It’s bizarre to think that if you’re, hypothetically speaking, forced to do something for all eternity, you’d wager it would be something that is also eternally painful or dull or, simply put, anything but pleasant. Well, eating is one thing we’re “doomed” to do for all eternity and so far most of us quite like it.
So much, in fact, that some even form very strong opinions about food, cuisine, and everything in between. And there’s been an AskReddit post about it, with thousands of people sharing their culinary hills they’d die on.
Bored Panda has collected some of the best opinions from the now-viral post, which currently clocks in at nearly 27,000 upvotes, 29,000 comments and 60 Reddit awards. Scroll down to check them out, and while you’re at it, vote on the ones you like and comment your strong opinions in the comment section below!
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When you're baking from an online recipe, don't change three or four ingredients "to make it healthy" and then leave a one star review about how bad it is.
Only edible items should be plated. Garnishes should be edible, Hate it when I see rocks and sticks on a plate. Fight Me.
Being poor isn’t a culinary crime. It takes talent to make cheap food taste as good as my mom did.
Life is too short to not use butter.
COOKING AND BAKING ARE DIFFERENT.
Cooking allows you to experiment and be imprecise. Baking requires precision
A burger should fit in your mouth and shouldn’t require a stick to hold it together or cutlery to eat it.
If you think it's enough garlic, it's probably not enough garlic.
Being snobby about food to the point where you're hindering someone else's enjoyment is not a positive personality trait.
if you are writing a recipe, write a recipe. Not an autobiography
It's about some weird copyright laws in some countries. Very annoying, most people probably skip the 'biography' part, so apart from the copyright purpose this was wasted time. Ps. yesterday when looking for lasagne recipe I had to skip over world history of lasagne, a personal history of lasagne and author's philosophical exasperations - on lasagne, of course...
Homemade chili is almost always better the next day.
And lasagne...and tiramisù.. the next day they are always better...
And pizza!! No wait pizza is good in any case!! Pizza is the best🍕🍕🍕🍕
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All stews are better the next day! And when it comes to homemade chili, *my* hill to die on is that it doesn't need excess vegetables! No corn, olives, or peppers, dammit!
What kind of monster adds corn or olives to chili??? Also, I feel like I get to be a chili snob because I come from the place where chili was invented, and while I'm fine with peppers in chili or using ground turkey or vegan options for chili and don't even really mind it if people put beans in their chili, I am fanatical about the belief that the only things to accompany chili are cornbread and grated cheese -- no sour cream, no rice, no spaghetti.
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Cookies are also better if the batter is refrigerated overnight before baking. More flavor development.
This is no surprise - all stewed food tastes better if it is simmered longer. This is because of chemistry: If you cook something in a (slightly) acidic environment (e.g. tomatoes), the the acid helps break down proteins. And this will give you free gutamic acid. And with salt you get MSG - Monosodiumglutamate. The "umami" taste. Yes, really. Cooking or curing something for a long time gives you lots of MSG. Which is why Parmesan Cheese tastes so good!
What I'm understanding is that I should make my spaghetti *with* the parmesan and let it all sit longer instead of adding parmesan right before I eat it.
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Add 1/2 or more of the spice to the meat while cooking it. If you don't use meat, add spices to any part that you precook. This allow the spice to infiltrate the chunky bits of the Chili, which gives it more of that day 2 flavor on day 1.
And this typical Dutch soup! https://stuffdutchpeoplelike.com/2015/03/15/dutch/
And in the Netherlands this particular soup! https://stuffdutchpeoplelike.com/2015/03/15/dutch/
And soups, meat stews, etc. I've discovered that soft gingerbread also tastes better the day after you make it. Hmmn, now I'm thinking about making some gingerbread...
When you prep rice and ingredients for fried rice, you need to let the cooked rice to hang out for a day before you put things together. Or else the rice gets soggy. So season your meat and everything the day before. It is better! (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤
Any food that relies on spices being incorporated into a broth or sauce is always better the next day. Hell even home made ice cream is better the next day, gives those flavor molecules a chance to distribute
Pretty much anything that cooks by simmering in a pot for an extended period of time will be greatly improved by resting it overnight. On a related note - the longer you can leave such dishes to simmer, the better.
