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69 Cooking Techniques That Sound Fancy But Are Actually Super Easy
Interview With Expert
It’s natural to assume that cooking an exquisite dish requires years spent in culinary school or working in fancy restaurants. But in reality, all you need are a few simple hacks to make you come off as a pro in the kitchen and earn massive brownie points from the people around you.
Thankfully, we have valuable resources like Reddit to provide these lesser-known tips. We’re talking about sprucing up regular mashed potatoes, making delectable stock, and game-changing ingredients that have been at your disposal all along.
Enjoy reading and feel free to take some notes while you’re at it.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Learn basic sauces. Béchamel, roux, beurre blanc, hollandaise, Ragouts, marinaras. Learn the mother sauces if you want.
Remember to pat dry all proteins if you’re trying to get a sear or caramelization on the meats (Maillard reaction). Beef steaks, roasts, prime ribs, primal cuts all take far more salt than you think.
If you want those bright green, restaurant style veggies, then blanch them first by doing a quick boil in rolling boiling water, then quench in an ice bath. Shake dry in a strainer then saute them quickly in a little fat (oil or butter) with seasoning of your choice before serving.
Learn to take fish fillets and salmon steaks off the heat before they are completely cooked as they will finish with residual heat on a plate. Overdone fish is not good. Shrimp, crab, and lobster all cook very fast from a thawed state, overcooking results in rubbery seafood.
Store bought puff pastry is your friend for the fanciest and tastiest super quick appetizers and desserts.
detective miller's hat 4 months ago
I made puff pastry once from scratch and it was absolutely not worth it lol. The Pepperidge Farm frozen pastry sheets are just as good. Same with using a sugar pumpkin to make pumpkin pie--tasted exactly the same as using tinned pumpkin.
Lila Allen 4 months ago
I fully agree. I can't tell the difference if it's handled properly and why spend 6 hours making rough puff pastry if you can just buy it
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Mark Fergel 4 months ago
I do the same thing with scrambled eggs in regards to residual heat. Otherwise you'll wind up with dry eggs.
Crystalwitch60 4 months ago
All fact , I’m a cook from scratch mum ,so are my kids to ,but pastry even my bein housebound lol ain’t no negot time to make it , shop bought frozen blocks so much easier , ( I can’t for the life of me me make pastry 😂only thing I can’t cook )
Auntriarch 4 months ago
I'm rubbish at pastry but can manage shortcrust in the food processor, my mother says my hands are too hot. I do keep the crumb mixture in the freezer for quick crumbles though.
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Robert Beveridge 4 months ago
Drives me NUTS when I see TV/YouTube cooks toss shrimp in a hot pan FIRST. those suckers end up in there for 10+ minutes while the veggies are finishing. Like eating hockey pucks. [sigh]
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Sous vide is a valuable technique, but it's not automatically the answer to every question. For high quality beef steaks, I get better results using the reverse sear.
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Bored Sailor 4 months ago
Watch The Kitchen on Food Network, awesome and educational show from great chefs.
Beth H 4 months ago
I loved that competition show 24 in 24. Just a great and easy background binge.
Load More Replies... RELATED:
#2
People have been brainwashed to think salt = bad.
In processed foods yes. Because there's something like 400% of your daily sodium requirements in that microwave burrito.
But fresh cooking? YOU NEED SALT.
People will think your cooking is amazing simply because you used some salt.
No Man 4 months ago
I've said it before, I was told a long time ago that the appropriate amount of salt makes anything taste more intensely of itself. Even chocolate!
Papa 4 months ago
I'd like to give you an up vote, but I can't because of the last sentence. I don't like salty chocolate.
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Mark Fergel 4 months ago
Plus I've discovered to salt twice (of course by appropriate amounts). Once prior to cooking and once after.
Gabby M 4 months ago
Exactly salt used at different times of the cooking process makes all the difference!
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 4 months ago
I was a bit worried about salt one time, so I measured out the RDA and used that. I didn't finish half of it. I don't eat much processed food apart from cheese, so I figured I don't need to worry too much.
Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost 4 months ago
IDK about simply using some... A bit more than some is needed
TheRightToArmBears (riff/tone) 4 months ago
salt is EVERYTHING in cooking. If your dish is missing something odds are it is salt or acid.
Kathy Richardson 4 months ago
Since one teaspoon of salt equals 2,325 mg of sodium, then YES, you still need to be careful of how much salt you are use when cooking fresh food, especially when on a sodium restricted diet.
#3
Using a meat thermometer. Seems obvious but you’d be surprised.
Mark Fergel 4 months ago
.....and cover your meat. I will pull it out when ready (pink in the middle for example with beef) and then cover it with aluminum foil for 3-5 minutes. It allows the meat to residual cook and also creates more juices by being covered.
chickpea me 4 months ago
At the ingenuity of your kids using other thermometers around the house. 😉
roziutazik 4 months ago
I would never want to be in a place where they use a thermometer to cook a piece of meat. We just make a fire, roast it, and eat it.
Bryn 4 months ago
Hope you have money for hospital bills when you get sick from eating undercooked food
Load More Replies... Crystalwitch60 4 months ago
Always do ,love it ,we here my two kids n me like our beef rare n steaks blue so one of these really helps ,but highly useful even tho I’ve been cooking meat since I was like 12 lol so 48 yrs now , I still wouldn’t be without mine ,
We spoke with a few experts who offered valuable insights that may help elevate your home cooking by a few notches. First, they addressed the common misconceptions about making a dish look and taste exquisite.
According to chef, culinary entertainer, cookbook author, and Dink Cuisine creator Alicia Shevetone, people think having a culinary degree is a prerequisite to making a meal to remember. But as she pointed out, it’s all about two Ps: practice and patience.
“Anyone who commits to taking their time and cooking on a regular basis will see aesthetic improvement in their dishes. We all learn that way,” she told Bored Panda.
#4
Dish seasoned, but tastes like it’s still missing something? Probably needs something acid like lemon juice or vinegar.
sqplanetariu:
And good to get familiar with different types of acid for different dishes – lemon or lime juice, all the vinegars (red wine, balsamic, apple cider, etc).
BaconReceptacle:
I blew someone's mind with this. She asked me to taste it because she couldnt figure out what it was missing. I immediately poured a little white vinegar in and she tried to stop me. I stirred it, and had her tasted it. She thought I was a damn magician.
Ace 4 months ago
Err, it takes having some in the fridge. I don't use lemons or limes very much, so a bottle in the fridge is much more convenient than rummaging around and finding out that the last one I bought a few weeks ago are either going mouldy in the bottom of the drawer or have completely dried out. There are some dishes I do where limes are much more prominent, so always use fresh ones for those, like my beef and green pepper chilli, rich and dark with a couple of limes' worth of juice in a big pot.
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farbenzirkel 4 months ago
I still have bottled lemon juice (not from concentrate) at home. Lemons that I stock up on sometimes go bad because I don't needed them. Sometimes I only need a splash of lemon juice. There are plenty of reasons. When I'm cooking according to plan—or even need lemon zest—then of course I use lemons.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
I've thrown out far too many mouldy lemons over the years. Now I buy them cheap and freeze the juice and zest separately. I freeze the juice in flat containers then chop it up roughly and put it back. Then I can pick out a piece the size I need. I find this works better than using ice cube trays.
Load More Replies... nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
100% agreed on the acid. But the bottled concentrate in the picture is nasty stuff. It has a one-dimensional sour taste.
Lila Allen 4 months ago
I buy a bunch in summer when they are on sale then juice them into ice cube trays and freeze. Put them all in a freezer safe bag and grab a cube or two when you need.
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Nikki Sevven 4 months ago
I made Swedish meatballs the other night. The gravy was good, but not quite right. A splash of white wine vinegar took it over the top.
#5
Most types of soup benefit from a little MSG tossed in.
Luke Branwen 4 months ago
HELL YEAH. People demonize it, but it's just a myth and it makes my cooking leagues better. Vinegar and MSG are like cooking cheat codes.
