Am having a bake off

[Suds]

My friends have cajoled me and another into baking this weekend.I'm to roast an apple crumble and she is to bake a carrot cake. I've bigged up my crumble so I hope it won't disappoint. They've a pic of her cake from the recipe book and say it looks great.
I have a feeling that on Monday I will be the only one to have brought anything in.
I did make a pizza for people to share last week and they said it was amazing so hopefully they will think the same of the crumble.
I realise this sounds very gay. I enjoy it though.

[MooseIBe]

I don't think men cooking is gay . Most top chefs are actually men though I don't know whether that's because men are naturally better at cooking or because the catering industry is sexist and hence men are more likely to rise to the top..

I expect to see a picture of said apple crumble!

[Legs]

So many people rely on instant/processed crap. I love that you are baking something really wholesome and satisfying in that. Enjoy!

[beyelzu]

i like eating, but dont like cooking.

but i dont think its uncool that another does. i have often wished that i had the patience for real cooking.

[livius drusus]

It sounds to me like you're sort of in the process of discovering how much you like cooking and how good you are at it. That's really great. Do you use cookbooks or recipes you've found or ...?

[cappuccino]

That sounds great and no I didn't think it sounded gay at all. We need more men cooking dammit!

[pescifish]

Do you ever do meat dishes?

We are having another of our chili cookoffs at work on St. Patricks day (oops! That's next week!) The location is one of the sound-isolated vault conference rooms in the avionics lab of the flight test facility. Most of the participants are engineers, so most of us are male, regardless of our biological gender!

Unfortunately for the innocent bystanders, one of the most heavily competed categories is "hottest", so much of it is inedible. However, the guys go big for the competition and we have some excellent offerings in the "most original" and "best taste" categories.

[RevDahlia]

Originally Posted by MooseIBe

I don't think men cooking is gay . Most top chefs are actually men though I don't know whether that's because men are naturally better at cooking or because the catering industry is sexist and hence men are more likely to rise to the top...

Restaurant cooking is a completely different animal from home cooking. Completely. Like both involve food and heat, and that's where the resemblance ends.

Restaurant cooking is very butch -- very fast-paced, full of Strum und Drang and braggadocio, lots of blood, lots of pain, lots of foul language. Women are quite rare -- though they're getting a little less rare these days -- in professional kitchens. I'm not sure whether this is because of sexism or tradition, or sexist tradition, or what.

For the curious, and for those who can't quite shake the idea that food preparation is inherently unmanly, I can't recommend Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential enough. Not only is Tony about as manly as you can get, he describes working with guys who make him look like Richard Simmons. It's a fun read.

[Corona688]

Originally Posted by Suds

I have a feeling that on Monday I will be the only one to have brought anything in.

It happens. My sister bakes terrific stuff whenver her sorority decides to have a bake sale; many other students go buy cookies to repackage for the sale! Don't let it deter you. Cooking is generally it's own reward.

[Suds]

It was a success. Sorry no photo's, the evidence was eaten. Next time I do one I'll post a pic. My friend did do her Carrot cake and man, what a cake. It was the best cake I've ever had. I happily admitted that hers was better.It certainly deserved a photo. Didn't get one though.
Have you seen Anthony Bourdain's 'A Cooks Tour' on the telly? That's a good show.
I don't know what to bake next. Millionaire's shortbread, Chocolate cake, Brownie, Apple cake. The choice is not quite endless.
Millionaire's Shortbread is my signature sweet. I recently made it with butter instead of marg. Good god what a difference. So much better.
I do use meat. I mainly make basic stews with Italian herbs. I try to make curries but I need more practice.
I use books for my cakes. I got the pizza recipe from an Elizabeth David book but have cobbled together my own recipe. The curries are made from what I've tried to learn from my mum and the tv. I made a Devilsfood choc cake from a mag' recipe. That was once declared the best thing I'd done.