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Learning how to cook is a never-ending journey. You can't perfect it. You just get better at it. If you are willing to put in the hours and burn a few pans, of course. However, eager students of the craft often run into a big problem: inconsistent or even misleading information. What makes matters even worse is that when you're just starting out, you can't distinguish it from practices that are actually helpful and develop bad habits. So in an attempt to straighten things out, Reddit user u/Swimmin_Duck made a post on the platform, inviting everyone to share what they think is overhyped and useless cooking advice.

In order to understand how we can find our way around the pots quicker, we also spoke with Kacie Morgan, the creator of an award-winning blog called The Rare Welsh Bit, where she covers, among other things, bespoke recipes, restaurants, local cuisines, and food travel destinations.

So continue scrolling to check out how Reddit users contributed to the discussion and Morgan's thoughts on the subject.

#1

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Measuring things like chocolate chips, you measure that with your heart, not a spoon

lysthequeen , Anton Report

"I have come across a number of instances of misinformation around cooking in the media in the past," Kacie Morgan told Bored Panda.

"Personally, I believe one of the issues that have caused this to spiral is the increasing prevalence of social media influencers claiming to be 'experts' in food or cooking, despite not having any real experience in the food and drink industry. While this certainly isn't true of all content creators and I don't wish to tarnish all of my peers with the same brush by any means, as an experienced food writer with over 11 years of experience in my field, I often pick up on flaws or inaccuracies in some of the claims made by others within my niche."

#2

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Some people discard the whole brick of cheese when there is mold on a bit of it.

I generally chop off the chunk of the mold with some buffer and carry on.

squeevey , Alexander Maasch Report

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Bunzilla
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It depends on what kind of cheese it is. With a 'hard' cheese (like cheddar), cutting the mouldy area off is fine. But if it's a soft cheese? Nope. That's not going to work. Toss it if you see mould on a soft cheese. (Brie, ricotta, cream cheese, etc.)

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"Furthermore, misinformation around cooking in the media can also be linked to cultural appropriation, in the sense that an authentic dish from a given culture could lose its true essence or authenticity when prepared by a chef or cook from a different culture, who may not be aware of the traditional ingredients and cooking methods required to recreate the original dish," Morgan explained.

If you want to see this phenomenon in action, just open this YouTube video where master Italian chefs react to popular internet personalities and publishers making spaghetti carbonara. You'll immediately realize that buzzwords such as "classic" are often thrown around just to entice clicks. Viral videos produced by charismatic hosts can definitely inspire someone to cook, but they can also, for better or worse, make people form unrealistic opinions about dishes from all over the world.

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"It's interesting to hear that Jamie Oliver has recently appointed cultural appropriation specialists to advise him on his new cookbooks," Kacie Morgan continued. "Only four years or so ago (back in 2018), I was completely astounded (as someone who has spent a few months living in Jamaica and exploring the local culinary scene) to hear about the launch of his microwaveable 'jerk rice'. In actual fact, this 'jerk rice' bore very little to no resemblance whatsoever to the concept of jerk. In fact, according to this BBC article, it didn't even contain any of the ingredients found in authentic Jamaican jerk marinade."

By the way, Oliver appears in the aforementioned YouTube video as well. I'm not saying he's a lousy cook. I just want to illustrate that those with multi-million followings are making mistakes too.

#3

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow "cook onions for 3 minutes until translucent" lol ok, I'll comes back to you in 10 minutes when they start getting there

Adelineslife , Simona Sergi Report

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Lousha
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The biggest offender for cooking time in my cookbook is something we eat at Christmas with roasted duck: sauteed red cabbage with onions. Every recipe says saute it for 3-4 minutes. CABBAGE. It takes a LONG time for that to even start getting softer. In 3-4 minutes it doesn't even warm up. When I first encountered it I was sure it was a typo. But no, tons of recipes say the same thing.

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"If you want to take your home cooking to your next level — while also ensuring that the medium you're learning from is both trustworthy and authentic — I recommend reading reputable, specialist cookbooks and/or niche blogs focusing on the cuisine you're looking to cook and following trusted, experienced food and drink bloggers, as opposed to the latest trending Instagram or TikTok influencers, who are often not the people who are really 'in the know' when it comes to food preparation," Kacie Morgan said.

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"This isn't to say that you can't find trusted information around food or cooking on these platforms, but only too often, the information I come across on these channels is incorrect, poorly researched and published by people who lack any genuine credibility or expertise in what they say they do."

"If you're keen to improve your cooking skills, you could also consider enrolling in cookery classes, whether online or in person, ideally held by an experienced chef or cook within the cuisine you're looking to specialize in," the foodie added.

