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Don’t tell me the pandemic hasn’t sparked the inner Gordon Ramsay inside of you. I, someone who’s not particularly renowned for their cooking abilities, have tried making at least two things from scratch, a marble cake and quiche Lorraine. Don’t ask me how it went but the fact that there’s no photographic evidence remaining speaks volumes.

I wonder how different my baby steps in cooking would have been if I'd known some know-how things, like working the oven or chopping those shallots. But thankfully, the dear chefs of Reddit have gathered for one noble purpose—to help us, miserable souls, to feel confident in the kitchen. And not just nibbling on the fresh cuts of a dish in process, but actually being in the middle of the whole cooking action.

So when someone asked “what’s one rule of cooking amateurs need to know?” the answers flooded in with some of the most useful, relatable and ‘where was I before’ tips and tricks. Get your notebooks ready and scroll down to see some really good advice.

#1

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) (home cook)

Cooking recipe is a suggestion, baking recipe is an instruction.

pothkan , Sorin Gheorghita Report

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

This one is good to remember, especially for beginners... the people I've seen who think they can just leave stuff out when they're baking and then they don't understand why it doesn't work 🤦🏻‍♀️ Baking is science.

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While most of us only experience the joys of cooking in the comfort of our homes, for some, it’s something they do for a living. As you probably have seen on Gordon Ramsay’s TV shows, the restaurant industry is one hell of an industry where drama can fire up any moment. So we reached out to a Redditor IndigoHatter, who is an avid member of the r/Cooking subreddit, and they shared some very interesting insights about cooking, cooks, restaurants and all the misconceptions that we have about them.

#3

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Stop cooking with extra virgin olive oil; it is not some 'better' version of olive oil.

Extra Virgin has an extremely low smoke point, so cooking with it often leads to burnt food and a smoky kitchen. It is intended for dressing and garnishing. Regular olive oil has a much higher smoke point and is meant for cooking. They are not the same.

ajcranst , Roberta Sorge Report

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

You can do just about everything with olive oil, be it extra virgin or not. You need to know how to treat it. People from Mediterranean countries can attest to this.

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

But olive oil isn't some magical ultimate oil. There are many other oils out there that are better for various purposes. Some even (prepare for the blasphemy) taste better.

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

This is bullshit. You can cook with extra virgin olive oil just fine. You just shouldn't use it for frying at high temperatures or deep frying.

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

As long as you are cooking at low temps it works, but you are still wasting your money on "extra virgin" unnecessarily.

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

it actually depends for what. If you are frying, you use regular olive oil but for roasting veggies, or coating meat roasts and similar, you use extra virgin. Depends for what

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troufaki13
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't cook with olive oil because for me it makes the food feel and taste heavier. I prefer to use it raw.

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

Extra virgin olive oil’s smoke point is somewhere around 374–405°F (190–207°C). This makes it a good choice for most cooking methods.

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

After reading this I went to Amazon to order regular olive oil. I have always bought extra virgin, just because….Well, just because. My god! Everything is Extra Virgin. Internet searches brought up Best lists filled with Extra Virgin olive oils. And so on.

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

Don't! Use oils with high smoke points for high temperature cooking. Peanut oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil are all options. Keep olive oil for dishes that rely on its flavour, or as a finishing oil or dip.

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

I get it all the time. There are different kinds where I shop (Wegmans).

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

There is extra virgin, virgin and just plain old olive oil. Which one it is depends on the method of extracting the oil....be it the first cold mechanical pressing, the second pressing, using heat or using other methods such as hexane.

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

yep… and if you use engine oil you can get even higher smoke point!!

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

Always look at smoke points! When I got into avocado oil I learned all this (in my 40s but never too late). Now I try and use avocado oil because of its very high smoke point meaning it won’t start smoking and burning until after like 400F.

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

It is so difficult to find anything but extra virgin. I have recipes for olive oil cake--which requires NOT extra virgin, can't find it.

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

disagree. I only cook with organic or non-gmo EVOO and have no issues...

