Good morning from another Ohioan! Thanks for the chance to win a prize of this grand, err, scale.
The person who’s most influenced my cooking is my husband. His father was a chef, so Howie comes by his creativity in the kitchen naturally. He makes me want to be a better cook. 
O.K., there have been a couple of people who have influenced my cooking style. My mom of course who never made the same thing twice and who liked to cook all kinds of international food. One night she made a “hobo dinner” where everything was served in tin cans or big handkerchiefs!
Thanks to my husband and Alton Brown I learned about the science of cooking and the importance of owning a good meat thermometer. Now I don’t have to cut into all of my meat dishes to see if they are done!
The reason I am entering this contest is because I also know that I need a digital scale. (Thanks to Alton Brown and now You!). =0)
A combination of my grandmother and my husband. The only time my grandmother uses a recipe is when she’s making something for the first time or her famous pie crust. When I moved out on my own, I asked for her recipes. She had to make everything to be able to write down measurements! My husband is skilled in the kitchen – at one time, he wanted to be a chef, so he took all of the foods and cooking classes he could in high school. Worked out well for him. They’ve both taught me that most of the time, if it feels right, go with it!
I think I influenced my cooking ability the most. When my H and I first met I could cook a few things, nothing great, but I knew I liked good food. Good quality wise, not just tasting, and that I could do it cheaper/easier at home and it was something I could be proud of. So I started experimenting. Trying new things and I became better and better. I’d prefer a meal at home now rather than going out. I LOVE cooking. I love getting that finished product and being able to say I did that.
My grandmother. Enjoying her fresh biscuits with syrup every time I went to visit is and will always be one of the best food experiences of my life.
My Granny. she’s 85 and makes THE BEST fried apple pies!
My husband has probably been the greatest influence on my cooking ability. We love to tackle any new recipe together and learn from it.
when i had cable i really enjoyed watching alton brown, b/c he doesn’t just show you how he makes something, but explains why. the sciences behind food. also, rachel ray got me to try a few new things. oh, and i almost set my kitchen on fire making monkey bread this past weekend, luckily my visiting in-laws slept through the whole thing. =)
For me, it would have to be my mother and my brother. They love to cook together and they get so excited about flavor and taste. Neither of them ever follow recipes and I wanted to be apart of that.
I’m getting there. lol. I LOVE to cook now and I previously hated it. Thanks to them. My family gets home cooked meals now because of their inspiration.
My family as a whole – my grandfather and his love of cooking (the man was doing the entire holiday dinner for every major holiday himself until he was 75…and he still supervises to make sure we don’t screw it up), my mother and her dedication to putting a balanced meal on the table every night of the week (and making us eat it together!), and my father’s adventurousness and willingness to try all sorts of crazy ethnic foods.
In my early childhood, my mother was the direct influence on my learning to cook and my younger siblings were an indirect influence. Because her morning sickness was made worse by the smell of cooking food, Mom used to put me on a step stool (I was petite for a four-year-old) with a spatula and let me cook pancakes for breakfast. Mom also taught me the joy of experiementing and, together, we came up with the most amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe we’ve ever tried!
I have a salter, but it’s a few years old and leaves something to be desired. I’d have to say that Julia Child was my first real cooking influence. My parents and grandparents were terrible cooks. My brother and I learned how to cook out of self-defense. My brother became a CIA-graduate and professional chef. I just love to cook. And eat.
Mario Batali has most influenced my cooking, as far as technique is concerned (braise, baby, braise), and Nigella Lawson has most influenced my baking. I love her casual style when it comes to desserts.
My Dad! My mom is a horrible cook so when my dad was alive he did all the cooking. Now that he is gone and my mother lives next door, I do all the cooking and she just comes over to eat. And when she says she cooked something, we all cringe because she wants us to come eat.
That would have to be my grandma. Oh, if only she would of told me how much flour to use in her sugar cookie recipe… I’ve tried and tried to get it right, but they never turn out like hers.
I’d have to say Jamie Oliver during his earlier shows? Sure, I learned a lot from my mom, but she’s limited in what she likes to cook. Jamie Oliver has such a wide variety of stuff he cooks, PLUS I learned to just sort of wing it, not being real exact about alot of things, being more carefree, etc. Sure, baking is more of a science, but most of cooking is just fun…
I would say my mom has influenced me the most…great giveaway!
I really got into cooking after watching Rachael Ray on the Food Network. I figured I could spend 30 minutes making dinner and not have to eat microwavable food, never knowing how much I would wind up loving cooking:)
My mother was the greatest influence in my cooking ability. She grew up during the great depression and could stretch a pound of stew meat to make a week of dinners!! She also would make the most incredible bread and brownies. Umm….I feel a baking fit coming on!
You’re so right, I DO need a digital scale! Just kidding.
I was most influenced by my mom and grandma to be a good cook. I would have to say that blogs have opened my mine up to other possibilities though. Without Bakerella, I would have never tried cake pops. Without Ree, I would have never tried meatballs or Rum Cake! So, the Internet and food shows have opened up my mind to new possibilities…. but most of my love of cooking came from my mom and grandma!
My Aunt Jo. She taught me how to make bisquits when I was 5. Before she died she gave me a recipe box, an apron and a cookbook. I still have it all, and I remember her everytime I cook something.
My younger sister visited me this weekend and watched me prepare a meal that included a lot of chopping, mincing garlic, etc. She basically asked me the same question, where did you learn to cook like this? She has the same family as I do, so she knows I didn’t learn from them.
That really got me thinking, and the answer is the internet, and watching Top Chef on Bravo. I have never cooked anything as fancy as those guys, but their cooking does inspire me to look up recipes online. When a recipe calls for a skill that I don’t have, I look for a youtube video on the subject. So I am here to say anyone can learn to cook, and there is no excuse that your parents never taught you!
I actually taught myself to cook. I do have some of my grandmother’s and my mother’s old-fashioned recipes but I did teach myself to cook. I really do enjoy Pioneer Woman’s site, though. I get so many delicious new recipes from her! I am in my 60′s and I like variety so I guess I get ideas from almost anywhere, plus the fact that I have invented some of my own recipes over the years.
Mother. When I was a little girl, she would set me on the counter next to her and say, “Now just watch me and you will learn”. She was right. I can still to this day see her cup her hand and put salt in it for a “measurement” in my mind! She is still a great cook and still tells me to “just watch”!
That person is definitely my friend Jessica. She is not afraid to try new recipes or invent her own, and she’s always willing to share the outcomes
I would have to say my greatest cooking influence would be my paternal grandmother. She was always in the kitchen boiling tomatoes to take the skins off to make tomato soup, kneading dough for bread or chopping up garden picked veggies for dinner. I was really too young to help, but as I grew older she would permit me. It was the highlight of my time spent at her house even though those times grew farther and farther apart!
Hi Pastor Ryan! Awesome giveaway! I have been thinking about a scale for ages now – even looked at that one online. The most influential person in my world of cooking would have to be my mom. She was gourmet all the way, so as children, we learned to love really amazing food. Just wish I was older when she passed away so I could have learned more from her. Next would be Jamie Oliver. I have huge respect for him. He works super hard, is dedicated, gifted with food, but more importantly, He Gives Back! Whats not to love. Really enjoy your blog!
Ina from the Westcoast
My mom, but not in a normal way. Mom doesn’t cook at all. I grew up eating food from a box. In high school I started making alterations to boxes of mac and cheese and frozen pizza and realized the joy of making something instead of buying it. I’ve been hooked ever since.
Alton brown from Good Eats was a great influence.
The Pioneer Woman has taught me the most
And you’re included in that too Ryan!
I am a blog reader- reading you through my Google Reader.
FOOD NETWORK AND PIONEER WOMAN
It would be my mom. More than anything, she passed down all the family recipes, and the joy of cooking for others, and the smiles it puts on their faces!
I was a strict, by the recipe girl until I started watching Alton Brown. His way of presenting things with a scientific spin helped me understand why somethings HAVE to be done a certain way and why other things don’t.
It had to be Jesus baby, I can serve up some mean Wonder Bread and Welch’s Grape Juice, naw just kidding, hands Julia Child was the one who birthed a sincere passion for the kitchen she was the original food TV that this fat little boy had to watch every saturday morning on PBS in the seventies
The man who holds my heart teaches me the most about food! He is a terrific cook and makes it fun. As for baking, it has to be my adorable and wonderful Nana. I love her!
My husband, for sure. He’s really a picky eater, so I’ve had to up my game to keep the peace. I love cooking though, so it’s been fun.
My great-grandma. Her hands were her scale, she baked by touch and a pinch of this, pinch of that. She made the most amazing pastries. One of the Aunties finally went in the kitchen with her and, after Gremeika had the proper feel of the ingredient, the Auntie measured it so we could all make her recipes. They are never quite as good, but come close.
Definitely my mother. She gave me my first cookbook at 9 and started teaching me when I was 10 years old.
Trial by fire…when I was in middle school my mom was a little overwhelmed running my two brothers and me (we’re all within 5 years of each other) around and if I wanted something to eat, outside of regular meal times, I had to make it myself. She’s an avid collector of cookbooks, so I read and haven’t stopped yet. Mostly I baked, and with a very active father and brothers everything was eaten quickly. I still love to bake, so whenever I go home cookies, cakes and other sweet yummy-ness follow.
I thought about this, and at first I thought…my Grandma. She was a great cook, and had some specialty dishes that we’d all stand around the stove and drool over until we got a taste. With that said, after careful consideration I’d say my husband has had the most influence on my cooking. He’s a GREAT cook. I tend to strictly adhere to recipes, and my hubs is not afraid to venture out. He’s taught me that it’s okay to try new things. If they don’t work…oh well…onward and upword. He’s also taught me how to properly chop and prepare the ingredients for cooking. I use to use a steak knife and take 8 or 9 years to get through one onion. His patience in teaching my super stubborn I already know how to do everything so leave me alone self has opened cooking doors for me. When it doesn’t take 9 years to chop one onion, cooking starts to become a fun creative outlet and not just another tedious task.
