Food Crisis

I have a great wife, so this is not meant to slam her in anyway.

There are certain skills I beleive we all have that compliment each other. My wife is an average cook at best. I am pretty decent, as I spent 7 years cooking at my Firehouse, but currently I work 2 jobs and have little time, other than the weekend for the kitchen.

Recently my wife went back to work. We hired a Polish nanny (I mention her ethnicity only because of her sytle of cooking). She is very helpful with the house and kids and is suppose to cook 1 meal a day (dinner). She has been working for us for 2 months now and the food results are miserable. She BOILS everything, I mean if she could have she would have boiled my son's birthday cake last month.

I have asked my wife if we should get her some cooking lessons, or if one of us should spend a couple days at home teaching her a few things we like to eat.... none of it being to complicated. But my wife says NO it would be insulting to the housekeeper.

Any suggestions to resolve my food crisis?

Well you are paying her to cook for you so start requesting the meals you'd like her to cook. I mean as long as you buy the groceries and supply a recipe I don't see that as insulting at all. Just say this is what you feel like eating this week. I'm sure she really wouldn't mind

I was going to suggest to give her a recipe card for that evenings dinner, and turn the water off.

I agree with fattybornatty with the following additions. Phase into it by suggesting 1 meal a week, then 2, then 3, etc.That way you won't insult her. If she thinks you're being critical of her she might quit. Good help is hard to find.

You might also occasionally ask her to make you an authentic Polish dish like Pierogies(boiled dumplings of unleavened dough stuffed with varying ingredients), Halupkies(Rolled Stuffed Cabbage), Bleenies(Fried Potato Pancakes), Halushki(A Quickie Noodle Dish), Hrudka(Egg loaf), Poplanuk(Cheese Bread),Paska(or Pascha)(Traditional Easter Bread) and Babka(Potato and egg casserole). This will give her some flexability and take some pride in showing off her Polish heritage.
You'll have a friend for life, if you want one!

Incidently, a lot of these dishes involve boiling!!!!

I love stuffed cabbage. I say you ask for that

Take some time to teach the housekeeper that you are giving a salary to how to cook a few meals that the family likes. At time of hire, you told her she is supposed to cook one meal a day. The family hates the meals she cooks. So there.... If timing is the problem, supply her with a hardcover notebook to refer to and teach her at least one meal a week.

quote:

Originally posted by fattybomatty

I love stuffed cabbage. I say you ask for that

Here's the Recipe!
Halupkies - Stuffed cabbage rolls
1 head of cabbage (about 3 lbs)
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tspn pepper
1 can stewed tomatoes (or substitute Campbell's tomato soup)
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp shortening

Cut cabbage deeply around core to loosen leaves. Boil the cabbage leaves about 5 minutes and set aside to drain. In a skillet, add ground meats, onions, shortening, salt and pepper, and fry slowly for about 15 minutes. Wash rice, drain, add to meat and mix well.

Place a tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf and roll. Place rolls side by side in pot. Pour tomatoes over top and add enough water to cover. Add another tbsp salt and pepper. Cook 1 and 1/2 hours.

Also called "galumpkies". An Americanized name is "blind pigeons".

That's pretty funny UncleVic !

I appreciate the counsel and advice (and the receipe).

We live in Chicago near alot of excellent deli's. We have enjoyed stuffed cabbage and other dishes. We also have encouraged her to shop at these places as well. (Me being a former cook at the firehouse I try not to give someone else a list of ingredients. I liked going to the store to decide what looked good and what I was going to cook, at least for the firehouse).

When we hired her we asked if she cooked. She said yes. We have encouraged her to cook "polish" dishes. She did cook up some sausages and kraut once that I enjoyed and now that I look at Foodbme's list I do remember a "bleenie" that was not bad as well. maybe I was hoping for more...

I plan to go with a list and a simple meal for 1 night next week and "bump it up" from there.

Thanks

Does she eat the dinner meal with you? If not try giving her a taste of her own cooking.

...or medicine!

Sounds like the Poles learned their cooking technique from the British.

Nannies have planty of time to watch T.V., so have her watch the Food Network and let her work her way from Rachel Ray up to the Iron Chef.

John A,

From what my kids tell me, yes she doea eat with them and seems to enjoy?

I like the idea of using the Food Network MetroplexJim !

I have a cookbook titled : Russian, German and Polish Food and Cooking. It's all very good, but I would still become bored with the stuff after a while. ...And I'm German mixed with Polish.
My thought is she should know more than just Polish food. There are countries surrounding Poland where she should be able to cook their food. Given Poland's history of occupation, she should know both German and Russian.

