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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.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Using tongs, you must clink them together at least five times to channel your inner crab.
Monday 3 years ago
But be careful, if you clink them more than seven times you end up channeling your inner lobster and that never ends well.
Mushroomlover 3 years ago
If you don’t give them a couple clacks before using them, I instantly don’t trust you!
Bobert Robertson 3 years ago
I just do the double click, 5 is just excessive. *click click* beyotches
Johnny Rodriguez 3 years ago
In france they make *clique clique* but do sound the same..
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Rannveig Ess 3 years ago
and don't say, "There's no place like home" while you do this as it makes the crabs feel worse.
Rachel W B 3 years ago
If you paint them red,cover them with glitter and click 3 times....they magically take you home
Johnny Rodriguez 3 years ago
As a chef, I say tongs like in the picture are only good for grilling. If you use them to take something out of boiling water, 9/10 times hot water will rinse through the handle over your wrist up to the elbow. Hot oil is even worse. But still my favourite tool in kitchen. 'Let me hear that Tooong totong tongtong'..
Willie Peterson 3 years ago
Let me see that toooong , baby that tong totong tong tong
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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.
RELATED:
#2
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.
John C 3 years ago
too much of anything is unhealthy. salt is a normal and necessary part of your diet. blanket statements like "acid is healthier than salt" lead to misunderstandings and misinformation, two things we have enough of already.
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Lance d'Boyle 3 years ago
sugar is also a flavor enhancer. A teaspoon will be noticeable while not sweeting the dish as a whole
Deborah Brown 3 years ago
That orange looks like it had been cut days ago and left to sit out.
Lola 3 years ago
I learned this the hard way. If you have already slated your food to normal levels, and then add lemon, get ready for it to taste extra salty.
Anastasia Beaverhausen 3 years ago
What do you mean learned the hard way? Sounds great!
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#3
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.
shinshige 3 years ago
I’m pretty sure this is the best comment in the history of Panda.
Load More Replies... Dave P 3 years ago
I used to work in the food service industry and this is false. Depends on the type of oil, heat, type of onion and type of garlic. Also depends on what the dish is as well. Further is you are cooking garlic in 30 seconds, it is super minced, the cut of the garlic and onion is also a factor
Stefan 3 years ago
Yes. I have studied culinary/gastronomy/Cooking (Sorry, english is not my first language and I dont know whats the word you used), and I assure this doesnt make any Sense. Beside the reasons Dave has exposed, there are Lot of others. Just to point one. If you put the garlic First, as It has not so much water, its going to fry. If you put with onions, the water of onions is going to Prevent It from frying and its going to Just Cook. Also, I would like to point that I have once asked one of My teachers what was the right way to Cook. After a long explanation, he finished saying "why dont you try? Make three dishes. At the First, add garlic First, then the onion. At the second, add the onion First. And at the third add them together, and see If you find any difference"
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Mama Mia PapaPia 3 years ago
Ummm totally wrong. Garlic needs WAY longer to flavor oil. Whoever wrote this literally just doesn't know how to cook.
Lyricana Rokarin 3 years ago
It depends on what you're cooking. If you just want to cook the garlic and then you don't want to fully cook the onion (say if it's going into a chili or a casserole that's going to bake for an hour), then it's fine to toss them in together.
richard dustman 3 years ago
As a chef, if you can't do them together you shouldn't be cooking. Lower the heat fools
Sharon Talbot 3 years ago
Interesting, but why does Pauly, in Goodfellas, add garlic (sliced with a razor--so cool!) to his pot before anything else?
DC 3 years ago
And. FFS, never press garlic through one of those disposability-providing presses that render the garlic useless and shi tasting. NEVER! Also - one kind of onion plus one kind of garlic per dish - not a collection of whatever is at hand, be careful in the choice of onions ... like, in cucumber salad, a white, regular one is the best fit ... just prepare, wait a hour while onions and all the other members are soaked in oil-based dressing, and everything is finer than fine.
Jennifer Potter 3 years ago
...but, but... using whatever you have at hand and tweaking it all to taste good together is good practice, too!
Load More Replies... #4
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.
Anthony Roberts 3 years ago
Between prep work and monitoring my cooking I usually don't have time to clean as I go without risking overcooking something. This advice isn't for everyone.
Sean North 3 years ago
Yes it is....lol I used to say the same early in my career. Now, I always say if my work space is a disaster I'm in the weeds and in trouble. Trust me, add clean as you go into your groove, let it become part of your rhythm in the kitchen and you'll find you won't hate after dinner clean up...mostly, it'll already be done. You'll also notice your prep will be easier...more organized, and you'll actually have more time to monitor your food and make adjustments. I know, you're probably thinking just like younger me, this doesn't work with my cooking style....really work it in to your process and see how it changes your enjoyment in the kitchen. If you have time to lean, you have time to clean...heard in kitchens the world over! LOL
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John Meise 3 years ago
🙄 you didn't f**k up. What's with the unnecessary drama? It's just gonna be a bigger pain to clean all at once. I like to clean as I go, but not doing that doesn't mean you f****d up.
StepOnMe1986 3 years ago
Nope! You cook and clean how you see fit. You didn't f**k up unless the whole kitchen explodes. :)
Nirrrina 3 years ago
Uh no comment but there's a fair chance my kitchen exploded.
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Stealthee 3k 3 years ago
When I cook this is what I do. I'm actually making stir fry tonight and have everything prepped. Once the chicken goes in the wok I wash the bowl it was in. I add the peppers an mushrooms and wash that bowl. Then it's just a measuring cup and a few random things. My dishes are washed before I even eat.
grotesqueer 3 years ago
Now this is actually helpful advice! That vague "clean as you go", which I always hated, isn't. (which is why I always hated it: zero help. Like *how* am I supposed to do that, at which point would I have the time.)
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pigasus1 3 years ago
My dear wife of 44 years couldn't boil water without scorching it. I was raised by a very talented, Southern Mother cook, so I had to start cooking if I wanted to eat properly. I hate doing dishes, she hates cooking, but doesn't mind doing dishes.... It has worked a charm for us.
Peej Maybe 3 years ago
I always do this. My wife and daughter leave the kitchen looking like Godzilla came round and made pancakes with every single utensil and pan in the cupboards and drawers :)
Jarrod Nichols 3 years ago
A generic blanket statement that doesn't always apply. The goal is to finish all the dishes together when cooking at home, so it's served at the peak of quality. If you are only making a simple main and a couple sides, no problem. If you are cooking something complicated, pay attention to your food first. You fxcked up if you serve bad food, not if the kitchen needs cleaning.
January Tempis 3 years ago
We can't all be perfect. Having a tornado kitchen and a eating good meal is totally okay.
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.
Vicky Zar 3 years ago
Or just do it like you like it best. I do not salt my pasta at all in spite of normally oversalting everything else on my plate
Lance d'Boyle 3 years ago
Mon Dieu! How dare you cook food the way you like. It's an affront to culinary expertise!
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John Meise 3 years ago
Finally, somebody said it. I salt mine but like... I also haven't and there's no noticeable difference. All these overdramatic foodies got me rolling my eyes.
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Phyzzi 3 years ago
Adding salt increases the boiling temperature (and decreases the freezing temperature, important if you are making ice cream) of water so the pasta cooks at a higher temperature and it's probably more consistent since you aren't moving between steam and water as much as the pasta cooks. That mostly matters at higher altitudes, but it does matter. It also prevents flavors in the pasta to leaving through osmosis: with a reasonable amount of salt in the water there is lower or negative osmotic pressure on the pasta so flavors will stay in and salt might be absorbed (on that note, if you DO oversalt, you can sometimes rescue it with a couple of rinses, with filtered, still or deionized water if you have easy access to it, but tap water will usually work). Arguably this makes much more difference on fresh and/or bespoke pasta. Don't get me wrong: I like basic store bought stuff fine but in that case you are more "reconstituting" it than cooking it. (not a chef but I know my chem and phys).
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kathryn stretton 3 years ago
Sometimes I add a disolved stock cube to the water too. Pasta absorbs the flavour.
Sharon Morris 3 years ago
And quit putting oil in it! It creates a barrier to the sauce that you want to stick to the pasta.
Violet Vapor 3 years ago
It keeps my pasta from sticking together when I drain the water though. Sauce seems to adhere fine regardless.