Julia Childs…my hero
My grandma and, oddly enough, Graham Kerr (I used to watch his show every day after school).
It started out with my mom and my sister. They are both awesome cooks. My sister is the best maker of desserts. But now my dad has totally gotten into cooking and I mean “fancy” cooking.
Everytime I bake, and almost everytime I cook, I think of the Foods 1 elective class I took as a freshman in high school. I learned more in that one semester about cooking basics than anyone has ever taught me since.
My mother was the greatest influence, truly. She was a professional chef so we ate extremely well! Sometimes it was cultural food (Russian in our case) and sometimes it was food I couldn’t spell till I was much older.
I lost her to pancreatic cancer two years ago and find myself cooking more and more in her memory.
My mom….. but I lean heavily on cooking blogs such as PioneerWoman and Smitten Kitchen.
I would say my Grandma Grace. She’s no longer w/us but I think she contributed alot
I just love your site…I came here from Pioneer Woman – your daughter is beautiful and I wish you the best of luck with your second!
As for my favorite cook – it’s both my mom and dad. My mom is great for the quick and easy meals, but my dad can really whip up a feast for the whole neighborhood!
My family! My family has inspired me to cook better! I love to feed them & they love to see, smell & eat what I make! I love the look on their faces when they come home from school & take a whiff of the house & their faces light up, just drooling already to eat it!
Believe it or not my mother-in-law…. She is an amazing cook. Born and brought up in Italy…. Whatever she makes is incredible. My daughter also has picked up on her cooking – we are truly blessed… She never measures she does by feel and taste
My grandma most inspired me – especially for baking. Strangely, my college cafeteria also inspired how I eat because they had so many great vegetarian entrees that I learned how to eat without a lot of meat. We still only have meat a couple times a week.
I would say my mom. When we were young, and all of my friends’ families were eating out on busy nights, Mom would always make us a homemade meal. Now, with a family of my own, and a husband who grew up in a household who survived on Hamburger Helper, I make sure to always make a homemade meal every night.
(well…most nights)
Good Morning – I found my way over here after your trip to PW’s. Nice to meet you!
My grandma was a pretty big influence – I learned how NOT to do things (she was an awful cook) from her. I learned to do it right from dear ol’ mommy and my 4H leader, whose name I’ve long since forgotten.
~Lori
I have been inspired by my friends who are in love with their husbands. We enjoy making wonderful, healthful meals for the men God has blessed us with.
I also love Ina Garten on Food Network because of her devotion to her husband Jeffrey and pioneer woman who only speaks of her husband with words of love and respect.
I’d have to say The Pioneer Woman, for sure!
Well you mentioned Food Network first! LOL Truth be known, Bobby Flay has helped me. I don’t eat red meat, but my husband loves it! So I have been on a mission to make really good b-b-que for him. So after watching Bobby Flay I have mastered the grill! Funny thing is I have never eaten it! I just go by smell, texture and apperance. Oh that and the Ahh’s and Ohh’s of my husband as he eats!
Occassionaly I will grill chicken, which I have to say is better and better everytime I cook it. I experiment with maranaids too. More and more making my own and not bothering with store bought.
So there you have.
Sheila
My grandmother, mother, and aunt have influenced me the most. Being a French and Italian family, great food is the contstant of every event, gathering, and occasion. It’s also an everyday constant–it can even comfort.
I actually just bought a diet scale yesterday to help with that gorgeous bread recipe you did at Ree’s (I’m making that one today).
My mom taught me some of the basics, especially pan chocolate chip cookie bars, but my dad is the one who really made cooking fun for me. However, I never strayed from recipes except for a couple of very basic things.
After I met my husband, it was HIS mom who inspired me to start experimenting and to be braver in the kitchen. She has the ability to produce enough food to feed 8 people every morning, even if there were only 4 of us at the table – biscuits, eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, venison, gravy.
Now, thanks to you and Ree, I have taken that bravery up a notch. Last night I hand made egg noodles for the first time. I tried not to measure precisely for the bolognese. AND I fed it to my friends instead of trying it out on myself first. (It was a hit, by the way, thanks for the tips with the wine.)
I hope I can help my daughter catch the cooking bug, too
It started with my mom, then switched to my husband. It was more his eating habits that influenced my cooking.
Ooooh, I’ve been debating a food scale and you have convinced me it’s now necessary! I guess I would say my dad has been my biggest influence. My mom was always the main cook growing up, but she never enjoyed it – it was just another thing she had to do. But my dad loves to cook, and loves to be adventurous with the things he tries. He doesn’t hesitate to try out a recipe that’ll take all afternoon to prepare. I blame him for making me a foodie!
Well, I know I learned a lot from my mom AND dad, a lot through trial and error. And more recently, from a close friend who just finished culinary school!
That would totally be my mom! She stayed at home with us kids and we always had a home-cooked meal on the table that took a lot of work to make. Her cooking is delicious. But it’s her baking that is the most incredible! I’ll never be able to be that good, but it sure is fun to try.
My husband inspired me to be better. I enjoy making him happy. My mother inspired me too, but by NOT doing what she did. She’s a wonderful person and has gotten better over the years. When I was young she was afraid of spices and liked really runny sauces…ick!
My younger sister has actually had the most influence on me wanting to cook more and try new things. She’s has an amazing eye for things and is able to whip up anything without a recipe and I’m just in awe sometimes
) I’m still practicing, but it seems like maybe it’s something you’re born with..
My mother influenced my casserole and soup cooking a LOT. Also with cooking LARGE quantities of food. With 14 siblings in the home at one time, I learned how to cook for an army. She also sparked my imagination with baking. She was always having us make fun things with marzipan dough and having us roll pretzel dough to make designs and on and on. Cooking was always fun one-on-one time with my mom. It meant a lot when it was our turn to “help” her make supper. I hope I can be the same with my kiddos.
When I was older I learned how to cook meats and Eastern European desserts and dishes from my Polish Grandma and Slovak Grandpa.
Roni of GreenLiteBites.com is probably my biggest influence day-to-day… Her yummy and uncomplicated “ideas” helped me lose 50 lbs and relearn how to cook/eat/live healthier.
my husband. he inspires me to be a better cook!
My mom is the biggest influence. She taught me how to make bread from scratch, without a written recipe.
Paula Deen! It was GREAT to finally see someone on T.V. besides Justin Wilson who cooks the way I do!
I began watching The Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith when I was in grade school. I would say that is what really sparked my interest in cooking and inspired me to learn and experiment with different ingredients.
i’d have to say everyone in the http://WWW... mom wasn’t much of a cook and neither was anyone else in my life. So i search the web over and get my inspiration there… so far so good!
My mama taught me all I know about cooking. As a little girl, I would pull a chair up to the bar in our kitchen and just sit and watch her. That is how I learned to make her famous biscuits with no recipe…the only daughter out of 3 who can claim that
well this has been said once or twice, but it’s definitely the pioneer woman.
please don’t tell the women in my family.
My roommate from college Melissa. She is a little of this, little of that cook and EVERYTHING she makes is delicious. She can look at a package of meat, spend a few minutes rooting through the cabinets and whip up a meal that is delicious and nutritious. That said, she is also one of THE messiest cooks I know
We have a mantra, you cook, I’ll clean up. Tell me, how does she manage to get olive oil BEHIND the microwave?? Still she is the sister I have chosen for myself and I will clean up after her ANY time.
The biggest influence in my cooking was probably my grandmother, originally. There have been many huge influences since, but she started it
My great grandmother and her burnt sugar pie! She always just dumped a little of this and that, and it always turned out great.
My Grandmother (Noni) taught me to cook when I was about 5 or 6 (as well as sewing and crocheting). She cooked by instinct (for lack of a better word). That’s how I cook for the most part. Baking – I follow recipes. I have also been thinking about a scale and Ratio. That makes a lot of sense to me.
My Gramma practically raised me, and was the BEST cook ever, and she taught me. I will never be as wonderful as she was, but I try, both in cooking and in life
My mom of course.you, the Pioneer woman and Paula Deen are my inspirations!!
I know this sounds cliche’, but would have to be Rachel Ray. She really helped me cut down on the time it takes to cook dinner for the fam. But also Pioneer Woman had me at hello! Her step by step photos on her food blog really gave me a whole new outlook on cooking. Plus she made it cool to use real BUTTER!
my mom, PW, you, and a host of food network stars, but Rachael Ray would probably top the list!
The person who most influenced my cooking was my Granny. She cooked with a pinch of this and a little of that and it always turned out great. She was also a southern woman and a southern cook. Before she passed I tried to get some of her more famous recipes but because she cooked “by feeling” it was nearly impossible.
My husband! I was not passionate about cooking until I met my husband (who doesn’t cook at all). Suddenly I wanted to be the best, and I realized how much I enjoyed cooking (I’ve always enjoyed food). That’s when I started recreating the food I grew up with, from my Italian grandmothers kitchen to my mothers health-conscious California kitchen. Now I’m to try anything, including my husband’s favorite deep-fried foods (which I had always avoided like the plague).
My parents influenced my cooking most. My father is a wonderful cook, and very adventurous. My mother is a bread alchemist. Seriously. She can make delicious bread from leftover oatmeal and pancake batter. It’s her super power.
I have learned to be adventurous from both of them.
I have two: my husband and my mother. My mother taught me the basics of cooking. She gave me style and flavor.
My husband, on the other hand, gave me the encouragement to try new things. I was a picky eater before I met him – now I’ll try anything once. =)
My Mama. And Pioneer Woman.
