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Whether you’re a cooking aficionado with a burning fire (and often, burnt fingertips) for everything food-related or, on the contrary, entrust your taste buds to your holy kitchen majesty, aka the microwave, you can always take your inner chef to a whole new level. And it’s easier than you’d think.

Thanks to the professional chefs of Reddit, who recently shared what simple things “we're probably all doing wrong in the kitchen” in this thread, we can roll up our sleeves and work on the actual things to improve them.

Think of simple things, like never adding an onion and garlic at the same time (so you don’t have that icky burnt garlic aftertaste in a meal you otherwise put your heart into) or having things, ingredients and tools ready at hand to avoid “someone, help me!”-kind of hysteria in the middle of meal prep. Take your notes, everyone, I already have mine.

#1

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Using tongs, you must clink them together at least five times to channel your inner crab.

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

But be careful, if you clink them more than seven times you end up channeling your inner lobster and that never ends well.

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Let’s face it, regardless of how fast we binge-watched Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen, The Great British Bake Off, Masterchef in all countries it aired in, we didn’t actually learn to cook better. Instead, we now know all about the drama, about the blessing and the curse of being a chef, about nurturing your talent, dreaming hard and working harder… Wait, are we still talking about cooking?

So in order to take us all back to Earth, or rather our kitchen counter, and to find out what exactly we can do to improve our cooking game, since we nailed the watching part already, we spoke with Beth Moncel, a food lover and the founder of “Budget Bytes” where she has been sharing her passion for cooking and delicious recipes designed for small budgets since 2009.

#2

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Since I didn't see it in here: instead of adding more salt, try adding an acid. A splash of vinegar or lemon/lime juice can make flavors pop without over salting.

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#3

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Never add garlic and onions at the same time.

Onions take about 8 minutes to saute and garlic takes about 30 seconds. If you add them together you're gonna have burnt, bitter garlic.

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#4

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Clean as you go. Throw away trash, wipe up what you spill, get unnecessary utensils out of the way. If your kitchen looks like a tornado struck after you're done cooking, you f*cked up.

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When asked what are the most common cooking mistakes people tend to make, Beth said it’s assuming that if they swap out an ingredient, they'll still get the same result. “Changing ingredients often changes both the flavor and texture of a dish, and in some cases can drastically affect the chemical reactions needed to make a recipe work,” she explained.

#5

Salt your damn pasta water. Salt it liberally.

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#6

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid If you want perfect roasted potatoes (oven roasted, chopped pieces) with crispy outside and fluffy insides then boil them for about 5-10 minutes in salt water first. Then roast them.

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Thorsten M. Weisner
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And if you want them extra extra crispy you should try the belgian double roasting technic. Wash them with salt water and dry them. then roast them on a lower temperatur very short then let them cool on a paper and roast them on higher temperatur until crispy

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#7

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Most people suck at roasting vegetables. Brussel sprouts are the number one f*ck up and most people lose their sh*t when I serve them properly done brussels.

Toss with olive oil (more than you think), salt (more than you think), and any other herbs/spices (e.g. curry spices with cauliflower), lay cut side down on a baking sheet, and throw that sh*t into a 200C/400F oven until it's visibly browned. Depending on the veggie (e..g carrots) you'll probably want to turn over to the otherside and continue roasting for a bit. Once they're done you can toss with pepper or fresh/delicate herbs before serving (e.g. mushrooms with tarragon or parsley).

Just because it's fork tender and cooked through doesn't mean it's delicious. Yet.

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

Unfortunately, not liking brussels sprouts might be genetic: https://www.centreofthecell.org/blog/science-questions/why-do-some-people-hate-brussels-sprouts/. According to various studies, some people have a hereditary high sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide, which leads to a very bitter taste even in trace amounts. If you have two of these genetic TAS2R38 markers, no preparation or seasoning can make brussels sprouts edible for you.

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Beth reminds everyone that the best way to gain confidence in the kitchen is to practice. “Don't let a failed recipe keep you from trying again. Try new recipes often. The more you cook, the more you'll understand the nuances of cooking and you'll build intuition,” she said. “Before you know it, you'll be cooking freestyle and you won't even need a recipe!” Beth concluded positively.

#8

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid There is a really simple rule when cooking a steak: Leave the steak alone. Stop f*cking with it. Stop poking and prodding and moving it an flipping it around. Let it cook. Let the heat do what it's supposed to do. Get to know your heat source and learn to trust it. Almost everybody I know violates this rule.