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Mukwa Biddulph 3 years ago
This makes no difference.. leave the salt out and see for yourself, your noodles are the same.
Nightcrawler Stach 3 years ago
I don't salt my pasta. It ruins the taste. All those that say to salt everything are nuts.
Phyzzi 3 years ago
No, because it's about the chemistry and physics of the way the water cooks the pasta, not the taste. Adding acid will have a substantially different chemical effect, so unless you like dissolved pasta... also, sorry if you were just being glib. :)
Load More Replies... #6
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.
Thorsten M. Weisner 3 years ago
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
Donkey boi 3 years ago
I'm the king of roast potato. I've never heard of this method but I'm sure as shite gonna try it this weekend!
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GenericPanda09 3 years ago
and when parboiled give them a nice shake up to get some fluffy edges that'll crisp up nicely once roasted.
anthony moring 3 years ago
Add a sprinkle of baking soda to the water. It helps with the fluffy edges.
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Annamagelic 3 years ago
You can also get decent results by microwaving whole potatoes until they are cooked but not falling apart, then cutting them tossing them with oil and salt and roasting them.
Mitchell 3 years ago
Add baking soda to the boiling water. It roughs up the edges to get them crisped better.
Lyricana Rokarin 3 years ago
Agitating then after boiling them is the most important part and you didn't mention that. It allows the potato to break down and form little bits all over the outside that make it extra crispy and delicious.
Caro Caro 3 years ago
You can substitute duck fat for goose fat and vice-versa. They both have a high smoke point so can be heated to quite high temperatures, so are ideal for roasting potatoes to golden crispness, and both have a better flavour for roast potatoes than oil.
Mark Savides 3 years ago
I started doing this to reduce oxalate acid as I have issues with kidney stones. It really does make the potatoes fluffy inside and crisper on the outside
#7
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.
The Scout 3 years ago
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.
Lyricana Rokarin 3 years ago
This one isn't helpful, it's just insulting. You don't know it's more than I think. I and many people know how much oil and salt to use on vegetables. This isn't some complex trick. Cut, salt, oil, roast.
Jennifer Knight 3 years ago
All the potty mouth indicates no English vocabulary and probably a lot of burned food, to boot.
Lea S. 3 years ago (edited)
Geez, the attitude. What if someone LIKES them done the 'wrong' way? This isn't how I do brussel sprouts every time - I've had them served and made them in more than one delicious way. Also, what sort of friends do you have, that you are nice enough to feed, that are then 'losing their s**t'?
Nadine Debard 3 years ago
I boil them about 6 minutes to make them tender and more digest (at that point they're not cooked) and I put them on skewers on the BBQ with garlic herbs and olive oil, or I put them in a pan with lots of butter (and sometimes carrots, onions). Both delicious.
Nujoie Roberts 3 years ago
See above comment for an even better take on this method, BUT you are SO right abt ppl having NO idea Brussels sprouts are SO good!! EVBODY has said 'i HATE those ' until ishut them up w my brussel-y sprout-y delicous-ness!!!
Jennifer Potter 3 years ago (edited)
I have just decided that your last sentence has won the "wrote it like they said it" award (suddenly made up by me this minute) and I heartily applaud you! *clap clap clap clap* :) :) :) :)
Load More Replies...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
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.
Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago
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.
Mitchell 3 years ago
I had the same problem. Tried sear, reverse sear, sous vide, bbq. Got it right exactly once. Have recently switched to different cuts. I live in the tropics. The local cuts are awful, the imported frozen ones haven’t been successful until I switched to frozen Aussie meltique brand. Thaw, marinate in oil, garlic, herbs, Worcester, mustard , soy and balsamic overnight, then blast in a hot pan for 3 mins, turn and blast for another 3, rest for 6 mins, then slice against the grain. After 20 years of screw-in up steak, it’s right every time. I’m convinced it was the meat, not the cook.
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Bill Wyrebek 3 years ago
It is NOT a violation, it is a choice. You are using old standards. New, scientific standards have shown moving steak and flipping is fine. It also adds a touchy-feely emotion to cooking, which is a participant activity.
Wouter 3 years ago
Complete and utter nonsense, totally depends on the method and type of steak. Fatty steak on the BBQ? By all means, move it around once it's unstuck because the melting fats WILL flare up and despite what BK wants you to believe, flames don't taste that nice. In a skillet moving around lets you seek out the hot side of the pan. When ladling browning butter a 180 turn every once a while prevents difference in cuisson (the lower half of the pan will be hotter) and so much more.
Angelar 3 years ago
You sound professional. Do you think cast iron skillets are overrated, sir?
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Ally R 3 years ago
I always pan fry steak on the rare occasion we have them, here's a few things I've learnt: Let the steaks get up to room temperature before you start cooking. Warm up a large frying pan and once hot, add a little oil and let that warm up - I use oil because I have a stainless steel pan. Pat dry the steaks and season if you want and once the oil is up to temp, put your steaks in and leave alone. The steaks will release from the pan when they're ready to turn. You can get them cooked to your liking by gently poking them with a finger, the firmer the steak feels, the more cooked it is. Also, rest the steaks once they're done.
Jessica Gunn 3 years ago
I respectfully disagree. It's possible to make a fantastic steak in every way (except microwave or boiling)
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Argus Webster 2 years ago
not really a rule and depending on the steak and the technique (i.e. reverse sear) you SHOULD f with it.
#9
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.
XenoMurph 3 years ago (edited)
I always cut the thick rind of fat off a sirloin. I put it in the pan as it is heating up to render down and cook the steak in, it has a high smoke point, basting while I go, adding butter halfway. Adds flavour to the steak while not leaving it on the plate, or worse eating a lump of fat, no matter how tasty.
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Bill Wyrebek 3 years ago
You should do both. Seasoning the flour is as important as seasoning the food itself.
Sarah Cagley 3 years ago
You can also render the fat from your meat to use it for other dishes. Here is a link for step by step instructions on rendering and storing fat and it's uses. https://www.augustusranch.com/blogs/recipes/how-to-render-fat-and-why
Happy Panda 3 years ago
Exactly! It hurts me whenever people remove the fat (Unless they want to eat healthy, of course)
RajunCajun 3 years ago
but what about cayenne pepper when I am frying? do I add that to the hot oil or the flower?
#10
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.
Raoul 3 years ago
Depends on the dish. Sometimes things have to boil for 20 min. Lots of time to either prepare stuff or wait.
Logan Williams 3 years ago
That's what the have everything prepared part is about. Pre-pare almost literally means cut things in advance that need cutting
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Caro Caro 3 years ago
Mise en place. Getting everything ready, washed, chopped etc. before you actually start cooking. It's not always necessary but when stir frying.... yes you need to have everything chopped and ready.
Two_rolling_black_eyes 3 years ago
Many kitchens don't have the counter space to allow 10 bowls of ingredients or the cupboard space to store those bowls.
Jessica Gunn 3 years ago
Obviously this isn't saying "you MUST have 10 bowls of ingredients spread out and filling up all the space in your kitchen", just be practical, you don't NEED 10 bowls. The point is, just have some things prepped and ready to just grab, rather than having to add a step while you're cooking. Got chopped veggies but no space? Chop them and put them on a fridge shelf,or keep all the chopped veggies on the cutting board you're using.
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Zoelynn Marville 3 years ago
Or just have people helping you in the kitchen or wherever you are cooking
#11
Don’t stare at a toaster, it will jumpscare you. (Learnt this from personal experience)
Kai David 3 years ago
Bought a library table from a closed down library. If it survived 80 years as a public table,it can handle triplet boys. It has outlets in the centre. That is where the toaster sat. Our boys never saw a toaster. They would put bread in and watch it toast. When the toast pops up, they would squeal in shock and humor. (From a small village in former Soviet controlled Czech republic)
John Baker 3 years ago
No. No, it won't. ;-) I always stand and wait for my toast so I can grab it and get it buttered before it gets cold. Hasn't jumpscared me yet.
Thomas Sweda 3 years ago
These are some extremely strange posts and remarks about a damn toaster!
Zaza 3 years ago
The numbers on a toaster are not indicating varying degrees of toastiness, they're minutes
Gary Harkins 3 years ago
Which in turn, vary the ways the toast cooks, so yes, it basically is
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Lazy_Panda 3 years ago
I just go to the bathroom while my toaster does it's stuff. Then it's ready when I'm done and it has cooled of a bit.