I was just telling someone the other day how I needed a kitchen scale, I’d love to switch to weight measurements with my baking!
Who’s influenced my cooking the most? The internet, no joke. I was always so afraid to get in the kitchen, but the internet has made it so much more accessible. Tons of recipes, pictures, reviews, etc.
Also, my mom and her best friend. Both are good cooks and they threw me right into the catering world, I learned a lot quickly!
My Grams and my Aunt Barbara taught me to cook… Barbara and I would always bake, and my Grams taught me the basics about everything else…
My grandmother Opel, My Mom RuthAnne were great cooks and had me by their side I would say that daily cooking for my husband and children have made the most impact on my life. Teaching my children who are adults now to cook and that they are cooking for themselves now is the greatest reward. The ratio is new to me and is really exciting to add to my cooking. Love your website and the devotional that you write. THANK YOU !
My husband. He is always getting my to try new things and to push me past my limits! And he gets me to experiment more… not always with great success, but hey, I wouldn’t have a great pot-luck casserole if it wasn’t for him getting me to try new things.
hands down…my mom and grandmas – they are/were the best ‘from scratch’ cooks…3 square meals a day ~ every day!!!
I have to give props to a fabulous mother, 2 wonderful grandmothers, and an incredible mother-in-law….all really cool cooks! But I’ve found a renewed excitement about the love of food since I found you and Ree. You make it all seem so…do-able! And like crazy fun. Thanks Pastor Ryan!
Bits and pieces from my mother, grandma, mother-in-law, magazines, cookbooks, websites, PW and now you.
My Dad. He’s just an old-fashioned, Southern cook but to me everything he makes is perfection! He’s taught me everything from how to cut up a whole chicken to how to season a cast iron skillet!
It would be either my sister or my grandparents. My sister is a pastry chef and I long to do some of the things she can do.
But really I just love trying new things. Recipe sites are one of my favorite things to browse. And I like to make up things too.
My Grandpa, I don’t think he ever used a recipe.
Mom, and Irma Rombauer (Joy of Cooking).
Oh, and I used to watch The Frugal Gourmet (Jeff Smith) with my mom. I remember one time when he put too much horseradish sauce on a dish and could barely keep it together in front of the camera. His eyes teared up and he could hardly speak. It was hilarious. But what I love most is that he was the sort of guy to keep that part in there!
My biggest influence when it comes to cooking has been my grandma, Meme, who taught me everything – including pastry. My mom is a close second!
i learned the joy of cooking from a lovely missionary i was staying with in Central Asia.. She taught me how to use what little resources we had to come up with amazing new creations..
My mom! I got my start with her..she always encouraged me to help out in the kitchen early on and I’ve loved it since then.
Who has taught you to cook better?
My bestest friend, The Cake Lady.
Before her, I never even cared about cooking. I was totally fine with my frozen food and ramen noodles.
But she started inviting me over all the time for all of this food she had cooked.
And it was GOOOOOODDDDD.
Thus began my war against the kitchen.
The kitchen still mostly wins.
But sometimes, I manage to make something edible
I totally tick a point off on my side of the score board when that happens
~K
It started with the Betty Crocker wedding edition cookbook and has morphed into many cookbooks/authors, bloggers, and friends. Alton Brown has probably been the most influential in my understanding of the cooking and baking processes. Thanks for the cool give-a-way!
Can I cop out of specificity and generally say ‘my family’? It’s everyone in my family that formed my passion for food. My Grandma -a pastor’s wife- who always had enough food to go around now matter who my Grandfather dragged home for dinner. She made the most amazing pickles and preserves. I definitely get a love of canning and feeding the masses from her. Loaves and fishes! My Mom who always made exciting food and wasn’t content to have the same old same old every night of the week. We had Italian night, Mexican night, French night, American night, Filippino night, etc… I grew up on a church camp (literally.) So I helped sling hash with my Mom and Dad. My aunties baked awesome bread, made gorgeous and funky preserves and made treats both gourmet and healthy! So. Short story long. My family.
Well… my mom. She just kind of winged it for cooking and so do I. She’s not a baker and neither am I so maybe the scale would help.
Also, I do like Rachel Ray and really admire the fact she made it on her own terms and love of cooking. (no fancy cooking school for her!) I don’t watch her all the time and the media mogul she’s turned into, but watching 30 minute meals does inspire me when I catch it on TV>
Ree Drummond the Pioneer Woman has been a huge influence for me, she is awesome.
My dad gave me the love of cooking.. never used a recipe, didnt measure a thing. My 7th Grade home ec teacher taught me how to organize a kitchen and how to stay one step ahead.
My mother, most certainly, influenced how I cook. She cooked “off the cuff” quite often never following a recipe. She could make a magnificent meal with a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup as a starting point!
My mom influenced me to be a better cook. I love her, but her cooking was never very good and she always over- or under-cooks everything. Seeing that, I decided i wanted to get better at cooking so the food would never hit the table super late and would be delicious every time.
mrs. dummitt. a lebaneese woman i used to take care of. i have always been fascinated by the middle east, and she taught me the cullinary wonders of her homeland. ahumdallah!!!
When I got married, I realized that I better learn to cook or simply eat Hamburger Helper for the next 50 years of my life…. eeww.
So for me, I used a lot of different resources–everything from classic cookbooks, cooking websites, personal cooking blogs (including yourself and the PW), and a whole lot of experimenting! And I must give credit to my husband for being a willing (and honest) tester of my creations.
Thank you for your blog, and for this contest… I just added “Ratio” to my wishlist on Amazon.
My mother is my go-to person still, but I also learned some from my grandmother and try to mimic some of her recipes. I wish I had paid more attention to what she did in my younger years.
My Mom has taught me the most about cooking. For example, when a recipe calls for celery and you don’t have any, 1/2 cup of celery seed does NOT equal 1/2 cup chopped celery.
However, she taught me that after I already ruined the pot of corn chowder.
my mom…sigh
There are two people who have influenced me in the kitchen: my mother and my mother-in-law. My mother has fielded numerous frantic phone calls asking questions like, “How do I know when sugar is carmelized?” and “What is ‘soft ball stage’?” My m-i-l taught me the art of cooking by “feel.” “Just add buttermilk to the flour until it just feels right,” she would say. I never measure when making biscuits, cornbread, and many other things she taught me to make.
My greatest influence has to be Ina Garten – she taught me that good food does not have to expensive food. Excuse me while I go make something now – I am starving.
Cheesy thought it sounds, Rachael Ray. I started to like cooking when i realized I could make delicious things simply. My mom never liked to cook, so I’m not sure how I fell in love with the food network, but I did.
def my mom because she is the best cook in the world!
I don’t think I ever had anyone inspire me to cook. We were obligated to cook for the men in the family that worked out in the fields. I did watch my grandmother cook but it was very simple cooking and very monotonous. After I got married I took it upon myself to learn and try new things.
I would have to say I learned the most from my grandmother (she lived to be almost 90 so I had a lot of time to practice). Having found the Pioneer Woman and now your site through her, I would say you all are my source of inspiration and new ideas now. Gotta give the Ratio book a try soon!
I’m more of a baker. But I watch the food network and would love to cook like that. I love Alton Brown, he’s my favorite. Close second is Paula Deen.
Pioneer Woman, hands down. The only recipes I’ve ever made that my family will eat have come from her site. I’m a very visual person and her step by step pics make all the difference.
My mother unquestionably. A young immigrant to the states and eldest of 3 children, my mom fought poverty and starvation with grace. Her interest in fine cooking developed over the years and she passed her love of food on to me from an early age. I’m a fly by night sort of cook and can’t wait to pick up my copy of ratio so I can hopefully someday master the breads and sauces I’ve never been able to achieve. Great recommendation!
My Nannie. Without a doubt. She never measured anything. Ever. She just threw in what she pleased as she pleased and everything she made always turned out AMAZING.
I have to admit that Ree, the Pioneer Woman, has impacted my cooking the most. She has recipies that my family loves, and she really presents cooking as somthing fun and wonderful to do for your family, not something to stress out about.
To be completely honest, I would have to say that I have made myself cook better, though my parents have probably been my biggest overall influences concerning my passion for all things edible. They opened their first restaurant when I was 6 and their second when I was 16. I grew up in their restaurants (the kitchen was my playground), and I came back after college to run them. Our many cooks and chefs over the years have taught me invaluable lessons here and there, and I paid a lot of attention to the way different chefs put together recipes until I worked out my own way, which is constantly changing.
My own intrigue has led me to look carefully at a lot of blogs, a lot of cook books, and a cover to cover reading of ‘The Professional Chef’ (it took an entire year!), but in the end I have to thank Mom & Dad for taking me to work with them all those years!
My kids. Made me realize it was time to pull up my socks and feed them right!
I would have to say my mom – she is a wonderful cook and I always get good ideas from her.
My husband most influenced my cooking abilities in the early stages of our relationship. I didn’t know much, and he introduced me to basics, which I used as building blocks to get me where I am today (12 years later). These days in the kitchen he’s great company but stands back and lets me do my thing. Not only has he taught me to cook, he challenges and inspires me to do better every day.
Ryan, my Grandmother was a big influence on me. She made the best things from scratch.
Rachel Ray
My grandmother – She’s an amazing cook. She’s 100%Italian and can pretty much make an old shoe taste like the best thing you’ve ever eaten. If not for her teaching me how to cook, I’d be surviving on Hot Pockets and takeout.
It started watching the Frugal Gourmet when I was a kid. It wasn’t until the Food Network came about that I started getting into cooking again, first with Tyler Florence and then Alton Brown. Alton is a HUGE proponent of using a scale to measure ingredients.
