The NY Times bread recipe, the one you cook in a covered dutch oven, is dead easy and darned near foolproof (being I fool, I know). You just have to plan ahead a day.

I'd rather let the pros make ice cream, or anything else that requires specialty gear. (No, dutch ovens aren't specialty gear. They are a kitchen basic.) So, I'll make chapatis, but I buy tortillas.

I was able to rescue the rockfish gefilte fish today. Yesterday's version was too dry and crumbly, a result of my decision to poach the fish twice: the first to get the skin off the filets and the second to cook the dumplings. But today I put in another egg and made coddies...well, I guess they were rockies.

My brisket, however, turned out great. Tonight it's Matzoh Pizzas, which I normally do well.

All in all, I would have to say for a Lutheran raised in Bel Air, I'm having more wins than losses with my Passover menu.

Next, week, i'll be back to serving up scrapple and pulled pork.

Dim sum.

I think Ms. Lissa has hit on an important point: specialised equipment. Who has a duck press?

As to prime rib, it has more to do with quantity than difficulty. As carnivorous as I may be, even the smallest roast is too much when cooking for one. The same applies to leg of lamb, fresh ham and pork roast. (Yes, I know about leftovers, but most roast don't hold over well, and its still a quantity issue.)

Off the subject, of course, but RoCK reminded me of going to Dante's Inferno on Liberty Road near Northern Parkway many, many years ago. They served another customer a pizza on matzoh, but it had shrimp on it!

As carnivorous as I may be, even the smallest roast is too much when cooking for one

I just cooked a smallish (two pounds or so) boneless pork roast today that didn't even get eaten today. It will be sliced and used for tasty sandwiches for lunch this week.

Many (but not all) seemingly unapproachable things can be handled by a reasonably accomplished and determined home cook. I've been making pretty much all of the bread we eat here for several years now, including some really tasty French rolls that are of better quality than I can easily find at retail around here. The secret to home breadmaking (at least for a small household where everyone works) is the freezer. Make a bunch of bread on the weekend and freeze it. Most of the time involved in making bread is waiting for dough to rise, etc. You can do lot's of other things around the house while waiting for bread to rise.

RtSO, you inspired me to look up what a duck press was. I wanted one, until I saw this Duck Tour D'Argent.

I adore blood pudding, rare (or raw) meat and rich sauces, but this...it hits my gack trigger, for some reason.

Thank you. I love learning new stuff.

I'll make home-made summer rolls because I just have to moisten the rice paper wrapper (super super easy), but spring rolls and frying crosses the hassle line. I did try a couple of times, but they were invariably too greasy.

One time Amie and I made pumpkin pie filling from scratch. Like, from the pumpkin. It tasted exactly the same as pumpkin from a can. And it took forever. Never again.

Gnocchi. I've never made such a mess in my kitchen. It's something that should be left to experts like Lidia Bastianich - she can make gnocchis like it's nobody's business!

Bread's not really hard, especially if you have a good mixer. I found that dough rises fast if you cover the bowl with plastic wrap and drape a kitchen towel over it, put it in a turned-off gas oven, and put a pan of hot tap water on the lower rack directly under it. After the first rise, shape the loaves, cover as before, refresh the hot water, and let rise again. About 20 minutes before the loaves are risen, move the rig to a counter near the stove and heat the oven. Uncover the loaves, finish the prep (i.e., brush with egg wash or milk, slash, etc.) pop it in, and in no time you have fresh hot bread. There's nothing in the world like that gorgeous smell!

Puff pastry. I have made it myself a few times, but probably will not do so again. Keeping the butter cold in my tiny (galley size) warm kitchen is just too much work.

I fondly remember the days when Mom made her bread. After two days it made terrific toast.

Does anybody else admit to buying what I call bread in a box (because I cannot remember the brand). All you had to do was put the mix in a bowl and add water or selzer or beer. Guess which one I chose? It was quick and easy and the bread wasn't bad at all. Several flavors too as I recall.