#12
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.
Random Panda 3 years ago (edited)
Nah, I finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Makes it so much tastier.
Lyricana Rokarin 3 years ago
What do you mean "nah". Whether you finish cooking in the sauce or not doesn't impact whether you pour oil into the water.
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Lance d'Boyle 3 years ago
Instead of cooking in lots of salted water, boil your pasta in just enough to cover the noodles. You'll need to keep stirring so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and add water as needed but you will end up with super starchy pasta water. Finish cooking your pasta in the sauce and add the starchy water to get the right consistency.
Vetus Vespertilio 3 years ago
Interesting. I live in a city filled with Italian chefs and Italian restaurants and I’ve never seen it done that way.
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Rachel Peterson 3 years ago
The Italian moms I grew up around said, plenty of salt in the water and NO oil because most of it is wasted in your kitchen plumbing when you drain the pasta. Once it's drained and in a bowl to serve, sure, add a little oil... but not in the water.
John C 3 years ago
yeah i'm against this one too. who says sauce sticking to pasta is bad? No oil!
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Mukwa Biddulph 3 years ago
Yeah, that's not true either.. oil prevents a clumpy mess of noodles & my sauce sticks fine.
Nahkaparturi X 3 years ago
And when you drain the water, do not rinse the pasta. You'll just wash away all that salt.
epiccollision 3 years ago
The salt is inside the starch after boiling, but still don’t rinse it.
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Phyzzi 3 years ago
Ramsey is a class a jerk, but I agree with him on this.
Load More Replies... Thomas Turnbull 3 years ago
How does the oil mix in the water environment when oil and water do not mix.
Bob Standen 3 years ago
After draining the pasta reserve 1/3 cup of cooking water and place it with the pasta back in the pan on the heat, allow the water to nearly boil off. It makes the pasta sticky so more of the sauce coats the pasta. Old Italian trick.
Peej Maybe 3 years ago
Best tip I've ever had for pasta to stop it sticking together is use a BIGGER pan with more water in it than you normally do. Definitely never add oil
Lance d'Boyle 3 years ago
By using lots of water you are diluting it's starchiness and basically making it no better than plain water as a thickening agent. see my comment above for starchy pasta water. To avoid sticking just stir it often and finish the pasta in the sauce.
Load More Replies... #13
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.
mulk 3 years ago (edited)
YEAH! For me, cutting vegetables, meat, ... is fun! ^^ (it's my "yoga time")
Marilyn leger 3 years ago
I've had 1 set of knives for 50 years. Sharpen them frequently & use them daily. A little expensive to begin with but worth every penny.
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Paul Davis 3 years ago
I hate how often I've had arguments with people insisting that dull knives are safer.
Duke 3 years ago
if you are very precise, then the sharp knife is safer. If you're a clumsy idiot like me, probably not.
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Jo Choto 3 years ago
That cutting technique where they leave the tip down and just scissor up and down chopping, I have to tell you, from bitter experience, that you need a certain level of hand-eye coordination for doing this, which sadly, I do NOT possess.
LeeAnne B 3 years ago
I wouldn't even try it. I can't put my trousers on without falling over.
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pigasus1 3 years ago (edited)
If my chef bro in law hadn't bought and gifted me an expensive German Chefs knife I could have never been convinced of the worth and value of a high quality, sharp, knife. It makes your worse cooking chores just breeze by when you have the right tool for the job. Just like any of the skilled trades! Thank you Chef Billy T of Akron!
survivalrhino 3 years ago
Sharp knives are safer-- dull knife will get you fired from any good restaurant
Stuart Irvin 3 years ago
my knives are sharp enough their auras can cut you if you get your fingers close enough.
Demi Rietveld 3 years ago
Some of us live with people who dont respect the words "dont put them in the f*****g dish washer you c**t" and have to live with half cut onions
Kate Jones 3 years ago
I can't afford really nice knives so I usually just buy a 20-30 dollar chef's knife from Walmart or Target. They're usually fine for a few weeks and then they just get so dull. Even with a sharpener, though, they never get sharp enough. I bought an electric sharpener hoping it would help but I'll literally be sharpening it for 10 minutes and it's still kind of dull. I don't know enough about knives to know if they just never really get sharp or not because of their shoddy make. I'd be willing to invest in better knives but I'm worried I'm going to end up with the same problem in a few months where no matter how much I sharpen them they remain kind of dull. And now I'm out a few hundred dollars.
Jessica Gunn 3 years ago
Even the cheapest of knives can be sharpened beautifully and kept forever. Firstly, get rid of that electric sharpener, they strip too much metal from the knife, destroying the blade and weakening it over time. The two things you absolutely need are 1-firstly, a honing stone (that long stick in most knife blocks), it straightens and smooths out the microscopic "teeth" on the knife. If you use your knife every day, you should hone it at least once a week. 2-secondly, a whetstone. You should order one right away, it's cheap, and low maintenance. One side if for sharpening, and one side for polishing. (You can look up directions on how to use it properly). These will change your knife-sharpening game, no need to spend lots of money on "good" knives
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#14
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.
Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago
You're more likely to undercook the inside and over cook the outside if you do that.
Kenneth Ouellette 3 years ago
When we first got married my wife couldn't cook to save her life. She was of the missunderstanding that the higher the flame, the faster the food would cook. As hard as I've tried, to this day (33 years later) she still has no patience in the kitchen (good thing I like to cook) don't get me wrong, she's great at baking. As long as she can throw everything in a bowl, mix it up and throw it in the oven, she's cool. But to this day I haven't been able to teach her the higher the flame the faster the food will burn
Load More Replies... Lyricana Rokarin 3 years ago
Sometimes it is. An absolute s**t ton of recipes have variants with different temperatures and hotter isn't simply worse. For some things, it's far better or even necessary. Just impacts the food in a different way. Or sometimes it doesn't make much of a difference at all except with time, especially when it comes to casseroles with fully cooked ingredients that mostly just need to warm.
Roberta Bray-Enhus 2 years ago
My husband is always in a rush for nothing! He cooks everything on high I cook my own food thank you
#15
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.
Shelli Aderman 3 years ago
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. 🤣
Bunzilla 3 years ago
Agree that I hate this 'advice'. I keep seeing it, and keep wondering why people insist it's the ONLY way to do it. Don't you just end up with MORE egg shards that way? Let people crack their eggs how they like, it really doesn't make a difference so long as you don't end up with any eggshell in your eggs.
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Vetus Vespertilio 3 years ago
However you crack them, don’t do it directly into whatever you’re making. Crack them out into a saucer, where you can see any bits of shell, then tip them off the saucer into your bowl.
Dolly_of TheCowboy 3 years ago
Using the cracked shell instead of anything else to remove shell fragments if you slip up. Used to battle with the slippery little suckers until got told use the egg shell half and dang does it work a charm
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Rebekah Conard 3 years ago
Now, however you do it is valid, but please respect that when I say "crack" an egg, I mean put a CRACK in the egg. I'm not breaking open the membrane, I'm not going to get egg all over the counter... I am putting a CRACK in the shell so that I can open the egg with my thumbs, the way my mama taught me.
R. K. 3 years ago
I have mentioned this in another comment to another compilation, I wash the eggs (soap and water) and then use a knife with one swift hit to crack them. As the knife's blade is sharp and thin, usually the cut is very clean, or if there are little pieces, they stick to the membrane and don't get inside. Also, in this way I avoid any unnecessary spillage on the bowl's sides.
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Tim Cronin 3 years ago
By side do you mean corner, or side? Sides are a flat surface...
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Kantami Blossom 3 years ago
I've always cracked eggs in the side of the bowl and I've never had any problems doing it, one hand to hold the bowl and one hand to crack the egg it's simple(the only way it can go wrong is if someone is stupid enough to use more force than necessary).
Aleksandra 3 years ago
It's not that complicated lol And just as the post says it is easier to prevent the yolk from breaking and shells from getting in.
GockCoblin 3 years ago
It's good advice for kids and for people who aren't great around knives. With a little confidence, using a sharp edge is better! You puncture the membrane and minimise the number of eggshell pieces that break up. But for people who are new to cooking, cracking on a tabletop is a safe introduction
Load More Replies... Mukwa Biddulph 3 years ago
Worst advice ever.. I tried this even though it sounded stupid, and it didn't even work.(I got eggshell in my egg because it had to be wacked 4 times.. if you can crack eggs on a flat surface, those are some cheap & old eggs.)