My mom was the biggest influence. Thank God I only have to cook for four people and not ten like she did.
My biggest influence is an online group I belong to- they mostly live in bigger cities and have a wider range of options, which shakes me out of my mid-western midset for cooking.
It would have to be my dad. He is the great cook in our house and I cook just like him. Not measuring much and making up ingredients as I go. I LOVE it when he cooks for me, especially breakfast or pie!
My best friend’s mom, Beth. She was always making a bit of this or that – I paid attention to her basic steps to making foods that were not what we usually ate in my house growing up. Like artichokes, different olives & a variety of soups. In my 20′s I visited her and she was making white gravy – she taught me how quickly then expalined basics for beef, turkey, mushroom and basic sauces. Thanks to Beth I got a good head start. Now the internet is very helpful!
My sweet mother has always been my inspiration in the kitchen. She made home-made everything. Egg noodles (which i used to sneak as they were drying), bread – we always had the most amazing breads, yummy casseroles, and since we lived on the farm – we always had a huge garden. We never bought vegetables, milk or eggs in the store.
My kitchen is filled with my mother’s favorite things – I even mix up my meatloaf in the same bowl my grandmother did.
You. PW. Cookbooks galore. Years of Gourmet and Bon Appetit and Fine Cooking and Cooking Light and tons of cooking magazines in doctors’ offices. And Good Housekeeping Cookbook and Joy of Cooking and my mom’s old cookbooks — all more than 30 years ago when I first got married. But mostly? The sister of a college friend who made quiche for me in 1975 or so. I found out that good cooking required time, knowledge and interest. But it wasn’t hard. I bought a quiche cookbook and I was off and running. Thanks, sister-of-my-friend (whose name I can’t remember). You started something good.
Oh, I am picking up what you’re putting down! I enjoy using a scale when I can, they just make things more consistent!
It cut my comment off- I learned at the knee of my mom and grandma, they NEVER turned me away, which now as a mama- I know how annoying that must have been!
My best friend Jaki from Texas taught me how to cook. I was in my 20′s and was clueless. I remember when she showed me how to make brown gravy. She showed me how to make a roux and said “let it cook until it’s, well about my color then add the water.” She is a beautiful black woman and is my daughter’s Godmother. I have lived back in Kentucky for 20 yrs now and I miss her so.
I glean cooking inspiration from all over the place. Of course I have my fav Food Network chefs like anyone else (Ina Garten, Paula Deen, Alton Brown, Giada), but I’m mostly a fly by the seat of my pants kind of cook. I rarely follow a recipe or measure ingredients unless I’m baking, and even then I often eyeball some of the ingredients. For me cooking is a purely individual art, and I merely put things together that look, smell and (generally) taste good.
My Dad was the cook in our house growing up. That is where I learned that you can throw just about anything together with the right seasonings and make it taste great!
In the beginning my mother, lately you and the pioneer women and smitten kitchen have inspired me to try lots of new things
My friend Cindy, she encouraged me to taste as I was cooking.
My wife. When we were first married, she cooked a different meal each night for over a year. Unbeleivable.
I have learned a lot from watching Alton Brown but I would have to say I learned great cooking from my own husband likes cooking more than I.
My mom worked a lot when I was young and so I got few cooking tips from her, but many from her recipe box. Also, my best friend’s dad taught me a lot of the finer points of cooking and now I depend on the Pioneer Woman to guide me through dinner.
My dear sweet mama. And you. Actually I think my mama cooked using ratios, but she never explained all that to me.
My grandfather. He taught me how to make the family pasta sauce recipe!
For sure, my mom. She still cuts up a chicken in a magical way that I can’t quite figure out.
So I imagine many people are saying this but I have name my mother. She was the biggest influence on my cooking/baking interest, especially throughout my early years in the kitchen. For two very different reasons:
1. I wanted to make the dishes she’d made throughout my childhood, foods that I loved and still think of fondly. Being able to re-create them was important and something I still work towards.
2. In my desire to achieve #1, I was constantly fighting frustration because my mother holds very little value for recipes. She just cooks. No measuring, no ingredient lists, etc. Attempting to replicate her dishes lead to a lot of bad food! lol I had to learn to “feel” the food, know what changes in it’s texture, etc. I was looking for. This meant a lot of time in the kitchen with her (which is great) but a lot of frustration on my part – I’m a list maker and need things written down.
I’m definitely going to check out the Ratio book you’re plugging – I think it might a long way in bridging the gap in the ways that my mother and I cook.
mostly my mom. but i love America’s Test Kitchen and Alton Brown.
My Grandma Craig (my mother’s mother) showed me basic techniques in cooking, but her real influence was in letting me just try things.
Every summer when i would visit she would have a pile of new recipes from friends or magazines and she would let me pick what we would try. Sometimes it worked out great, but sometimes it was a flop. She taught me to not be afraid in the kitchen, but to just go with it.
Also she taught me that food presentation can be the most fun and creative aspect of cooking.
My mom…and a little from watching the food network
My mom for sure. Almost all of my favorite recipes came from her. If it wasn’t for her love of cooking I would just eat out of a microwave.
I di not know that flour could e so different in weight! I t makes sense. I never win anything, but I hope I win this!
My mother would let us help in the kitchen and I always enjoyed it!
My Husband is actually the person who taught me to cook.. he is a fantastic cook, I on the other hand couldn’t make pancakes when we got married.
My best friend’s mother helped me cook better! In high school she owned a catering company and took me under her wing, really showing me everything she knew!
I learned from watching my mother cook.
I found your blog through the PW blog. And I’m hooked! I love to bake and I’m intrigued by the book you keep mentioning and NEED to get it so I cna start to expiriment with the things in it.
As for who influenced me? It’s hard. My Grandma cooked on a farm for 13 people and knew every recipe by heart – from cakes to bread to meals. My other Grandma cooked the best spaghetti sauce with bits of pork and rich tomatoes. My mom taught me how to cook by feel, but bake by exact measurements. I guess the people that influenced me are my female family members.
Alton Brown on Food Network has inspired me to try different foods and techniques. Also, digging up new recipes on allrecipes.com is always good in a pinch to try new stuff.
Over the past 10 years I have worked in various professional kitchens with chefs from all over the world. But, they didn’t influence me nearly as much as the cooks I worked with daily on the line. We had to push each other to move faster, try harder and become a more creative… constantly pushing the boundaries of food. I defintely would not be the cook I am today without my co-cooks!
My mom really influenced my cooking. She was always very creative in what she would try. I am also part of Tuesdays with Dories and have tried so many baking recipes that I never thought I would try.
I searched for a long time for recipes that weren’t just a conglomeration of processed products thrown together with little luck. An article in Real Simple kind of opened the doors up for me with experimentation on a months worth of meals with a “weekly” plan that slightly varied each week (soup one day, ground meat one day, vegetarian one day, fish one day, roast one day, pork one day etc.) and that was closely followed up by a website that I got most of my recipes from for a long time and would recommend to anyone who doesn’t know how to cook…foodfit.com.
Evelyn
I want one! I have enough issues with my easy-bake sized oven == I need all the help I can get.
My high school home ec teacher and Joy of Cooking have probably been the biggest influences on my technique, but I’ve also been learning a lot by following blogs.
Have to be Moosewood Cook Book.
I am not a great cook. but, in recent months, I’ve made quite a few smitten kitchen recipes. and I think that has made me less scared of the kitchen!
That’s easy for me! #1 – the women of my family who are all fabulous cooks. They inspired me as a child to learn and love cooking. And #2 – Alton Brown! I’m an engineer by training and his food science helped me become a better cook by understanding the science behind the recipes. Makes my “I feel like fooling around in the kitchen and inventing a dish” much tastier!
Ryan. Nice post. I sort of kind of used ratio to make gravy in the past. I quit cooking that way and using ratio. I think I would love cooking a lot more if I went back to it.
My influence in cooking was watching Jeff Smith, The Froogle Gourmet [http://tinyurl.com/4foyk] on PBS & Justin Wilson, The Cajun Cook [http://tinyurl.com/5d8rut] also on PBS. I don’t know if either one is still on anymore. I quit watching TV 3 yrs ago.
My grandmother. I grew up spending a LOT of time with my grandparents, and to this day, she still bakes and has all that fattening delicious stuff in her kitchen more often than not. I can only assume she helped instill my love for baking, seeing as how my mom hates to bake
For various reasons each: my Mom, Giada de Laurentis, Rose Levy Beranbaum (author of The Cake Bible), and lately PW and you!
I get my love of food from both parents. My dad was a fine dining kind of guy, who loathed fast food and everything about it. He appreciated things made from scratch and with love and fostered that appreciation in his kids. He would show us the difference between mediocre and fantastic and I am so grateful for his lessons. My mom, was a wonderful cook and baker and she taught me so much. From the time I was about 4, I was in the kitchen learning and making and I am still in the kitchen – learning and baking with my own small dessert business. Thanks mom and dad for everything!
My mother taught me to cook. My grandmother’s food drove me to be better. Eric Ripert inspires me to learn more, and finally Stephanie Izard makes me want to be a professional chef.
My mother was a great cook, but as for techniques–I’ve learned a lot by watching shows on the Food Network & I must say that PW has the very best piecrust!
Oh wow this would be awesome….one of my cookbooks gives ingredients by weight and I’ve not been able to use it! Anyway…my Gram and my Mom have taught me most of what I know in the kitchen. I’m lucky to have been given my Great-Grandma’s recipe box, which I am very proud of, and my Gram is always willing to help me out with one of the recipes if I need it.
My mother influenced me the most, then my grandmama, then Paula Deen.
My friend Lorrie. Because of her I learned to make bread, and sausage – among other things.