One of the joys of cooking is the thrill of eating dishes you created. But serving food to others and watching a smile take over their face feels just as (if not more) gratifying. The ability to prepare a tasty meal can take time to master but it's well worth the effort on so many levels. Setbacks are natural, but if you focus on the process, the results will eventually come. And hey, you're going through this post, so you're already on the right track!

#4

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow When a recipe calls for “two cloves of garlic” I usually add 5-10.

lavender_salamander , team voyas Report

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Lousha
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's because garlic these days is s***. I come from a country that used to be famous for its onions and garlic before our agriculture was destroyed. Now if I go to a store I have to look very closely to find garlic that did not come from f*** China. Not that I don't think China can produce some wonderful stuff but garlic sure ain't one of them. It's weak, has barely any flavour. I can't wait for the weather to let up a bit so I can plant my own and enjoy some proper garlic again.

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#5

"save the bones for stock"

Nah man, I ain't got room for that in my freezer. I like Ice cream.

DragonLass-AUS Report

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#6

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow I never ever add garlic at the same time as my onions to saute. I only saute garlic for 30 seconds.

BelliAmie , Dennis van Lith Report

#7

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow When you render fat from ground beef or something and use the same pan to cook something else, they always say "drain the fat". f**k that! fat is flavor! when I make chili I always cook my celery and onions in beef fat.

Waterstealer , Andy Melton Report

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Bunzilla
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fat is not evil. Fat is not bad for you (in moderation). Fat helps things taste better, and helps you feel fuller for longer. Fat can help you absorb nutrients. There's a reason why we crave fats.

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#8

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Times for meat on the stovetop. "Cook the chicken for 2 minutes, then turn and cook for 2 minutes more...." What kind of stove do you have, guy? My burners at home certainly aren't going to cook a breast all the way through in 4 minutes.

9_of_wands , Krzysztof Hepner Report

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#9

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow I always use salted butter, I find that it tastes better, specially in sweet baked goods.

I always take away 1/3 of the sugar in cake recipes, i find that gives more of a balanced flavour and the finished cake is less sickly sweet so you can eat more of it

Frequent_Artichoke , Sorin Gheorghita Report

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Caro Caro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never use salted butter for cooking. Salted butter is great on fresh bread tho...

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#10

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow When cutting onions, I do not make the horizontal cross-cuts on the “face” of each onion half. I only make the vertical cuts and then the final, perpendicular chopping cuts. I figure those face cuts are redundant because the onion is layered already. Right?

Transgojoebot , Caroline Attwood Report

#11

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Mise En Place. I'm just going to get the water boiling/pan heating/oven preheating and then prep as I go. Separate little dishes for all of the components? Do people cook on the weekdays? Do people do dishes?

Remy1985 , Rudy Issa Report

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Caro Caro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes mise en place is necessary. If you have a recipe that is fast and you need to add real quick.

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Devil's Advocate
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When making cow au vin, for instance, this works best as prep isn't bad, it all goes in one after the other for the most part (although I tend to put all the wet ingredients in with the stock), then while it's simmering I can deal with the washing up. No drama

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Gaby Almodovar
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a cook, I have to say yea. I'm doing mise-en-place, when I'm cooking at home. First, I'm used to it, second: you can concrete entirely at cooking, nothing will be under-or over-seasoned, overcooked or burned. The time, what it takes preparing, you get back in the cooking process, and you'll have also time for cleaning, washing the dishes. So, when you are done with cooking, your kitchen will be also clean.

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Loty
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on what you are cooking. Anything that will cook for more than 20-30 minutes you can probably get away without Mise En Place. Try cooking a quick stir fry without it though and you'll go insane.

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Skull in Sky
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a huge cutting board for that specifically. Cut everything, keep it on little piles and then just scrape it in as needed.

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Peter Grabowsky
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mise en place is essential for complex, ingredient dense recipes. From my recent beef osso buco. miseenplac...54caa0.jpg miseenplace-61f175a54caa0.jpg

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Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, as soon as I have my own prep cook and kitchen cleaner, I'm going to do it like this.

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Kirsten Kerkhof
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It really depends on the recipe. If I have to weigh and measure things that go in the pan in quick succession then I definitely do mise en place. But if I have time to chop inbetween, then I just have the ingredients ready on the counter but prepare as I go.

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JuJu
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always do mise en place. With music and hip shaking. I can't really listen to it when the pan is sizzling, the water is boiling and other "loud" stuff going on. Mis en place is my fav in the kitchen.