Heather Bara 3 years ago
Yeah I don't have the ninja quick reflexes to take an egg off the well, floor. That's the flat surface I'll end up w egg on it, & my face 🐔
#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!
The Scout 3 years ago
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.
Shana Murray 3 years ago
If you have to deglaze a non-stick pan, it's time to replace the pan.
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Bob Standen 3 years ago
The real trick is 1 cup of wine for the deglaze and 1 cup for the cook. Old Italian trick.
Šimon Špaček 3 years ago
I have to add that EVERYWHERE they tell you to use wine. My trick is using apple juice. Amazing for pork. For beef I add a little bit of mustard and few spoons of plum vinegar, and it is amazing. And a bit of butter if the meat has no (or very little) fat. Another nice trick, when you put mean on pan to make a nice steak, prepare some vegetables. I like big pieces of carrot, celery sticks or onion. By big pieces I mean cut the carrot in half and the cut in 2 centimeters long pieces, celery sticks in 3 centimeters and onion cut like an apple (so in 8 to 12 pieces, depending on the size of onion). Add it to the pan when you flip the meat and when the meat is ready (and resting on side), add juice spoon by spoon (maybe a bit of water or stock, you don't want it too sweet). It is amazing sauce for your potatoes and those big chunks of vegetable are great side dish.
Kate Russo 3 years ago (edited)
Mmmm... So tasty! I love deglazing with only wine, and sweet butter letting it cook down into a delicious sauce. Yeah! I know the butter isn't good, but it adds so much delicious flavor to the bits, especially poured over plain unsalted rice, or potatoes.
Leona LaBine 3 years ago
yeesssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!yessssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RajunCajun 3 years ago
I have a cast iron pan that is just used for making my roux for my gumbo. it just gets water purred in to clean it out.
Mike Loux 3 years ago
The fact that it's called fond is just icing on the cake, because I sure am fond of that flavor...
Lynda Mendez 3 years ago
You can also deglaze with a citrus.. an orange, or a fresh squeezed lemon..makes the sauce extra delish!
amy wiseman 3 years ago
Who's scrubbing their pans? I use an iron pan. Lots of oil and all's good! :)
#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.
Fat Harry 3 years ago
No, undersalting is a problem because food ends up bland. My cooking improved immeasurably when I realised that for years I'd not been adding enough salt during the cooking process.
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Pungent Sauce 3 years ago
“I can never make it taste like the restaurant, even from their cookbook!” Because there was even more salt and fat added when we made it on the line ;)
Not A Panda 3 years ago
Don't assume that everyone eats processed snacks and fast foods. Home cooking is very often oversalted!!
Evelyn Haskins 3 years ago
I have an "American " recipe book, And EVERYTHING in it has sugar in it, Sugar in everything?? Just reduce the sugar for sweet dishes and pass on the sugar for savoury -dishes, I always like to salt lightly, because different people have different tastes for salt. it is SO easy to add salt. and impossible to remove it!!
Load More Replies... Miss Frankfurter 3 years ago
Here's an interesting find. When my dad had his stroke he lost a lot of his ability to taste his food. It tasted kind of like whatever it was but extremely bland. The answer wasn't salt. It was sugar. With that discovery, on one admission to hospital the staff told us he wasn't eating. Mom told them to sprinkle (not pour) sugar on everything, even his meat. No problem. He ate. I developed an issue with my mouth. At one point, when I could eat again, I could barely taste anything. I remembered and sprinkled Splenda on. It worked the same way. A carrot tasted like a carrot. Green beans, even the chicken. It all had taste.
Lyricana Rokarin 3 years ago
Everyone should be afraid of sodium. It's very easy to add too much to a dish that doesn't even end up tasting salty. Better a little undersalted than over salted. You can't fix over salted food nearly as easily (or sometimes at all). And eating under salted food might taste not great, but it's way healthier and tastes better than over salted.
Stealthee 3k 3 years ago
I rarely use salt and my food tastes great. I can't stand a ton of salt.
Jan Wiesfeld 3 years ago
If you dont like any food without any added sodium, that's a you problem, not a food problem.
Bill Tirrill 3 years ago
And if you need to limit your sodium intake, that's a you problem, not a rule for everyone.
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Arunei Shade 3 years ago (edited)
Nah, it's pretty much impossible to remove salt if you've used too much, while it's generally fairly easy to add salt to taste even after something is cooked.
Aileen Grist 3 years ago
I've never used salt - either in cooking or putting on my food. I was told that I needed to up my salt intake - put salt on your finger, put in mouth - if it tastes salty you don't need it. I found it tasteless until I reached an optimum level of salt - too little makes your blood thick and sticky, which sounds like a contradiction
Evelyn Haskins 3 years ago
I found out how to check if I have lost too much salt *Hot weather*. Sprinkle a little in the palm of you hand, IF it tastes sweet. do it again. When it begins to taste salty again, then you know your raised your salt levels far enough
Load More Replies... #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.
SusanS 3 years ago
Evidently market and butchers got wind of this and have been upping the prices to nearly the same as the breast, at least in my area
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Samantha 3 years ago
I might be the only person in the world who dislikes chicken thighs. I just don't like the taste.
Susan Trevaskis-Owen 3 years ago
I'm the opposite - I use thighs in recipes that call for breast. So much juicier & more flavorful!
Kate Jones 3 years ago
I always think it's so funny when I see people getting these super lean cuts of meat or, especially, hamburger, then cooking it in a pan with half a stick of butter or a huge amount of olive oil which is like 17 grams of fat a tsp...healthier fat, I understand but still. Just get a slightly fattier meat. You'll use less butter/oil and you'll be way better off. It will taste better and be more fulfilling. Just eat smaller portions and you'll be fine. I really hate how often I see chefs using huge amounts of olive oil in everything because it just became this weird fad to do so. It's slightly healthier in small amounts but they throw it around like water. It has a high smoke point, too, so sometimes if it's cooked at too high a temp it makes the food taste strange. Like everything, it's okay in moderation but if you're going to use cup of it in a pan, you might as well use a dollop of butter and it will taste better.
Katchen 3 years ago
I agree, Christoph. To me, there’s not *more* flavor in chicken thighs than breasts, there’s a *different* flavor: one that does not agree with me.
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rumade 3 years ago
As someone who always gets thigh, I really don't like chicken breast. Last time i cooked some so much water came out of it 🙃
Debbie DeNoma 3 years ago
You're right about the water. Processing plants add it to boost up the weight. I saw a turkey get the treatment when I went to the university's store to purchase one for Thanksgiving. That bird doubled in size on that table. It got soooo huge. I'll never forget that day, lol
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Sam Wallace 3 years ago
Fat, skin and bone all impart flavor to dishes that most people who enjoy chicken will like. If you don't want them in the recipe, take them out after cooking where practical. For extra flavor, get a heritage bird if you can find one. They cost a bit more, but you'll notice the difference.
#19
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.
Jennifer Millner 3 years ago
I love it, but you're allowed to hate what you hate. I don't feel attacked because you hate something I like. Can you imagine if we all liked the same things? How boring this world would be!
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Lyricana Rokarin 3 years ago
Practicing your recipes isn't the same as what you're describing. You're saying "practice your recipes but also don't really practice them, try a bunch of different ones instead".
Jo Choto 3 years ago
Yeah, I see this kind of advice and I hear about people doing it. Problem is, especially if you live alone, how are you going to cook ten different risottos, and then that's all you are going to eat for how many weeks? And if you have limited income, you don't have the luxury of just practicing one dish for the hell of it. You actually have to buy a variety of foods that you can survive on.
Monia Bolletta 3 years ago (edited)
I don't think they mean "make ten type of risotto at same time" but "try to change the recipe every time you make risotto"
Load More Replies... Caro Caro 3 years ago
A good creamy risotto with mushrooms and lots of garlic. Then some pecorino grated over the risotto .... YEP, I will be making this soon, I'm drooling.
Auntriarch 3 years ago
Using the stock from the last time I cooked a ham....