I don’t know if I have one specific person that I can point to as the greatest influence on my cooking. I try to pick up tips, tricks, techniques, and recipes from all cooks I come into contact with. Everyone has different strengths and I try to capitalize on that.
I learned how to cook by watching Julia Child when she was first broadcast. Yes, I am that old!
Seriously, my mother was ok for somethings in the kitchen and awful at others. My father owned a restaurant but he cooked there, not at home. He sent Sunday dinner home so we’d have a good roast once a week (with leftovers for Monday). When I was married it was “Hamburger Helper” and steak until I found Julia. She encouraged me to try different food, implements and methods; she taught me how to bone a chicken breast; how to prep a kitchen; how to chop; how to set a pretty table (presentation feeds the eyes!). Since then I’ve seen many chefs and learned much from tv and the internet (Ree especially) but the classic techniques I learned from Julia Child in the early 70′s still are used every day.
Sadly no one ever “taught” me to cook. I had to figure it out on my own. So… my greatest influence has been my hubby complaining that we need more variety in our meals. That got me looking and searching for more interesting recipes.
My parents-yes both of them! Pioneerwoman, and Rachael Ray. I love to cook and have always been willing to try new things, but I especially love to try PW and RR recipes! They are generally very family (ie:kid) friendly!
My mom “taught” me how to cook, but it was not until several years into my marriage that I began trying new things and improvising. I really enjoyed your PW challenge and watching you figure out what to do with all of the ingredients.
When I was in college, I used to routinely set off the fire alarm in my apartment with my cooking, much to the chagrin of my roommates. They tried to teach me cooking techniques, but I was too stubborn and defensive to really get it.
It wasn’t until I had moved to a rural rice farming village in northern Japan when I was “adopted” by a Japanese couple–the husband who everyone called “Master” but I called “dad” and the wife who I called “Eiko-mama.” Both of them were fantastic chefs, “dad” was formally trained in Italy (they run an Italian restaurant) and Eiko-mama had learned from years of experimentation. Two years of freeloading dinner at their house and helping out in the restaurant kitchen for big dinner parties has made me a much more competent chef, although to this day there are a lot of ingredients I only know how to say in Japanese!
Both my mother and my father influenced me. Also, when I was a kid in El Paso a Mexican lady came and did ironing for my mother. She showed her how to make proper enchiladas and Piccadillo, which are two of the most amazing things one can eat! I still get influence from everywhere I can. Delia Smith(here in blighty), has a fantastic Toad in the Hole recipe that I have lifted and modified. Plus, your pal Pioneer Woman inspires me to epicurean ecstasy!
I have a friend that is a retired pastry chef. She taught me everything I know about baking.
Name just one person?! My whole family are foodies, but if I had to pick one, it would be my dad. But the Food Network and blogosphere are really where I’ve learned what I know.
Most affected my cooking . . . i think it was the Foodnetwork in general. When i first started watching, i was totally addicted – there was this whole new world of different ways to add (or kick up) the flavour to dishes . . . different cooking methods. i particularly like learning things from Alton Brown . . .
My ex husband. He is a wonderful cook. So when we split I had to figure out how to do it myself now. I always call him and ask him the simplest things like at what temperature and for how long do you cook chicken? He also let me have some of the cookbooks, and he usually gives me some cooking accoutrement for birthdays and Christmas. Very helpful.
I picked up cooking on my own, but growing up in Portugal exposed me to some amazing food, and Food Network filled in the gaps.
My bestfriend, Blaire, and the internet have been most inspirational to my cooking.
My Mom is definitely my greatest cooking inspiration. She even gave me a binder with all her recipes in it when I moved into my first house after college! Also, my husband has taught me a lot (especially regarding patience).
I’d love to have one.
Either my home ec teacher Ms. Murray or Alton Brown. Both have had very useful tips.
Definitely my mother!
My husband has been my greatest cooking influence. He’s really shown me how food can be fun, not just a thing you have to do. My ability to enjoy spicy food has dramatically changed, from a mild rating to always hot. The only downside is now I see how bland my mom’s food is.
I learned to cook from my mother and my grandmother. I still use many of their “hand-me-down” recipes. My grandmother is dead now, but I think of her everytime I make something she taught me how to make.
Of course my mom and grandma, but mostly I love reading any kind of cookbook! I have also picked up some new and different ways just surfing the food blogs (like yours!)
my mom…followed by my Grandma…my mom actually taught me to cook and we cooked together often. My grandma never cooked with me…but would talk to me about cooking…and always had treats when we’d go visit. I still remember (and sometimes crave) her potato chip chocolate chip cookies….I wish I had that recipe! I may have to see if i can recreate it!
I would have to give the credit to all the fabulous women in my family who cooked before me. Gathering in the kitchen with my grandmother, mother, and aunts, was always a fun and pleasurable experience, besides turning out good food. To cook was to create something wonderful for the people you loved…a joy and a privilege. Our best family moments were spent around the dinner table, with lovingly prepared food.
My mommy. While growing up she made a point to have a home-cooked meal on the table that we would sit around at the table and eat as a family. She’d try new recipes, and bring out the oldie but goodies. I hope to someday pass that same value down to my (future) daughter(s).
My mom and grandmother can cook awesome Mexican.
In my family we are all passive-aggresive bakers, trying to out cake each other. I think my biggest influence was my Gran. She constantly served enough food for a small army(lots of cousins!), her kitchen was clean, her food was delicious. But, I wanted to make better pancakes than the ones she served. To make pie better than my Aunt Alice, soup better than my mom.
Its a fine line, competitive cooking for the ones you love.
My mom of course!
PBS cooking shows in San Francisco, circa 2000-2002. Particularly Joanne Weir, Weir Cooking in the Wine Country. Living in such a foodie city with such amazing readily available produce and products, it was FUN and easy to learn and experiment.
For me, my cooking lately has been very influenced by The Pioneer Woman. Since my mom was a single mom, she hardly had time to cook or teach me to cook… but I love it! Me being very self taught in everything I enjoy, it’s easier for me to learn from websites and cook books and trial and error.
my mom. She cooked, and taught me, by the ratio style. Absolutely invaluable- especially proven when friends or family ask how I made something, and i give them a quick list of ingredients with a little instruction and they have that blank stare….then ask…ummm do you have a recipe? my answer is always no, and they roll their eyes.
Unfortunately, I have learned more about cooking from cookbooks and magazines I have acquired over the years. Not a “natural” cook like my mom and sisters, who can just randomly put ingredients together and it’ll be good.
my ma, of course! ;0)
Cookbooks and magazines…..they are filled with inspiration!!!
My mom and Julia Child. I (and my mom) loved watching Julia Child so much that at 16 I asked for a Cuisinart for Christmas. I still use that gift even though it is older than dirt, just like me!
Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, has greatly influenced what happens in my kitchen. I’m no longer afraid to try something new and the results make for one happy hubby and an entire clan of groupie friends. Nothing taste like homemade!
I think what taught me most was the Kraft What’s cooking magazines. Just made me as a beginner, more confident to move onto more complex things.
hi ryan! i have always loved to cook, and i think i get that love from my great-great-grandmother (still living!).She may have planted that seed in me, but i also get alot of my ideas from the pioneer woman and rachel ray.
Believe it or not, my husband taught me how to cook years and years ago.
My Mom and Grandma helped me the most. I hated cooking as a kid, now I don’t have a choice. My husband had know idea what he was getting into when he married me. I really didn’t know how to cook, I faked it mostly, then I would call Grandma or Mom when I had too. Needless to say, they had lots of laughs about me. Now my husband hates going out to dinner, he says mine food is better than elsewhere.
To enter this contest, simply leave a comment below listing the person or people who have most greatly influenced your cooking ability. This could be an author, your grandma, or even a Food Network personality. Who has taught you to cook better?
For me, it has to be my grandmother. I have a bunch of her old cookbooks from the 1940′s with her notes in them. I try to channel her whenever I attempt to cook!
This ration thing is VERY interesting. I’ve never been a big baker because it always has been so limiting. Not like cooking where one can “play” with the ingredients and taste as you go for desired end result. But the ratios allows me some freedoms and I like it.
As far as influence in my cooking, my Mom of course, but I was married at sixteen and had to learn a heck of a lot quickly if we were not to starve. I had neighbors through the years that influenced me. My husband is a great encourager, even when I think I don’t deserve it. And just when I think I got it down The Pioneer Woman comes a long and encourages me more. (love it) And then there’s you… shall I continue?
Thanks
Buffy
I’ve watched quite a bit of FoodNetwork in my day, and I get great recipes from PW! I love her detailed instructions. Thanks for giving this away to one of us!
My Mother is an awesome cook and taught me and my two sisters to cook. She cooks all kinds of wonderful things, but “Comfort Food” is one of her specialties!!! She always knew how to make us feel better when things weren’t going so good. She also has cooked and still does to take to others who are sick, hurting, celebrating births, etc. She is awesome!!
My mom showed me the ropes, but it was my frined Michael who introduced me to cooking without a recipe, using basic knowledge of what a BASIC roast, or soup, or stew, or bread, or whatever is made of… and going from there with what you’ve got. It changed my world… and my menus.
I am one of seven boys (no sisters), and mom taught us all to cook, I guess so she would have some help.
My nine year old daughter and my wife’s family are probably the biggest influences on my ability today. I’ve been teaching my daughter to cook, and teaching something really does seem to be the best way to learn. I say my wife’s family because my wife has convinced them that I know everything about cooking, and when someone calls with a question, I don’t want to disappoint them.
This might sound funny but I watch the food network all the time and I am inspired to try new things. My dad is a wonderful cook and I think his love of cooking and wanting to put a homemade dinner on the table every night helped me to want to do the same with my children.
I don’t know if I could pick just one. It would really be a combo of my parents and Food Network.