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Twizzle Sticks 4 months ago
MSG has a bad rap due to poor quality/incorrect studies conducted years ago. It should be in every cook's spice cabinet
detective miller's hat 4 months ago
Started buying MSG for cooking a couple years ago. First time I cooked with it, I made beef Stroganoff using Hamburger Helper (and a couple other things to 'upgrade' the recipe) and my brothers WOULD NOT believe it was Hamburger Helper until I dug the box out of the rubbish bin.
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
As much as is needed. Add a quarter teaspoon, cook for 30 seconds then taste. If its still not quite right, add another quarter teaspoon and try again. You have to let it bloom a little before re-tasting. Best to add little by little because you can add more if needed, but can't take it away. Keep two spoons handy for tasting (one for getting some from the pan and dribble from that onto the tasting spoon).
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JayWantsACat 4 months ago
If you're not sure what it tastes like or how it's different than salt, do a comparison test on a neutral food, like a cucumber or whatever. Try a slice with just a little salt, then try one with just a little MSG. And then try one with both. Don;t forget that it also comes in different forms (along with other flavors), like fish sauce and soy sauce. I put a dash or two of fish sauce into my Italian veggie soup to give it a deeper flavor. And, no, it doesn't make it fishy tasting (obviously as long as you don't drown the dish in it).
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Fish sauce and soy sauce are two of the many umami bombs. They don't contain MSG, but they do contain glutamic acid.
Load More Replies... #6
Every week, buy a whole chicken. You should be able to get them for $10 or less. Throw the chicken and some aromatics in a pot. Make your own chicken stock. Put it in everything. Make rice with it. Make sauces. Use it as a base for soups. Drink it hot out of a mug. Once you become a person who always has homemade stock in the fridge, you'll wonder how you ever did without.
arthbach 4 months ago
It works really well to roast the chicken first - serve people the chicken, then afterwards make the stock. My stock is always gently simmered for at least 4 hours. It becomes concentrated and well, fantastic.
Ace 4 months ago
Yupp. A roast chicken dinner for just myself seems like a big effort, but it was a favourite of my wife so we did it quite often and I still do it almost in her memory. A 1.3kg "label Rouge" free range chicken costs me about ten Euros in the French supermarket and makes me at least five or six meals, such that I usually strip the carcass and freeze half of the meat after the first meal.
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Bored Sailor 4 months ago (edited)
You only need bones, scrap meat and fat for broth. Around me a roasted chicken is about $6 USA and the extra flavor is already there.
Beth H 4 months ago
I like my 5 dollar Costco chicken! I always make stock out of it because they do such a nice job cooking it. It’s a reward for having to put up with Costco.
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SlothyK8 4 months ago (edited)
Put a whole chicken in a crock pot and slow cook for 2-3 hours. Strain the liquid at the bottom and set it aside. Dice one onion, half a bunch of celery and 6-8 carrots. Saute the veggies in olive oil until the onion is translucent and season with salt. In a large stock pot, add two quarts of water and the stock from the crock pot, then the sautéed veggies and one cup of wild rice. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn down the heat to simmer and cover the stock pot. Meanwhile, shred the chicken and discard the carcass (or you can simmer in water for more stock, but it won't be as intense as what came out of the crock pot). Add the shredded chicken to the veggies and broth with additional salt and pepper to taste, plus two tablespoons of ground sage and one teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine, then cover and let simmer for one hour. The resulting soup cost me about USD $10.00 and produced eight large servings, which have been excellent lunches this week as the weather has cooled.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
I remove the legs and breasts, which makes a few meals. Then the still-raw carcass goes in the stock pot after being cut up. Lately I've been making stock in the pressure cooker (a real one, not an Instapot). It saves hours and gives excellent results. A fancypants whole chicken costs me about 12 USD, but I get 6 to 8 meals plus a pot of stock.
Dr. Carolyn Kittell, a doctor of dental surgery, has been cooking since her college years. According to her, many people believe that expensive ingredients make a dish stand out, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I have hosted dinner parties for more than ten years, and a dish which attracts the most compliments is the humble roast chicken with herbs I grow in the backyard of my dental office that cost me twelve dollars to prepare,” she said.
#7
Amateur hobby baker here. I get a lot of compliments on my cookies and I've had people ask how I get flavor, shape, texture, etc.
The secret? Chill your dough before baking. It helps everything.
My mom argued that's not it until she tried it. She's done it always since. 🤣.
Roxy222uk 4 months ago
Do you think AI just picked up the words 'dough' and 'fridge'?
Load More Replies... arthbach 4 months ago
Let the dough rise in the normal way, then prove it overnight in the fridge. It greatly improves the texture and flavour.
WindySwede 4 months ago
Not just chill the dough? But let it ferment and rise in fridge as well?
Auntriarch 4 months ago
Seems like the photo heard the word dough and took the wrong direction
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Celtic Pirate Queen 4 months ago
FFS - how hard is it to find a photo that actually corresponds to the article?
#8
One clove of garlic is never enough garlic, unless the recipe is "How to Cook One Clove of Garlic." In that case, best be safe and use two.
zatrisha 4 months ago
I disagree. Some recipes are supposed to taste like garlic, so you can use as much as you like. Other recipes are only perfumed - e.g. by rubbing a casserole dish with garlic, this happens more often with gratins etc, the garlic would otherwise overpower the fine taste.
B 4 months ago
Jumping jeebus on a bicycle, that is either the tiniest hand in the world or a complete unit of a garlic clove.
Nikki Sevven 4 months ago
I've heard of elephant garlic, but I think that's wooly mammoth garlic.
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Ace 4 months ago
This gets repeated so often, I feel sorry for people who have got so used to garlic in everything that they've ruined their ability to taste food without it. Like everything else, in moderation it can be amazing, but if you finished dish tastes of garlic there's too much garlic in it.
Angela C 4 months ago
I absolutely love garlic but I also understand that sometimes garlic is meant to be the star and sometimes it's meant to be in a supporting role and season accordingly
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#9
Quick pickle julienned red onions. Not only are the onions themselves great for garnish or whatnot, but the pickle liquid is a great combo of sweet/sour/salt that can be added to countless sauces/vinaigrettes/etc; I prefer to use 1:1 rice vinegar:cane sugar, with a splash of water and a large pinch of salt. I’m a private chef these days, and I use it for so many things.
blackmarksonpaper:
I do it for salads. I quick pickle fine diced red onion. Then strain the liquid and use that to make the dressing. Mix the onions into the salad.
Crystalwitch60 4 months ago
I pickled crystal apple cucumbers last yr ,as I had a glut of them ,white wine vinagar sugar and salt ,omg they are lush left the, till this spring in the fridge ,delicious added home grown parsley in to the liquid to
Auntriarch 4 months ago
Depending on the dish, if you run out of onions, you can use onions that have been pickled, just don't use so many and drain them well.
However, you may need to spend a bit more money if you want restaurant-quality pizza. According to Valentina’s Pizzeria owner Joe Carlucci, making top-tier homemade pizza comes down to the flour you use.
“I can't say enough about using high-quality flour to create restaurant-quality pizza at home,” Carlucci said, recommending Caputo as a game-changing ingredient that can elevate the quality of your crust.
#10
Salt, Fat, Heat, Acid
Get a decent knife and learn to sharpen it.
Learn your stove and the heat levels, I personally do things in 4 minute intervals and adjust heat.
Practice if you can
Take a knife skills class if you can or YouTube it.
Sinead Kenny 4 months ago
Love this in everyway. I already am great with heat fat and knife being sharp but I never thought to look on youtube for knife skills.
