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No matter what level of home cook you are, you probably have a dish or technique that you just can't master. You know who else has that same problem? Literally everybody. Even the editors of a fabulous home cooking site. So in the spirit of full disclosure, I got the editors of Epicurious talking about the one dish or technique that has them stumped.
David Tamarkin, Digital Director
Struggles with: Salad dressing
"I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I can't improvise a salad dressing to save my life. It seems so simple and elemental—every cook should be able to shake together a respectable salad dressing, right? But mine come out too acidic, or too bland, or just plain weird (maple syrup and sesame oil—don't try it).
And so I've been studying. I have a textbook and everything. It's called Best Dressed, and it's a book all about...salad dressings. Now I don't make a salad dressing unless I have a recipe, and I analyze those dressings to figure out their oil-to-acid ratios. I'm still not a great improvisational dressing-maker (dressmaker?). Maybe I never will be. But I'll be damned if I ever coat my lettuce in a flat vinaigrette again."
This is David's favorite salad dressing, in case you were wondering (I was):
Anna Stockwell, Senior Food Editor
Struggles with: Pommes Duchesse
"When I was in culinary school, one of the classic French preparations for potatoes we learned was Pommes Duchesse, in which mashed potatoes are thickened with eggs and cream, piped into pretty little rosettes, and baked until the outsides are crisp and golden-brown, while the insides stay pillowy soft. The moment I tasted them, I was in love. Come Thanksgiving the next year, when I was cooking for 30 people in my grandmother’s ill-equipped kitchen, I decided I needed to make Pommes Duchesse. But without a potato ricer or a food mill, I couldn't get the potatoes mashed throughly enough to pipe. I was halfway through trying to mash the potatoes through a colander (a terrible idea) and running out of time when I realized that a casserole was a much better approach. And sure enough, the rich, eggy mashed potatoes baked into a beautiful casserole with a nice brown crust, and none of my relatives (except my mom, who had talked me off the ledge of a Duchesse meltdown) knew that it was supposed to be any different. Everyone loved it.
I should have just stopped there, but that Christmas I was still determined to share the wonders of Pommes Duchesse with my family. This time we were in my mom’s kitchen and I had all the right tools. Or so I thought. I was sailing along, ready to pipe the perfectly mashed potato mixture into rosettes, when I realized I hadn’t brought my large rosette pastry tip with me. Still determined, I piped out spirals of potato without a pastry tip. They weren’t the prettiest things I’ve ever made, but I threw them in the oven anyway. When I pulled them out of the oven, they had that nice browned crust, which made them look a lot like cow patties. They still tasted great though, so I served them anyway, and one of my little cousins, brutally honest as only toddlers can be, asked why we were eating potato poops.
So now I know better: I make Pommes Duchesse filling and bake it in a casserole dish for Pommes Duchesse Gratin, which is equally elegant, decadent, and crowd-pleasing, and so much easier to pull off."
Be like Anna, attempt the Pommes Duchesse...and then come up with your own amazing take on it:
Erika Owen, Associate Director of Audience Development (that's me!)
Struggles with: Pizza
"Homemade pizza is just plain hard. No matter what I do, the crust comes out soggy and the toppings are just too crispy. Really, it may be because I'm too intimidated to attempt my own homemade crust (another issue altogether), but I feel like perfecting a pie made with store-bought dough shouldn't be as tough as it is. For years, I could blame it on my faulty oven: The bake function was broken, so I was forced to—very carefully—broil everything. Now that I have a functioning gas oven, things should be better. But, alas, my pizzas are still soggy and I'm on first-name basis with the pizza delivery person."
Once I get my homemade pizza situation together, though, this is where you'll find me:
Becky Hughes, Associate Social Media Manager
Struggles with: Poached eggs
"I have never successfully poached an egg. And I love poached eggs, so I really believe it'll change my life once I nail it. I once went through about half a dozen eggs trying to get it right, but they all separated in the water, even with the vinegar trick and the whirlpool technique... so I gave up, as one does."
Becky, there's hope for you yet:
Zöe Sessums, Editorial Assistant
Struggles with: Omelettes
"Every time I try to make an omelette—classic, French, diner-style, I have to turn it into a scramble. I don't know if I add too many mix-ins—or maybe I don't use enough eggs? Maybe I'm just not confident in my flipping. It might also have to do with a lack of patience in my breakfast making. Whatever it is, I should probably spend a weekend watching Jacques Pépin, because I'm hopeless."
You're not alone, Zöe. Give these no-fail omelette spin-offs a try:
