A Learning Curve That Feels Too Steep!

I have been trying to cook for myself more this last year or so and I got to the point where I was willing to actually spend some money to buy a set of pots and pans rather than continue to use the beaten up (and honestly, cheaply bought) pots and pans I currently have.  So Jason (who is trained) helped me by a decent set of Canadian made (shout out to Meyer!) stainless steel pots and pan. (It feels wrong to say it that way but it is only one frying pan so saying pots and pans is technically incorrect. Ha!)

First thing I noticed when they arrived and I unboxed them was the build quality, and most noticeably, how much longer the handles are.

I cried, by the way, giving away my old pots and pans.  They've been through everything with me!  I did keep my mini "one egg" fry pan and so far have kept a small decent pot but we'll see if that stays.  (I hope whoever has my old stuff is happy to have it and use and enjoys it!)

But y'all?  These pots and pans, the frying pan specifically have a god damned learning curve and so far it has not gone well for me.

They are, if you read carefully above, stainless steel, which I now have discovered, are a little bit more needy and tricky than the usual, cheap things I've been trying to cook and learn on.  Sigh.

I'm so far finding it almost impossible to get the "right" temperature.  I've looked up tricks and tips online and still, not doing very well with it.  (But to be fair to the pots and pans, I struggled when I got a cast iron too and am still not always great with it.)

A couple of weeks ago I actually set off the smoke alarm in my apartment because I was trying to make pancakes and I guess the temp was so that the oil smoked and well, yeah I hated that.  (And the pancakes sucked.)

So far I've managed to successfully cook a couple of things - namely crumbled up sausages (taken out of the skin) likely due to that being quite fatty and therefore less easy to "stick".

I've learned about the nitty gritty molecule stuff around these pans and wonder if I was actually cooking too cold for a while?  But also the smoking of the oil is not something I know how to figure out and I'm feeling rather frustrated that adding this pan into my learning feels like it's set me back.  Like I feel like I "can't even" make pancakes anymore, and I was doing fine with them on my old pans and even doing ok with them on my cast iron if I remember correctly.

But as I said to Jason when I was venting angrily at him on the phone after setting off the smoke alarm... it's not like I can go back.  I purposely gave away (got rid of) my old things so I didn't have the option to revert to using them.  But I also didn't know it would be such a change in function.

He says I'll get it and figure it out and will be happy once I do and I sure hope so because I've kind of avoided using the frying pan after the smoke alarm issue.

I will say though that the set is nice to use.  (Not that I've used, for example, the really large "dutch oven" type pot.). I heated canned ravioli up the other day (don't judge!) and it just slid out so much easier when I was done I actually noticed.  They are a nice set.  I just am not very good at using them yet and I'm struggling with the learning curve, some days more than others.  

But yeah, I got myself some really good pots and a pan and I see it as an investment in myself and my health and my future and I really should stop typing this and go try to make some pancakes and hopefully not set off any smoke alarms.  (Or.... maybe not, I dunno!)

Cooking with stainless steel has a learning curve.  I don't like being on the curve.  But it's feeling like the only way out is through, you know?