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

It depends on what you cook and at what temperatures. Oils break down at their smoke points into some nasty stuff, but are fine up to their smoke points. If you cook with low heat and it doesn't smoke, then you're fine, but it is not the best option for most types of cooking. It will also do your pans no good, especially if you are wisely using cast iron or carbon steel rather than non-stick (which also mostly release nasty toxins at high heat). I use peanut oil for deep frying or wok cooking, or sometimes rice bran oil, ghee or certain types of coconut oil depending on what I'm cooking.

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

I almost feel bad for whoever posted this with so much wrong in this post. Smoke points aren’t a determinant of some great toxicity, especially in the case of EVOO. And they never mentioned the variance between an oven, or stove top where the properties vary again.

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

Not many people understand this. Olvie oil is better when raw. Like the person said, it has a low smoke point and it burns easily

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

If you are sauting onions for you dish and you have problems with oil's smoke point, things have gone horribly wrong a long time ago

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

Not paying attention to your food and having the heat up too high leads to burnt food.

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

Try grapeseed oil. Very light flavor, much higher smoke point.

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

Then maybe cooks on TV/internet should be more specific when they use the term "olive oil" to cook/fry with with Extra Virgin Olive Oil or like Rachel Ray calls it 'EVOO'....

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

EV has lower smoke point than olive oil? bulls*it. go some googling..."Chef" !

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

Am I the only one who just dislikes the taste of extra virgin? No matter how many brands I tried, they all taste bitter to me. I like the regular olive oil but it is very hard to find nowadays. My local food market stopped carrying it years ago and I have to go to an overpriced supermarket to get regular olive oil.

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

Plus, Extra Virgin Olive oil has a nasty taste to it!! Never understood why it became a “thing” plus, try buying regular olive oil, actually hard to find, I check ingredients and they like to add the extra virgin in everything!! 🥴🥴😵‍💫

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

I use it all the time. You just can't cook at high temps, and keep an eye on things. If it starts to smoke you have killed it. Just keep the temp lower. It's definitely not meant for high temp sauteeing!

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

Too often, extra Virgin Olive Oil is adulterated with other oils or is NOT extra virgin, especially when sold in the USA. Fraud is rampant here.

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

Take care of your EVOO. Store it at room temperature and in the dark. Nothing kills good olive oil like sitting under fluorescent lights on a grocery store shelf for long periods. I agree that EVOO is best for dips and as a finishing oil. Use the cheap stuff in a frying pan to save money. I recently had the experience of enjoying an unfiltered, first-press EVOO that was farm to table in less than a week and it was amazing.

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

I read from a distributor that they're all the same, just different labels and prices.

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

Nah, man. Just don’t heat it above 400 (375 if you want to be extra careful), and you’ll be fine! I almost exclusively cook with EVOO on medium heat, and it never burns!

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

And if you really want pretty food try grape seed oil.

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

Cooking without any oil is extremely easy ... and terrific for those of us who want to lose weight.

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

Do not ever use non extra virgin olive oil. It is processed with chemicals and is very bad for your health. To avoid burning EVO for cooking either lower your heat or cut it in half with canola oil. This tip came from a two times James Beard award winner chef.

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

My friends ate a lot of scrambled eggs before I got souffle down. Recipes aren't what you are learning. What you are learning is technique. Master technique and then it's just fun.

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

Extra Virgin (refuse to call it "EVOO") is for flavor, not heating.

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

I agree with Eleni. I cook with extra virgin all the time and be er have a problem.

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

IMHO using Ghee for better but I actually use both and sometimes combine them.

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

Extra virgin oil is actually the best version of olive oil, made with cold pressed selected olives. And there are many kinds of olives, each with distinctive flavors, and other factors -the season's weather, the soil, the age of the trees- that affect the outcome. An arbequina oil from Tarragona is completely different from a Picual from Jaen. There are many other oils used in cooking -sesame, canola, avocado, sunflower, etc.- wich are better for some purposes. But the history, culture, investigation, quality behind olive oil is absolutely unmatched. All this to agree, it sucks for high heat frying.

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

Or, hear me out here, stop using stupid expensive olive oil to fry with at all!

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

Wasn't there a posting on PB before that the majority of olive oil is the same? Just different packaging?