I agree that bread's not too hard, but I think a lot of people have a mental roadblock about it. Baking in general is trickier than cooking since you have to be more precise about measurements and technique, and some people are intimidated by that. It definitely helps to have an experienced baker show you the ropes once or twice, but after that it really is a snap. And the results are worth the effort... the first time I made French baguettes was an incredible experience. Words fail me.

If I could find a restaurant that consistently served good fries I would agree that they are too messy for home. However, since good fries seem to have gone the way of the buggy whip I am about to invest in a counter top deep fryer. I think there are places to recycle the used oil. Since I live in an apartment I will have to throw away something to fit it in the kitchen. Now what goes? Waffle maker? Popcorn Popper? Electric skillet? Toaster?

I would suggest the popcorn popper. The best popcorn ever can be made without oil in a skillet with a tight lid. Shake continuously. When popped, pour melted butter (you can use more because you didn't use oil) over it, then sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. EL

When we were first married we spent hours and hours making French onion soup from a Julia Child recipe. When we finally sat down, it tasted an awful lot like Lipton's. And then there was the strawberry Bavarian that consumed enormous quantities of strawberries and heavy cream, only to remind us of a McDonald's strawberry shake. And I haven't made creme caramel since I burned myself carmelizing the sugar (still have the scar to show for it ...)

Wow! I didn't really expect an answer. Your right my wife the popcorn eater in the house and she never uses the hot air popper any more. But now I have to try roasting coffee in it. (See the coffee topic.) It is a crime that restaurants cannot make good fries.

We're a full service blog. EL

When we were first married we spent hours and hours making French onion soup from a Julia Child recipe. When we finally sat down, it tasted an awful lot like Lipton's.

That reminds me of my early attempts to make Hot and Sour Soup. Once I started making my own broth first, the quality went way up.

Yes, Hal VoR, that was probably where we messed up on the onion soup. But there was nothing but the finest fresh ingredients in the strawberry Bavarian, and it was still disappointing. I can't even remember why we made that, as I'm allergic to strawberries!

Tell the truth now--how often do you take the time to make your own broth?

Tell the truth now--how often do you take the time to make your own broth?

I keep Ziploc bags in the freezer, one for veggie scraps and one for chicken wing tips and bones. When I have enough, I make a pot of stock. I save that in pint containers in the freezer to use when needed. I have run out before I have enough bits and pieces to make a new pot, and have been happy with Wegman's chicken stock.

The dogs get the beef bones, so I end up using either Wegman's or Trader Joe's stocks, or if I need just a little bit, I use a soup of Minor's Demi Glace base.

If you want a really good onion soup recipe, I recommend the recipe in David Rosegarten's Dean and DeLuca cookbook.

Tell the truth now--how often do you take the time to make your own broth?

All the time. Like Rosebud, I don't make it when I need it, I make it ahead of time. Stock freezes well, although since I got the pressure canner I can mine now rather than freeze it (we have limited freezer space).

I've recently discovered that my slow cooker does as good a job as my giant stock pans, and takes less attention. Like Rosebud, I keep my chicken bones, and periodically make stock. It makes a huge difference and is really pretty easy. Makes the house smell good, too.

More stock/broth making tips:

For "chicken" stock, don't confine yourself to chicken. Turkey parts make great stock fodder. Duck carcasses are great, too, but I don't get the opportunity to use them very often.

For beef stock, I like to make sure to use meat as well as bones. On stock making day I go to the supermarket and look for meat that's marked down because it expires tomorrow. Plus I use the scraps saved in my freezer.

For me it has always been veal. For the price, it just seems I cannot make it as well as a restaurant. I just stick to the chicken versions (e.g. marsala).

I am not a big fan of Matzoh pizza. However, I have successfully modified a Passover roll recipe to create a flat bread that works great (according to my kids) for pizza.

Oh, Hal VoR, Rosebud and Lissa--I take my proverbial hat off to you all. It has been years since I made my own stock. I find that Wegman's works just fine.
Maybe when I retire ...