Barong 4 months ago
One of the first classes (for obvious reasons) was knife skills. We learned the basic cuts and we practiced them a lot. julienne, batonnet, brunoise, dice, tournée, paysayne, deboning, mother sauces, stock, and others. The product of our practice was not wasted and was used to fulfill orders for other 40 or so kitchen classrooms throughout the school. The same class also taught us to make stocks, (chicken, white veal, brown veal, (veal is used rather than beef because of the higher collagen content which makes for a higher gelatin content when cooking), reductions (Demi glacé and glacé di viande), mother sauces (Béchamel, Espagnole, Hollandaise, and Tomat, Velouté), and some other dishes like, sautéed fish, mashed potatoes (if you want smooth and fast potatoes, get a ricer), Consommé, and French onions soup, and braised shanks, all allowed us to learned the basics before heading out to the next class.
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 months ago
Chef Samin Nosrat's "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" is an excellent show on Netflix. Who knew there were so many types of salt?
Robin Roper 4 months ago
Don't buy a "set" of knives. Get a good Chef's knife, 2 3-inch pairing knives, 1 5-inch sandwich knife, a serrated knife, and if you cook a lot, maybe a boning or carving knife. I love Warther Knives - a US family owned company - https://warthercutlery.com
#11
Buy some ring molds. Everybody thinks you got a Michelin star when your food is perfectly circular. Regular mashed potatoes? Ring mold. Now worth $55. Sauce? Ring mold. James Beard Award.
MaritMonkey:
The fact that I made a good first impression on my now mother in law is almost entirely thanks to this trick (with some hash brown casserole things).
She was mildly impressed with the food, but then found out I had cut the bottom out of (cleaned!) tuna cans to use as molds and decided she liked the cut of my jib lol.
notapoliticalalt:
In General, making food look appeal counts for something. Ugly food can be some of the most delicious food out there, but making the presentation nice can elevate your dish even if it is just so so.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
Haha I saw the first line and was about to mention tuna tins! Make a good poncey bubble and squeak.
#12
So many main dishes start with this simple process: Brown your meat in a hot pan with oil and butter to create the fond, remove, and cook your aromatics (onions, shallots garlic etc.), add/cook flour for the roux, add the base of your sauce (stock, milk, wine, cream etc.). Simmer and finish off with whatever else is in your recipe or make up your own. There are literally thousands of variations on different meats and cuisines/ flavor profiles that all start with this simple method.
Buy a wand / stick / immersion blender to make smoother sauces and aioli.
Ace 4 months ago
Coming from the French/Latin for base, as in foundation, I'm not sure if it's much used in American English, but not in the UK. I've got used to 'fond' as the French term for a sauce base, roughly equates to stock (or 'broth', I believe is the word used more in the US). But fond de [whatever] will often contain a little starch as well, so for a lighter stock you need to look for bouillon. Both can be bought as cubes or powder (but the fond more often the latter), you just need to know which one you need for a given dish.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
In the US, we use 'fond' to mean the brown bits left behind after browning meat or veg. I often use it as the basis for a pan sauce: deglaze with wine or stock; add a little mustard, to function as an emulsifier; reduce. Off heat, whisk in a kn0b of butter. Side note: I just can't use bouillon cubes or powder; the ones we get here are almost pure salt.
Load More Replies... Celtic Pirate Queen 4 months ago
Another tip is to pat the meat dry. Moist meat will saute instead of brown.
For recipe creator Emily Wilson, technique is king. She is an advocate of learning as you go, especially in this day and age, where technology is at our disposal.
“If the recipe says to finely dice onions and you don’t know how to do that, look up a YouTube tutorial,” she said. “Little things like that can really affect the flavor and look of a dish.”
#13
Use more salt. Especially on vegetables.
I always salt the lettuce and tomato before putting it on sandwiches and I can't tell you how many times people tell me "it's *so much better* when you make them!"
Yeah. Cuz salt. It's why restaurants and packaged foods taste better.
You'll have a heart attack before you're 40, but you'll be well fed.
Uncle Panda 4 months ago
The connection between salt and heart attacks is being re-studied. Early indication was that there was no direct connection but they might be covariates moving in synch with something else.
Nikki Sevven 4 months ago
I'm a heart patient. My cardiologist told me salt causes blood pressure to spike. (I still use it exactly the same as before the heart attack. However, I don't eat fast food or processed food, so I don't worry too much.)
Load More Replies... Sinead Kenny 4 months ago
It's just giving it time to do it's job. Have you seen how much juice comes out of veggies and fruit with salt. I.e tomatoes, cucumber peppers...
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Tomatoes, cucumbers etc. that are destined for a salad get cut up, *tossed with salt* and place in a strainer over a bowl. A great deal of liquid comes off. Doing this improves the vegetables' texture, and prevents the salad dressing from getting diluted by the vegetables' water. The vegetables do get some seasoning, but are by no means "salty."
Load More Replies... Robert Beveridge 4 months ago
Salt changes the texture of tomatoes (and does so surprisingly quickly), so salting the tomatoes directly may not be what you want. On burgers where I've sliced the tomato thick, especially, I'll salt the patty and put lettuce between patty and tomato so the latter stays toothsome.
arthbach 4 months ago
I utterly hate this idea of using more salt. Yes, lots of people have a very processed diet, and are used to high levels of salt However, when salt is added to my veggies it doesn't improve the flavour of the veggies - it just makes them taste salty. It takes fresh veggies and makes them taste like they come from a can. - - - In my home, if people want salt on their veggies, they can add it themselves. We much prefer the taste of the vegetables without.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
1. Salt is used for moisture management, not just for seasoning. There are volumes of research on this topic. 2. As Ace says, there are degrees; it isn't just a matter of "salt" vs. "no salt." 3. Salt has different effects when added before or during cooking than it does when added at the table. Try some experiments and see.
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Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost 4 months ago
Try salted cucumbers. You'll never go back
Load More Replies... #14
If you're making pulled pork and want it to be very tender and flavorful, season it with salt and pepper, then put the side with the fat on it face up in a slow cooker. Put it on low for 12 hours. As it cooks, the fat will dissolve and drip into the meat, giving it a wonderful flavor and great texture.
Duane Ringlein 4 months ago
I don't do my pork in a slow cooker but have a smoker and learned the trick early on about fat side up. I don't like to eat a lot of fat on meat but love how it flavors the meat while smoking at around 250 degrees for 5-6 hours, and if not done in that time, wrap in tin foil and can finish in oven and still retains that smoked flavor.
Nikki Sevven 4 months ago
Also, if you want pulled pork (or any protein), the internal temperature needs to be a lot higher than "done." You want at least 200ºF/93ºC or the meat won't pull.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Just as important, it needs to STAY at that temperature for a while. This is to ensure that the collagen breaks down into gelatin.
Load More Replies... Twizzle Sticks 4 months ago
Putting a shoulder or boston butt in a slow cooker and not a smoker is just wrong. No self-respecting BBQer would ever do that.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
It's not even about barbecue. My problem with the slow cooker is that I like pork.
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DumbAmerican 4 months ago
this is false. theres enough internal fat in a pork butt that it self-bastes anyway. trim the fat cap down & put it whereever.
e gads 4 months ago
Instead of this get a sous vide machine.less than fifty bucks and makes the best beef and bbq youve ever tasted.
#15
Whenever a cream sauce starts to separate, I add an ice cube and whisk some more along with turning down the heat. The sauce comes back.
Unlikely-Macaroon-85:
This is a trick I use when I make buttercream and it splits. Works like a charm!
cabbageboy78:
Same with reheating cream sauce based leftovers. no matter how good i have made it, have a perfectly balanced roux etc. there is always someeeeee seperation if youre microwaving leftovers at work. so ill usually toss it in for 30 seconds let it warm up, throw a splash of water in and shake it up, go another 30 seconds (or until its warm enough for ya) and bam, that alfredo is almost as good as the night before.
Unfortunately there is no saving the really separated stuff.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
An emulsion that breaks can often be salvaged by adding a little liquid. What ever liquid was in it to begin with.
Uncle Panda 4 months ago
My stroganoff recipe adds the sour cream after you've taken the pot off the heat. It never curdles.