I really like Alton Brown for a really good explanation of why things work the way they do. Although lately I’ve been going nuts with The Pioneer Woman’s recipes
My grandmother – she owned a restaurant in Camden, Maine, wrote a cookbook and was always in the kitchen. My mother – cooked and baked not because she had a deep-felt love for either task, but because she loved us! She had the patience of a saint, and allowed my sister and me to join her when we were quite young. This time in the kitchen, standing by her side, instilled a love of cooking and baking and all things kitchen related.
Sadly both my parents weren’t into cooking. I am a chemist and I love what I do. Cooking is just chemistry you can eat. I inspired myself originally (way way back when) but when Food Network came out I worshiped at the feet of Alton Brown. He’s so into the whole chemistry behind the food. And yes, he uses a scale too. I have on but it’s not digital so it’s not all that useful for baking. Thanks for the opportunity!
My mom – she rarely followed a recipe but her cooking was amazing!!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Man, that’s a toughie. I’ve learned so much from people online like Michael Ruhlman, and from watching shows like Alton Brown.
The person who inspired me to learn, however, is my mum. She has such confidence in the kitchen, though she is no gourmet. She can invent soups like nobody I know. I remember when I was in my mid 20s and out on my own, suddenly thinking, “I want that confidence.”
I’m glad to say, I got there. I love cooking for others, love sharing my cooking on my blog, and LOVE reading about cooking on blogs like yours, PWs, and Ruhlman’s. Thanks for doing such a great job.
Sam the cooking guy on Discovery Health. I love what a spaz he is when cooking. Makes me think “I can do this!”
An on-going process–began with mother’s good home-cooking, continued with learning some specifics in college food classes and turned into a real love later by reading magazines and cookbooks (adn watching foodnetwork tv) and being in a “gourmet” cooking group.
My first influence was Julia Child, I loved watching her as a kid. Since growing up, I have been influenced by my mom, Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, and more recently Pioneer Woman.
Admittedly, I am not a great cook, but I try, which is all my family can hope for…and a pizza when it fails.
i’d definately say my mom. taught me to cookwhen i was five
My sister and my dad. They are the type to never measure anything but ALWAYS get fabulous results.
I’d have to say it was my grandmother. She always took the time to explain things and didn’t mind the mess I made. Lately, Ree the Pioneer Woman, has given me a wide variety of things.
Oooh. I’d love to win this.
Besides my mom, of course, I’ve learned to cook from FN host Sara Moulton. She’s awesome.
My mom definately influenced me. She taught me how to bake, cookies, breads, pies, etc. While her regular cooking may have been lacking at times, there was, and is, a baked treat on her kitchen counter ready to be consumed.
My Mom because, bless her heart, she was such a terrible cook! Learning to cook became a necessity so I could decide what to eat.
I love her to death. For the record.
my college roommate…. she taught me everything I know!
My maternal grandmother is my inspiration. I want to be able to cook by feel and memory and… well… ratio. She’s the type who never opens a cookbook for anything any more, 86 and still going strong!
I think it would be family and friends. The more positive feedback I got the more I wanted to improve.
Thanks for the contest.
My Uncle Howard and my Mom. They taught me all the family recipes, and cooking technique to boot!
PS- I’ve been lurking for a while, but this is my first comment.(i think) Hi! Thanks for a lovely site, it makes me smile every time I’m here! :->
My roommate in college taught me quite a bit and otherwise I’m pretty much self taught. Thanks for hosting these give aways. Blessings!
Ree, Pioneer Woman
My lovely big sister has always been the one I call ever since I started cooking. She taught me everything from making hard boiled eggs to the perfect pie crust.
My college friend, Brenda.
I would have to say that Roni (her blog is GreenLiteBites) has taught me how to cook healthy meals and it’s amazing how she whips up something with whatever she has on hand..I’m working on getting better with that!
My mom is the best cook! I know lots of people say that but it’s really true. She can look in the fridge and make a full meal and it tastes GREAT, all I see is a bunch of separate stuff not cooked and don’t get inspired.
When I first started to cook I would spend hours on the phone with my Mom having her walk me through everything from gravy to chicken & dumplings. Now, I’m much more able to do things on my own but I still call Mom and run things by her. She benefits too because I love to cook for her and she loves not having to cook. I still can’t make a roast that is as delicious and tender as hers but dangit I’m trying!
Without a doubt, my sweet mom. She has cooked atleast one (homemade….not out-of-a-box) meal everyday of my entire life.
I hate to admit it, but Rachel Ray made me really enjoy cooking. I learned that cooking isn’t an exact science, and that a ‘little bit of this’ and a ‘little bit of that’ does work. (and can be Yum-o)
America’s Test Kitchen also makes me a better cook. They’ve already figured out what can go wrong, so I dont’ have to worry about it!
Ohh…I was just thinking the other day I needed a digital scale…mine is old as the hills and needs replacing
My biggest influence is definately my mum. I grew up in Ireland…she cooked amazing tateful dinners every night and never used garlic…shock and horror. She still roasts the best chicken ever and she is now 87.
The other day I started making Pate Sucree for a lemon tart. It did not work out and I called my personal help line half way around the world…she is amazing!!!
She can cook AND bake. I just recently got into baking since PW ‘made’ me buy a kithen aid. Food blogs are costing me a fortune in new toys LOL.
Thanks for the cool site.
I thought I had subscribed before but just now realise I must have missed soemthing…so will do it again in reader.
)
Sue in canada (can we win in Canada? Doesn’t matter either way
It was definitely my paternal grandmother. Granny allowed me to get hands-on especially with holiday cooking. She had great recipes, too.
As funny as it sounds, Ree is my culinary influence! (That sounds so stalkerish as I type it out.) My mom didn’t always cook a whole lot and I remember MANY a time that we had taco salad seemingly every week. Other than her, I can’t think of anyone else that even cooked for us! No wonder the first years of being with my husband he got Hamburger Helper and spaghetti almost constantly.
Wow. That’s a tough question. I would have to say mom Mom has helped and influenced me the most, with Alton Brown running a close second. I LOVE his show Good Eats. Thank Heavens Mom is still here to help with food questions and she’s only a call away.
Hugs!
My mother and father in law have inspired me and taught me to be a better cook. I started my marriage not being able to cook anything! — however, they do word of mouth catering, and i have always loved helping them. Watching them cook so effortlessly and so passionately (and fearlessly!) has inspired me. My husband is now glad that I am a WONDERFUL cook – because i am so confident now!
Probably the most influential person was my counselor. I was in a bad place a few years ago, and started seeing a counselor. I got out of my bad place and learned to be happy and love life again, and that’s when I started to really enjoy cooking and trying new things.
As for my cooking style, I have no idea where I got it. I’ve always been the type to wing it once I understand the gist of a recipe, and I live to try to change things up. My mom is the only cook I’ve ever really watched, and she’s definitely the type to stick with what she knows… so I didn’t take after her. I think it’s just my personality.
By the way, I ordered that Ratio book last night. I think it’s right up my alley. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!
I would say that I was self-taught and still have so much to learn – I love to get recipes from PW’s site and a host of other websites…
my mom. i heart her.
For me, it would be the various food blogs that are out here in cyber space. I love to explore cuisine outside of Filipino cuisine and since my Grandma and Mom are both Filipino-cored cookers, they don’t have much knowledge on Korean, Japanese, Greek, etc. foods. So food blogs help a lot. But in terms of cooking Filipino food, hands down my Grandma. She is a GREAT cook and I wish she would write down everything she knows cuz its a lot.
My father influenced me when I was at home. He loved to cook and whether it was pinto beans or a steak, he presented it like it was a rare and wonderful find. He’s been gone almost 6 years and I am glad for those memories.
I learned alot while working for a friend for three years part-time on the side, who ran a catering business. While that did include “bulk” cooking, I learned much about preparation of things and combining different foods.
The person who most influenced me in the kitchen with my cooking is my father. He died 9 years ago and it still feels like yesterday. When I make some of his favorite dishes for my family I remember sitting on the counter as a child helping him add ingredients to make that particular recipe or sitting at the table with him joking around and laughing while enjoying my favorite dish.
Well, I read Julia Child’s autobiography which gave me a greater appreciation for the joy of cooking but my greatest influence would have to be my mom. She cooked for us with such love and I do the same for my family. I try to explain to them that when they don’t like my cooking it is like a slap in the face because for me it is love I am serving up. The kids think I’m nuts now. Oh well. I still cook with love!!
DeniseL
I’m not a natural when it comes to cooking but I love to do it. It’s a stress releiver for me. Even though my mom isn’t a huge cook I would have to say she influenced me. Growing up I was ALWAYS in the kitchen when my mom cooked. I would sit on the counter and watch everything that was going on. I can’t even count how many pictures I have with me sitting or standing on the counter as a little girl.
my early influences were my grandmothers and my mom. but my most recent influences have been anyone i have had the privilege of being in a kitchen with… and the bloggers that i read.sure watching professional chefs (i.e. emeril, paula deen, etc) is great entertainment for a foodie such as myself, but in reality i want real, authentic food applications!
also, have skimmed through the ratio book… amazing… i will be picking it up soon!
You know it’s strange I don’t really know who influenced me. My grandma and mom are great cooks however I can’t say I’ve ever been inspired by them. I think my cooking is all me. I like to cook and my love of meat pushes me to try different spices and combinations. To make that perfect steak, burger, chicken breast, wings …you get the idea. I do enjoy watching America’s Test Kitchen though!
I guess my person is my mom in a round about way. She hates cooking and baking so from a very young age I learned how and LOVED it. I am still constantly trying out new foods and recipes and my mom still calls me and says “What should I make tonight, I hate figuring it out!”. lol
The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond has most influenced me! She got me out of my years long cooking rut and had me trying new things!