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

I leave my steak alone, put a timer on, used a meat thermometer, rest it and I still manage to f**k it up. Tried a few different methods and have only managed to get it right ONCE. Followed the same method a few more times without success. Have no idea what I'm doing wrong.

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#9

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid It is the fat that carries the flavor. If your going to saute something, put the herb and spices with the butter or oil that is in the skillet. Don't put them in the flour you're using to bread the food.

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#10

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Not having things ready and in place.

Have you ever been halfway done with a dish and realize you didnt have the cheese grated? Now everything is on hold (and over cooking) while you grate cheese?

Having everything ready to go at the start lets you add the things when they need adding and helps put dishes out at the appropriate time.

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

Depends on the dish. Sometimes things have to boil for 20 min. Lots of time to either prepare stuff or wait.

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#11

Don’t stare at a toaster, it will jumpscare you. (Learnt this from personal experience)

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#12

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Putting oil in the pot when you're boiling pasta. If you do that, the sauce will just slide right off your pasta. The starchier the water, the better the sauce will stick.

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

Nah, I finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Makes it so much tastier.

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#13

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Sharp knives. Makes things a million times easier, and is actually sooo much safer in the end. Combined with the proper grip and a bit of practice, and suddenly cutting things for prep goes from the most hated step of everything to just another step, maybe even becomes fun for some people.

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

YEAH! For me, cutting vegetables, meat, ... is fun! ^^ (it's my "yoga time")

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#14

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Cooking too hot to speed things up. If the recipe calls for something to cook for one hour at 350 degress, cooking it at 425 degrees for 35 minutes is not a substitute. Some things just need to be cooked slowly and gently.

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#15

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Crack your damn eggs on a FLAT surface, not the side of a bowl or pan. Cracking on a flat surface makes it easier to open as well as preserving your yolk. If you crack it on an edge it pushes shell inside the egg and is more likely to break the yolk (which sucks if you are making it sunny side up, poached or separating whites) Also, if by some chance there is bacteria or icky gross stuff on the shell it is more likely to contaminate the inside when shell gets pushed in.

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

After 50+ years of cracking eggs on the side of the bowl, I’m good. Doing it on a flat surface for me just makes a mess, actually. 🤣

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#16

My chef brother-in-law taught me how to deglaze a pan to make a sauce like a boss. Leave it hot, and douse it with a cup or more of wine, stock, or water, and you can turn even basic things into an amazing pan of goodness! The stuff in your pan that you're scrubbing off after you're done cooking is all the good sh*t, so learn to deglaze!

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

It is not even about LEARNING to deglace, the key is just doing it and realizing that the pan residue is your friend. You can make amazing sauces with it, often you do not even need to thicken them. Of course, this only is true if none of the ingredients are burnt, and deglacing works best with cast iron or steel pans. Sorry, but your easy-to-clean-teflon-coated skillet simply is not suitable.

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#17

-Under salting your food!

Everyone is so afraid of sodium but the vast majority of sodium in your diet is coming from processed snacks and fast foods not home cooking.

-Also dry your meat before you sear or sauté it. You’re steaming it if not.

-Taste as you go.

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#18

Being afraid of fattier cuts of meat. People are so used to that boneless skinless chicken breast that they sub them out for recipes that are 10,000x better using chicken thighs instead. If your primary concern is to reduce fat, sure, but if you're eating in moderation or going for flavor instead of low-fat, thighs thighs thighs my friend.

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#19

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Practice your recipes. Don’t find one risotto you like and never make a different one. Cook 10 different risottos two or three times each over a long period of time. Doing this helps you understand the basics of how to make it and allows you to spot bad recipes, recognize good ones, and improvise without one.

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#20

Idk if this will get buried but my dad is a chef and I know what he would say here.

Always keep trying new things, in different preparations, with different ingredients to compliment them. And if you think you hate a specific meal or ingredient but you haven't tasted it in 10 years, give it a try again.

We were never picky eaters as kids because we were always encouraged to just try things we were unsure about and it opened me up to so many great foods as an adult!

So many people get stuck with what they know for sure they like, not even realizing how much it limits you.

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

Unless it Marmite! If you didn't like when you tried it 30 years ago, you're still not going to like it!

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#21

Leave your meat out to go to room temp before you cook it.

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#22

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Way too many people over clutter their kitchen and think they need a gadget for everything. In reality, a well-crafted, sharpened French knife, a pairing knife and a peel can get you a long way.

MISE EN PLACE! Everything has a place and everything has a purpose.

Also, steak should never be cooked to more than medium.

