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27 People Online Unveil ‘Tricks’ That Make Matters Easier In Their Kitchen
Article created by: Monika Pašukonytė
In the Middle Ages, the teaching of the so-called "Seven Liberal Arts" was obligatory in universities, and only those who mastered them could rightfully call themselves an educated and cultured person. Grammar, logic and rhetoric were the first three, and arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy were the next four. It has been like this for centuries, but reality tells us that all these years later, there is another, much more important and valuable art - cooking.
Indeed, cooking is a real art. You can interpret it as a craft aimed only at satisfying your hunger, or you can endlessly vary the ingredients, tools and seasonings, creating absolute masterpieces. And then the name of Julia Child, who taught Americans about haute cuisine right at home, will rightfully stand on par with such great popularizers of science as Neil deGrasse Tyson or Robert Feynman.
A few years ago, there was a thread in the AskReddit community where the topic starter asked people a simple question: "What are your cooking life hacks?" Today, this thread has over 2.3K upvotes, plus approximately 2.2K miscellaneous comments. Some of them are outright trolling like "if you put the meat in the freezer, it will last longer", but others are real gems that will really help any novice or even professional chef.
Of course, if the pinnacle of your culinary prowess is to spread butter on bread and put a piece of sausage on top, you can safely close the tab with this post. However, who knows, perhaps this will be the trigger for you that will wake you up as a future master of kitchen affairs?
In any case, Bored Panda has compiled for you a selection of the smartest, non-standard, sometimes crazy, but no less outstanding ideas from the original thread, so please feel free to scroll this list to the very end, save the greatest ideas and, who knows, maybe add your own for someone else's benefit.
More info: Reddit
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#1
Not sure if this counts as a cooking hack, but I've learned to clean up my dirty dishes/utensils *while* making the meal; don't wait until after. It saves time, keeps me in the kitchen while I need to monitor the cooking, and then minimal clean-up after the meal!
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#3
Sharper knives are safer.
When chopping, focus on safety and proper method, speed will come naturally.
#4
Things don't stop cooking the second you take them off the heat. For example, you want to take scrambled eggs off the stove when they are still glistening and slightly wet looking. The internal heat will finish the cooking.
Similarly you want to take meat off just a little before the internal temp reaches what you're shooting for, because the heat from the outside of the meat will continue to migrate inwards and cook the inside while the meat is resting.
#6
Add oregano to your frozen pizza before heating it up. Also, you should probably add more cheese while you're at it because they never put enough cheese on those things.
#7
Cast iron pans. I love my cast iron skillet, and try to cook as many meals in that as possible. A well seasoned pan is wonderful to cook it, it does give you extra iron in your diet, and it basically is nonstick as long as you take proper care of it and keep it seasoned.
#8
- Cooking is feeling; baking is science.
- Salt & peppar are your best friends. Seasons every ingredient accordingly, not just the finished dish.
- Don't use too high heat. Burned food is bad food.
- Never leave the kitchen when there's something on the stove.
- Prepare all the ingredients before you start.
- Keep your knife sharp.
- Clean as you go.
#10
Save all bones and veggie scraps! Keep them in a Tupperware or bag in the freezer, and once it's full, make broth. Seriously the best soup starter, plus it's frugal and waste-free!
#12
It's amazing what you can accomplish with just a few shakes of salt and pepper. Season everything.
#13
Invest in your tools! Buy a good knife (learn how to keep it sharp) buy a good pot and a good pan. You'd be surprised how much you can do with just those basics and it makes a huge difference.
#14
Leftover pizza is best reheated in a pan on a stove top. Throw in some water near the end to steam it to melt the cheese. Then the crust is crisp but the cheese and meat are still hot and gooey.
#15
When making fried rice, it's best to use rice that's been left overnight in the fridge. Source: am Asian
#16
Cook your tomato paste in the pan with the veggies before adding water. It adds so much depth and also gets rid of that acid flavor a lot faster. I let it cook too it turns a dark maroon color then add The liquid.
Great for tomato sauces and soup
#18
Separate the yolk and whites when scrambling an egg. Whip the whites until they are super frothy (but not meringue) then combine with yolk and gently mix together. The most fluffy eggs ever.
#19
Chopping garlic or other smelly items? Hands now smell? Rub them in a stainless sink or buy 'stainless steel soap'. It'll remove the smell from your hands so you don't smell after you're done.
#20
Have something to snack on while you cook. Don't get hangry while cooking; enjoy the process.
#21
Freeze excess fresh herbs left over after cooking (like when a dish calls for 1Tbsp but you can only buy it as a freaking bouquet at the store). Rinse and dry it well, then chop it up fine (magic bullet is great) and add just enough oil for it to come together (Ive used olive oil and coconut oil with good results). Spoon out into 1 teaspoon servings on parchment paper, then freeze and store in a container/plastic bag, dated and labeled. Some people use ice cube trays, but then you'll only ever be able to use those trays for herbs, since the smell sticks to them, especially if they're silicone. I've done this before with basil, garlic, ginger, garlic scapes, and parsley and it's always turned out great. Beats having your herbs wilt away in the fridge, and it cuts down on future cooking prep times.
#22
As you go.
Seasoning, tasting, washing up,... Do it as you go. You will make better food and enjoy it more knowing there is very little washing up.
#23
Adding acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc) to any dish can turn any dinner party into a real *trip*!
#24
Use chop sticks to dip cheese puffs into smoldering hot nacho cheese, this way you don't get any residue on your Magic: The Gathering cards.
#25
Always place something over a boiling pot, never breathe through your nose while cutting onions, try to be as tidy as possible and wash any dishes after each use, put out all your ingredients first to make sure you've got everything and don't forget to pre-heat the oven !
#26
1. Growing your own herbs is way easier than you might think and they taste better than what you buy at the store. Green onions can grown in a jar of water or a small pot of dirt that's watered regularly. You can also cut green onions and the roots will allow them to grow back.
2. There are so many easy and different ways to make your own salad dressings using very basic ingredients.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dijon mustard
3/4 lemon juice
throw in som thyme, dill, and salt/pepper and whisk or shake.
3. Don't buy Pesto sauce. It's easy to make and it's sure to impress anyone if you do it right. Use pesto with sauce with twisty noodles, they grip onto oily sauces better and allow you to use less sauce per serving.
4. Cook with someone. I enjoyed cooking before I met my fiance. But working with her in the kitchen for dinner is one of my all time favorite things. You learn a lot about someone when you watch them cook: how organized they are, how focused, and creative they can be. Watching my fiance cook is something I look forward to when I get home from work because nothing matters when we're in the kitchen. We learn all sorts of stuff about food and new recipes but it's also kind of our confession booth.
That last step is more for me, but you get the idea. Thank you for asking this beccause the comments on here are amazing.
#27
When baking a cake or brownies, use apple sauce instead of oil.
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