Ace 4 months ago
Not really difficult, and personally I've never had one separate while cooking. Only if it's been frozen, on a couple of occasions.
Load More Replies...Our experts were also kind enough to share their own cooking hacks. Carlucci is a fan of mixing sweet and savory ingredients, as seen in Valentina’s “The Carlucci” pizza. Apart from the mozzarella base, goat cheese, and caramelized onions, it also has house-seasoned bacon and candied walnuts.
“It’s always a conversation piece when it hits the table,” Joe proudly said.
#16
Biggest mistake home cooks make : over crowding their pan.
Stop over crowding your pan to avoid food from steaming instead of roasting. You will taste a whole new set of flavour profiles.
Lpt for indian food : use fresh ground spices instead of pre ground spice powders. This is more expensive and time consuming to do regularly. So this is a optional tip only for people who regularly cook indian food.
Janissary35680 4 months ago
Upvote for both. I always buy all spices, including black pepper, whole rather than ground and grind what I need when I need it.
Robert Beveridge 4 months ago
Some Indian spices I just ain't gonna grind (looking at you, amchur), but in general, yes. Important: buy spice grinder and coffee grinder that look completely different. Ask me how I know.
Pandemonium 4 months ago
Also, those of you who are good Indian food cooks should be sure to invite me over as often as possible
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
Moving food is really important too-some dishes need to kept constantly moving while cooking, others need to stay still to get a crust/char/sear. If you move the food that shouldn't be moved, or keep it still when it should be stirred, it'll not turn out right, so its important to learn the difference.
Roxy222uk 4 months ago
Actually, now I think about it, for people that only use such spices occasionally it makes more sense for them to keep the spices as seeds etc and grind them as and when needed (seconds in a coffee grinder) because seeds and pods retain their flavour for a *lot* longer than a ready ground powder.
#17
Smoked cream cheese.
Take a block or two of cream cheese, score it on top, season it on all sides, then put it on folded foil and into a pellet smoker at 200 degrees for 2 hours. Maybe add some hot honey in the last 15 minutes. Eat with pita chips or crackers, etc.
Basically no restaurants make it and everyone raved about it. Very unique flavor.
Jrog 4 months ago (edited)
You can use a cold smoker, they are 20$ and much easier to use. The end result is quite similar on anything but meats. Plus side, you can use it for some fancy cocktails too. That said, this "recipe" sounds awful and basically the cheese version of "5 minute craft" cr*p.
Load More Replies... SlightlyTarnished 4 months ago
Honestly, that's just plain gross. It's a poor take on smoked brie or camembert, a very poor take given the processed lack of taste with cream cheese.
Nadine Debard 4 months ago
I suggest you try smoked mozzarella or burrata (genuine product from the Naples region), it's amazing.
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persephone134 4 months ago
Hm... where I live, you can buy cream cheese in small tubs (usually 150- 200g), but not in blocks. Believe me, I've tried to find them to try out a recipe for an American cake. Nothing.
TheRightToArmBears (riff/tone) 4 months ago
I have been doing this for a few years and people rave over something sooo simple.
Becky Samuel 4 months ago
Arbroath smokies, smoked mackerel, smoked salmon, smoked bacon, smoked ham... I could go on but I think you should get the gist.
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#18
Brown butter. Melt butter, let it quietly foam until the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty, k**l the heat, splash in lemon. Toss with pasta, veg, eggs, or fish and it tastes like you cooked for hours.
Nikki Sevven 4 months ago
The best chocolate chip cookies I ever made, I used browned butter and used ⅔ AP flour and ⅓ brown rice flour. They were beautifully nutty.
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nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
It's often a big hit of delicious, but again it's not for all dishes.
For Dr. Kittell, it’s playing around with contrasting temperatures. According to her, she drew inspiration from a chef in her hometown who combined scalding soup with frozen dollops of cream.
She has been serving piping hot butternut squash soup with spoonfuls of ice-cold mascarpone or gazpacho, and considered it her “dinner party superpower” ever since.
“I have played this game at about eighty different parties,” she said. “(Guests) are aware that something out of the ordinary has occurred, yet have no idea what I did differently than all of their past experience of soups that they have ever had.”
#19
Add toppings when plating. Some chopped herbs, a sprinkle of nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, etc. whatever fits the dish. Bonus points if it’s colorful.
#20
My biggest 'fancy technique' that I like to use to impress people is called 'reading the f*****g recipe'. No, I'm not joking. If you want to make something, go find recipes for it and then make it exactly as they say. If you like that recipe, it's yours now, you can do whatever you want to it. If you don't understand how to make something, then you look it up. This will lead you to some amazing places. I learned how to make a roux, a bechamel from that roux, what a corn starch slurry is used for, the classic frying method of (flour, egg wash, panko).
The biggest secret to cooking is learning how to make something.
Take mac and cheese for example. If you want to make your own cheese sauce you start with a basic roux. Equal parts some type of oil(usually butter) and flour. You whisk that together over medium heat 'until the raw flour smell goes away'. This usually means for a few minutes. Now you turn that roux in to a bechamel. To do this you slowly pour in milk. If you pour it all at once it will break and be completely ruined. You start with a bit. It's going to turn in to this weird gloopy dough looking thing, that's what it's supposed to do, keep stirring. After mixing that together you pour in some more milk. As you pour it's going to thin out, just keep adding a bit at a time until you're poured it all in. Once it's to desired consistency, which is unfortunately something you only learn by making it over and over again, you can then add your cheese to it. Congratulations, you've now learned some incredibly useful fundamentals that cover a variety of dishes. The next time you see a recipe with 'roux' or 'bechamel' in it, you'll immediately know how to do that.
Ace 4 months ago
Someone here who has learnt a little bit about cooking and is keen to pass it on as gospel. A Bechamel is a lot simpler than that, just add the cold milk to your hot roux, stir it all through and return to a low heat stirring continually while it thickens much simpler than adding the liquid bit by bit and whisking it all the time.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
This is exactly correct. I do find that in the first minute or so after adding the milk, I have to check the corners of the pan and whisk out the reluctant roux to make sure it's incorporated.
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Grm Moore 4 months ago
I couldn't make choux pastry. Until I ditched the recipe and did my mixing in a blender. Beat eggs, add beaten eggs a bit at a time...cook longer than it said. result? Perfection. Every time. So I disagree with this. Baking yes, maybe. Although I now make bread without sugar too.
AlexJ 4 months ago
This reads more as an additional useful tip instead of negating this one.
Load More Replies... #21
I use sour cream instead of milk for mashed potatoes/purees and everyone always asks for the recipe because it's so good.
Ace 4 months ago
I prefer my potatoes to taste like potatoes, so just a little butter, salt and pepper. Really don't like it when it's a wet puree. BTW Anyone know what the picture is supposed to be, cos mashed potatoes it sure is not.
Nikki Sevven 4 months ago
When you're boiling the potatoes for mash, add a garlic clove per potato. You'll have the best garlic mashed potatoes. It sounds like a lot of garlic, but it's not at all overwhelming because the garlic has been boiled.
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 months ago
I use butter, sour cream and heavy cream with a little salt, pepper and onion & garlic powder.
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
Cottage cheese is good in mashed potato too (you have to blend it first, and it adds a lovely neutral creaminess which is high protein whilst being lower fat than butter.
Meanwhile, Wilson gives great importance to plating. Since we all eat with our eyes first, she urges wiping spills from the bowl’s rim and topping dishes with finely chopped herbs to add color. She also advises serving a slice of lemon as a garnish.
“Presentation makes a difference if you’re going for that ‘wow’ factor,” Wilson said.
#22
I've made tomato sauce a million times, but pureeing it smooth makes it feel so much more luxurious and restaurant-y. It only takes like 2 minutes with an immersion blender, but it makes the texture smooth and creamy and it sticks to the pasta way better too. Small thing that makes a huge difference.