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Ravens Mom 3 years ago
Not all of us can afford to do this. If I find a recipe I like, I stick with it because I can't waste money trying other recipes for the same food that may be a "bad recipe"
BigFootToo 3 years ago
What am I toddler and have to try something as an adult more than once? 🤷🏻♂️ Chefs are the most condescending people, sometimes. Like they never make a misteak
Phyzzi 3 years ago
I think most people can get grumpy with watching amateurs try to fumble their way through something someone considers their expertise. Not everyone tries to work on cars or run a secure server without training though... but we pretty much all cook.
Load More Replies... Evelyn Haskins 3 years ago
I've NEVER made risotto at home, Twice I order risotto at a restaurant and all I got was gluggy rice, boiled in poor quality 'broth' -- ie water that had had meat boiled in it. The meat didn't even come with the dish. I do make my dogs, what I call stodge -- boiled rice with split peas (3/1), then I add other stuff to it. oil, a vitamin mineral supplement, gelatine, and any other edible scraps, and add this to their raw meat.
Evelyn Haskins 3 years ago (edited)
on he other had WHY boil all the ingredients together with the rice, I can do a pretty good steamed rice, and a pretty good meat and veggie dish and serve them up together, One can decide for oneself wither you want more rice or more sauce and how much extra salt, Or make a fried rice. Good fresh lightly sauteed veggies with it. I do fried rice when we have a glut of eggs :-(
Load More Replies... #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.
Donkey boi 3 years ago
Unless it Marmite! If you didn't like when you tried it 30 years ago, you're still not going to like it!
Jo Choto 3 years ago
Not true. I hated it all my life and then suddenly, as an adult of 40 some, I started to like it!
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Out of chocolate 3 years ago
Or you can be a very accomplished and adventurous cook and your kid loves all sorts of things until then one day it’s only pbj because everything else is gross. For years. Someone save me I’m going through two jars of pb a week.
Stoopham McFernybabes 3 years ago (edited)
I see you! My kids ate everything - EVERYTHING - til they were about 4. Now, as the years go on the pernicketyness just increases and I can barely get a ham sandwich in the oldest one for school. I keep in giving them a variety of things and they know to try them several times, but the psychology of an anxious 9yo is a curious thing.
Load More Replies... Paul Davis 3 years ago
A lot of kids are picky when they are kids because they have extra strong sensitivity to certain things, especially bitterness, which is a warning of poisonous substances
Jes.the.Mess 3 years ago
I have spent my entire adult life trying to like fish. I have tried trout, fresh water fish, salt water, deep fried, raw, steamed, seared, you name it. My sister is an amazing cook and I was engaged to a gourmet chef for three years. He made me a tuna steak that would have cost $50 or more at his restaurant. I just can't. I hate fish
Tara Pittman 2 years ago
This is me. I'd like to like fish, but I just hate the taste. I will choke down a beer battered fish to show my kids that just because you didn't like something doesn't mean you can't try it. My kids and husband love fish and I make it for then but I can not enjoy eating any kind if fish. From time to time I will ear shrimp, crab or lobster but I have never had a taste for fish....at ....all. Even tuna makes my stomach turn if I smell it. But that might be from the 3 years I worked in a female prison.
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Whatshername 3 years ago
In Dutch we say A farmer won't eat what he doesn't know. It's about those stubborn people (there's not so many around anymore) who will never try anything but boiled potatoes, simple meat and vegetables like cauliflower or beans etc. Sidenote: try a little cinnamon on roasted potatoes. Just a little. You won't know it's cinnamon but it lifts the entire dish.
Nadine Debard 3 years ago
Try cardamom with cabbages and sausages, it's wonderful
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Elizabeth VanDyke 3 years ago
I am not a big fan of meat. Probably because I had to help with the butchering of animals as a child. I absolutely hated LIVER! No way no how would I even consider it. But as an adult I have learned to like it...a lot. But it must be cooked properly; tenderly, with love!
Mary G 3 years ago
I do try new things - especially things I would not eat as a child. Some things are still off limits for me. I tried beer again after 55 years, and it took an hour to get the taste out of my mouth, so that is something that never changed. Same with walnuts. Love any and almost all nuts. A walnut will cause me to lose every lunch I have ever eaten, and it is NOT an allergy. I just HATE 'em. Sad too, because they are extremely good for you. Just hate 'em. The smell. The taste. Ick. Not fond of swallowing raw clams, oysters and such, either. If it seems like it belongs in a tissue, I am probably not going to eat it...
Tracy Wallick 3 years ago
My rule of thumb is to try everything twice; sometimes it's just that I didn't like the preparation, and done a different way and/or by a different cook, was much better.
A K 3 years ago
I was forced to eat liver at a young age. My stepmom Literally forced me to sit at the dinner table for hours at a time. My dad got steak but I had to eat liver because she liked it. I had to swallow each bite with water. If I didn’t finish it I had to eat it next day for dinner!! Thank god they got divorced!! I shudder to think of how many plates I would’ve been forced to consume!!😣To this day I gag at the sight of liver!!🤢🤮 I never forcefully made my own children eat anything that they disliked due to my own traumatic experience 😪
LeeAnn Yette 3 years ago
So true. I never liked capers. When my husband and I were dating (we’ve been married for 25) he cooked me something with capers and I didn’t care for them. Till this day he’ll keep the capers on my dish. The other day I tried them for the first time in years and they’re not bad. I’ll eat them now. But you can still keep okra or beets.
#21
Leave your meat out to go to room temp before you cook it.
Anonymous Female 3 years ago
My dog would snatch it off the counter the second I turn my back!
Jill Hojnacki 3 years ago
When necessary, I put mine in the oven or microwave. Unless you turn them on, they’re room temperature, too. And, neither my dogs nor my cats ever learned to open either of them.
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Rebekah 3 years ago
I always do this. I put it in the microwave so the cats will leave it alone. My husband hated this. Claimed he was worried what would happen if he started the microwave and didn't know the meat was in there, like when warming up the oven.... we are divorced now.
Debbie DeNoma 3 years ago
Hahahaha, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed anyway. I mean, who turns on the microwave before opening the damn door and putting something in it, then he would have seen the meat. Sounds like he just likes to complain. You made the right decision honey, lol
Load More Replies... John C 3 years ago
I've seen from 2 different sources that coming from the refrigerator, this makes little difference even for thick cuts of meat & tenderloins. Obviously frozen is a different matter.
epiccollision 3 years ago
This does nothing the laws of thermodynamics are absolute and the difference between 20° In fridge and room temp is nothing compared to the 450°+ that the pan is applying.
Zaza 3 years ago
Getting meat to room temp does nothing for cooking or flavor either. The difference between fridge meat and something that's been "room temped" for an hour is next to nothing. All it does is create more potential for wrong bacteria to breed. But most people who read lists like these prefer to think otherwise and rather downvote you just because their grammy told them something than actually learn something
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Kim Lorton 3 years ago
Especially if you will be grilling meat. It does so much better at room temperature!
Barbara Vandewalle 3 years ago
By chance and circumstances, I had to cook my frozen meat, with no thaw time, Low heat, covered to keep the steam and heat in, a longer cooking time and it was tender. Did the seasoning half way through.
#22
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.
Christopher Bowers 3 years ago
Nothing wrong with a well done juicy steak. Some people know how to cook well done steaks and keep them juicy, tender and flavorful.
Donkey boi 3 years ago
FFS! I hate a chef/cook that is insistent that preference is wrong! If you like your steak well done, cook it well done! If you like it blue, have it blue (my personal preference).
Autumn 3 years ago
Chef Jean Pierre talked about this one time, it was nice to see a professional chef mention that a well done steak is not a crime, and you should cook it how you like it. My dad prefers his well done, it's not hard or offensive to accommodate him when he visits, not to mention there is a huge difference between well done and over cooked.
Load More Replies... Anthony Roberts 3 years ago
Steak should be cooked as to the preference of the person eating it. Don't like it? Don't agree with it? Too f*****g bad, you and your made up "rule" can mind your own business.
Ken Gold 3 years ago
I agree completely. Just because a beer "aficionado" doesn't drink Bud lite doesn't mean they're any more right about their choice of brew. If someone doesn't like any pink in their steak, that's the perfect preparation for them. End of story.
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DebK2tog 3 years ago
That would be a 'PARING' knife and I guess, a 'PEELER', ahem, and steak can be done any which way people like to eat them. There is no right or wrong.