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

I don't need multiple types of oil as I do not use that much. I have some canola oil and some EV olive oil (California) and that's it. If I am going to fry something like potato cakes, I put in a couple of tablespoons of each. I use one teaspoon of olive oil in my nonstick pan when I make scrambled eggs and it work much better than butter or other oil, no heavy taste. Most of my olive oil use is in pasta and bean dishes, so burning it is never a problem.

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

It's false. Extra virgin olive oil IS the best olive oil. It means it comes from the first pressure of the oilves (their chair) while other versions are made from the rests of it and/or even from the olive bones. Some cookers, mostly OUTSIDE the mediterranian culture, don't want to use it for frying only because it's more expensive and they think it isn't worh, as they don't taste the difference (or mostly they think other people wont). If you want to save money, cool, use it only to make mahonesa, allioli, for salads, breads and dressings. Or in general everything that needs few quantity and where the taste is more important. Where is the olive taste the most important? For Mediaterranian people, always, fried potatoes, fried eggs or omelettes don't taste the same with other oils. We can put others to save money, but it's the only criterion, not the taste and of course not the quality. Don't let they scam you!!!

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

You're wrong. Extra virgin olive oil carries a lot of taste. It has not been refined so there is a lot of plant matter that has a low heat resistance. I have actually tested oil heat resistance in my kitchen (because why not?) and I can confirm from my own personal experience that for meals that need high heat and aren't deep fried, you do really want to use another oil. And it's definitely not the price.

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

Clear oil for cooking, opaque oil for quarnishing and adding the final touch

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

Coconut oil is a polysaturated fat, great for skin and hair but no better then animal fat on the heart and ventricle system.

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

I learned about using OO for eggs from a cooking magazine and haven't looked back since. Nonstick 8 inch pan, heat a teaspoon of oil, then add the beaten eggs and in a minute they're done. They don't taste like OO either.

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Whoever has mastered a carrot cake at home and won the hearts of their family members shouldn’t expect to become an award-winning chef. “People think if they are great cooks at home, they'll be great cooks in the kitchen. Similarly, people think that great restaurant cooks are also great home cooks,” IndigoHatter said, adding that it’s not true.

“The skills do have some overlap, but working in a restaurant means making the same thing over and over, so you're more like an assembly worker. Cooks are taught how to cook something, but this doesn't mean they have the skill to make that same thing at home.”

#4

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Clean as you go! Done with the cutting board? Wash it or put it away before you move on to the next step. A clean kitchen makes your life way easier.

heyeve , Aleksei Ieshkin Report

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

Me: "I fully agree with this!" My kitchen: "then why do I look like this? Why am I not clean and tidy?"

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#5

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) A lot of the time when people add salt to a dish because they think it tastes flat, what it really needs is an acid like lemon juice or vinegar

Vexvertigo , tokyofoodcast Report

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

Cool! Now, how do you know if it's one thing or the other? 🤔

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#6

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) When a dish calls for a certain amount of wine, it is recommended to consume an equal amount of wine whilst cooking said dish

promisedjoy , Oscar Nord Report

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According to them, the real trick for the cooks is to practice making things correctly when they’re not busy, “so that when you are busy, you execute it without thinking.” Moreover, “While you're busy, you may realize some hacks you can do to make things easier (usually through frustration)... and then you go back and forth between busy and slow days and hone your practice,” IndigoHatter explained.

#7

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Not really a cooking tip, but a law of the kitchen: A falling knife has no handle

wooddog , rmkoske Report

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

Correct me if I am wrong but when I drop some a knife or a tool I just jump backwards to make sure it doesn't land on my feet. Don't know if this is the correct way, never been injured so far.

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#8

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Hot metal looks the same as cold metal.

Scovers , redcharlie Report

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#9

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) When you grab a pair of tongs, click them a few times to make sure they are tongs

Kolshdaddy , Joshua Hoehne Report

And when it comes to the food in restaurants, it's not always made from scratch like you do it at home. In fact, most things you order in a restaurant are prepped or par-cooked beforehand, depending on the dish and expected pick-up time. “For example, if you order chicken alfredo, the pasta is pre-cooked, as well as the sauce. When the cooks start your order, they will likely begin cooking your chicken and slowly heating up some sauce (unless they're Olive Garden and sell it by the bucket, in which case it's already hot and held like a soup), and heat your pasta in the hot water (only for a minute), before assembling it together.”