Trophy Husband 4 months ago
Tomato sauce can mean ketchup or marinara depending on where this person lives. If it's the former I can't imagine not doing this. If it's the latter, then don't do this...
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 months ago
My husband loves my bolognese sauce, but doesn't like chunks of cooked peppers or tomato. I brown the sausage first and set it aside. I get rid of most of the fat and then brown the onions & peppers. I add two cans of fire roasted tomatoes and then use the immersion blender before adding the cooked sausage. When I serve it I add a small chiffonade of basil leaves.
#23
Use just enough seasoning to where people can taste it your but not know it's there unless you tell them it's there. Learn to use these the following ingredients well and make sure you always have some on hand.
* Butter: It's the tastiest oil, but don't cook too high of a temperature with it.
* Limes: You'd be amazed how well sour pairs with salty. It also infuses a little bit of freshness into a dish. Cuts greasiness taste.
* Vinegar: Same as limes but it's stronger and cleaner.
* 3 Crab fish sauce: Infuses umami. You'd be amazed how good you can make dishes if you learn how to use this right. If you're dish tastes like it's a little hollow and could use salt, go for this!
Blanching green vegetables until their bright green cooks them and keeps them crisp. Season after.
KatWitch57 4 months ago
When introducing boiled veg to small children use a pinch of sugar not salt in the water. It helps to remove any bitterness.
Roxy222uk 4 months ago
Or steam them instead, much nicer (in our opinion)
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#24
I used to make cheese souffles. They're supposed to be difficult, but they've turned out every time for me. I use a recipe from a 1973-75 version of Joy of Cooking.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
I just did a quick google, as long as you specify the author Irma Rombauer, you should get something. Personally I just make a cheese and cream mix and bake in a buttered dish, so it's really just a cheese custard, but it's really nice, comes up browned and fluffy
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Powerful Katrinka 4 months ago
I agree, but I use the 1951 Joy of Cooking recipe. It’s straightforward and simple and fundamentally foolproof.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
I use the one from "James Beard's Theory and Practice of Good Cooking," 1977.
Load More Replies... Uncle Panda 4 months ago
My old copy of Joy of Cooking has always fallen open to the page where it shows you how to skin and gut a squirrel. I've never needed the technique but I know how to do it.
KatWitch57 4 months ago
My copy of Good Housekeeping includes rules for managing the kitchen staff!
Load More Replies...Shevetone took it a step further by sharing a few recipes of her own. First, crostini, a simple yet satisfying appetizer using small toasted bread, topped with sweet or savory ingredients.
“Slice a baguette into ½-inch rounds, brush lightly with olive oil, bake at 400°F for 8–10 minutes until golden, then top with your choice of spreads, cheeses, or toppings.”
#25
Use shallots instead of onions. They’re just small onions but they taste a little different. Restaurants use them a lot and so people will think it’s fancy.
Get a bunch of small tomatoes still on the vine (eg cherry or grape tomatoes). Put them on a frying pan on very low heat with NOTHING else. No oil, no salt, nothing. Five to ten minutes later you’ll have delicious charred roasted tomatoes still on the vine. It looks fancy and tastes delicious and the only secret is, to quote Tony Bourdain, “don’t f**k with it”.
fresh-dork:
Shallots are great. Chop them up, mince garlic, fry in oil on med heat, think about what to cook.
lovelopetir:
Roasting veggies people think I spent hours, but really I just cranked the oven and walked away.
arthbach 4 months ago
Use shallots and onions in different recipes. Do it according to the flavours desired. Please not just swap out onions for shallots just because people will think it's 'fancy'.
Bored Sailor 4 months ago
Agreed, shallots, scallions, red, white, yellow, green all have a complete different flavor profile, some sweet some savory not a just swap it out item.
Load More Replies... MushroomHead22 4 months ago
use the onion that appropriate for the recipe you are making. if i were making a pico de gallo or a salsa, i will use a white onion not a shallot.
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
Shallots and onions aren't the same. There's differences even between onions too, so if a recipe is written with a specific type stated, its best to use that, at least the first time. Thinly sliced quick-pickled shallots are lovely as a garnish on lots of food and add a good acudic-sweet piquency.
KatWitch57 4 months ago
When you can't get shallots; slice an onion and quickly blanche in boiling water.
Crystalwitch60 4 months ago
Nah home grown onions lol I had 160 of them this yr al sizes ,all lush the small ones are ace for when you need shallots , oh n another tip for home grown veggies in summer , when buying peppers , take the seeds out , dry them ,then the next year plant them . Free peppers they need to be grown inside or in a green house mind , they don’t like being out in the rain ,then when they ready , keep the seeds ,repeat x
Ace 4 months ago
I do hope you pickled some of them. Home pickled onions are always so much better than shop bought.
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#26
Corn starch will thicken a sauce. Gives stuff like Chinese food that nice glaze. I mix it with a little bit of cold water or broth to dissolve first.
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
Potato starch is better-it's finer, less likely to go lumpy, has a more neutral flavour, and doesn't cook out (if you thicken with corn starch and keep heating, it'll eventually thin out again, potato starch doesn't sound its more stable, especially if you're reheating food).
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Wow! I needed to do this just yesterday, and I forgot that I had potato starch in the cupboard! Der.
Load More Replies... #27
Put some effort into plating. Presentation is a massive part of how people perceive a dish. Don't just throw food on the plate and call it a day. Think throw how you want it to look like and wipe of any drips. Does wonders.
arthbach 4 months ago
SlightlyTarnished, it is most definitely an example of 'plating', but it is not a good example.
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MushroomHead22 4 months ago
when i plate my wifes food, i always try to make it look nice; even for my kids, although they couldn't care less
Auntriarch 4 months ago
I think it's something square cut, the ends don't look quite round enough for asparagus.
Load More Replies...If you want to add more flair to your toppings, Shevetone also shared another way to do it:
“In a small food processor, blend ⅓ pound diced mortadella, 12 seedless red grapes, and two tablespoons chopped shallot until combined. Spread ¼ cup mascarpone cheese on each crostini, add a spoonful of the mixture, then finish with half of a grape and a pinch of 2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios.”
#28
Let your base or stock cook for HOURS. Recipe says 3, cook it for 5 or 6 hours at least. Just gently simmer it. It WILL make a big big difference.
Nikki Sevven 4 months ago
It also makes a huge difference if you roast the bones before making stock. (And if you're going to reduce the stock, go easy on the salt.)
person (i think) 4 months ago
Do you use bones from roasted chicken, or do you take bones, roast them separately, then use them for the broth? (Real question)
Load More Replies... #29
Cooking onions. “Omg what are you cooking it smells soooo gooooood” lmao every time.
Duane Ringlein 4 months ago
My son-in-law and grandkids tell me that they hate onions, but the only way they have ever had them is raw. I will slow cook them and carmelize them and add them to a meal without telling them, and they will love how it tastes. I never do tell them that there are onions in it
Ace 4 months ago
"carmelize" The word is caramelise (or ize if you prefer) pronounced with four syllables.
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Cydney Golden 4 months ago
Back in the 70s Hints from Heloise recommended putting onions on the stove to cook so when 'hubby' comes home he'll think you've been cooking all day instead of eating bonbons and watching soap operas.
Nikki Sevven 4 months ago
Whenever I don't know what to cook with the protein I thawed, I start by caramelizing onions. The aroma invariably inspires me.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Under some circumstances, onions can just sort of melt into a soup or stew. You get the flavor but not the texture, and it lends an unctuousness to the finished dish.
#30
Lattice crust on a pie.
Show up with a lattice top crust, and people assume you're a heckin' wizard. It takes less the 10min and very little thought.
#31
Cook with a hand towel on shoulder. Look fancy making Mac n cheese!
Remunos_Redbeard:
100% this.
Optional: wear a Betty Crocker branded (or similar) apron.
whinny_whaley:
I do that because I obsessively wash hands between touching anything and also can't handle much heat on the handles so it's easier to find. Didn't know I was showing off.