Vetus Vespertilio 3 years ago
Don’t know what the OP meant, but a peel is a large, flat piece of metal or wood with a fairly long wooden handle which is used to put pizzas and hearth breads into and out of the oven. I use one three or four times a week.
Load More Replies... Caro Caro 3 years ago
This cluttered and untidy kitchen is horrible. I hate all that stuff on my worksurface. It makes me nervous for some reason.
Honu 3 years ago
I can't see how they work. Even if all the dirty dishes and pots and such were cleaned and put away, there's no counter space. I would be surprised if they use the stand mixer, crock pot and blender daily, but there they are on the counter. Then the space for those containers of dry goods. Those would keep better in a cabinet, too. If they just put away the appliances they don't use daily, the dry goods, they'd have a nice large prep area. They could even get an in-drawer knife block or magnetic knife strip for more room. You don't need that huge knife block on the counter. Most of that room is steak knives which you use at the table, not in prep.
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Norman Woelk 3 years ago
And leave room on the counter so the cat can supervise. Who cares that he was just in his litter box. LOL
#23
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).
Summer Mason 3 years ago
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 3 years ago
You have some gross friends. Ewww. Never use same board or same knife without first scrubbing the bajebbers out of it.
Tricia Georgetti 3 years ago
Thats what I was thinking like wtf who does that? 🤢🤮
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Stephan Ghequiére 3 years ago
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.
Cybele Spanjaard 3 years ago
Ew.. I have separate boards for various uses..never meat on just any bread board..ew
Alana Voeks 3 years ago
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.
Shane S 3 years ago
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.
Tricia Georgetti 3 years ago
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.
Load More Replies... Kate Russo 3 years ago
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🙂.
Aroha 3 years ago
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 3 years ago
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.
Kate Russo 3 years ago (edited)
☺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😄!
Load More Replies... Midnightoil 3 years ago
I think you need to read the UC (Davis.)study. Also study from one of Wiscon colleges. AND... And U of Michigan. All research.
#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.
Kira Okah 3 years ago (edited)
Never seen a pink tomato, or a smell-less one. Also not everyone can afford or in some cases even find an heirloom variety.
Lyricana Rokarin 3 years ago
Most grocery store tomatoes are pink rather than red. It's far more likely you've never seen a red tomato and all the ones you're looking at are more pinkish. They aren't hot pink. They're just a dull red and look pinkish compared to the blood red of a ripe heirloom. Virtually every tomato ever served at a fast-food restaurant will be this pinkish tomato. It's true they have a less rich flavor, but I disagree that they're flavorless and horrific. And they're certainly not "non-tomatoes". I agree with you also that cost can be a factor.
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Paul Davis 3 years ago
There are many areas of the U.S. where good produce is absolutely not available at all except by paying for very expensive shipping from somewhere else. Corporations are slowly starving us of nutrition. Don't let this happen to your country!
Lance d'Boyle 3 years ago
More importantly, don't put your tomatoes in the fridge. Put them on the counter in the sun and leave them for a day or so. You can also up the flavor by cutting/slicing them and adding a little salt and let them sit for 15 minutes.
Random Panda 3 years ago (edited)
Depends on the kind of tomato. Where I'm from we have a sort that is called pink tomato and, as the name suggests, they're not red. They have a sweet smell to them, are very soft when ripened and are the tastiest tomatoes ever.
Burs 3 years ago
I came to say the same. Where I come from we have some varieties of pink tomatoes and they are delicious.
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Vetus Vespertilio 3 years ago
Growing your own tomatoes is such a satisfying process, but not every greenhouse tomato is devoid of taste. I’m fortunate to live in an area surrounded by market gardeners and there are literally dozen of greenhouse operations to choose from, and not one of them would offer up one of those pale pink, tasteless abominations for sale. In the dead of winter, a fresh, salty, succulent red cherry tomato-on-the-vine is a gift from the gods.
Susan Green 3 years ago
My husband and I have a large garden in our backyard. Every May we go to our local garden centre and buy all kinds of tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce and herbs and grow them ourself. There is nothing better than sweet, home grown tomatoes.
pat hayes 3 years ago
yep, and if you dont have a yard tomatoes can be grown in a pot or bucket even...they are sturdy,strong plants....dont be afraid to try ! soooo worth it.😁
Load More Replies... Debbie DeNoma 3 years ago
I'm not going to pay over $5 a lb. for heirlooms, I'll stick with my Wallyworld Roma's for $1.18 per lb. with a much better flavor in my humble opinion. And, yes, I've had heirlooms. I think they look so awesome with their shapes and colors, however, I didn't find them very flavorful.
#25
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.
Raoul 3 years ago
Both methods (exact amount of water & too much (flavoured) water with exact cooking time) work perfectly fine.
John C 3 years ago
yeah, I'm thoroughly entertained by this poster screaming about using too much water, but then their first step is to wash the rice. both methods reduce the starch (and stickiness) of the final product. it all depends on what you want.
Load More Replies... Not A Panda 3 years ago
As long as the rice comes out the way you want it to, you're doing it right. Stop the rice snobbery!
Dave P 3 years ago
False. the draining rice after cooking is cultural (most of India does it that way for certain dishes). Also the rinsing has nothing to do with dirt, that is a sign this person isnt isnt in the food industry, it is to get rid of extra starch, which once again, depends on the dish
gerry.garh 3 years ago
My mom was from Germany and always cooked the rice with a lot of water and drained the excess. It was mushy and flavorless, so I developed a distaste for rice. Later, when living with a girl from Bolivia, she did it pretty much as described in the post, and since then, I have loved rice, replacing potatoes and other carbs. And since working in Central America, rice and beans -in different styles depending on the country- and sometimes called Gallo-pinto (spotted rooster), also became part of my regular diet.
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Kira Okah 3 years ago
Or use a rice cooker, we do (I'm Malay). Must absolutely reiterate the most important part though - WASH YOUR RICE!
Nadine Debard 3 years ago
For a ricecooker I'd also say don't salt rice before cooking, I've messed up a few times before understanding, and use the proper rice (the ones you find in Asian shops)
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Jarrod Nichols 3 years ago
Jesus christ. Asians eat more rice than anyone and it's perfect every time. Buy a rice cooker and measure the water level with your finger. First knuckle. Perfect every time without all that fuss.
Marty Sunderland 3 years ago
Exactly, water measured from the top of the rice in the pot to the first knuckle of index finger. Works for all quantities of rice.
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Ryan-James O'Driscoll 3 years ago
It really depends what rice you are cooking and what you are trying to achieve. My Indian grandfather always boiled his rice and it was good rice. This "you're doing it wrong" BS is just ill informed snobbishness.
Duke 3 years ago
Any serious rice cook, or eater, will use a rice cooker. OTOH, I've been using my Instant Pot for rice lately, and it's just as foolproof.
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#26
Pressing/squashing burger patties down as they cook on the BBQ (you're just making them drier by squeezing out the juices IMHO)
Sam 3 years ago
I personally love steak and shake's squashed flat burger patties. The crispy edge bits are the best
rn42 3 years ago
Yes, but you don't make those on a BBQ, you make them on a flat top.
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Martin Ibert 3 years ago
Press them vigorously into shape with a burger press before you start cooking. No more pressing after cooking starts.
Lance d'Boyle 3 years ago
You can press them when you first put them in a frying pan to thin them out (but not a good idea on a grill as it will make it difficult to flip). Once it's heated up and started cooking do not press down.
Paul Davis 3 years ago
I love to see people squeeze the patty through the grill and onto the coals or burners
Lyricana Rokarin 3 years ago
So many people act like this is a crime. I like smashed burgers and I don't want them to be super juicy and dripping. I want it a little drier and crispier. Acting like super wet/juice dripping burgers are inherently better is ridiculous. It all comes down to preference.
LeeAnn Yette 3 years ago
If you like a thinner patty then make it thinner before the grill. Just don’t smash it or you lose the juice and dry it out. Nothing worse than having hiccups in the middle of dinner.
Reviewer UK01 3 years ago
But for me the point is it's WANT them dry. The "juices" are the thing which makes me feel absolutely ill.
Sarah Kathrin Matsoukis 3 years ago
If I don't squeeze the patties a bit they always become balls
#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.
The Scout 3 years ago
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.