Have her do a cutlet, veal, pork or chicken. After you determine that she can bread and fry, you are that much closer to veal or chicken parmesan, milanese, chicken fried steak and other breaded delights.
Surely she can make a roast chicken with herbs, after that she can do a variety of meals. Sauerbraten begets Yankee pot roast which could lead to a nice oven roast beef dinner. This could be dangerous as she may only know well done, give it a shot and hope for medium.
Get a picture cookbook such as Good Housekeeping or Betty Crocker with step by step guides. They helped me when I was learning to cook as a kid. What cookbook do you use at home? Show her your favorite recipes. Take her out with the family to a diner so she can see what your family and America likes to eat. Give her a burger and then tell her you would like one for dinner at home. Oven fries are okay... Most important, you do have to be the boss and tell her that this is one area that requires improvement. You'll only internalize it if you don't.

mark

quote:

Originally posted by Foodbme

I agree with fattybornatty with the following additions. Phase into it by suggesting 1 meal a week, then 2, then 3, etc.That way you won't insult her. If she thinks you're being critical of her she might quit. Good help is hard to find.

You might also occasionally ask her to make you an authentic Polish dish like Pierogies(boiled dumplings of unleavened dough stuffed with varying ingredients), Halupkies(Rolled Stuffed Cabbage), Bleenies(Fried Potato Pancakes), Halushki(A Quickie Noodle Dish), Hrudka(Egg loaf), Poplanuk(Cheese Bread),Paska(or Pascha)(Traditional Easter Bread) and Babka(Potato and egg casserole). This will give her some flexability and take some pride in showing off her Polish heritage.
You'll have a friend for life, if you want one!

Incidently, a lot of these dishes involve boiling!!!!

Don't forget the gradjkis....










...in case you need to unlock your garage.

Firecommander,

Do as you have always done. This is an employee that needs further training in only one area.
I don't think you would put up with it for one moment in your fire command. Train her to work according the rules or do as you would do with a novice fire fighter that cannot be trained properly. Give her a chance, but make it clear someone else will have the job if the training does not succeed.

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

...or medicine!

good one lee.

If food is that important....Start looking for an Italian Nanny.

quote:

Originally posted by Greyghost

Firecommander,

Do as you have always done. This is an employee that needs further training in only one area.
I don't think you would put up with it for one moment in your fire command. Train her to work according the rules or do as you would do with a novice fire fighter that cannot be trained properly. Give her a chance, but make it clear someone else will have the job if the training does not succeed.

Agree with Greyghost. I don't think that you'd put up with an Engineer that couldn't keep pressures constant and safe to the guys on the 1-1/2 lines, so why put up with undesired cooking? Time for drills...

Greyghost & MGwerks,

If life was only so simple. I do have "rank" in the Firehouse and certainly know how to give orders, but at home, the nanny is more of my wife's employee. Since my wife is the one who chose to go back to work, she pays for the nanny.

I did discuss this matter with my wife , implementing a few of the above suggestions and it seems to have opened my wife's mind. At first she was a little defensive, as she chose and hired this person. I think she thought I was nit pickin. .. but I was not. The food was bad. I explained to my wife ... it was only creating more work for her, because she had to "re-make" dinner. A waste of time and $$$.

My wife plans to take a few days off and show her a few of the things she makes well and I plan to do the same. We plan to use the "Food Network" as well. Then we will sprinkle in a few more of her traditional offerings and that should balance it out.

===We plan to use the "Food Network" as well. Then we will sprinkle in a few more of her traditional offerings and that should balance it out.===

60 Minutes did a piece on a Cuban who infiltrated the mob. They had him watch the Food Channel to learn about the food and correct pronunciations.
I just think that you should be careful about this plan as when you tell her what you want, she'll tell you to "Fuggedaboutit".

mark

If she does that... she will be sleeping with the fishes!

Foodbme...or anyone else...can I use brown rice (I know not traditional, but much more nutritious) instead of white rice? Do you think I would need to increase the liquids since brown rice requires more liquid when cooking on it's own?

I can't wait to try the recipe for the cabbage rolls.

Thanks,
Linda

quote:

Originally posted by LindaW

Foodbme...or anyone else...can I use brown rice (I know not traditional, but much more nutritious) instead of white rice? Do you think I would need to increase the liquids since brown rice requires more liquid when cooking on it's own?

I can't wait to try the recipe for the cabbage rolls.

Thanks,
Linda

Linda,
Sure, you can use Brown Rice. Just add a little more water, not much, so they don't get too soggy.

quote:

Originally posted by firecommander3565

If she does that... she will be sleeping with the fishes!

Teach her to cook lobster!

I bet she'd be a real natural!, She boils everything!

It looks like the end has come for the nanny. I think we are going to fire her after the holidays. I have to say I could not be happier, she still can't cook and has developed a poor attitude. Not a good combination. For what we are paying her, I think there are lots of people who could do this job.

Well one year later the nanny is gone. Her replacement is such a better cook. The new nanny does French, Russian and Ukrainian food. Should have made the change a year ago, but them maybe we would not have found her current replacement.

Too bad you're not in So Cal, you could have hired me. I started cooking in firehouses at a very tender age, and had to learn how to keep my old, crotchety, picky Captains happy with my food.

Then I became one.

Ahhh, you're not so crotchety.