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

Nothing wrong with a well done juicy steak. Some people know how to cook well done steaks and keep them juicy, tender and flavorful.

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#23

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Not sanitizing your hands and work area after handling raw meat, especially chicken.

Can't count the number of times I've been cooking with friends or family and have to stop them from chopping salad veggies on the same cutting board as raw meat, or running their hands under cold water for a second to 'clean them' before going to grab stuff out of the fridge or drawer or even just going about their day.

Same goes for giving your slimy raw-chicken cutting board a quick scrub to wash it using the same sponge you use for everything else.

If it's touched raw meat, it needs to be throughly cleaned and sanitized with hot water and either soap (your hands) or bleach (everything else).

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

Yeah. No. That's nuts. (I mean the bleach, not the soap.)

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

It's good to bleach at least once a week those white cutting boards to keep bacteria in check. I know I do mine.

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

You have some gross friends. Ewww. Never use same board or same knife without first scrubbing the bajebbers out of it.

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

Hot water isn't necessary if you use soap or bleach, it'll actually promote bacterial growth. If water is got enough to kill bacteria, you'll burn your skin. If you're not getting burnt, the temperature isn't high enough to kill bacteria. Most bacteria thrive in temperatures that are comfortable to us. Hot water helps a little with removing grease, though a decent detergent won't require it.

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

Ew.. I have separate boards for various uses..never meat on just any bread board..ew

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

Humans can handle a tiny bit of meat residue. Not like cutting salad veggies on contaminated cutting boards, but rinsing your hands off thoroughly. It also depends on the meat. You can eat steak raw if it's from a place you trust (steak tartar). Pork you can have when it's still slightly pink, meaning you can handle more uncooked bits than you know with it. Chicken you can only handle very little, but it's still not going to kill you because you get a micro bit of raw chicken in your system.

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

Invest in some disposable rubber gloves. I keep some under the sink when I need to handle meat. Not everyday but when I need to really get my hands dirty it saves me from washing my hands until they bleed.

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

Yup! I have always used gloves for any raw meats. Personally i feel that since I have long fake nails anything gets under them no matter how much I wash them I never feel like they are clean. For me it's a mental thing. My boyfriend thinks I'm nuts. I don't care. We went to a friends house for the Super Bowl and she had a box by the sink! I was like see I'm not the only one. She said she has the same fear bc of her nails. Our boyfriends just laughed at us.

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

Cros contamination is severely underestimated, and dangerous

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

Yeah! Exactly using diluted bleach is highly important in disinfecting mostly everything in your kitchen, plus bathroom everyday, especially for scrubbing the counters, sinks, and drains after every use. My mother raised us this way +like her I've also always used one cutting board only for meats, poultry, and another only for veggies, than another only for bread, bake goods. But I only use a glass cutting board for cutting up my meats never been a fan of wooden boards for meats, plus poultry usage - IMO just too dangerous, plus I always do my veggies, plus starch preps 1st, than cut up my meats very last to fully prevent cross contamination. My mom's motto always be extremely careful when cooking to never make people sick. Years ago a friend's 1st dinner party gave us friends severe food poisoning. I hope to never experience that ever again from anyplace. Til this day my digestive system is still messed up from it😣. The lesson, be careful how you clean, and where you go eat at🙂.

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

I have never used bleach, never even bought it. I don't get food poisonings or stomach flus. Over-desinfecting is also risky in its own ways. Personally I think bleaching your kitchen after every use is too much, but of course each to their own :).

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

We put bleach in our dish soap. My boyfriend is a great cook, amazing and he likes to try different recipes. He is the main cook for our household, since I both suck and hate it, but this is something even I knew. When we first started cooking together I noticed he wouldn't wash the cutting board or knives after cutting up meat. I looked at him like he was crazy and washed them myself before I let him cut up any vegetables. Seeing him do that just blew my mind, I couldn't even speak lol.

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

☺Putting a little pure bleach inside your new dish detergent is exactly what my mother always does. But also along with keeping a diluted spray bottle of it handy in the kitchen. Surprisingly, you are the very 1st person I have ever came across anywhere stating they do the same detergent thing I was taught to do😄. LOL! I wouldn't be afraid to eat at your house, only if you are the one cooking. I'll just pretend your food is tasty😏😂! So if you come to the table with a big smile, I'll be that proud of you friend, and pray silently you do better the next time😄!

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Midnightoil
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think you need to read the UC (Davis.)study. Also study from one of Wiscon colleges. AND... And U of Michigan. All research.

