Which cuisine would you like to study with a true master?

[Jenise]

This message is going to appear AFTER the poll, but pretend it's the other way around, okay?

There are types of foods that many of us never do at home but tend to go out to finner for. Oh, sure, we incorporate a few items that are related or even authentically en pointe, but we do that because we love those flavors while remaining firmly in our base cuisine based mostly on regional typicity and mom's cooking.

But what about achieving true proficiency? Which cuisine other than your own would you opt to study with a real pro breakfast, lunch and dinner?

[Cynthia Wenslow]

I've had a few lessons cooking at the side of some friends from India, but I would love to feel as confident "whipping something up" in this cuisine as I do in most others.

Great question, Jenise! What's your personal answer?

[Stuart Yaniger]

Sorry, I'm going to be difficult.

With a true master, I'd study ANY of those cuisines, with the exception of South America. Which box should I check?

[Paul B.]

Certainly Classic French here.

Bet you never thought I'd say that ...

[Robin Garr]

Which cuisine other than your own would you opt to study with a real pro breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Tough call. Very, very tough. I'm inclined to agree with Stuart. But if I have to pick one, it would have to be Italian. I love it, I'm good at it already, and it makes me happy.

[Carl K]

definately another vote for Italian here. Many of my dishes have an Italian-American inspiration already, but I don't have much experience with the real thing beyond what I've learned by reading and/or watching Mario. I'd love a chance to learn how to really cook Italian dishes at the feet of a master.

[John Tomasso]

I voted for Chinese. It's a cuisine I enjoy, but am uncomfortable with in the kitchen. I need lessons.

[Jenise]

Cynthia, though what I eat and cook is more Italian in sensibility than anything, I voted Chinese, and it was a hard choice between that and classic French. I wouldn't have turned down a shot at Indian, either.

[Bernard Roth]

I am already "expert" in Classic French cuisine - at least as expert as I'm likely to need to be at home. But Modern French cuisine is a different story. May I?

To the extent that Modern French borrows a lot from Japanese and Modern Spanish, those are my next choices.

[Richard_Atkinson]

As Robin says...we're pretty good at it now, but we'd love to learn more.

Richard

[wrcstl]

French would be my last choice. Maybe I am not correct but when I think of classic French I think of many ingredients, too many sauces and in general heavy flavors. French cooking is changing, becoming much lighter and fresher but Classic French with a master would be more interesting as a knowledge and technique base than as a cuisine for me. For the same reasons I would choose Italian, one main ingredient, lots of herbs and just add bread and wine.
Walt

[David M. Bueker]

I picked Chinese, but I would truly love a chance to study Thai cuisine in all its variations.

I'm pretty comfortable with French and Italian. The Asian cuisines just baffle me though. Even when I faithfully follow a recipe from a good source I get it all wrong.

[Jenise]

I picked Chinese, but I would truly love a chance to study Thai cuisine in all its variations.

I'm pretty comfortable with French and Italian. The Asian cuisines just baffle me though. Even when I faithfully follow a recipe from a good source I get it all wrong.

Same reason I chose Chinese. And Thai? Dumb me, I meant to include that on the list.

[Christina Georgina]

I feel totally uninhibited with Mediterranean cuisines but recipe locked for all Asian cuisines. I would like to study with any Chinese, Thai, Japanese , Vietnamese expert . It's not so much the techniques that are daunting but simply the "feel" and "intuition" of combining ingredients and flavorings. Great question.

[MtBakerDave]

I picked Chinese, but I would truly love a chance to study Thai cuisine in all its variations.

I'm pretty comfortable with French and Italian. The Asian cuisines just baffle me though. Even when I faithfully follow a recipe from a good source I get it all wrong.

It's a really tough question, no doubt! I can cook French, Italian and Indian reasonably well, and those are the ones that I'd probably study if I had a chance. Plus Southern cooking!

I'd love to cook a little Thai as well, but I've never had any luck with it. I'm even less than a rank beginner with Thai. For that reason I wouldn't want to study it with a world-class chef. I would never have hired Vladimir Horowitz to teach me beginner piano for example, even if I could have when he was alive. The idea is ridiculous. Same with a top chef teaching me the basics of cooking.

Dave

[Paul Winalski]

I picked Chinese, but I would truly love a chance to study Thai cuisine in all its variations.

I'm pretty comfortable with French and Italian. The Asian cuisines just baffle me though. Even when I faithfully follow a recipe from a good source I get it all wrong.

I got into cooking the other way around. Chinese was what I started with, and I have a pretty good foundation with it and other Asian cuisines. But I still feel uncomfortable and a bit lost with French or other European continental cuisine.

I'd like to study Indian cuisine with a master. I can prepare various Indian dishes from detailed recipes, but I don't have a feel for what makes it tick--which spices to use when, for example. I have a good grasp of the systematics behind Chinese cooking, and Julia Child's "The Way To Cook" gave me similar insights into French cooking, but with Indian cooking I still feel I'm just following a formula without really understanding why it works.

-Paul W.

[Larry Greenly]

I picked Chinese, but I would truly love a chance to study Thai cuisine in all its variations.

I'm pretty comfortable with French and Italian. The Asian cuisines just baffle me though. Even when I faithfully follow a recipe from a good source I get it all wrong.

I'm curious about what goes wrong. Perhaps we can dissect your problem and get you on the road to Thai cooking, one of my faves.

[Alan Uchrinscko]

I'm with Bernard.

When I'm really cooking, most everything I do is some simplified French, Italian Continental European type thing. When I'm really, really cooking, it's more classical French stuff.

I voted Japanese because I would love to add more non-traditional (i.e. non-european) elements to things I cook even though I try (sometimes successfully!) already some. + I love seafood. My second choice would be Vietnamese.

[Bill Spohn]

Gee - no one but me voted for Vietnamese?

Maybe it is because good friends have just returned from a month in Laos and Viet Nam, taking cooking courses there, but it sounds fascinating and isn't old hat like European cuisine.

At least you sensibly left US out of the choices ("Can I offer you fries with that?")



Does anyone know what that smiley is DOING? It looks vaguely rude......

[Jenise]

At least you sensibly left US out of the choices

And Canadian and English....

And, um, that smiley of yours. I think Stu Yaniger posed for it.

[Bill Spohn]

And Canadian and English....

Ahh - maybe the smiley is an English chef having his way with a Yorkie....pudding, of course!

[tsunami]

i would choose vietnam

because,

french is very familiar to me ,

italian ? well, i`m italian

japanese? i`m going into since a few years.

chinese? but only the real back-country (incl. all kind of food !!) would be an interesting option



vietnam : (eat-drink-man-woman) yes, that really old kitchen and to learn to make all these stuff, , yes that is my first chioce!