MY MOM
My biggest influences have been my mom and my grandma. Both women cook traditional, homestyle meals, and have since passed on their recipes to me. I have been cooking since I was old enough to see on top of the stove! I am only 21 now, but have a multitude of recipes I love to cook, with almost all of them learned from these two important women. Also, Kraft Foods Magazine has wonderful recipes that have inspired me to create some of my own dishes. This scale is so neat – and the idea of cooking with ratios instead of recipes really has peaked my interest!!
Can I choose two? My mom gave me my base and my husband used to be a chef so he teaches me cool new stuff
Momma got me started, followed by other women in my life through the years.
Man, I could totally use one of these – for weighing yarn. How do I know if I should start my second sock if I don’t have a scale that can tell me if I have 50 grams left?
My biggest influence has been Pam Anderson (not to be confused with Pamela Anderson). She used to work for Cooks Illustrated, and taught me that *gasp!* you don’t have to have a recipe if you know some basic food relationships. _How To Cook Without A Book_ is a great introduction to cooking on the fly; I think it’s probably related to your Ratio stuff.
My boyfriend’s grandma who we lived with for about a year and a half taught me how to be a better cook! Love her for it!!
While I’m vegetarian now I’d have to say that pre-veg my cooking was most influenced by Jamie Oliver. Now I’d say Isa Chandra.
My Mom Ruth she is very old school.
Ree! Aka The Pioneer Woman!
My mom first taught me to cook. Then trial and error and reading lots (books and blogs) has helped me to improve.
My grandma was amazing, but my biggest influence has been good old trial and error.
My Grandmother was born and raised in the South,she taught me to cook.
My roommate in law school. We had very different cooking strategies, and cooking together made us both better.
dangit bobby.
My Dad! I don’t think he ever cooked until he and my mom divorced when I was in high school. Suddenly, it was one thing we both had in common, and I can credit him for all my cooking abilities. And he makes the best cookies ever! Hooray to dads who bake cookies!
I would have to say my husband. He is a great cook and we are starting to balance each other out in the kitchen! Great give-a-way!
My great grandmother. She taught me to cook with what I had and to cook somewhat healthy. And she just let me go in the kitchen when I would stay with her. Nothing like letting an 8 year old have free reign.
The Rombauers, I think. When I left college and moved into my own full-time home, I realized I didn’t know how to cook anything except college food. I bought my very own first copy of the Joy of Cooking, and my life was never, ever the same. I learned how much I love cooking from scratch, and how good food could really be! While I have a lot more cookbooks on my shelf, The Joy of Cooking, still remains my Go To Cookbook of choice.
Alton Brown. Seriously. He explains the WHY behind cooking, and it makes so much sense! My cooking has changed so much since I started reading his books and watching his show.
Since discovering How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman has been my go-to guy.
My mother is my greatest influence. She rarely measures anything, but is a fabulous cook. Her instructions are a bit frustrating when she says to add some flour. I ask “how much is ‘some’?” and she replies with “just add some until it looks right!” One day I guess I’ll figure it out.
Cooking and baking with my Nana was the greatest influence in my life. Since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease 2 years ago Analise Roberts has been my greatest cause for understanding and new-found delight in the kitchen. I love her Gluten-Free Baking Classics book as well as her Food Philosopher website!! Knowing how to measure correctly is an absolute necessity. Something I didn’t do after being taught by Nana.
My inspiration is from a bunch of people. My great-grandmother loved to cook, and did right up until she started forgetting how. Even then she still tried. And I LOVE to watch Food Network, and so does my husband! Alton Brown and Bobby Flay are two of our favorites, and I get a lot of inspiration from Giada diLaurentas.
My husband. He does not mind me trying out new recipes and ideas on his nightly dinner. That gave me the courage to start experimenting and altering recipes. He is fat and happy. Must be working.
I would love to be able to pin point the one great influence in my cooking skills, however, there is a whole slew of people.
My mom and the recipes she has passed on to me.
My second cousin and my great aunt, who love to cook as much as my mother dislikes it.
Food Network. Sure, I could list all of the tv chefs I watch, but I think the Food Network itself has influenced my cooking the most. I mean, they wrangled up all those tv chefs.
My fantastic friend Holli has been my greatest influence and inspiration. She is a GREAT cook and super crafty(her blog is great too: feedingthebigguy.blogspot.com)
hehe…. allrecipes.com
now that I found that site – my kids think i can cook!!
Oh, it has to be my Mom for sure. Now that she’s gone, I have all her old recipes and smile when I come across one in my huge box.
Alton Brown, without a doubt.
My Grandmother was my first influence – that and cooking at an early age. Cooking for and pleasing others motivates me to be a better cook.
I want to name a place, Iowa has influenced my cooking ability. We have a long cold winter and I hiberate during the winter months. Once I get home from work, I rarely ventured back out. I love to cook soups and hot meals. The winters of Iowa have influenced me to try new recipes.
My grandma and mom can whip up something from nothing and I have been told that I have this ability.
My grandmothers and aunts…my mom not so much but she always did a great turkey at Thanksgiving. Everyone needs a specialty. I can watch Alton Brown endlessly – humor and science and he’s kind of precise. Loved his biscuit show. And you can learn something from everyone, what works or what doesn’t. It’s those works in progress that can turn into something wonderful. One of the best meatloafs ever made was created by my sister, sister-in-law and me with my grandmother’s “I always put” added. The tears of laughter was the best ingredient no matter how many women in the kitchen. Now, why are guys so fascinated with fire? My boys are camping this weekend. They will find out how the monkey bread in the dutch oven comes out. My son loved making the monkey bread and my husband had a brain storm after I used his dutch oven for the herb bread.
My mom. Growing up, she always made enough food to feed an army. We always had leftovers. But it was good. The only problem now is she is trying to learn how to cook without frying everything! (We’re from the South!)
I can’t name one particular person, but watching various cooking shows on Public Television really sparked my interest. When I was little, my mom watched the Galloping Gourmet (Graham Kerr) and Julia Child, so maybe that was the very start of it!
Ming Tsai and Martin Yan. I heart me some fun cooking shows.
I love my mom but she’s not really a cook. She’d readily admit that. Instead she’d tell you that she “heated stuff up”. Mostly it was stuff out of a can.
My momommy (grandmother) and my Dad have influenced my cooking. I also love watching how everyone chops on tv and try to imitate that to improve my cutting skills!
I got my cooking creativity from my mom… and necessity. When I was in university (tight budget) and didn’t want to eat the same thing four days in a row I got super creative – the jump off point was things my mom taught me about cooking when I was growing up.
My mother taught me everything I know–no surprise! I was always more than pleased with my mom’s cooking until I met my husband, who never passed up the opportunity to point out that my mom’s coking was bland as could be. Thankfully my mom has a great sense of humor! When I left home, my mom gave me a Betty Crocker cookbook and told be that everything she ever knew about cooking could be found there. She’s right. Everything she ever cooked can be found in the pages of that Betty Crocker book. My husband grew up on the ranch (much like Pioneer Woman!) eating food that was anything BUT bland, so I’ve also learned a fair bit from him and his mom. In the end, though, I prefer baking to cooking any day!
I am subbed to your RSS feed! I get it everyday in my Google Reader!
Oh I’ve had several mentors over the years, it’s hard to pick just one. Mom and Grandma are probably the most influential. I also really like watching Alton Brown.
I just got that Ratio book for hubby for his b-day. I wonder what he’ll think of it!
My mom taught me a lot, but I think watching Martha Stewart and Nigella Lawson cook on tv really gave me a passion for it.
I started cooking for my family of 9 when I was 9 years old. I read and still love to read cookbooks. Always trying new recipes. I am new to your blog and love it! Thanks for this contest. Pioneer Woman is an inspiration also.
Definitely my madré!
And funny enough… bloggers!
Ryan – we need to take you to baking school for a day or two – you’d really love it. Pretty much EVREYTHING is done by weight. I’m trying to think… did we ever actually measure anything any other way? Nah… I don’t think so. I have *many* huge notebooks jammed full of formulas for bazillions of quantities of yummy stuff – all measured out by weight.
You got “Food for Fifty” yet? Another awesome book.
Anyway – hmmm… cooking influences… definitely not my Mom – she knew how to make a couple of things really well – but throw stuff together with passion? Nah – she gave up cooking as soon as she could. My Grammy – awesome Godly woman – horrible cook! But dang, she could make an awesome pot roast for Sunday after church.
I dunno… maybe it’s a God thing – when I get out in the garden and I smell the basil, or see the tomatoes ripening, or gather eggs from the nest boxes… there’s sometimes just a NEED to get into the kitchen and throw some stuff together and figure out if it works.
If only my teenagers were into some of the crazy stuff that I think is yummy!
Of course family is always an influence but to get me to think outside of the box the blogging community has really helped the effort along. It has opened my eyes and taught me how to be more creative with the dishes I make.
grandma!
I’d say my mother has influenced my cooking the most. While growing up she made fresh homemade yogurt on a near daily basis and was always having fun cooking something new. Meals were a time to sit down and enjoy family. Every day after school we had a sit down “snack” meal in which we shared the happenings of our day. This whole attitude around food really cultured my love for cooking.
My mother
My mom is not a cook at all so I guess I have been really influenced by my husband and his mom. I LOVE cooking and baking and just told him last week that I need to buy a scale!
Definitely my mom.
My mom and my dad! Both excellent cooks
My mom is a great cook. She was my inspiration to start!
Growing up in a small town of 1200, there weren’t many options available at the grocery store. I learned to cook when I moved to a big city and saw all the options of food available. I started searching cookbooks for ideas of how to cook foods I wasn’t very familiar with. But for the basics, no one taught be better than Betty Crocker.