I find that most foods taste better as leftovers. Or maybe I'm just so used to eating them I've convinced myself that it must be true 🤣 In all seriousness though, I swear that having that extra day or few extra hours for all the flavors to meld together really does make everything taste better. And some foods, like broccoli salad, absolutely REQUIRE you to wait some time before the flavors really sink in.
Most soups and casseroles are. The flavors have a chance to meld better. Italian Ragu is always better the next day. I usually make it a day ahead on purpose, but then there is the risk that I'll finish it with a loaf of toasted artisanal bread.
For us Dutch: Kale and Mash, fried up so it has those crispy flakes................yummy
And ceviche and spaghetti sauce and gumbo and étouffée and jambalaya and ...
Grilling on charcoal taste way better than propane, Hank Hill is an idiot
That cheap bag of frozen peas and diced carrots you get at the grocery store is an outstandingly versatile source of nutrition. And tasty too.
Cereal first and then milk
My daughter puts the milk in first, then the cereal. She says it keeps the cereal from getting soggy while she eats it. Or she may just be a monster. 🤷♀️
This is actually something I'm willing to pass on
YOU DON'T NEED TO WASH YOUR GOD DAMN MEAT!
If you cook it right, you kill all the bacteria you're "washing". All you're doing is spreading the germs all over your kitchen sink.
We need to make burgers wider not taller
The most expensive food isn't always the "best" food. No, I'm not impressed by a $200 slice of pizza with it's price driven up with truffle and gold flake.
Bonus: cereal or crushed Oreos on a donut isn't revolutionary.
Worcestershire sauce can work magic.
So can fish sauce. Amazing how something that smells so vile can enhance so many flavors.
We need to stop letting people put raisins where they don't belong.... It's getting out of hand.
I like dipping my sushi rolls and sashimi in a soy sauce and wasabi mixture and I don’t care if it goes against proper sushi etiquette. It tastes good.
All food is fusion. No dish is above adoption or adaptation.
I don't want to hear that you're bad at cooking if you don't follow a recipe or measure your ingredients. You can get so far by just reading and actually do it what it says.
There’s no such thing as a “dry” brine. By definition, brines are liquid based. A salt-based dry rub is a cure. Brines are also a type of cure, but they are liquid based. All brines are cures, but not all cures are brines.
I live in the Midwest, I love the Midwest but just because you call something a salad does not mean it is healthy and an acceptable side dish to your main course. Snicker-marshmallow-mayo-whatever is not salad.
Peanut butter is a fantastic savoury ingredient with a shockingly enormous range of applications.
The moment something gets hyped as a superfood, I'm out.
To clarify, "superfood" is a buzzword that cues bulls**t incoming and rising prices. The author loses all credibility. It's the point where I stop reading and close the window. Might look up the stats for the food afterward from an actual resource such as a university's nutrition summary.
Season your tomatoes, especially for sandwiches.
Unless they're grown in your yard. Then eat them like an apple. Tomatoes you grow yourself are 1000 times better and don't need anything.
Baked donuts are not donuts. Donuts must be fried. Baked donuts are just small cakes, which are delicious but NOT DONUTS
to clarify the exact type of donut imposter I am raging against
Learning how to cut an onion is the first lesson in the cooking world
I can't. My eyes actually swell shut. I can't see after the first couple of slices
Often doing things “the right way” or “from scratch” just isn’t worth it. There are plenty of shortcuts that give you 90% of the result with 50% of the effort. I’ll take those shortcuts just about every time.
People who hate cooking with stainless steel don’t know how to cook with stainless steel.
MSG is amazing
The hate for msg is just based on anti asian racism. A doctor invented the idea that it produced headaches with 0 proof whatsoever. This was used as an excuse to attack asian restaurants while many other "western" products have msg. It is been proven since then that what he claimed was a lie.
If you can't drink it through a straw it's not a milkshake.
Note: this post originally had 43 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
Here's one of mine- making exotic and foreign dishes is NOT cultural appropriation- everyone should be free to make whatever food they wish as no recipes should belong to any one race/group. Culinary gatekeeping needs to end. Allow your tastebuds to embark on a global trip via your kitchen, guilt-free!
Eat foods that are in season where you live to the greatest extent you can. It's cheaper, better tasting, and better for the environment.
Also. Buying in bulk is not a bad thing. Buying heat and eat food is not bad and investing in a vacuum sealer will pay for itself over and over again
Take the f*****g tails off shrimp unless they're meant to be eaten with your fingers!!!
