Aprons help the clothes part a lot. Use a splatter shield on your pans, quite a bit of the smell is grease that is being thrown up.
If you are going to deep fry, you'll need a hood.
Cook at a lower temperature, and make sure your kitchen has lots of ventilation.
Cook with cloves and things that smell nice.
Hmmm, I've never experienced that problem.
I know exactly what you mean, PrettyKitty! I hate that too! I really notice it when I'm making chili or something. Ugh.
I'm not sure how to keep the smell out of your hair either. I was wondering if pulling it back or braiding it first might help?
Anybody else out there have any ideas?
I always keep my hair up while cooking as I am a "shedder" and don't want to flavor the food with my hair.
Perhaps a chef's hat could help. I also use an apron as I tend to wear a lot of splatter or like to wipe my hands a lot.
wannabenana, are you serious? lol It's not just my hair, it's my neck and my clothes, ugh...
I do cook with lard because I've heard it's better for you than Vegetable Oil. That lard is hard to get rid of when doing the dishes (maybe I'm not using the right dish washing detergent?), and the smell...ugh. But the food is tasty. In other words, the food tastes much better with lard.
Swampy, thank you. I will definitely follow your advice. I do try to add ingredients that actually smell good, but it's when the lard is getting hot in the pan that the smell starts to attack. I also open doors and windows, but still the bad odor always sticks to my hair.
UGH..April, we're on the same page hun. It's absolutely disgusting.
Andi, where can I get a chef hat?
I thought you were kidding somehow, lol, sorry, but in all my years cooking I've never experienced that one! What on earth are you cooking my dear?
Yes, I am serious!
LARD????? Are you serious? You're not only clogging your kitchen pipes, but also your arteries! I do agree that food tastes better when cooked with lard, but I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
I always cook/bake with my kitchen window wide open, regardless of the temperature outside, that probably helps to eliminate a lot of the odor.
Jacqui lol I'm not kidding. I can honestly tell you that cooking has got to be one of the worst experiences of my entire life. I hate it, just because I always end up smelling horrible. I need to do something about it.
wannabenana, so no lard? how do you fry your stake and your chicken? Even in the oven, the smell of the chicken or whatever it is gets to my hair. It's not just the lard, it's the actual smell of the food. I buy my meat at Publix? Should I get it some place else? lol
I do a lot of B-B-Qing or baking in the oven.
If you want to do yourself and hubby a big favor (and hopefully live longer) STOP cooking with lard!
I'm not familiar with Publix.
Go visit the Healthy Cooking Forum and get some ideas.
Darn...that's right, one of the few supermarkets we'd have in common would be Walmart.
I do like BBQ and grilled meat or chicken, but I honestly don't have the time for it. I work 12 hours, so I barely even have time to clean my house. The fastest way of cooking I have found is frying my stake most of the time. Mind you, I do not eat much, especially what I cook. I'm a lousy, clumsy cook. Since I got married I've lost a bit of weight due to the fact that I will not eat my own food. I do try to eat healthy as much as I can; but life sometimes is a rush. Even healthy cooking gives my hair a bad, very bad smell. YUK...
Thanks for your suggestions. I'm all for healthy living, I mean I used to be, before landing a 12 hr job!! lol
I almost never fry anything anymore. It's too messy and bad for you. Try broiling your steak in the oven. In the Summer I barbecue steak and chicken, etc. Otherwise, I cook chicken in the oven, usually.
If you're pressed for time, try using your crockpot more. You can throw stuff in in the morning and it will be ready to eat when you get home from work. There's lots and lots of things you can cook in your crockpot! Buy a crockpot cookbook and you'll see what I mean!
Crockpot cookbook, got it!
Thank you much hun. I'll certainly go for it. Anything to help me with my cooking issues.
What are you cooking girl !! Honestly I have never heard of people getting cooking odours in their hair for domestic cooking.Youre using lard as Wannabenana says its bad for you.now Aprils idea for a crockpot, wow now its coming into winter you can come home and dinner is ready!! spicy cooking with little ventilation maybe your problem??
I have the servants do the cooking.
while the servants are cooking are the cabana boys fanning you and feeding you grapes??? LOL
Wolfie must be of Cleopatra's bloodline lol
Kitty51....it isn't the spices I swear. I use what everybody does, but I think my problem is the lard although everything I cook gives that bad odor to my hair. I do open doors and windows but it works very little. You know I've always had cooking issues, don't you? lol
Can't say I've ever had odour in my hair from cooking. If anything would do it it would be frying with lard as it likely creates a lot of smoke. I do like using the barbecue for steaks and chicken (even when it's snowing) as it is healthy and fast. If you need to fry use a bit of olive oil or a combo of a small amount of butter plus canola oil. Don't cook at too high. Just sear your steak or chicken in an oven proof fry pan and then put the whole thing in the oven for a while to finish the cooking. You don't need a lot of oil. Once you take your meat out deglaze the pan with red or white wine or else beef or chicken stock and maybe a tsp. of jam (grape or strawberry for beef or pork and maybe marmalade or apricot for chicken or pork), reduce a bit and you have a nice sauce.
Maybe trying a George Forman Grill would help....no lard needed...much healthier and a great steak....burger....grilled veggies too. Very quick and easy.
I don't fry food either, too messy!
Chef's hats are at kitchen stores or online. You could also just use a bandana-type cover for your hair.
I use small amounts of fats just to bring the flavor out. Alton Brown convinced me to cook with some fats as the flavors of some foods require the fat to bring it out. Usually I poach, bake, broil, or use the crockpot to cook meals. I will occasionally saute in small amounts of olive oil with a tablespoon of margarine or butter to help with browning. I will use vegetable oil for high temp cooking as the smoke point for EVOO is lower and I hate the flavor of burnt oil.
The ventilation fan is always on and the back door is open.
I honestly started frying almost all the time ever since I got married and moved out of my parents' house. I thought it was the fastest way to cook to allow me to do other things like cleaning the cat box, doing laundry etc (after being at work for 12 hrs). But I can't take this anymore. I will definitely stop frying. I don't even like what I cook any ways. I used to eat healthy foods...never fried foods, but I had all the time in the world with an 8 hr job and my mom cooking for me (and obviously cooking only healthy foods for me) I think I need to adjust to my new life and I can certainly do it. I just have to find the right equipment, stuff that will make my life easier and will make me feel better about myself regarding the way I cook. I have used a towel to cover my hair, but all my towels are very, very big and I always end up with an uncovered hair and a towel on the floor.
I will get a hat, stop frying, cook everything in LOW heat, and get the proper tools like grilling and BBQing equipment.
All of your suggestions are great! Thank you so very much!
Good idea and good luck!
I think you'll even start liking your own cooking! LOL
I will get the crock pot tomorrow :)
wannabenana, I'll keep my fingers crossed that I will get to like my cooking :)
Thank you for your help hun.
I'm very happy with all the help I've been getting. Thank you all!!