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#10

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) The amount of garlic flavor is dependent on WHEN you add the garlic. Add it early for light flavor, add it late for bold flavor.

Orbnotacus , pingnews.com Report

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

or just do like I do: I add the garlic early. Then add it late. Than put some more garlic in the plate, while serving the food. There's no such thing as too much garlic.

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#11

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Tie. Your. Hair.

I've watched so many people cook and half the time they have their hair loose just flying wherever it chooses. God no, just tie it. Please

nellouse1 , Tamara Bellis Report

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

This isn't just so you don't get hair in food. If you have an open flame in your kitchen, untied hair is an invitation to open flames on your *head*.

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#12

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Former executive sous chef for a 3 star restaurant. I have also ran a bunch smaller kitchens during covid.

Get good knifes. I recommend Mercer Renaissance as a starter brand. $40 for the 8in Chefs knives, $23 for the 5in utility knife.

Shallots are used extremely often in restaurant kitchens but rarely at home. Use as a substitute for onions for a more mild taste.

Heat pans for 1min before using, use less heat when cooking. Rarely will you ever need to go higher than 75%.

Taste everything possible. Not just your finished product. Taste the spices, salt, pepper, etc all separately before adding them the first time you use it. A lot of people will buy a new spice then immediately add it to their food ruining it.

Knives should be lightly honed before and after each use. Hand wash and dry immediately.

Never attempt to catch anything that's falling. Not just knifes, if you drop a napkin your instinctive response should be to take a step back and put your hands up and out of the way. This trains your brain so you never attempt to catch something dangerous.

Want to make something more like a restaurant? Odds are you need more salt, sugar, or butter. We don't care if the carrots we serve are worse than eating actual candy, we just want you to come back.

Just because you like cooking doesn't mean you will like working at a restaurant. Pay is usually pretty poor unless you work at Michelin star restaurants and it is a hot, high-pressure environment. We lose a lot of people who couldn't handle the pressure of getting yelled at.

Abigail716 , Conscious Design Report

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

I like this. Real tips. For example, all cookers say "use good knifes" but here they say whixh and the price, and it's buyable. And honest!!! Thank you!

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The Redditor also said that one of the easiest ways to make food taste great is to make it look great. “The first thing you eat with is your eyes, ears, and nose before it ever gets to your mouth. One of the easiest ways to do this is use contrasting colors... it's why so many dishes are sprinkled with parsley!”

They continued: “As for actual flavor... salt, chicken stock, and butter are your main culprits for deliciousness... and sometimes sugar, depending on what we're talking about.”

#13

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) The secret that I was never taught growing up but has made such a huge difference in my cooking is thoroughly drying meat, fish, and veg with paper towel before cooking. My mom’s cooking was always too watery, not crispy or caramelized, because she missed this step, and to be fair, it isn’t mentioned in most recipes.

half_a_sleep , lungstruck Report

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

A clean kitchen towel. Reusable/washable so better for the environment and the pocket. I have a small box I keep on my food prep counter just for food, never used to clean.

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#14

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) You can always add, but you cannot take away.

El_Duende666 , Milada Vigerova Report

#15

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Keep it simple. I see so many young chefs coming into the kitchen fresh out of the classroom going hell for leather to make some strange gels, jellies, dehydrated this and that. Yes it can taste great, but just chill out. Show me if you can make a proper Jus, properly cook a joint of meat, know how to bring the best out of a simple, humble vegetable.

Just keep it simple.

bibBo , Sebastian Coman Photography Report

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And when it comes to the actual term ‘chef’ that so many of us use, Indigohatter said that it’s not true of every cook. They explained: "'Chef' is French for 'chief,' which stems from the brigade de cuisine, created several hundred years ago. It's largely been deviated from these days, but the spirit and structure still holds true. The original brigade structure is something to marvel over, and some restaurants supposedly use structures like this still... but in my local fine-dining restaurant experience, it's usually just a handful of positions, and even some of these may not be present, depending on how the kitchen is structured.”

