The first time I encountered this dilemma was right out of high school (that's been a while). I saw something called Bananas Foster made table-side in a restaurant, and I knew I was going to have to try and make that dish myself. Over the years I have become a very accomplished cook, and there are few things that I have not tried, but that first one - if you enjoy cooking, you'll always remember the first time you tried to make something that only "chefs" make. What was it for you?
I've never tried Beef Wellington or Coq Au Vin. I can cook steaks and filet to correct temperatures, but I do it by touch, so I'm a little intimidated since it's covered in dough and baking in the oven. Coq Au Vin seems like its one of those dishes that you could follow the recipe to a tee and it will never come out as good as they make it in restaurants. I always get the feeling there are quirks to making it that the chefs don't always explain completely, and it's something you perfect through trial and error. More recently, I had a pretty incredible fried egg. I guess Wolfgang Puck invented the method, but it basically results in a panko breaded fried egg that has a warm runny yolk when you cut it open. Initially it looks like a hardboiled egg thats been breaded and deep fried, but I have no idea how they were able to peel the shell and bread it with the inside still runny.
I can provide a couple of pointers on Beef Wellington. It's really not that difficult to make. First, go to your local megastore or kitchen supply store and buy a digital meat thermometer. Do a little research on the net before you go shopping and make sure to get a good one. Mine is programmable, so you can set the temp you want to achieve and the unit will tell you when the meat is ready. You can find a table of doneness temperatures on the net as well. I'd recommend medium-rare for Beef Wellington. Just follow the recipe and be gentle with the puff pastry and you should be golden. It might not turn out "magazine pretty" the first time, but it will taste great, and that's always my ultimate goal. As for the Coq Au Vin, there are a couple of things that most restaurant chefs use that put their dishes over the top. Number one on the list is butter, and lots of it. The other is high-quality stock, which you can learn to make at home. Good luck to you!
The only recipes or food that is my favorite, I have fear to prepare it. As I know that I can't make it as good I get it outside.
I've always wanted to make baklava. I worked with a woman born in Greece and she made the most amazing baklava. I would bring it home and my husband loved it. I've read a little on making it. Sounds like it requires a special dough and it needs to be rolled quite thin. I'll probably give it a try some day.
jleadbet - I also love baklava, and I am not a big dessert fan. I also understand that as far as cooking is concerned, baking is more science than art, BUT, pastry is a world of its own. I have never attempted pastry. I have figured out how to make good pizza dough and biscuits from scratch, but that is about the extent of my baking abilities (aside from box cakes. If you are interested in baking and pastry, I'd say go for it! You can usually find inexpensive classes at your local arts & crafts-type stores (in the United States, places like Michael's or Hobby Lobby). Hope this helps!
This may sound silly but for me, it has to be a chocolate souffle. I have always been intimidated by attempting to make them. I just know that mine would fall and cave in! One of these days, I will have to bite the bullet and give it a try. I recently watched Duff Goldman make them and he did give me courage to give it a shot someday. Now I read this post and think that maybe it is another hint that I should try to make some chocolate souffles soon!
I'm afraid of anything with whipped egg whites. They look easy to work with on the cooking shows, but for some reason I can't bring myself to make them. So, I avoid the recipes I'd like to make that use them such as meringue pie and dishes with egg whites folded in. It's funny how we allow ourselves to be intimidated by something so powerless itself.
Years ago while on a cruise, they served Baked Alaska for dessert. They dimmed the lights before the wait staff brought the Baked Alaska into the dining area. It was very impressive. I have always wanted to try to make it. I don't think it's really hard, but I would love to give it a shot.
Parker - one of the keys to making Baked Alaska is making sure the ice cream is rock-hard, and don't use too much of it. If you aren't comfortable with meringue, try a few practice runs. Always use either a stainless steel or glass bowl when making meringue. The meringue is what insulates the ice cream while putting that beautiful brown crust on the dish. You can do it! It's not that difficult - it just takes some practice.