Becky Samuel 4 months ago
Never use a damp cloth to handle hot dishes, that's a good way of getting a nasty scald.
Crystalwitch60 4 months ago
Sod that lol I’ve always got a tee towel to hand, I’m always on my own so no one to impress 😂but also wash up as you go along !
Cydney Golden 4 months ago
Wear and apron with long ties so they tie in the front. Tuck a dish towel in the ties. So handy and looks impressive.
MushroomHead22 4 months ago
even if your in your own kitchen, cover your hair. wear a baseball hat, or just anything over your hair. just because you dont mind your hair in your food, doesnt mean others will tolerate it.
#32
Garlic mashed potatoes? Boil your peeled or unpeeled halved potatoes for 20 min along with a handful of whole peeled garlic cloves. They’ll get perfectly mashed along with potatoes when done. Add butter, cream/milk and salt when mashing. Thanks, Betty Crocker!
#33
Texture and acid can elevate almost any dish.
If you look down at your dish and everything is just a soft texture, it can easily fall flat. Toasted panko breadcrumbs are like this universal hack that elevates anything. You can add butter, garlic, parsley and lemon zest/ juice to toasted breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top to help cut through the richness of pasta dishes or anything creamy/fatty. I guess it’s a gremolata with breadcrumbs. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this and it’s so easy to just make ahead and store in the fridge, the breadcrumbs should stay nice and crisp as long as you don’t overdo the lemon juice/parsley. Fresh is always better.
I like to add this to pasta, or top a piece of grilled/baked fish. Also good topping stews or soups if they are able to sit above the liquid.
If it’s an Asian dish try crushed toasted peanuts and sesame seeds.
If you’re making something a little more delicate/healthy, tossing a small handful of arugula or other crunchy green with a simple dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little bit of sugar or honey, it can brighten up anything that’s a bit bland or monotone. Just a small amount added like a garnish, not necessarily a side salad, but I like this so much that it’s often a side salad portion.
Bartlet for world domination 4 months ago
Crispy fried onions. From a bag. And we (the Dutch) appropriated a dish from Java (Indonesia) named serundeng: spiced shredded toasted coconut mixed with peanuts. Also from a bag, will crisp up any Asian leaning dish.
Auntriarch 4 months ago (edited)
Ooh that sounds nice. Edit: I've got my friend in Rotterdam on the lookout!
Load More Replies... #34
Caramelizing onions. It’s just patience, but it makes you look like a chad.
Ace 4 months ago
In what word is looking like a chad considered a good thing? I've always thought of it as an insult.
Roxy222uk 4 months ago
I thought it was the buff overachiever that steals all the Staceys from incels?
Load More Replies... Binny Tutera 4 months ago
I like to add a little Jack Daniel’s and orange marmalade sometimes- recipe from a steakhouse in Nashville.
Angela C 4 months ago
You gotta do it properly or not at all. My brother in law tried making caramelized onions one time and wanted them to cook faster. So he added sugar and they came out absolutely disgusting
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
I had a friend who threw in soy sauce to make them look caramelised and gave up cooking after 15 minutes. They tasted fine, but they were soft fried, semi-boiled onions in soy sauce, not caramelised.
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#35
I grind up some pepperoni and put it into my spaghetti sauce.. Along with a serrano. It adds some extra tang and kick.
Janissary35680 4 months ago
If you've got a big chunk of parmesan rind, throw that in while the sauce is simmering and fish it out at the end. Magic happens.
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
I use a lot of preserved (oil) anchovies. One or two added to stews, casseroles, soups, tomato based sauces, bolognese etc gives them a lovely rich flavour but without adding any fishiness.
Ace 4 months ago
I hate the fact that a lot of Americans apparently think of "spaghetti sauce" as a thing. Do they mean a bolognaise, I don't know, or just a generic ragout? Point is that there are so many very different sauces, and infinite variations, that can be served with spaghetti, and crucially, not just with spaghetti, other types of pasta, even with rice or potatoes.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
The stores sell jars of Red Stuff with those words on their labels.
Load More Replies... Bartlet for world domination 4 months ago
I stock snack-sized single serving dried sausages for this and other purposes - I'm not a big meat eater but I love the taste, fried it'll spice and crisp up any dish from omelets to pasta sauce.
#36
If you’re having trouble with excess oil in a cheese sauce, adding sodium citrate will keep the oil from separating from the cheese. It has zero impact on flavor and will give you a smoother, creamier sauce.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
If you don't keep sodium citrate in the kitchen, you can use a little piece of processed cheese such as American (assuming you have *that* on hand). The processed cheese contains sodium citrate.
Ace 4 months ago
Interesting one, not come across this before. Might be good in a cheese fondue, which sometimes can split if you keep it too hot for too long before eating. Might give it a try net time. (Look, I'm in the Swiss Alps, you _have_ to eat fondue from time to time, it's not optional).
Grm Moore 4 months ago
Don't use cheap young cheese. Use an aged cheddar and you don't need much at all for awesome flavour. And no oily bits...
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
The more-aged cheeses are more likely to separate. In my experience. If I want melty cheese, like in a sandwich or casserole, I'll use a mix of old (for flavor) and young (for texture and cohesion).
Load More Replies... Mabelbabel 4 months ago (edited)
In the UK, sodium citrate will be on the label as additive E331. Its found usually in those plastic wrapped cheese slices, but not in soft processed cheese like Dairylea or Philidelphia (it might be in the low fat version, but not the full fat version).
#37
I'm vegan now, but I used to work at an artisan ramen shop and it's definitely chicken bone broth (tori paitan)
You basically boil the f**k out of the chicken bones no one thinks to use (feet) and it makes the most lip smacky delicious broth. Then you can use it as an ingredient in everything. From cooking your rice to adding to currys it goes so far. People will beg for your secret ingredient.
arthbach 4 months ago
Do not boil chicken broth. Let it simmer. If you boil it, the broth can become bitter. Cook it long and slow, and you get a much better flavour.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Bitter or not, it WILL become cloudy. Which is not what I want.
Load More Replies... Robert Beveridge 4 months ago
The collagen in chicken feet is lip-smacking. If you want to go straight to the source, find the dim sum restaurant nearest you where the menu is in Mandarin and you're golden. (if you're in northeast Ohio, you want Li Wah. Your life will change.)
#38
Pickled veggies and fruit. All you need is a jar, a veggie/fruit, vinegar, water, and some sugar. It’s a perfect healthy garnish or addition to elevate the flavor of any dish. It’s sweet and tart and crunchy, many times what is missing from a dish.
Here’s some examples:
- pickled red onions
- pickled cucumbers
- pickled jalapeños
- pickled mango.
A younger version of myself. 4 months ago
I'll bet they never get eaten and sit in the cupboard for the next 15 years.
Auntriarch 4 months ago (edited)
Pickled carrots with tiny chilis. Pickled red cabbage with a little orange zest.
#39
Deglaze your pan with a little alcohol. If you are on a gas stove you have a little fire for a couple seconds. My son loves it, granted he is 8.
ThatMerri:
A bit of water or stock works just fine, if you're of the sort that can't have alcohol in their diet for whatever reason. Can't flambé it, but it'll still do the job of deglazing your pan just fine.
Bored Sailor 4 months ago
I do not agree with "ThatMerri" if properly flambéed the alcohol is burned off just the flavor remains.
Carrie B 4 months ago
Oh! What dish can you deglaze with cola? I'm intrigued.
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#40
When you make a ham and cheese sandwich, call it a croque monsieur.
Related, watch Jacques Pepin "cooking at home" on YouTube. Tons of simple and cheap recipes and techniques that often have a fancy-looking result.
arthbach 4 months ago
A cheese and ham sandwich is not a croque monsieur. Yes, it does start out as a ham and cheese sandwich, but note it's not 'sandwich ham' that's used, but proper baked ham. It is them topped with grated cheese, Gruyère is traditional. It can be baked in an oven, or fried in a pan. Some places add cayenne. Some add a béchamel sauce too.