“Chef, Sous Chef, Chef de Garde-Manger (tends to be salads and desserts), KM (Kitchen Manager), Line Lead, Cooks. These are the only positions I've ever seen in a restaurant,” they said.

#16

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Smell is very similar to taste, and if you're not sure about combining various spices, open the bottles and smell them all together.

SuddenSenseOfSonder , Christina Rumpf Report

#17

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Not a chef, but no sharps left in the sink

waterloograd , Rachel Zack Report

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

I see a can and four bottles left in that sink. That would upset me more than a knife.

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#18

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Cooking is art, baking is science.

DemonicCarrot , Max Delsid Report

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

To me, both are science AND art. There's so much more that goes into good cooking than just throwing ingredients together and hoping for the best. Genius concoctions like bechamel and sodium citrate cheese sauce wouldn't exist if there wasn't science that goes into cooking, and brilliant discoveries like chocolate chip cookies wouldn't exist if people hadn't tried to get a bit artistic with their baking.

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If you still wish to become a good chef one day, there are a set of key skills you wish to strengthen. “To become a good cook, you need to be a hard and fast worker, you need to be clean and organized (this is so important), and you need to be capable of splitting your attention all over the place without losing focus on any of it,” Indigohatter said.

They continued: “You need good knife skills, and you need great discipline (always use a towel to hold a pan handle, because when you're cooking that much, that fast, there's a chance one of the pan handles is hot, and you don't want to drop it).”

“Most importantly, though, you need to be able to follow directions, know how to ask the right questions, and know when and what you can put in your own personal creative spin on things, vs when you need to follow directions to the letter,” they concluded.

#19

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) This one's kind of common sense, but hotter doesn't mean faster - turning your burners up to 10 for everything will just lead to smoke and half-cooked food with a burned exterior.

blay12 , Kevin McCutcheon Report

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

Oh how I wish my mom knew this! She loved to cook things on volcanic heat and we would end up with things like French toast that was black on the outside and full of raw egg on the inside. Often my father would look at whatever monstrosity she made and would say "Quick kids, get in the car I got $20, we are going to McDonalds" and we would cheer. Eventually we banned mom from making eggs at all. Dad made the best eggs and really good, golden brown, thoroughly cooked French toast. ( and before anyone asks the reason he didn't cook more is because in the lawn care season - March to Sept- dad often didn't get home till 7 pm and then still had to clean up and get ready for the next day. In the winter he was the main cook.)

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#20

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Not a prof chef- Mashed potatoes… NOT blended potatoes. Don’t ever put potatoes in the blender, it will turn into glue

For anyone wondering the science behind it: potatoes contain a lot of starch. Mashing cooked potatoes gently by hand or with a ricer leaves most of the starch molecules intact. The butter and dairy you add to the mashed potatoes are able to coat each individual particle, making the potatoes creamy.

goodbye401k , Rachel Loughman Report

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

Different varieties of potatoes cook differently and are better in different things. This is worth looking up.

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#21

Sharp knives are less dangerous than dull knives.

lidaranis Report

#22

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Never fry, saute etc nude.

Phil0sophic , S Migaj Report

#23

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Never ever EVER throw water on a grease fire

Don’t try moving it either. Turn off the heat, place a lid on it or smother it with baking soda, if you don’t have a fire extinguisher.
Also, consider buying a fire extinguisher if you don’t already have one.

chris_the_earthenoid , Valentin B. Kremer Report

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

And a fire blanket. A fire extinguisher *may* just spread the lit grease if you don't aim in right. A blanket will guarantee to smother it.

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#24

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) wash your hands

A_zuma2007 , Clay Banks Report

#25

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Toasting dry spices in a sautee pan can really bring out the flavor of the spices. Don't put bbq sauce on until the end of cooking meat. The sugar in the bbq sauce can cause the meat to burn and char.

truisluv , Victoria Shes Report

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#27

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) You don’t need to buy pre-made spice rubs. Look at the ingredients and build a well stocked pantry

Celebrity endorsed cookware isn’t always good, a lot of it sucks

Don’t cheap out on knives, buy forged, not stamped.