I just found your blog through Pioneer Woman’s website and love you both! I’m relatively new to baking and cooking too for that matter. But the person who influenced my cooking the most is probably my aunt Anne. She has actually inspired me to cook rather than eat prepared meals (as my mother fed me).
Hmmm…I’d have to say I’m completely self-taught. My mom never let us in the kitchen cuz she was afraid we’d make a mess. Maybe that’s why I love to cook with my girls so much..everything can be cleaned up and the memories are so wonderful despite the mess. My husband’s grandma got me interested when we got married and that would probably be my inspiration but I just began experiementing at home!
My mom inspired my love for cooking but no matter how good my food comes it never tastes as good as hers
Hands down, it was my mother. She was the oldest of 16 kids, so she learned at an early age how to fix a throw down! One of my favorite memories is how I would watch her make buttermilk biscuits every Sunday. They were so good and just seemed better than any I have tried since.
I have to say I was self-taught first from cookbooks, then the world really opened up with the Food Network!
What you are saying makes so much sense – I need to go get that book and get you some royalties, huh? LOL! Thanks for all the education and wonderful recipes!
While I think my mother taught me about the discipline of daily cooking (dinner was on the table every night at 6:30…and she didn’t particularly like to cook,) I would have to say that my personal culinary development has been most influenced by my husband. He’s always up for something new – he’s a thoughtful and honest critic with great ideas about how to make things better/different – and he’s my biggest fan. It’s easy to put dinner on the table for someone like that!
You know, it was Yan Can Cook on PBS when I was in highschool. I just wanted to cook like him. And he got to go to all the cool places.
Oooh, my hubbie would be so happy to have this…
My husband and Mother n law, but I would have to agree that I have learned so much from The Pioneer Women when she does the demo’s at the ranch. I loved yours!
I was most influenced by my Gramma Veda, when she passed all I requested from her estate were her recipes and notes. Her notes are a great memory.
She was the head cook for our school district and did many large functions. I love looking at her recipe notes.
My Mom originally influenced me to begin cooking and baking, but my husband has encouraged my creative & experimentation side or cooking! I never knew you didn’t have to follow a recipe before him!
No question, my mom!
i would say my mom, both of my grandmothers and my fiance.
my mom taught me the staples–lasagna, pot roast, chicken, potato salad, cakes, etc., and how to do them extremely well.
my paternal grandmother taught me good ol’ southern cooking, as she is southerner by birth, and for some inexplicable reason moved to MI. crazy lady.
my maternal grandmother taught me to have fun in the kitchen and not be afraid to make mistakes during the cooking journey. (she’s, um… easily distractd, to say the least and some of my favorite memories are of us laughing over food and the silly things we’d do)
and my fiance… mainly because he’s totally open to eating anything i make and will give me honest feedback about the overall quality and specific things i did well or need to tweak and i love it. i’m always willing to learn.
Oh, without a doubt, my grandmother taught me the most about cooking. She was the one who showed me that food tastes best when it is cooked and served with love, not just as a way to nourish the body, but to feed the soul as well.
The Pioneer Woman has taught me so much about cooking. I make her recipes all the time and they turn out the way they should. Thanks for the contest!
Alton Brown! Geek+Cooking/Baking=Love his show!
My mother – she wasn’t a great cook and she didn’t even like to cook, but she always encouraged me to follow my bliss (she did like to eat!)
My mom and my mother-in-law who both say they don’t like to cook (which is probably why I’m not a whiz in the kitchen.) I learned how to follow a recipe from my mom and how to cook what my husband will eat from my mother-in-law.
My grandmother and my sister. They were basic but good and not afraid to experiment a little. Some of the cooking shows have encouraged me to have more fun with it and quit worrying about perfection.
My mom…she’s an amazing cook. Can turn nothing into an amazing meal and get it all on the table at the same time! Magic to me as far as I’m concerned. I can (sort of) cook but…it definitely doesn’t get to the table at the same time.
My mom. she is an amazing cook
My ex MIL – she was a great cook. Most recently – PW.
Ofcourse my mom but I have been self taught over the years but things may change as I have just purchased RATIO by Michael Ruhlman. I have enjoyed the doughs and now on to the batters. Thanks for the information on measurements.
Well, since I was raised by my single mother who is (proudly) inept in the kitchen, I would say that I learned how to cook from recipes and foodnetwork haha. I guess I got it in my blood, too because I hear that my paternal family is known for being good cooks.
My god-mother. She taught me nearly everything I know about cooking, from how to make a roux to why I should always own a candy thermometer. In fact, she’s influenced my cooking so much that my Texan accent gets more pronounced when I cook, just like hers did.
I would say my Mom and Ina Garten. My mom because she always let me experiment in the kitchen, even if she knew what I was trying would fail. Ina because her recipes are fancy and tasty, but SO easy to make. Just shows that anyone can be a good cook with a little know-how!
Grandma. Grandma baked. Cookies. Cakes. Divinity. Did I say cookies??
I love my mother, God rest her soul, but she taught me how to cook bad food. My husband, he was able to teach and inspire me to cook great food.
My mom. She is so amazing.
Hands Down:
Pioneer Woman
She got me through my first year of marriage with flying cooking colors
PW and you! Love the step-by-step posts, they make the process seem doable. Thanks!
I’m a cookbook addict. When I was first married, if it wasn’t in Better Homes and Gardens I couldn’t cook it. Since then I have moved on to using the books, tv et all as advice and come up with my own version. I am now coveting a scale but havn’t been able to justify it since I have been baking for 52 years without one!
Hey Ryan,
Thanks for the heads up on the flour…I never knew!!
I learned a lot from my mother…she taught me how to do things simplier and how to keep a kitchen clean in the process. My mom is known for her “Ginger Molasses Cookies”. Another influence would be my good friend Penny. She makes the “meanest Caesar salad” you have ever tasted and is a must whenever I go home for a visit. A perfect evening is sitting in Penny’s kitchen, watching her cook, lots of laughter and a glass of wine. It’s the best way of unwinding from a day of travelling. It’s an absolute must whenever I go home. Oh, usually the husbands are in the other room discussing “men stuff”.
Interestingly enough, my ex-MIL taught me most about cooking. Between her and the internet, I can make just about anything for dinner without using an actual recipe!
My husband and my waistline. I’m trying to incorporate healthier meals in to our household. Otherwise I’d have said PW and her pound of butter in every recipe… lol
My husband has taught me to cook better…he taught me to relax and that it was OK to alter recipes to make food even better or more to my liking…I was so uptight when it came to following recipes that I did not enjoy cooking, however when I learned to relax and follow my husbands leading I began to enjoy it and for that I am grateful as I have learned so much!
my biggest influence on my cooking is one of my best friends, amber, who taught me to be fearless in the kitchen and that sometimes a recipe is only a guide and not the rule.
Wow, I’ve been wanting one of those! It’s a tie between my Mom and my Aunt… my mom taught me that there are no rules in cooking, but my Aunt taught me the science, and rules, of baking. Now, it’s all my blogging friends that have continually inspired me!
My mom has had a lot of influence on how how I cook, although I have to give some due to Alton Brown and his very informative Good Eats. Not only do you learn how make great dishes but you get a science lesson out of it.
One of my closest friends Diana has taught/made me a better cook. She is amazing & I was so stuck in a rut with two little boys with food allergies and I had no idea what to make for any of us that wasn’t a turkey sandwich or chicken strips. She opened my eyes tons and I am once again excited to be in the kitchen !!
My brother most influenced my cooking ability. He graduated at the top of his class from Johnson & Wales and will always answer my cooking questions, no matter how stupid.
My Mommy was and is the most influential person in my cooking, I have always been fascinated by watching others cook, I loved watching her growing up and learning from her. I continue to do such, I pretty much can’t make anything with out calling her
For me, it would have to be my good friend Christy, who introduced me to the Alton Brown’s Good Eats. After I fell in love with the show, I fell in love with cooking, cooking shows, foodie blogs (which is why I’m here), etc…
My sister influenced me to become a better cook if only because we loved to compete with each other. We used to talk recipes and cocktails every day. She was a great pal.
My mom started my off right by teaching me to bake at a very young age.
I have the weirdest influence – well maybe not weird, but for weird reasons. My husband loves everything I cook. Everything, even when it tastes like compost. But because of that, I always want to do better for him so I try harder. It works with going to the gym too, which is probably good.
I love checking out cooking blogs & websites. I especially like yours and Pioneer Woman’s sites…the way you cook is pretty much how I try to. I would prefer not to have to use measurements….most of the time I don’t. I doubt I’ve made the same chili twice because I change it up so much. LOL!
Has to be my grandma. She can make a delicious meal out of ANY group of random ingredients left in her fridge.
My Dad! He did most of the cooking around the house, and coming from Argentina from Italian heritage, the cooking was GOOD! He is a daring cook, and can make ANYTHING out of the pantry/fridge taste delicious! He never followed a recipe, he just knew what would taste good.
It first started with my grandmother on my dad’s side when I was 3 years old. I would sit on the counter and watch her cook and bake.
I have progressed to Tuesdays with Dorie (Dorie Greenspan) and I’m learning new things all the time.
My mom, my paternal grandmother, and my college roommate taught me everything I know and love about cooking!
wow…just one person? i’d have to say that person would be my former neighbor mary sytsma. the dutch are great cooks, and my neighbor not only cooked for me over the 16 years we lived side by side, she shared her recipes.
thanks for the chance to win.
If it wouldn’t be too much trouble – I would like Paula Deen to adopt me. I love Love LOVE her style of cooking and I often use her recipes. MMMmmmm
My husband. His love of food and all flavors has influenced my ‘in the box’ way of cooking.
My greatest culinary inspiration is my Mama! She taught me everything I know. I hear her in my mind every