Eureka moment.

[greenishfing]

Everyone I know seems to have something they cook that they are really proud of. Generally not something complicated, just something they really struggled with until eventually they got it right. For my sister it was Victoria sponge. It was only when I told her to use the all in one method that she suddenly got a result she is really proud of. My husband kept trying to make bread when he was younger and it was evidently pretty grim. He got his mother over one day to watch and see what he was doing wrong. She didn't even let him start just walked in and said "Why aren't you using bread flour?". He is now really proud of his bread when I can talk him into making it. For me it is shortcrust pastry. Mine didn't look too bad and it was more or less edible when warm but it tended to be hard and tough when cold. I'd tried making it by hand, and in the Kenwood mixer over the years. It was only when I eventually started to make it in the food processor that I got something light and crumbly and moreish.
I just wondered if others had their personal triumphs in the kitchen.

[Snoop Puss]

First one that comes to mind is shortcrust pastry too. I make it by hand or in the food processor. But it's only recently that I've trusted that it will come together and that the tiddly amount of water specified in the recipe is right. I used to put too much in and although it always tasted pretty good (all butter), it always shrank in the tin too. In fact, it was reading a comment that if pastry shrinks when baked blind, it's because it has too much water in it that convinced me to try a lot less water.

Good thread. Looking forward to learning from others' trials and errors.

[Chestnut]

For me, it’s macaroni cheese. First few attempts I curdled the cheese sauce, with the result that it looked as though a baby had vomited over a bowl of cooked pasta.... Then followed decades of buying macaroni in tins, until I learned to use the cornflower method of making white sauce instead of roux ;-)

[SarrissUK]

My husband kept trying to make bread when he was younger and it was evidently pretty grim. He got his mother over one day to watch and see what he was doing wrong. She didn't even let him start just walked in and said "Why aren't you using bread flour?".

Yes! That is exactly it! I love making bread, the whole process is just a delight. I even love kneading. But my bread used to be grey, taste ok, but nothing I felt worthy of sharing with friends for example.

Then I bought strong flour, and OMG. All of a sudden I got lighter, brighter, bubblier, tasty bread! What a difference And actually, another reason it got bettet - less flour! Ten minutes of kneading, but a very wet dough that is really too sticky... but wow, it makes amazing bread