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Satan Laughs
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Upvote a million times. Julia Child literally had like five people hiding in the floor behind her cooking station handing her premeasured and plated ingredients on her French cooking show

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Daniel (ShadowDrakken)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

mise en place doesn't mean separate little dishes for each ingredient. It just means get everything out and ready to go. Because it sucks being halfway through a dish and oh s**t you're out of butter.

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You've got to be kidding me. I had to look up what it meant. The only time I prep anything is to measure stuff out when I'm baking, and even then, I weight most of it directly in the mixing bowl and reset the scales each time. Anything else I cook doesn't usually have enough ingredients in to bother!

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Bunzilla
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just get the ingredients nearby, I don't bother measuring them out beforehand. Who has that many tiny bowls?! Then I clean as I go. Done with an ingredient? It goes back away.

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Barbara L Bristow
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was in cooking school I said that mise en place at home was simply opening your cupboard / fridge. If you read a recipe through before starting, you know where everything is that you need. In a prof kitchen, stuff can be two rooms away or deep in the walk-in

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aaaggg hhh
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those cooking shows should be required to include air time to show all those bowls and little dishes having to be washed.

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Twodogsandapicnictable
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I prechop veggies, but have square bowls and can usually fit 3-4 things in the same one by pushing them into the corners.

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Jennifer Germain
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

big cutting board with room for all your veg and herbs you cut. Cooking shows have prep people to prepare and clean all the extra dishes after. I don't

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Octavia Hansen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Use parchment paper -- lay it across a plate or form a cone in a cup. Measure things into the cone(s) or rest spoons and utensils on the plate. Throw away after use. It's cheap, doesn't leak. Make your life EASY!

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C. Wade
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I too get everything chopped up and ready to be tossed into the pan. Saves you a lot of anxiety and running around like a chicken. I don't mind doing the dishes.

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Martin Ibert
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People have dishwashers. If you are cooking for yourself and your family, you don't need the same rigour in doing mise-en-place as in a professional kitchen, but some planning ahead does help. A lot.

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Celtic Pirate Queen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I learned the concept of mise en place the hard way when I was making a lemon meringue pie. The best advice is to read through any recipe first to make sure you understand what you're going to need.

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Amaranthim Talon
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can mise en place without a hundred little dishes! You just need to have things "in place" - as in accessible. So if you are going to need certain spices, have them at hand, if you need to cut things, do it ahead of time- you don't need a ton of dishes!

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Cydney Golden
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like to prep first...then I can enjoy cooking without worrying.

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Nicole Weymann
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the recipe I have in mind, but these days I mostly prepare mise en place, otherwise things start to burn or shrivel waiting for me to finish peeling and chopping. Too stressful. I use the time slots between cooking steps to clean the dishes I used. Minimizes the clean-pocalypse anxiety after the meal.

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Batwench
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I often prep before I start, that way I know I have everything to hand when it is needed. Also I have a dishwasher which helps.

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bill marsano
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've tried it both ways and I prefer mise en place. The advantages are knowing I have everything needed and knowing it's right in front of me. If 2 or more ingredients are added to the pot at the same time, I put all in one bowl, reducing washload thereby.

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Barbara Kayton
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I find there are times when mise en place is very helpful, especially because I have a tiny amount of workspace.

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Jelena Putinja
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is trick so you can only see sponsored brands - nobody cooks like this at home

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BasedWang
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If your stir frying, you better have your s**t together and ready

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Radu Caprescu
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I cook without mise en place, it's not such a good experience. Take the time, it's worth it

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Chris
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

if you do a quick stirfry there is not time to prepare/cut anything as you go.

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K Tigress
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's the way I like to work. Everything in its place makes things go fast and all there.

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Eucritta
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I find mise en place easier, but then I'm arthritic, and I've got a dishwasher.

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RandomHumanBean
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

and it doesn't need its own dish if it goes in at the same time to the same pan as something else (unless it has to sit for a while and the flavors get weird if blended)

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An Co
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you are cooking for 100 people, then it is far easier to do 1 dish for each ingredient. Not so much for 1 person.

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Bonni Poch
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It does make cooking so much easier though. If I have the time, I'll get as much ready as possible before starting, so I'm not running around like a crazy woman as things are cooking. All about being organized.

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Susan Wilson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have back problems and can only work in 5-10-minute spurts. I go out to the kitchen at 2 pm and start getting everything prepped, pans out, plates, everything. It helps.

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David Zeller
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it makes everything go much smoother. Like in many things, it takes longer when you don't take the time up front to organize and plan.

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Lara Verne
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Only when it's really necessary. And when you have kitchen for yourself. I tried it at my parents house and my mom started yelling that I make mess.

