How I Taught My Brother To Cook

Improvisational Tuscan-Provençal Cookery (and other good stuff to eat)

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Great advice! And the shows with the best cleavage are especially noteworthy.
11 hours ago
Patrick added a blog post
There are a multitude of cooking shows out there and they are, in general, all alike. Sure, some are better than others in certain respects but they all follow the same format and that is, "here is what I am going to make and here is how you do it...
14 hours ago
There is probably a similar French type. It is basically pounded thin meat stuffed with "whatever", rolled up, tied with string and slowly cooked.
20 hours ago
Are these like "brownies"?
21 hours ago
Very good! Better than a pizzeria.
21 hours ago
Old as the hills, damn it and proud of it.
on Wednesday
Whataya mean, "whats the white"? Its mozzarella and ricotta. What the hell is wrong with you, you stupid bastard!
on Wednesday
Good looking stuff. I have not made bracciole in a while. Jeanette always asks for it. Maybe during the winter I will. I usually put prosciutto, hard boiled egg, provolone, blah, blah, blah inside.
on Wednesday

Profile Information

How Did You Hear About Our Site?
I am co-founder and CPIA (Chief Pain In The Ass)
Why Did You Join our Network?
To teach my brother how to cook.

Understanding My Cooking Philosophy

Basics, simplicity, tradition, and casual all describe basically my fundamental rationale for cooking. I make everything from old traditional, simple "what I ate growing up" stuff to unique creations. I do NOT abandon my roots no matter where my improvisational road takes me. Nothing is made to impress only to enjoy as food is for survival and enjoyment, and not meant to be a "model strutting down the runway" as many restaurants, cooking shows, and magazines would like you to believe. If you want to be cute, fancy and pretentious then that's your business and more power to you, but at least you know where I'm coming from so that's my story and I'm sticking with it. Period.

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Patrick

How To Watch A TV Cooking Show

There are a multitude of cooking shows out there and they are, in general, all alike. Sure, some are better than others in certain respects but they all follow the same format and that is, "here is what I am going to make and here is how you do it".

My advise, is forget about really what the dish is they're making and watch for tips, shortcuts, techniques and general advice. I am not saying that what they happen to be making that day is not important, but essentially all they are doing is makin… Continue

Posted on November 8, 2009 at 12:07pm — 1 Comment

Patrick

Bake Sale Ban

Take a gander at this New York Times article regarding the ban of bake sales in the NYC school system. In a "nutshell", NYC school kids are too fat and the bake sales used to raise money for whatever cause exacerbates (it appears) the problem.

The number one cause for obesity is corporate America. They are forever finding new ways (and reinventing the old) to take money out of ones walle… Continue

Posted on October 14, 2009 at 8:29am — 6 Comments

Patrick

Where is most home cooking done in America these days (or at least back when)?

I was listening to my local radio station the other morning and they were doing their daily "question of the day". This meant that they would give a topic and people would call in naming songs that had to do with that topic. For example if the question of the day was " What songs had the state of California in them?" people would call in and name a song that had California in it and so on.. Now this station is able (thru web streaming, etc) to broadcast by radio or the computer all over the coun… Continue

Posted on August 6, 2009 at 11:30am — 1 Comment

Patrick

Queer Food

I just finished lunch which was comprised of a baloney sandwich, a glass of homemade iced tea and a chunk of Hershey's chocolate to finish it off. Now I am ready to rant.

Chances are very good that if you were to go into one of these fancy 5 star restaurants you will not find pot roast on the menu. The reason? It is not queer. These restaurants have chefs who spend their time inventing the most intriguing and bizarre dishes that people can go back home and brag to their friends about only becau… Continue

Posted on June 28, 2009 at 10:01am —

Patrick

The Pane di Napoleone Bread Collection

With our refinement of the original no-knead bread we (along with members) have made an assortment of creations using OUR version of the now famous basic bread technique. Below are photos from Johnny, patrick and members of this site. While everyone else is making bread the original (unimproved) way our group has taken it to new levels with much better results following the basics of our Pane di Napoleone.