I know the reason to leave them on is they are meant to give the dish more flavour, but I agree. I don't want to stop in between each mouthful to use my hands to remove the tail.
Load More Replies... Mine is when people bitch at others for cooking things the way they want too if you're going to be patient and do it from an educational standpoint fine, but if your going to have attitude and be all high and mighty about it than shove off, my dad was born in Italy and moved here in his late 20s my family has gone to Italy many times and I have gotten yelled at many times by my Italian relatives for this, fyi If I want to I will break the spaghetti, & I will put whatever I want on my pizza (especially pineapple), & I will use alfredo sauce (I rarely do but that's because I'm lactose intolerant), and finally I WILL EAT AT OLIVE GARDEN IF I WANT TOO, food belongs to everyone and if your excuse for why something shouldn't be done is because that's the way it's always been done then you can take several seats.
baked> deep fried Most stuff thats deep fried is waay too greasy (obviously theres exceptions) but when you bite into something and a mouthful of grease squishes out, thats just not enjoyable. Id much rather eat something that been baked or airfried, which often is more crispy/crunchy
The best cooking advice I have ever received and I use these three things every single time I cook: 1. Fresh is best. 2. Taste everything at every stage. 3. Clean as you go.
I disagree with the fresh is best mentality. In some situations, yes, but frozen and canned food are just as nutritious, and in many instances serve the recipe better. I would much rather use canned beans for my chili than finding some fresh kidney beans and prepping them ahead of time. Further, there are food deserts in which fresh food just ... isn't available. Making people think that they can't make great food cause of where they live is, in my opinion, horribly privileged.
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Prices for specialty items are too damn high. As a celiac, I appreciate the Fad dieters demanding better quality and more variety of gluten-free foods, but $10 for a half a loaf of sandwich bread is insane
I would like to add... don't cook after 6 (numbers may individually vary of course) beers. Horrible things happen. Mostly your tastebuds are numb and you add more of all the seasoning because you can't taste them when taste testing and in the end, no one can eat it. I have proven this using science with my husband, who is normally an amazing cook, as Guinea pig.
I've had some pretty delicious things happen after a 6 pack! At least, I think they were delicious 🤔
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Here's one from me: If you need to pan-fry something, pre-heat your pan first (I use 7/10, maximum). If you can hover your hand 1-2" over top, and if you can feel the heat... it's NOW ready for oil/butter/etc. Be VERY careful you don't overheat your pan. Also wait a little bit before adding your food so that the oil can heat up first. You can get a sloppy, soggy, oily mess if you don't pre-heat. And, often, food sticking to your pan. Oh, and stir often to cook evenly. Especially important with things like potatoes. (I make fries at home this way with a minimum of oil)
MIRACLE WHIP IS NOT MAYO!! I've been having this argument for 17 years with my husband and I will not surrender!!
I can't believe you've been married that long to someone who would eat miracle whip! 😊
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Cooking is a science and it’s all about confidence. Every dish is an experiment. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don’t. But you have to be confident enough to try.
Whenever I make macaroni & cheese, I always add some pasta water to sauce to help thicken it
Really with the language? I know we're trying to prove we're "grown up" and "with it", but it's offensive and unnecessary for an otherwise good read.
Gumbo is more than just chicken and sausage. Should always, ALWAYS be brown in color, NEVER WHITE! Before you ask yes, I'm from Louisiana, my mother was pure Cajun from Morgan City and I grew up eating gumbo. The literal meaning of gumbo is a mixing of many ingredients to make one pot. Yes, you have to serve it over rice. Most of us in Louisiana put eggs in ours and let it cook in the pot. Oh don't forget the potato salad and fried fish with it! Cest bon!
Salad is boring. There are so many better ways to eat a pile of vegetables.
Cooking with onions should be a crime! Especially given all the other-wise wonderful foods you people ruin with them. MAC-AND-CHEESE DOES NOT NEED ONIONS YOU F-ING PSYCHOS!
I'm so sick of people food and body or moral shaming. Fk you all. Imma add garlic to my pasta and then wear my very uncomfortable to you, but not me... bikini so you can to look at while I stuff my chubby ass with more garlic wearing a baby's girl collar from having a very comfortable and truthful relationship with my bdsm daddy aka my husband. I hope it pisses everyone off. You judgemental asses.