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Peter Buckley
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's still mise en place, itis preparation, whatever order you do it in..

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Martin Rezac
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It doesnt necessarily to be this neat. I use big plastic cutting board with separated heaps. Of course eggs need dish :)

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Kelly Joeckel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Get a bigger cutting board! I mise en place but my cutting board is big enough that everything just sits in piles on the board until I use them

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H Moore
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heh, my ingredients are all on the same chopping board.

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Kai David
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With a house full of kids, dogs, Amazon at the door, mobile calls, friends in and out of the house, and a husband who can't keep his paws out of my kitchen; if it wasn't for mise en place, I would forget what I added, didn't add, or where I was. Sweet cheeks, its called a dishwasher. Yes, we cook weekdays.

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Susan Green
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mise En Place is necessary if you are making a dish with many different components to it. It makes the cooking process much easier.

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Jennifer Mcmahan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Answers: Do people cook on the weekdays? This practice is used on TV more than my home so your good.... Do people do dishes? Not people on tv.... SO YOUR GOOD AGAIN!

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Mama Penguin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I find it helpful. It doesn't necessarily mean every single component in separate little dishes. It can mean just letting components rest on a cutting board for example. To me, it makes cooking more relaxing and helps me taste the flavor as I go.

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Michał Osiecki
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

depends what Im doing. If on wok I need everything ready. But any shortcuts or adding stuff as it cooks if possible

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandma would haunt me from the Beyond if I prepped as I went. Other than a very few dishes, prep first!

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Alex K
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i do it on complex recipes so i dont forget something. when making sweets its important, not so with food.

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Allison B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm slow at prep so I usually get as much stuff ready as I can before I start cooking. That way I don't have to rush and mess up

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Saint Thomas
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

IF I have the time, I like to do it. Pretend I'm a chef and all that :-)

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Memere
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get all the ingredients out but measure & add each one as it's called for in the recipe.

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#12

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow I can't be bothered to rinse my rice. I know, I know, I'm going to hell.

yels0 , Quiet Hut Report

#13

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow My mom used to be the operations manager at a culinary college. They specifically told the students not to use expensive wine. They recommended boxed wine like Franzia because the wine stays sealed from the air and stays good for longer. By the time you're done cooking with it, anything that would make an expensive wine taste better will be destroyed, and your expensive wine will be ruined.

PlanetMarklar , drinkdivino Report

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Something
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You shouldn't use expensive wine, but you should use cheap wine that is drinkable.

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#14

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Most recipes online targeted at an English audience (e.g. U.K./USA) which originate from elsewhere are extremely stingy with herbs and spices. “Half a teaspoon of oregano”, “a pinch of paprika” etc. bollocks to that. My Italian wife calls it “Italian food for English people”. It takes a lot of experience to know herbs and spices intuitively but start by increasing the amounts they suggest if they’re small and go from there.

stesha83 , Andy Holmes Report

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Caro Caro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh yes. My grandmother taught me how to cook Indonesian food. The so called recipes are for "white" people. When she cooked she used original indonesian recipes and the taste was incredible. She herself learned in Indonesia from friends and family. Some of my best memories are in my grandmothers kitchen ...

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#15

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow I use cornstarch as a thickener. I’m never too fancy for cornstarch.

mariners2o6 , sunny mama Report

#16

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow No use of soap on cast iron !!

That one is a classic, “no soap” thing is an old rule from way back when soap contained lye and other harsh stuff

electric4568 , Helinton Fantin Report

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Mistralok
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, it is today's hardcore rule as well. Never EVER use soap in cast iron. It will damage the seasoning and cause it to rust and stick. Proper seasoning and use of the pan will stop any sticking.

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#17

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Most measurements, especially where garlic or salt is concerned.

And whatever color the onion needs to be since I plan on using whatever onion I have available.

Anitsirhc171 , Kelly Common Report

#18

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow "Don't cook with a wine you wouldn't drink"... honey I'll drink pruno if that's what you've got, it's not a high bar

EatBangLove , Klara Kulikova Report

#19

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow My spices get poured from the jar. Sometimes it ends up as an "oops, guess this one's gonna be extra paprikaey"

Dartser , Darío Méndez Report

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Johnny
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I pour into the lid of the spice jar first, then dump from the lid into whatever I'm cooking -- so that way if it all comes out in a clump, I can just dump it back in the jar.

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#20

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow For any spices in my dishes, a teaspoon is some in my palm, a tablespoon is more in my palm, a pinch is whatever I pinch, and anything less than a teaspoon either doesn't exist or gets rounded up to whatever I pour out into my hand.