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Ry Guy
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They researched it and even people using proper techniques with bleach still spread contaminants over the entire kitchen. Literally the only way to keep a kitchen safe is to not have meat in it at all.

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amy wiseman
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wash my hands after touching anything - food, packaging, drawer/door handles, and I frequently wash the faucet handle and sprayer each time I use it. I'll prep all the veggies, followed by the meat, on the same cunning board, then wash with hot water and soap. Bleach is going too far. I've never done any great cleaning on the wood board other than the soap and water. The board is at least 10 years old. You could also salt the board and use a half lemon to scrub down and it will safely disinfect without residual chemicals (bleach).

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Paul Witter
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you're working in a real kitchen, you have separate cutting boards for raw meats, cooked meats and non-meats. At home, giving your cutting board a quick clean with hot, soapy water after cutting raw meats is fine. And you know what? Cutting up the raw *to be cooked* veggies on that same board is also fine (so long as, you know, they're going to be roasted or fried within an inch of their lives)

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

If the soap is good enough for my hands, why wouldn't it be good enough for the board? Also, if you throw that thing in the dishwasher with powder detergent, the hot caustic will take care of it. But if I need to use it twice in one session, soap is fine. Rinse the sponge really well then stick it in the microwave for 30 second (worth doing one a week anyways, to keep the stink down).

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

The wooden boards are for everything BUT meat - I have plastic boards that go in the dishwasher immediately for that.

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

Yup! Raw chicken is a threat and it got me once. Never again!

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

i'll pass on the bleach, it gives me a headache and isn't necessary in most instances. hot water and soap work just as well!

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

I've read that you shouldn't wash a whole chicken or pieces by running them under a cold tap. The resulting splashes will contaminate the surrounding area. Answer is not to wash a chicken at all. It's just fine to cook as it is.

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

Have 2 separate cutting boards. I for meat, one for veg. They don't have to be expensive.

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wk99
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I bought some red colored HDPE cutting boards to help prevent anyone else in the house from using the others for raw meats. That and having multiple small/medium-sized cutting boards also makes it easier to get things prepped without having to stop/wash things in-between.

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

Believe or not but McDonald's taught me since my 15 age about the importance of clean hands, cross contamination And allergens even better tgan my cooking high school

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

Yes. Wash your hands after you touch anything. The can opener. The refrigerator door, the bag you have your produce in, the jar of peanut butter. Wash your hands before you touch raw food. And stop putting the towel over your shoulder near your hair... Just don't

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

I've never been this careful, and never been sick. I mean, I clean my kitchen tools with soap and hot water but come on...and I'm only that careful with pork and chicken!

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Noctua
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Butchers clean their cuttingboard with salt and brush.

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Robert Hernandez
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You realize that hot water is no different than cold water because water hot enough to kill bacteria would destroy the flesh of your hands.

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Diamond Velvetleaf
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had to stop my relative from putting the meat Off the grill right onto the same platter that had held it raw! Then I was "the bad guy" the rest of the day. But he must have done some research after that because he's always used a separate platter ever since!

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Paul just paul
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always try to chop my veggies first, if that's not possible or I'm forgetting something, I just pull out another knife and board. Salmonella isn't a good time!!

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Laura Mandado Cacho
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I use the same board, but only because I cut the veggies before starting with the meat, otherwise I would clean the board with soap before using it again, unless the veggies are going to go to the exact same pan as the meat, in this case I don't see the problem 🤷🏻‍♀️

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Sharon Talbot
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

THANK you for this! It drives me nuts to see this, especially on a cooking show. I always pretend I'm going into surgery (with the washing) after handling raw meat.

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John Halverson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have learned to run a sink full of hot soapy water before I start cooking. I place a clean towel next to that sink and my hands are in and out of that water CONSTANTLY! So are the knives and utensils! I've had food poisoning several times in the past and I am sick (yes, pun fully intended) of it.

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

Are! The answer to that is DO NOT USE a slimly cutting board. Don't use a sponge or cloth to clean cutting boards, use a scraper and VERY hoy water

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

Hydrogen peroxide is a great thing to use when cleaning cutting boards and anything in the kitchen. I used to bottles of six bottles of the stuff. I might even pour of the stuff on my bathroom floor when I had a tile floor.

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

2 invaluable products I learned when I used to homebrew: PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) for cleaning; Star-San for sanitizing. They're both worth their weight in gold.

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

I cut meat on a plate, much less messy than a cutting board.

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

You guys are crazy! Theres no better feeling after cutting raw chicken than to rub the chicken juices on my face. It does wonders for my pours and makes my skin feel tingly soft.