Roxy222uk 4 months ago
I always think of it with béchamel sauce. If this YouTuber is telling people it's just a cheese and ham sandwich I think I'll give them a miss.
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Jan Rosier 4 months ago (edited)
No, a croque monsieur is when you heat it, in a pan or in an iron, whatever, what usa would call 'grilled cheese sandwich' more or less. Even better still : bake two eggs, put them on top of your croque and it becomes a 'croque madame'. Because then it has two b00bies.
Az Oz 4 months ago
No, a croque monsieur needs bechamel sauce, not just cheese.
Load More Replies... MushroomHead22 4 months ago
croque monsieur is an actual dish, so do this if you want to look like an idiot.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
For a good time, watch Jacques Pepin's tutorial on boning a chicken. "It really should not take much more than a minute or so."
#41
Dried Beans. Saute some onion in olive oil, add in 1 lb of dried beans,2 Tbsp Salt, cover with water, deliberately hard boil the beans for 15 min, then set to low simmer for 3 hours. Makes the most delicous bean soup you've ever had. Beans are amazing.
#42
-Overnight dry brining whole chicken in the refrigerator for roasting the next day.
-Convection oven at a very high temp for a relatively short amount of time for perfectly moist chicken breasts.
-HEAT IS NOT A LIGHTSWITCH! Everything keeps cooking after you take it off the heat. The temperature will go up some after you take it off the heat. Think of it like rolling a bowling ball down a bowling alley: if you want to stop at a specific point in the lane you have to roll it less than you think.
-Stop adding milk or water or cream or whatever other stupid a*s thing to your scrambled eggs to "make it creamier". Just melt some butter before scrambling in the pan and LOW TEMP. If the pan can melt the butter its hot enough for the eggs, and it wont look like the eggs are cooking....but then all of a sudden they are.
A younger version of myself. 4 months ago
Usually, people cook these for too long; heat up the ring, turn it off ,then add the eggs....one minute and it's perfect.
Ace 4 months ago
Really depends on the pan and the heating method. My thin steel omelette pans on an induction hob will not retain enough heat to cook the eggs like that. Also, slightly overdone scrambled eggs are fine, underdone so they're still slimy, no, turn that heat back on for another minute please.
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Bewitched One 4 months ago (edited)
I use milk in my scrambled eggs and add the salt and pepper to it all before “scrambling” or mixing it all together in a bowl with a fork, and THEN cook in nothing but melted butter. Thank me later. Fluffiest most flavorful eggs ever. Even my kid who “doesn’t like eggs” liked them lol
Bewitched One 4 months ago
Never heard of anyone using milk to make “creamier” eggs lol but maybe lighter and fluffier eggs.
Load More Replies... MushroomHead22 4 months ago
"Everything keeps cooking after you take it off the heat." - except for eggs. eggs do not keep heating when pulled.
Robert Beveridge 4 months ago (edited)
Who... doesn't cook their eggs in some sort of fat? And for the love of coconuts WHY?
Mark Alexander 4 months ago
Add a tablespoon of water. The water turns into steam making the eggs light and airy.
#43
Making macarons. They are sooooooo easy but, everyone acts like they are ridiculously hard. So, any time you make them, you look like some sort of professional baker.
Uncle Panda 4 months ago
It's more socially acceptable than mainlining marzipan.
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#44
Burning the cabbage in the stir fry.
WindySwede 4 months ago
Also slightly burning the chicken in the wok with sesame oil! Really smol portions in the wok, hottest setting on stove, and just a short while in wok. Then let it rest,doesn't have to cook through! And then let it heat up when mixed with the sauce to get ready. Works great when there is some sauce atleast.
Farah (she/her) 4 months ago
scratch that. Slightly burn most of the veggies in the stir fry. Always ends up tasting amazing
#45
Save your pickle juice after you finish a jar of pickles. Use it to brine chicken.
Honey butter is a great way to elevate a basic dinner roll. Butter + honey, whipped together…so simple. Add some cinnamon if you’re feeling adventurous.
Kit Black 4 months ago
So sick of restaurants doing this... I just want some regular g*****n butter!
Nicole Weymann 4 months ago
That pickle brine is also great for potato salads, both with or without mayonnaise.
#46
Brown your butter when baking!! Browning butter boils off all the water that's in the butter and then the milk fats toast to a nice golden brown. Adds a super butterscotchy flavor to the background of your dessert. Absolute game changer when I started making chocolate chip cookies with brown butter 😋😋.
Bewitched One 4 months ago
I use butter to line the pan of whatever I’m cooking my cookies on and I can use the same store bought dough every time but my kids always know when i didn’t “make them the same” they love the ones made with the butter lined pan the most. I use butter instead of vegetable oil for just about everything these days
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
It depends on the application, but for most things I agree.
Load More Replies... e gads 4 months ago
This is on the list a couple times, does anybody proof read these?how can you not know youve put salt on the list five times?
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Any of us is able to read before posting. BP knows, but doesn't care.
Load More Replies... Robert Beveridge 4 months ago
I make a brown butter sweet potato pie every Thanksgiving that brings all the boys to the yard. It's powerful stuff.
#47
Making Ricotta at home is so easy. Bring milk to 175-185F oven medium, even heat. Any milk will do but the higher the fat content, the better yield you'll have. Once the milk reaches the required range, add acid. Lemon juice, white wine vinegar, citric acid, really any acid. You'll need about 4oz of liquid acid for 4 litres of milk. Remove the mixture from the heat and continue stirring for a few minutes. Now leave it alone for about 10-15. You'll see the curds and whey have separated. Pour the mixture slowly through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth. Let the curd cool at room temp for half an hour. Keep some of the whey. Take the curds and pop them in a blender with about 1/3 Cup of the whey, 1/4 Cup of good extra virgin oil and salt and pepper. Blend on high for half a minute. Chill then serve with coarse salt, rosemary, oil and bread/Crostini.
Ace 4 months ago
and be careful if translating, US recipes quoting ounces are often not actually a weight measure, but refer to fluid ounces, which should be abbreviated as fl.oz. but often is not. Wet ingredients are close enough (it's based on the weight of water) but if you actually weigh out any dry ingredients, flour or sugar for example, you'll get a completely different result, usually a total failure.
Load More Replies... #48
Splash in sizzling oil. This is the technique Cantonese used for steam fish. A fresh fish steamed above boiling water, no season needed. It is as plain as it gets. But after 10 mins of steaming the fish, take it out, put some thinly sliced ginger and scallions, heat up a few tablespoons of spoon of oil to the point of starting to smoke. Pour it over the ginger and scallions, then pour over some good soy sauce. There is no better way to eat a fresh whole fish. The sizzling, the aroma and the sweetness of the fish will win any guests over.
But I learned this technique is not only limited to fish. Any steamed vegetables, steamed tofu, A y blanched food that is very healthy, but kinda bland and lack a little oomf can use this technique.
Steamed vegetables with this added sizzle, will not only brighten the dish, it actually created a mild form of Millard reaction AKA dragon breath of the Chinese food. This will take your bland food to a new level.
Judy Reynolds 4 months ago
Or try adding ground nutmeg on top of the cauliflower!
Load More Replies... #49
Pan sauces. I spent two years as a saucier and can make a finishing sauce out of nearly anything. Drizzled on top of meats or vegetables really sells the dish.
#50
When I crack an egg with one hand and dump it into a bowl and then throw the shell away.
Ace 4 months ago
It's when you throw the shell away, into the same dish, that your problems begin.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago (edited)
Once or twice, I may have crаcked an egg into the sink and put the shell in the bowl. ETA: BP, please. Not everything is a droog reference, and even if it were, so what.
Load More Replies... KatWitch57 4 months ago
I have been cooking for well over half a century and I STILL break eggs into a short glass and then fish the shell out with a teaspoon.