People rave about "how well seasoned" my cooking is, so who the hell even cares. The only thing I'm careful about is salt because oversalting is a thing and will ruin a dish. MSG though...I've never heard anyone call my dishes too umami!

Straydapp , Karin Hiselius Report

#21

The number of servings. As I usually cook one main dish, if the recipe says it serves 4 people, it usually serves 2, if it serves 6 and we're 3 there might be a chance of "some" leftovers... sometimes.

Yupyup_o_O Report

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Loty
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do the same thing. I always double all the measurements. Worst case scenario I'll have leftovers to eat for lunch tomorow.

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#22

Adding oil to your pasta water will not prevent the noodles from sticking. The oil will remain separated from the water instead.

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Jaguarundi
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I found that adding oil kept the sauce from clinging to the pasta properly.

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#23

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Salad dressing recipes will tell you to stream in the oil while whisking. Nah, just throw it all in a jar and give it a shake

prawn69 , Alexis Antoine Report

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#24

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow I rinse my mushrooms with water

(Comes from prep in commercial kitchens. If you are using them right away, rinsing with water is fine. If they’re going to sit in a pan for hours or days before being used, they’re going to get slimy and gross.)

ow_my_balls , Waldemar Brandt Report

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Lousha
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm with the op on this one. Wash them in running water quickly, wash off any dirt, job done, into the pan they go. No water sucked up unless you let them sit in water for a long time. When I was a kid I was also taught that you're supposed to peel them. As in break off the stem, then with the back of a knife hold a piece of the their outer layer to your thumb, and peel it off. Repeat until all the "skin" is off. My mom hated doing it because it takes forever so I was the "lucky" one to always get this task. When I started cooking myself I got brave one day and said fudge the peeling! Nobody noticed the difference. So I never peeled again and later started thinking my mom actually got this wrong, misunderstood something when she started learning to cook or something. But no, I recently asked a bunch of people who are my mom's age and they all peel to this day. Some of them were quite socked when I told them it's totally unnecessary.

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#25

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow I’ve heard to never wash your mushrooms in water and instead wipe off the dirt. I also know that mushrooms are grown with animal feces… I always wash my mushrooms.

Superb_Geologist_474 , Joanna Kosinska Report

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Mistralok
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Contrary to popular belief mushrooms are not grown in manure. ... Mushrooms are in fact grown in a pasteurized substrate, which yes does contain manure, but once the whole process is finished it is not even close. But yes, always wash them and all fruits and vegetables before use.

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#26

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Using pre-shredded cheese isn't always going to ruin whatever you're making.

allmilhouse , Willis Lam Report

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Mistralok
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just remember that pre-shredded cheese has been tossed with cornstarch to keep it from sticking together. Keep this in mind when doing sauces.

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#27

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Follow the recipe. My opinion: it only really matters in beginners baking. Once you get the feel for the food and how you want it to taste, the rest is up to you.

wordsinverse , Dan Gold Report

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Mistralok
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Baking is a dramatically different art than cooking. Measurements must be absolutely precise, even taking in account temperature and humidity.

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#28

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow Sugar measurements. I routinely use half or a third of what is called for and NEVER miss it.

Mezcalier , Sharon McCutcheon Report

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Mishte Tine
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Baking is chemistry though, no? I don’t bake because ima clutz and favor savory over sweet, but sugar is n a ton of non-baked foods. I love food.

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#29

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow I refuse to omit salt, ever.

I know every baby boomer mom and cardiologist is probably frowning at this comment too.

kimberdots , Anastasia Zhenina Report

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Johnny
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My wife and I rarely add salt when cooking, and now restaurant food always tastes too salty.

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#30

30 Cooking Tips These People Refuse To Follow I rarely bother making my own stock. It's just not practical for me; I don't have the space to freeze big batches of it and I don't have the time to regularly make smaller batches of it.

Most of the time, I find stock cubes work fine. They taste fine in most applications. The only thing I tend to miss in stock cubes is the gelatin, but in cases where I want that I just sprinkle some powdered gelatin into the stock.

ConsiderablyMediocre , Tom Small Report

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Jacqui Howe
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never seen stock cubes with gelatin, why is it in there? I make my own stocks usually overnight in a slow cooker. Meat bones from a roast, bacon rind, washed veg peels, water and seasoning. Slow cook overnight, strain and freeze. Old leftover bagged salad like coleslaw is perfect for this and better than throwing it out. If I have some, I'll chuck in leftover wine. I keep veg peelings, bacon rind, meat fat etc in small food bags in the freezer just to make stock. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I also buy reduced veg when I can and blanch and freeze them for winter soups. Saves me lots of money and I know what's going in my meals.

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