・chef's failure ・

Many times that I read cooking blogs, I have 2 feelings.
First, I get enthusiastic to cook and bake everything in front of me.
Second, I think why theese people are so gifted and sometimes makes me feel dejected.

Some of blog people that I followed do their meal and dessert perfectly while saying "I have poor cooking skill." or "This dish is not well decorated.", but actually it's really beautiful and so tempting.
So I think, hmm.. if they (who have "poor" skill in kitchen) can do everything perfecly like this, then why I (who is also have poor skill but always destroy everything in the kitchen and sometimes hurt myself by a knife and the oven) can't do anything like that. And that makes me upset about myself sometimes.

So, It would be easier for me if they just say that they are good in cooking. So I will realise that we are in the different level and satisfied with the position I am in.

So... to encourage the real beginners like me, this entry happens.
I just want to share my dumb to make others feel better about themself that there are lower level cookers in the world.

Last week I tried to make lemon jellies that I found the recipe in Martha Stewart Living magazine. (July 2010 issue)
The recipe is fine. But the mistake is me.

Lemon Jellies (Make 36 pieces)

Ingredients
Gelatin 2 + 1/2 tablespoon
Sugar 2 cups
(I deducted to 1 cup)
-plus more for dusting-
lemon juice 3/4 cup

1. Pour gelatin in 1/4 cup of cold water leave it to bloom.
2. Use medium sauce pot, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup water on medium heat. (Do not stir) Until got 110ํ C, use wet brush brush over the side of the pot and bring it out from the heat.
3. Stir gelatin with lemon juice and combine in the syrup. Then put all ingredient in the 8" square pan. Wrap with plastic wrap and leave it for 4 hours or one night.
4. Overturn the pan on the cutting surface. Put the knife into warm water and cut jellies to square shape then dusted with sugar.

Are you ready to see my result...


Umm... this is not what I expected. Do you know when that I missed.
It's a super stupid mistake.
Because I have only 1 + 1/2 tablespoon gelatin and I still adding water and juice in the amount told in the recipe.
And you know what.. while i"m pouring water in the gelatin I think "Umm.. this will make jellies not firm for sure." but I'm still pouring in water. I don't know why and I don't understand myself until now. Haha..

ฺBut if you ask about the taste, it's good and you will smell lemon aroma. That's so refreshing.
You should try this recipe. It's not too difficult and I think no one will have poorer kitchen skill than me.

Hope that my story can cheer you up and make you have more confident that there is others (like me) who failed in more stupid thing than you are. Fighto!! :)