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

The salt is a great way to make everything taste MORE. And even if you use salted butter you should add a pinch of salt in anything with chocolate

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

Yes, apparently people don't get this and think you add salt to make something salty

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

Doesn't matter too much as long as you use REAL BUTTER and not some spread that's 50% oil

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

Yes, so true. That low-fat butter ain't butter! And margarine is just awful.

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

salted vs unsalted butter doesn't make much difference in modern time. There's very little salt in modern salted butter. HOWEVER, back when the argument started, salted butter was WAY saltier and it actually mattered then.

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

Lately when cooking sauces or curries, I have been adding a dollop of salted butter towards the end of cooking. It really elevates the flavor.

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

I never mess with the chemistry when I bake - but I do use salted butter, I find it enhances the flavour

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

I think I bought unsalted butter once by mistake. It was terrible.

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H.L.Lewis
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have never bought unsalted butter. So I only use salted. You can reduce any other added salt. Also salt enhances flavor, so I think it tastes better. Any new recipe for baked sweets automatically gets the sugar reduced.

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

My BIL was a chef. He said that you must ALWAYS add salt to sweet recipes. In our hot summer I have been salting my drinking water (with NaCl, KCl lite salt -- we ARE on tank water). It quenches the thirst amazingly and doesn't leave you feeling 'gloopy'.

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

I use salted butter only when baking. I use salted butter only for everything.

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

I've always used salted butter. I once tried using unsalted butter and adding salt to taste, dish just wasn't right no matter how I adjusted.

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

Salted butter is not common in CZ. You can get it, of course, but basically everytime it is said "butter", it means the unsalted one. I was wondering, why so many english recipes talked about "unsalted butter", untill I've found out that in US it is quite opposite way. the salted butter is more common.

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

If I was following USA recipes I think I would be taking 75% of the sugar out of some things and 100% out of others.

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

Just made Coq Au Vin, first you have to boil the bacon for 5 minutes to remove the excess salt. Then two steps later you have to add salt, why remove the salt in the first place?

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

Apply this for basically all American recipes, or cut even half of the sugar. We people in Europe use less sugar in general but I still cut the sugar here as well or replace it with a healthier choice.

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

I always use only half the sugar called for if the recipe has fruit in it. I also use sour cherries.

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

I just don't buy salted butter. You can always add salt, but you can't take it out. That said, a bit of salt in sweet goods is always a good idea.

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

I agree with the salt in sweets' recipes. A pastry chef friend of mine always says to me that the secret of every sweets is in the salt. I don't know anything about salted butter though, we don't use/have it here in Europe, or at least in the European countries where I live/lived

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

Try baking with ghee. It’s a whole different world of buttery flavor

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

Only my dogs get UNsalted butter. They don't sweat, they do not NEED salt -- but it sure helps the tablets go down :-)

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

I usually cut the sugar in half. Most recipes are just too sweet!

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Lucie “Imzadi” Bartůňková
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with the sugar, and I also usually use 1 eggyolk less than prescribed (when there are multiple, like 4 -> I use 3), never had a problem with that and I am stuck with less "unwanted" eggwhites after

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

Depends on the size of the yolk. Bantam eggs are great if you don't want a lot of albumin. The yokes are nearly as large as those in standard eggs

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

Allways 1/2 salted butter & oil when I’m frying something. It gives a more Crisp taste & the Buttertaste is really gendle…. I’m from Denmark. Grown up with Lurpak & My Granny using it for all the cooking😍🙏🏻

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

I always use salted butter - I just cut down on the added salt in the recipe.

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

In cream cheese frosting you can decrease the powdered sugar by half or more so it isn’t so cloyingly sweet.

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

I saw an experiment with salting sweet things and fruit which showed adding a bit of salt made the sweetness taste better, fuller.

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

I dont even know where to buy salted butter here. Never seen it being sold. If it is just butter with salt, i dont really see a point.

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

Me too! Most American baked goods are too small. Any more than 1/3 changes the texture.

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

I'm kind of scared with Americans salting things since the day I watched an American chef on tv pour four or five HANDFULS of salt on her pasta, all the while complaining it was still laking salt. I would simply DIE with that much salt. Is American salt, like... bland or something?

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

It depends on the climate. In hot climates one needs far more salt, because we lose so much in our perspiration.