Also I lost a kid to sids. So try me please. I'm sick of shaming people if ridiculous. I'm me your you. Be yourself and I'll be myself. We don't need to Attack each other over bullshit reasons. It needless to say...just be yourself. No matter what.
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Using unsalted butter is unnecessary. Always. Never have I ever had anything taste too salty using salted butter
Yes! I don't even buy unsalted butter. It's a tasteless fat.
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Loved this, have to add my two sense. "Deconstructed" is not a cooking term. It just means you were too lazy actually put the dish together. I swear to God, Everytime I hear a chef say that, I lose a bit more faith in the culinary culture.
I don’t get the pride in not measuring anything “because your granny never did.” Buy some damn measuring cups/spoons, you cretin.
Roast your chicken with your vegetables, especially if you're making a soup with it.
-A pancake turner works great as a bench scraper.. -Make your pie shell(s) and freeze in a jumbo zip lock. They'll be ready to go, and super flaky if you put them in a hot oven when frozen.
My huge pet peeve is when people don't set timers. If all your stuff is burning, you aren't checking on it soon enough. And a timer will help you do that. Stop saying you can't cook when what you really mean is you are forgetful and don't want to make the effort.
In the US it should be illegal to use soy. Every processed food has it, even Hershey’s chocolate. You’re all basically just eating a lot of soy. Soy has no taste and companies use it to make more without actually spending more on real ingredients. Why would a donut need to have soy in it, or chocolate or cakes, bread, cookies, pasta. Look at the ingredients list and I bet you’ll find soy in everything in your pantry. You’re paying a fortune to eat something that is basically worthless.
I think you may be speaking of soy lecithin which is a very common food additive, but the vast majority of foods contain an extremely minuscule amount. Nothing that would equate to "eating a lot of soy." If you mean protein bars that use soy as the many source of protein, yeah those are cheap garbage.
Load More Replies... Here's one of mine- making exotic and foreign dishes is NOT cultural appropriation- everyone should be free to make whatever food they wish as no recipes should belong to any one race/group. Culinary gatekeeping needs to end. Allow your tastebuds to embark on a global trip via your kitchen, guilt-free!
Eat foods that are in season where you live to the greatest extent you can. It's cheaper, better tasting, and better for the environment.
Also. Buying in bulk is not a bad thing. Buying heat and eat food is not bad and investing in a vacuum sealer will pay for itself over and over again
Take the f*****g tails off shrimp unless they're meant to be eaten with your fingers!!!
I know the reason to leave them on is they are meant to give the dish more flavour, but I agree. I don't want to stop in between each mouthful to use my hands to remove the tail.
Load More Replies... Mine is when people bitch at others for cooking things the way they want too if you're going to be patient and do it from an educational standpoint fine, but if your going to have attitude and be all high and mighty about it than shove off, my dad was born in Italy and moved here in his late 20s my family has gone to Italy many times and I have gotten yelled at many times by my Italian relatives for this, fyi If I want to I will break the spaghetti, & I will put whatever I want on my pizza (especially pineapple), & I will use alfredo sauce (I rarely do but that's because I'm lactose intolerant), and finally I WILL EAT AT OLIVE GARDEN IF I WANT TOO, food belongs to everyone and if your excuse for why something shouldn't be done is because that's the way it's always been done then you can take several seats.
baked> deep fried Most stuff thats deep fried is waay too greasy (obviously theres exceptions) but when you bite into something and a mouthful of grease squishes out, thats just not enjoyable. Id much rather eat something that been baked or airfried, which often is more crispy/crunchy
The best cooking advice I have ever received and I use these three things every single time I cook: 1. Fresh is best. 2. Taste everything at every stage. 3. Clean as you go.
I disagree with the fresh is best mentality. In some situations, yes, but frozen and canned food are just as nutritious, and in many instances serve the recipe better. I would much rather use canned beans for my chili than finding some fresh kidney beans and prepping them ahead of time. Further, there are food deserts in which fresh food just ... isn't available. Making people think that they can't make great food cause of where they live is, in my opinion, horribly privileged.
Load More Replies... Prices for specialty items are too damn high. As a celiac, I appreciate the Fad dieters demanding better quality and more variety of gluten-free foods, but $10 for a half a loaf of sandwich bread is insane
I would like to add... don't cook after 6 (numbers may individually vary of course) beers. Horrible things happen. Mostly your tastebuds are numb and you add more of all the seasoning because you can't taste them when taste testing and in the end, no one can eat it. I have proven this using science with my husband, who is normally an amazing cook, as Guinea pig.