Continue

Posted on May 5, 2009 at 7:49am —

Comment Wall (18 comments)

At 7:01pm on July 2, 2007, Debbie said…
The picture of you and "Ma" is one that shows the precious and delicate side of a mother and her son. Her smile indicates how proud she was to have had you by her side.
At 6:43am on July 25, 2007, Debbie said…
Barbara Beard is asking......................Hi Deb......I am going to party this Saturday with a Hawaiian theme........Is there anything "easy" i can make without turning on the oven......Barb....................do you have any ideas to give her?
At 12:44pm on July 26, 2007, Debbie said…
Geez, you guys! Don't you listen. Barbara didn't want to turn on the stove! You can do better than that!!
At 12:34pm on October 24, 2007, Paul said…
Do you still make the Apple Brown Betty?
That just popped into my mind today
At 4:49pm on October 27, 2007, Paul said…
Recipes are you kidding?
Improv is the way I go
Although I might look at a recipe now and then to see what ingredients are used.
You might call me the anti-chef
I pity my poor family as I am the main cook.
PT
At 4:53pm on October 27, 2007, Paul said…
I am going to be cooking 3 lbs. of bacon tonight for a brunch party we are having tomorrow.
As luck would have it I stumbled on to your how to cook bacon tip just now so I am going to try it.
At 6:39am on November 12, 2007, Mary Taylor said…
I will see my parents at Thanksgiving and will give them a signed copy of your book. I decided one for my brothers to share will be enough. If they want a copy each, they can buy it! Also, I have to figure out how to "correct' my profile. Paul created it, if you didn't realize - and, of course, he spelled "desserts" wrong! My parents don't make hot, dry, sandy land masses - not last I checked anyway.
You are right, my parents rarely measure anything, unless they are baking - which my Mom does, but my Dad does (bakes) only infrequently with a bran muffin recipe that he likes. They don't make deserts very often - hardly ever, now that I think of it, actually NEVER! They do, however, make desserts! and they are marvelous! Especially the Italian treasure chest "cassata" ... Hmmmmmmmm. Bye for now ... gotta go, Paul wants the 'puter!
At 11:49am on November 12, 2007, Patrick said…
Ok, let's see the cassatta recipe which tells me that your dad is of Sicilian decent. And let's not forget his cardoon recipe. For the non-educated readers out there, the cardoon is a "roadside" thistle typical in Italian peasant cuisine.
At 9:39am on January 1, 2008, Claire Fagin said…
hello Patrick, looking forward to deliciousness!
At 4:52pm on April 4, 2008, Sandy M. Bushberg said…
Nope, never made it to the macrobiotic phase. I was, however, a very strict vegetarian for over 11 years (nothing that came from anything with a face). I now consider myself a flexible vegetarian. Thanks for the welcome, Patrick.

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Latest Activity

Usually I finish this soup in individual serving bowls by ladling the soup in, covering with croutons and cheese and broiling. This time I put the croutons and cheese in the cooking pot and baked in a very hot oven to get a "pizza effect" on the s...
11 hours ago
John Barrows added a photo
11 hours ago
The best pizza in Paris!!!!!
11 hours ago
Great advice! And the shows with the best cleavage are especially noteworthy.
11 hours ago
Patrick added a blog post
There are a multitude of cooking shows out there and they are, in general, all alike. Sure, some are better than others in certain respects but they all follow the same format and that is, "here is what I am going to make and here is how you do it...
14 hours ago
There is probably a similar French type. It is basically pounded thin meat stuffed with "whatever", rolled up, tied with string and slowly cooked.
20 hours ago
Are these like "brownies"?
20 hours ago
Very good! Better than a pizzeria.
21 hours ago
Here, after coocked :
on Saturday
Laura added 3 photos
on Saturday
yes, Italian.
on Friday
now we're TALKIN'!
on Friday
The French have a million great ways to prepare potatoes. Like the Italians with pasta.
on Friday
I don't know this italian ? dish ...
on Friday
Old as the hills, damn it and proud of it.
on Wednesday
Whataya mean, "whats the white"? Its mozzarella and ricotta. What the hell is wrong with you, you stupid bastard!
on Wednesday
Good looking stuff. I have not made bracciole in a while. Jeanette always asks for it. Maybe during the winter I will. I usually put prosciutto, hard boiled egg, provolone, blah, blah, blah inside.
on Wednesday
Obviously Nancy was not home when you made this. You forgot the Worcestershire sauce you dope!
on Wednesday
John Barrows added 2 photos
on Wednesday
OLD father .... yup
on Wednesday

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