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

always use salted butter, will just cut back on the salt added, done. I bake a fair bit but not all the time, would rather not have unsalted butter going bad in my fridge.

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

NO, Not at all. It is NOT heavily salted -- just enough to enhance the melt in the mouth flavour. Mmmmmmmm. Good Yellow salted butter!

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

I use whatever butter I happen to grab and is soft enough. So far, no one has complained. It's cake.

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

Any butter is soft enough if warm, but out of the fridge (here) it turns to that awful clarified stuff :-(

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

For US recipes I remove 1/2 of the sugar or a little bit more, and it's still sweet. Does US ppl actually can taste anything apart from sugar?

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

When you are used to VERY sweet stuff, it tastes "normal". Many years ago now I gave up sweeteners on my coffee. Now I cannot abide sweetened coffee as ir tastes of NOTHING but sugar :-( I must admit I found giving it up much easier via artificial sweeteners -- learned to live without the sugar hit before I gave up the taste.

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

Baking might make a difference but for all my stove top cooking I use salted.

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

Unless you are on a low sodium diet for medical reasons, these arguments for and against are pointless. The rule is: SEASON TO TASTE.

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

I use salted butter when baking, and unsalted any other time I need butter.

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

Salted butter increases sodium intake. I'm anti-sodium. So no salted anything for me, if i can help it, really.

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

This is from the Loge cast iron website: https://www.lodgecastiron.com/discover/cleaning-and-care/cast-iron/how-clean-cast-iron

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

I always use salted butter when cooking and on toast as well. If I’m baking and the recipe calls for unsalted butter, I use that instead. I’m not much a baker actually because everything has to be so exact, I much prefer cooking so I can do whatever I want to do.

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

I have never thought about reducing the sugar. My mother always did when she canned jam and I liked hers better than any other. It's my turn!

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

I never use butter or margarine. It's just saturated fat. 30 seconds of pleasure for the tastebuds, months of clogging up your arteries.

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

The sugar thing is exactly what I do. They always want too much sugar in recepies in my opinion. It tastes fine with less sugar and the texture is fine too...never had any trouble with reducing sugar.

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

I have heard (not sure it's true) that recipes call for unsalted butter because it has a higher concentration of actual butter than salted butter.

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

I use salted butter for cooking savory foods, but not if I'm baking a dessert, like a cookie

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

You can't use less sugar if you want the same consistancy. It changes the recipe and it's not the same. It's better you search for a recipe that contains less sugar. If you use salted butter for baking, it will not make a huge difference, most recipes add a little bit of salt in it. Don't use salted butter if you want to grill chicken or meat in the oven, it will burn faster.

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

In US recipes you can often remove a third to half of the sugar used without any consequence. Tried it again and again, always works.

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

It has to be close to 20years since I last bought any butter.

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

Sure why not. Most baking recipes call for some salt anyway.

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

My parents are perfectly fine with salted butter, but I just can't use it on most things. When asked why, I said: would you put salt on a slice of toast with jam? No? Then why would I used salted butter? They finally got it, lol.

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't use butter in most of my baking unless the recipe states it has to be butter, otherwise I just use margarine coz that's all I have in the fridge.

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

I would do it the other way around. If I cannot exchange Margarine with butter, I will go out of my way to find a recipe that uses butter instead of margarine.

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

Unsalted butter is fresher. The salt adds shelf life. So it depends on what's cooking/baking. If butter is a featured performer in your recipe, use unsalted. Years ago I did some experimenting with shortbread, which has only 3 ingredients, flour, sugar, butter. Made a batch with regular grocery store salted butter, then a a couple of batches using unsalted butter and high priced unsalted butter. The regular grocery store unsalted was the taste test winner at work.

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

REALLY!!??? I have in the past made shortbread with salted butter and it beat ANY commercial Shortbread I'd ever tasted. I was given sum Scottish Shortbread for Xmas and is tasted as though it was made on lard )or worse :-( BUTTER melts on the mouth, Lard stick to the roof of your mouth, On the other hand I wouldn't give you tuppence for any butter that is NOT Australian.

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

What we call 'salted butter' has about 1/3 of the salt that was used 100 years ago, and about 50% of the salt 50 years ago. The reason recipes say unsalted is that the salt amount has radically changed over the decades.

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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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#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
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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!

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#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.

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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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