I've had some pretty delicious things happen after a 6 pack! At least, I think they were delicious 🤔
Load More Replies... Here's one from me: If you need to pan-fry something, pre-heat your pan first (I use 7/10, maximum). If you can hover your hand 1-2" over top, and if you can feel the heat... it's NOW ready for oil/butter/etc. Be VERY careful you don't overheat your pan. Also wait a little bit before adding your food so that the oil can heat up first. You can get a sloppy, soggy, oily mess if you don't pre-heat. And, often, food sticking to your pan. Oh, and stir often to cook evenly. Especially important with things like potatoes. (I make fries at home this way with a minimum of oil)
MIRACLE WHIP IS NOT MAYO!! I've been having this argument for 17 years with my husband and I will not surrender!!
I can't believe you've been married that long to someone who would eat miracle whip! 😊
Load More Replies... Cooking is a science and it’s all about confidence. Every dish is an experiment. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don’t. But you have to be confident enough to try.
Whenever I make macaroni & cheese, I always add some pasta water to sauce to help thicken it
Really with the language? I know we're trying to prove we're "grown up" and "with it", but it's offensive and unnecessary for an otherwise good read.
Gumbo is more than just chicken and sausage. Should always, ALWAYS be brown in color, NEVER WHITE! Before you ask yes, I'm from Louisiana, my mother was pure Cajun from Morgan City and I grew up eating gumbo. The literal meaning of gumbo is a mixing of many ingredients to make one pot. Yes, you have to serve it over rice. Most of us in Louisiana put eggs in ours and let it cook in the pot. Oh don't forget the potato salad and fried fish with it! Cest bon!
Salad is boring. There are so many better ways to eat a pile of vegetables.
Cooking with onions should be a crime! Especially given all the other-wise wonderful foods you people ruin with them. MAC-AND-CHEESE DOES NOT NEED ONIONS YOU F-ING PSYCHOS!
I'm so sick of people food and body or moral shaming. Fk you all. Imma add garlic to my pasta and then wear my very uncomfortable to you, but not me... bikini so you can to look at while I stuff my chubby ass with more garlic wearing a baby's girl collar from having a very comfortable and truthful relationship with my bdsm daddy aka my husband. I hope it pisses everyone off. You judgemental asses.
Also I lost a kid to sids. So try me please. I'm sick of shaming people if ridiculous. I'm me your you. Be yourself and I'll be myself. We don't need to Attack each other over bullshit reasons. It needless to say...just be yourself. No matter what.
Load More Replies... Using unsalted butter is unnecessary. Always. Never have I ever had anything taste too salty using salted butter
Yes! I don't even buy unsalted butter. It's a tasteless fat.
Load More Replies... Loved this, have to add my two sense. "Deconstructed" is not a cooking term. It just means you were too lazy actually put the dish together. I swear to God, Everytime I hear a chef say that, I lose a bit more faith in the culinary culture.
I don’t get the pride in not measuring anything “because your granny never did.” Buy some damn measuring cups/spoons, you cretin.
Roast your chicken with your vegetables, especially if you're making a soup with it.
-A pancake turner works great as a bench scraper.. -Make your pie shell(s) and freeze in a jumbo zip lock. They'll be ready to go, and super flaky if you put them in a hot oven when frozen.
My huge pet peeve is when people don't set timers. If all your stuff is burning, you aren't checking on it soon enough. And a timer will help you do that. Stop saying you can't cook when what you really mean is you are forgetful and don't want to make the effort.
In the US it should be illegal to use soy. Every processed food has it, even Hershey’s chocolate. You’re all basically just eating a lot of soy. Soy has no taste and companies use it to make more without actually spending more on real ingredients. Why would a donut need to have soy in it, or chocolate or cakes, bread, cookies, pasta. Look at the ingredients list and I bet you’ll find soy in everything in your pantry. You’re paying a fortune to eat something that is basically worthless.
I think you may be speaking of soy lecithin which is a very common food additive, but the vast majority of foods contain an extremely minuscule amount. Nothing that would equate to "eating a lot of soy." If you mean protein bars that use soy as the many source of protein, yeah those are cheap garbage.
Load More Replies...