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

Colour coded boards for the safety win - Gotta keep 'em separated! Even veggie only green boards and bread boards will need a bleach at least occasionally, if you are not hitting your boards with bleach after each use, as over time as mouldy yeasty spores love to hide in knife cuts and you just cannot get them all out. I scrub and leave my boards out in some strong sun at least once a week before oiling the wooden ones with a food safe oil that helps to keep them hydrated and try to smother any lingering nasties - edited to add - Viraclens is your friend in the kitchen and the bathroom for cleaning and I probably use that more often than bleach day to day

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Ryan-James O'Driscoll
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Though I always wash everything that has come into contact with raw chicken immediately (as the juices can end up everywhere), I am somewhat more relaxed if whatever I am chopping is going in the same pot to cook.

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

For years I haven't been using a cutting board to slice my meat. I clutch it with one hand and slice with the other between my index and middle finger, making sure that the blade is facing away from my hand. One less thing to clean and worry about. For tendering, I found in one recipe the instruction to use a fork and stab the steak multiple times on both sides. This is how I've done it ever since. Needless to say, the fork gets washed several times before it reaches its storage place.

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#24

Don't buy tomatoes that are pink and have no smell. Fresh, good heirloom tomatoes should have a distinct smell and be nice and red/solid yellow. The walmarts and safeway's of the world are selling you these horrific non-tomato tomatos....devoid of flavor and frequently unripe. Don't do it.

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

Never seen a pink tomato, or a smell-less one. Also not everyone can afford or in some cases even find an heirloom variety.

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#25

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid If you have to drain your rice after cooking it, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!

You should be measuring your rice:water as 1:2 ( 1 cup rice : 2 cup water. Get proper measuring cups, don't use a coffee mug...) and you should no liquid left if cooked properly. Simmer on low after initial boil, lid closed, fluff with a fork about 3/4 of the way, that's it.

And wash the rice until water runs clear. Othersie you're eating dust and bug poop ( Basmati and Jasmine rice mainly...don't wash arborio rice)

MY entire process is:

-Wash rice thoroughly under cold water

-Place washed/drained rice in clean pot and set on stove on low-med heat to slowly dry and toast the rice.

-Add 2bsp oil to the hot dry rice and make it sing, but should not get any color!

-Boil water in your kettle; add salt, pepper and other seasoning(Chicken stock powder is great for rice..or you know, MSG) to your measuring cup, dissolve with the water.

-Dump all the liquid in the pot; it will boil virgorously for like 5 seconds, don't be scared.

-Lower heat to a simmer, cover with the lid ( Big plus if it has a small vent)

-Fluff with a fork at 10mins in, then about 5mins later it should be ready to serve.

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

Both methods (exact amount of water & too much (flavoured) water with exact cooking time) work perfectly fine.

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#26

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Pressing/squashing burger patties down as they cook on the BBQ (you're just making them drier by squeezing out the juices IMHO)

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

I personally love steak and shake's squashed flat burger patties. The crispy edge bits are the best

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#27

Ex-chef here, and this is a dumb one but I've seen it so many times in student halls. Don't microwave a f*cking steak, or eggs, to cook it.

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

Even the thought of microwaving a steak sends shivers down my spine... But I never understood the american obsession with microwaves. A microwave is a tool for the quick re-warming or thawing of food, not for cooking.

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#28

Pouring water into a grease fire. That's actually SUPER dangerous.

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#29

NOT using a mandolin for all your veg. A good one, not the cheapo plastic ones.

Where it can take a good 45 minutes to matchstick fine dice your carrots, courgette, red onion, garlic, red, green & yellow bell pepper & ginger.... All this will take about 15 minutes with a nice quality mandolin.

Make sure you get a finger guard and use it, and always use the utmost caution with the beast & go slowly until you gain confidence through repeated uses.

Once you've mastered the mandolin, your knives won't leave the butcher block as often as they used to.

Get one with the V configuration, not one that's just a slant, those are rubbish.

Seriously, mastering the mandolin changes everything in terms of prep time. It's amazing how fast tomatoes get sliced, how blissfully paper thin fine you can get your onions in just a few seconds!

I love that thing. I have one with a handle & a knob that adjusts the depth of the blade, all in one. I think it cost about 70 bucks.

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

I've never thought of a mandolin as a kitchen implement. Does a balalaika have a use, too? What about a guitar?

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#30

Toss your hardboiled eggs in an icewater bath right when they're done to make them peel easier.

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

Nope, this is an urban legend. It depends on how old the egg is, not if you put it in cold water or not.

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