#51
Trader Joe's sells Umami condiment.
I add it to almost everything I cook.
I also add a package of mushrooms to most dishes that include vegetables.
#52
Add a little dry sherry or white wine into your creamy casserole sauce. Also throw extra cheese on top. People will wonder how you "kicked up" your casserole from bland.
#53
Omelette. Possibly the simplest thing you could ever make, but with a little practice, they look as perfect as the graphics you find on Google.
And they’re always delicious. So flexible.
Anthony Elmore 4 months ago
Just a well-greased pan and patience. The two main failures are A) The omelet rips when you go to flip it because it stuck to the pan or B) the bottom burns before the top is solid enough to allow you to flip the omelet. I'd also recommend having a pan the exact size of the omelet you want to serve. A ring mold does work, but the rounded edges of a frying pan make the edge where the two halves meet when you fold it look cleaner. Also, if you are trying to cook the omega "Oops, my smaller pan is in the dirty" omelet, be prepared to need a utensil or combination of utensils that can support the entire omelet's size when you go to flip it. Many have tried to use a regular spatula to flip the omega omelet: Few have succeeded.
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
"The two sides" is only applicable to a diner-style omelette. A French omelette is rolled.
Load More Replies... #54
Cooking things "Wellington," which is just cooking things wrapped in puff pastry. Beef and mushrooms is the traditional, but a pork tenderloin or a salmon filet is as good or better.
Back in the day these were considered haute cuisine because making puff pastry is complex and tedious. But these days it's available frozen and is just as good as handmade.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
Aww, does that mean I can't call my variant Sausage Wellington?
Load More Replies... #55
2 tablespoon of butter? Nah, I think they meant 2 bricks of butter. Even better, if the dish can use butter, it can always use more butter.
Ace 4 months ago
And like with garlic, ensures a uniformly overwhelming result.
Load More Replies... #56
Use a cartouche for simmering or slow cooking sauces or somesuch in the oven.
Don't blend sauces, but pass them through a fine mesh colander - better texture and flavour.
White tomato soup makes the brain explode: put cut up tomatoes in a kitchen cloth under light pressure overnight and catch the drips - clear liquid with tomato flavour.
WindySwede 4 months ago
This sauce-hack is contradicting the other post about blending sauce for better taste..
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Ancient Egyptian emblem. I imagine it has some culinary-related meaning in British.
Load More Replies... #57
Get a lamb shoulder, marinade with generous olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and dried oregano. Put it in a baking dish on top of sliced onions. Add 700ml water. Cover and seal with baking paper and foil. Bake at 150C for 5-8 hours. Uncover for the last 30 and bake at 200C. Feel like a pro.
KatWitch57 4 months ago
Then presumably you don't need to know how to cook it.
Load More Replies... Ace 4 months ago
No, it would not. It might 'work' but will be a completely different thing from the dish described here.
Load More Replies... #58
Beurre monte. Its just a simple water and butter emulsification but it's very versatile. Bring a small amount of water to a simmer and whisk in cold butter until it becomes thick and glossy. Add a little lemon zest, fresh dill, and salt. Pairs great with fish. But my favorite application is for pancakes, waffles, or French toast. It adheres to the food a lot better than just plain melted butter and it looks nice.
#59
Soft scrambled eggs, whip in butter while mixing eggs, Don’t stop moving them in the pan, on and off the heat until you get the softest consistency. Blows minds, happens quick and will make knees weak.
#60
Learn how to flip stuff in the skillet without using utensils. Pretty easy to do, looks impressive to casuals, and saves you from dirtying up a spoon or spatula in some cases.
#61
Bone broth. I found boxes of the kettle and fire beef bone broth on markdown and now I use that in everything.
You know when you make beef tacos and it says add water to the pan and the taco seasoing packet? Add bone broth instead. Making chili and need to add water? Bone broth instead. Simmering spagetti sause and needs a bit more liquid? Bone broth. Deglaze the pan? Bone broth. Cooking veggies in a pan, add some bone broth near the end.
Pyxelle 4 months ago
I use a little Guinesss in my chili, love the rich flavor it gives!
Load More Replies... nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
"Bone broth" - no. Homemade stock - yes. Seasoning packet - no. Actual spices - yes.
#62
If you’re cooking and feel like something’s missing… it often just needs salt.
Not really a technique, just a general rule of thumb that has never steered me wrong.
Sure… sometimes you add a little salt and it still needs something else, but often, it’s just the salt.
Jrog 4 months ago
That is bad advice. Most people think salt can fix a plain flavor: it doesn't, it will just turn it into a salty taste. Acid instead would work with the flavors in the plate and make them pop. Add a bit of lemon juice, a tablespoon of vinegar, some pineapple or unripe apple (depending on the recipe) and see how taste improve.
Jrog 4 months ago (edited)
BTW, I am pretty sure OP is from the USA. American cuisine -for a bunch of cultural reasons- skewed the general taste preference toward really high salt content, to the point that most food is perceived by visiting foreigners as over salted. Processed food stays in this trend and overuse salt, and studies found american fast food has the highest salt content in the world by about +30%. On the contrary, outside of specific cultural groups, there is not established tradition of using different flavor enhancers such as MSG, acids, honey etc
Load More Replies...
nottheactualphoto 4 months ago
Perhaps it's a fundamental component of cooking.
Load More Replies... #63
Put sugar with a drop or two of water in a dry pan. Heat it gently until the sugar melts. The trick is to not let it get too hot. Then add any sort of chopped fruit in. Can be real fancy but easy as hell.
Anthony Elmore 4 months ago (edited)
This was not the entry I meant to respond to 😂I would not recommend cooking this dish like an omelet.
#64
If you’re baking chicken breasts, stab them with a fork on both sides about 20 times per side.
It cuts the muscle fibres, reduces the amount of shrinkage during baking which means they retain more juiciness.
Chewie Baron 4 months ago
Are you the spokesperson for the Sous Vide industry?
Load More Replies... #65
Flambe
Everyone oohs and aahs and if your doing it correctly not only do you get the added flavor but you don't burn down your house!
Cherries Jubilee anyone?
#66
If you like meatloaf, add in a teaspoon or so of baking soda to the mix. This will help keep the moisture in the meat.
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
Its supposed to be a quarter teaspoon per pound of meat-a whole teaspoon sounds way too much. Baking soda is good for velveting beef and chicken, but too much in a meatloaf will make it horribly mushy and soft and taste wierd.
#67
The marinade recipe on the back of Montreal Steak Seasoning is easy and actually legit delicious. 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp MSS. I use it on flank steak and everyone always raves about how good it is.
#68
Sprinkle some parmesan on top of your pizza before it goes in the oven.
Ace 4 months ago
Don't let an Italian chef see you doing that if you value your life. Our local pizzeria here does some pizze bianche, (no tomato sauce, not always any cheese either) and often with cold ingredients added after they've come out of the oven. Rocket (rucola) and shaved parmesan go particularly well like that, with some good olive oil and black pepper. Cooked in its too easy for it to be overpowering.
#69
When I take cookies out of the oven, I use a small water glass or half pint jelly jar and while they're still hot, use that to make them round. Sometimes you end up cutting off a little bit of the edges and sometimes just shaking it a little bit or sliding back and forth causes the cookie to settle into that shape. A dozen cookies all perfectly formed yet homemade--people will think your next level.
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What do you think ?
marianne eliza 4 months ago
Most important: Baking is science, cooking is art. Follow a baked goods recipe. Recipes for other things can be jazzed up or modified for special dietary needs.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 4 months ago
Add a bit of Vegemite to anything savoury, especially steak. Done.
marianne eliza 4 months ago
Most important: Baking is science, cooking is art. Follow a baked goods recipe. Recipes for other things can be jazzed up or modified for special dietary needs.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 4 months ago
Add a bit of Vegemite to anything savoury, especially steak. Done.
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