A Strike 3 years ago (edited)
We are unhealthy and constantly exhausted. Our “quality” of life is dumpster-fire grade. Microwave is a lifesaver in America.
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juliy 3 years ago
i actually perfer microwaved eggs. it come out so soft and fluffy in a way a pot never can (fu gorden ramsey's bs egg). just 2 eggs, 1 tbsp water, mix well (no streaks of egg white or yolk) with a whisk or even a blender, cover and microwave it for about 40 seconds, mix it next cook it again for 10-20 seconds. yummy
GadgetGirl 3 years ago
Get a small round bowl, one egg with a bit of milk or water, mix with a fork, cover and microwave 1 min regular size, 1: 20 for jumbo, they come out just the size to have on a toaster waffle.
Load More Replies... Vetus Vespertilio 3 years ago
Been there, done that. Took half an hour to clean up. Never again!
Load More Replies... Jarrod Nichols 3 years ago
Most dorms don't allow stoves. It is out of necessity, not preference food snob.
Wang Zhuang 3 years ago
Actually, I've seen hard boiled eggs cooked effectively in a microwave. You just need to make a little hole in the top of the shell. Only takes about a minute.
Deborah Rubin 2 years ago
I use my microwave a lot, but never for cooking. I live alone and use a lot of 'heat and eat' stuff, but the stove (or little toaster oven) is for cooking, the oven for baking. Big roasts and stuff aren't worth the effort.
#28
Pouring water into a grease fire. That's actually SUPER dangerous.
Zara VP 3 years ago
I never did. This is useful for anyone who does not know.
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No you can't have my name 3 years ago
Along with this, always keep the pan's lid within arm's reach, even if you don't need it for the actual cooking. Many fires can be smothered out pretty quick with that.
Tinder of the SkyWings 3 years ago
LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK! A student in my high school actually managed to start a (small) fire when they tried this. SMOTHER the flames, don't ENCOURAGE THEM.
Elvis Bellini 3 years ago
Throwing salt on the flames will extinguish a grease fire. A salt shaker is too small. Use the cannister the salt comes in from the store. Extinguishers come in a convenient spray can size too.
Beautifullybroken 3 years ago
Baking soda works miracles as does salt pour over fire and normally smothers it right out
survivalrhino 3 years ago
Put a cover on it, have fire extinguisher handy in the kitchen, know how to use it-- P- Pull the pin A- Aim at the base of the fire S- Squeeze the trigger Sweep Use a cover, keep a kitchen rated fire extinguisher handy, and know how to use it (PASS method)
#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.
Kate 3 years ago
I've never thought of a mandolin as a kitchen implement. Does a balalaika have a use, too? What about a guitar?
Yurie 3 years ago
Shame on you, I always use a ukulele in my kitchen to de-stress the chicken by playing gentle lullabies and a clarinet to beat the meat and soften it
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T. D. Bostick 3 years ago
...but the post above said to simplify the number of implements in your kitchen. Now I don't know what to believe.
Izzy's Maid 3 years ago
I lost the side of my finger cutting a mat board a long time ago. But I did nearly julienne my pinkie on my mandolin (the kitchen-type) yesterday...I love the thing, but like that food processor blade, be afraid!!!!
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Bill Wyrebek 3 years ago
The "V" blade mandolins are less efficient than straight or slant edge blades according to Cooks and ATK.
Marci T 3 years ago
Mine has a slant edge and it works great. ATK didn't test my model, though.
Load More Replies... Paul Davis 3 years ago
I was excited about getting a mandolin but eventually got rid of it because absolutely no one I cooked for cared to have such thinly sliced food.
La Petite Morte 3 years ago
The balalaika only works if your name is Lara and you're the daughter of Dr. Shivago.
#30
Toss your hardboiled eggs in an icewater bath right when they're done to make them peel easier.
Jiminy 3 years ago
Nope, this is an urban legend. It depends on how old the egg is, not if you put it in cold water or not.
Discordant Bluecheese 3 years ago
Crack the egg all the way round, toss it in water, wait a minute, peel and be happy. Thank me later.
Kimberly Gratz 3 years ago
Just steam your eggs people...the shells fall right off...full stop.
Dolly_of TheCowboy 3 years ago
Was going to say this. Years of ragged boiled eggs, even after ice bathing them. Got told steam them. Tried it and will never go back. Also helps to prevent the green tinge you get overcooking them. You can still icebath them once out of the steamer which helps stop them keeping on cooking once off the heat source
Load More Replies... bill marsano 3 years ago
Hard-boil eggs by steaming them 14 min. Google "Julia Child hard-boiled eggs." You'll be glad you did.
No you can't have my name 3 years ago
I actually saw an article about this, it depends on how the eggs are cooked(started in cold water or hot) and how long they get cooked. Mostly what it does is help stop them from *continuing* to cook from the inside.
Ilvana Babic 3 years ago (edited)
Not true at all,sorry! Depending on how old/fresh the eggs are
Joshua Ortiz 2 years ago
I've never heard this making them easier to peel. I just heard it stops the cooking process so they don't get the unsightly green layer.
#31
Even on the food network I see chefs cut the top off of bell peppers and then pull out the seeds. Bell peppers are shaped like a cube, just slice from the top down on all 4 sides and you will end up with easily chopable or sliceable pieces. The only time you chop the top off is if you need rings.
#32
Never letting meat rest... not keeping sharp knives, and just knife work in general... cooking should be simple and easy... fighting with prep work is never fun.
Shelli LotusFlower 3 years ago
How many hours should each knife work each day for max efficiency? (Hey oh!)
#33
Putting you knives in a drawer. It ruins the edge. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. (Because you can’t slice through the food and you struggle, this results in an injury.)
#34
Just finished that awesome, wholeseome, home cooked and hot delicious meal? Don't put it on a cold plate from the cabinet. Some ovens have a warm plate setting or even keeping a stack in hot water and drying them off right before plating can keep a hot meal hot. I always hated cooking an awesome dinner and then by the time I've served everyone and sat down my food is cold because its sitting on an ice cold plate. Hell even some of the newer dishwashers have a plat warmer setting.
Nadine Debard 3 years ago
I put about 2 tbsp of water and I microwave them, then I dry them. Hot plates, espresso cups...
Ogre Juan Canolli 3 years ago
The Drawer In The Bottom Of Your Oven (Where Most People Keep Pots/Pans) Was Designed For This
Pezor Zass 3 years ago
made that terrible mistake with a metal serving platter once. went to great trouble making delicious lamb kebabs, did a fancy tray with them, by the time it got to the table they were stone cold. suddenly hit me that's why they put pita bread under the kebabs on these trays.
#35
Use fresh lemon not that cr*p in the little yellow bottle.
John C 3 years ago
no, it depends on the oxidation. just because it's all that's available doesn't mean it's not sh!t, it just means you're unfortunate.
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#36
Stop throwing away your scallion greens and broccoli stems!
Susan Trevaskis-Owen 3 years ago
I had a roommate who complained about how expensive scallions are; I was confused since at the time you could get a good-sized bunch for about fifty cents. Turned out she didn't know you could eat the green part.
Load More Replies... Pezor Zass 3 years ago
broccoli stems are much better (imo) than florets. i never liked that nobbly texture
Peej Maybe 3 years ago
Same goes for cauliflower leaves. They are delicious and great to add to sauces too
Claudia Calabrese 3 years ago
I never throw away the stem of anything, because what can't be eaten, can give flavor to a soup.
Dolly_of TheCowboy 3 years ago
That is why I prefer broccolini. Pretty much all the stem with just a little bit of the broccoli top. Great in stir fries and all-ins
#37
Under seasoning.
#38
Not using a thermometer when cooking meat.
By using a thermometer, even a novice cook can be sure that they are cooking their meat to the desired level of doneness. You may not need to use a thermometer after you've cooked a certain cut of meat a few times, but for new recipes and types of meat , a meat thermometer gives you confidence and precision.
John C 3 years ago
it's amazing how easy it is to level-up your cooking with a good set of thermometers in the kitchen. it might be the best money-to-benefit ratio of all kitchen tools. I have an instant-read probe, leave-in clamp-to-the-side-of-the-pot type, infrared gun, and leave-in probe with alarm. Example: coffee is best brewed at around 190-195F - brewing with water fresh off the boil >200F will impart extra bitterness (not the good kind). Having a good thermometer at hand makes this so easy. I'd hate to deep fry anything and have to guess at the temp: being sure that I'm in that 350-375F sweet spot gives me consistent and repeatable results every time.