Store raw meat accordingly, don’t cross contaminate your fridge

Knife magnet strips are better than knife blocks

This is obvious, but never put a cast iron in the dishwasher

Don’t boil the s**t out of potatoes to make mash

Rinse raw rice before cooking

Mise. En. Place.

guiltycitizen , Gaelle Marcel Report

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

the rinsing rice before cooking is a false tip. It depends on the dish and if you want the starch of not. You rise rice for a risotto, you will fail, you dont wash before egg fried rice you will fail. Depends on the dish

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#28

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Salt, pepper and acid will brighten up almost any dish. If an otherwise wonderful dish is just... missing something, add salt, pepper and lemon juice, then reassess.

LymphomaThr0waway , Edi Libedinsky Report

#29

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Pre heat your pan, its a simple trick but it will improve your cooking

a small amount of oil will go a long long way

when you take steak or pork or lamb off of the heat or out of the oven, always give it time to rest, usually half the amount of time you cooked them, and i tend to loosely cover them in tinfoil

Empty-Refrigerator , Duane Mendes Report

#30

If you're using a steel/hone on a blade, ALWAYS RUN THE BLADE THROUGH A FOLDED UP PAPER TOWEL A FEW TIMES AFTERWARDS! If you don't, there are small steel particles that cling to the blade that can and WILL come off in the next thing you cut.

Themonkeylifter Report

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

Hones/steels don't remove metal. This is if you sharpen it with an actual wet stone or the like. Hones just bend edges that have rounded over back to straight.

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#31

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Not a chef but I'm having a beer with one. I posed this question to him and he said. "You know the knob on the stove that makes the fire come out? There's a whole range of settings between off and all the way on. Temperature control. grabs my shoulder Temperature... control."

hyperkinetic27 , Andrea Davis Report

#32

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) you’re just going to enjoy cooking more if you have a SHARP knife. No clue how people can hack away at veggies and meat. No reason to go insane either, a $30 Victorinox and $5 sharpener will get you a very long way

friendbuddyguypal , iBecome Communication Report

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

I bought a Victorinox set when I went to culinary school 10 years ago. I still use them, they are my favorite set.

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#33

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Tell people you're behind them when cooking is involved.

BEHIND!!!!

ToddFatherXCII , Jason Briscoe Report

#34

When you take something out of the oven, a pot, pan, skillet, sheet, tray, whatever; drape a towel or oven mitt over the handle/edge of it. That way you or anyone else understands that it’s hot and not to be grabbed bare handed.

From a Homecook who has grabbed handles in excess of 400 degrees literally 30 seconds after taking them out of the oven…..more than once

TheWingus Report

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

If you're like my mom you do it after warning everyone else that it's hot!!

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#35

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Not a chef but avid bbq smoker. LET YOUR MEAT REST AFTER COOKING

Leave_it_to_stupid · , Hitesh Dewasi Report

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#36

Always salt your pasta water!

euben_hadd Report

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troufaki13
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But NEVER put olive oil in the boiling water. It doesn't matter if Gordon Ramsey said so, it's wrong

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#37

I've had the great fortune of knowing some pro cooks in my life, and the most memorable piece of advice I've gotten was when there were several of them at my place during a housewarming and they had, of course, taken over the kitchen.

One was searing a pork loin and was pissy because I had a liquor dispenser top on my olive oil and just a grinder for salt (no pig). After he ripped the top off the oil and found my box of kosher salt, he explained

"dirtymick, do you know why restaurant food tastes so good?" he asked, while liberally dumping oil and salt on the pork, "It's because we cook like we hate you".

Turns out the best home cooking aide is self loathing.

dirtymick Report

#38

The digital meat thermometer is hands down the best $10 I ever spent. It has a temperature alert setting that takes the guesswork out of when to take something out of the oven. The only time I have had dry poultry in the last five years or so is when I go to someone's house to eat that doesn't use one. 90% of people suck at Thanksgiving turkey

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#39

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) After cutting an onion into half, soak in cold water before slicing to avoid tears

McThal , Couleur Report

#40

Chefs Are Sharing Simple Tips That Can Instantly Make Your Cooking Better (40 Tips) Don’t use wet towels… learned there the hard way

redvelvetlookinass , monicore Report

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