Reviewer UK01 3 years ago
But the next issue is how to time the rest of your food. My meat is way better with a thermometer, but if the potatoes, veg and whatever are either not ready or overcooked then it doesn't help me out. How do you make the whole meal work, cos I'm clearly not managing it!
#39
Do not EVER put a good knife through a dishwasher.
Saint Lynnie 3 years ago
I tend to stay away from wood handled utensils as wood is porous and can absorb bacteria
Load More Replies... Shelli LotusFlower 3 years ago
Also, NEVER put your caste iron skillet in dishwasher. You should be able to give it a quick rinse w warm water and smidge of vinegar, let dry then run a bit of oil in before you put away. This will help it become seasoned, if not already. Your gravy and sauces game will go they the ceiling.
#40
Never put knives under soapy water EVER. I once saw someone put one in and they sliced their hand pretty deep, don’t know how.
ZAPanda 3 years ago
I do this but I have a method: put the cutlery to the side in the corner of the sink and wash them last. That way you know where they are lying.
Ogre Juan Canolli 3 years ago
Wash Them FIRST !! Get Them OUT Of The Sink !
Load More Replies... Debbie Barnes 3 years ago
Which is why I have a dishwasher.. Knowing how clumsy I am, I wouldn't have any fingers now, never mind deep cuts.. Ha, ha.
SusanS 3 years ago
NEVER put your good knives in a dishwasher. The detergent will dull and destroy your blades.
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#41
Iodized salt (table salt) is not the same grade as kosher salt. Makes things taste way salty and metallic. Go for either Morton's kosher salt which is a dense salt or Diamond Crystal which is a lighter flaky salt. And keep the salt in a bowl, makes it easier to just grab a pinch and season whatever you're cooking with
Pezor Zass 3 years ago
if you eat almost any processed or restaurant food, you are getting plenty of iodine. you don't need to worry about it in your home cooking.
Load More Replies... Not A Panda 3 years ago
Since salt has been iodised, goitres and thyroid problems have been reduced greatly in the overall population. Iodine is not added to enhance the flavour. I'm in Europe. We have iodised salt.
Load More Replies... ZAPanda 3 years ago
The point of table salt is to make sure you get enough iodine so you don't get goitre. OK? Ok. Screen-Sho...f20cb5.png 
Mitchell 3 years ago
Iodized salt also has anti caking agents. It’s disgusting stuff. You can easily get iodine from seafood and dairy.
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#42
Don't put raw onions in a casserole or meatloaf and expect them to cook properly.
Dolly_of TheCowboy 3 years ago
Glad I am not the only one. Had people whom loved my meatloaf watch me make it one day and were horrified I used a mild salsa and some tomato paste instead of just tomato sauce. They refused to eat it from then if I made it with salsa, which was slightly ridiculous, just because they "hate salsa and chips", because if I cut up capsicums and put some chilli flakes into it they were fine with that. I did not see the huge difference to putting a decent salsa in myself
Load More Replies... Shelli LotusFlower 3 years ago
Before putting onions in pretty much anything you should saute them imo. At least until translucent and beginning to color. I prefer to really sear them as I only cook w Vidalia sweet onions, so I like the char
Debbie Barnes 3 years ago
I've always done this and they cook fine. Isn't putting raw vegetables in with meat the way to cook a casserole?
Matthew Zornig 3 years ago
I do too. I suspect some of the "chefs" in this article are not chefs.
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Anonymous Female 3 years ago
I always add raw onions to casseroles and meatloaf, and they cook just fine.
GenericPanda09 3 years ago
Well I do my casseroles in a slow cooker and they seem to come out fine... but now i'm wondering how different it might be if cook them separately first. Ah well... I'll have to wonder, i'm not intrigued enough to go through the extra hassle for something I suspect will have minimal results.
#43
Food safety. I don't know how many times I've seen folks cross-contaminate, not wash their hands, leave ingredients (or finished product that is perishable) out too long, etc.
Kate Jones 3 years ago
I'm such a stickler for handwashing and sanitizing. I used to work in a restaurant and I went to a trade high school for Culinary Arts for 4 years, so I understand the importance. But I have to admit I cross contaminate at home all the time. I don't think twice about cutting stuff all together. And it's so crazy because I know better and like I said, at work, I used to be so cautious. I do still wash my hands like a doctor at home because it just became such a habit but I'm so bad when it comes to using the same cutting board and knives.
ZAPanda 3 years ago
what drives me mad is people touching stuff with their hands or eating some with a spoon then putting it in the fridge. hello, that is going to get mouldy in like 2 days max
Dolly_of TheCowboy 3 years ago
Oh yes the spoonful from the big yoghurt pot, lick spoon then grab a bit more yoghurt *puke*
Load More Replies... #44
Not a chef, but cover the pan when you're frying eggs and you get perfect sunny side up.
Peej Maybe 3 years ago
A good tip is also to turn up the heat until the yolk / white begins to solidify then turn the heat right down
BasedWang 3 years ago
Or if you are making a really sloppy burger or something where the grease isn't an issue, if theres grease in the pan, spoon it on top of the egg a few times and it can cook enough to not break when transferring. Don't shoot the messenger I'd never do this but have seen it done
Claudia Calabrese 3 years ago
I prefer to cook the whites first until they are crispy and then I put the yolks.
Dolly_of TheCowboy 3 years ago
Eggs do not need high heat. Some like rubbery scrambled eggs and dried to a crisp yolks. If you prefer creamy scrambled or shirred eggs keep the heat moderate and turn off as soon as you start to get the egg coalescing. The residual pan heat will cook the rest because you keep turning the contents. Similarly with fried eggs cooking them in enough bacon grease or butter so you can spoon over the yolk does make a difference as does putting a dome over stuff cooking on a hot plate
#45
If you don't have a stove powerful enough to cook Asian food (most aren't) put the wok in a really hot oven (450-500+) for 10-15 minutes. The residual heat should be enough to stir fry properly. A cast iron wok is even better because it holds the heat longer.
ZAPanda 3 years ago
I am assuming these numbers are fahrenheit? unless you're planning to forge metal or something?
Fat Harry 3 years ago
If the post is American always assume the units are idiotic.
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Pumpkin Spice 3 years ago
We cook a lot of Indian food, and my dad literally swapped out some parts in the stove to make it easier to cook.
Shelli LotusFlower 3 years ago
In est in a caste iron wok if you cook Asiago often enough. Life gets simpler.
#46
When you add fresh basil leaves or sun dried tomatoes to a pizza or something similar, don’t put them on top. Both of these items burn very easily and unless you want them charred, don’t put them on top of the dish. Also, if you want to cut onions without having the juices make you cry, chill them first, then chop them while they’re chilled. Not exactly a ‘what you’re doing wrong’ fact, but it’s a neat tip.
Marco Malavolti 3 years ago
Add basil (and a bit of some really good olive oil) when you bring the pizza out from the oven
Shelli LotusFlower 3 years ago
I love basil but only burnt. I’m quite certain after reading these, my mother really wasn’t the good cook I pictured her to be lol.
BigFootToo 3 years ago
Who cried from cutting onions? I have never cried once from doing that. Not once in my 40 years of coming at home. Not once. Maybe cooking just isn't for you, if you have to cry while making dinner.
#47
When scraping ingredients off the cutting board use the non-bladed edge. Fresh pasta tastes 1000% better than boxed and takes a fraction of the time to cook and is probably a dollar more than boxed pasta. Adding salt & pepper to even the sides of the meal can really improve the flavor. Let the meat rest the same amount of time it was cooked. Most meat can be cooked on medium-high in a pan (best temp)
Monday 3 years ago
Where are you finding fresh pasta that's only a dollar more? For the price of 500g of fresh spaghetti I can buy 1.5kg of regular bag spaghetti. Even if I buy both from the same overpriced grocery store fresh is double the price.
Kira Okah 3 years ago
I expect talking about making it yourself, as the comments on the OP are saying that fresh box pasta is ew for the cost difference.
Load More Replies... Pezor Zass 3 years ago
this is ignoring one of the best things about dried pasta, which is that you can have it any time. you don't have to plan ahead and buy fresh, it's waiting for you in the pantry.
John C 3 years ago
I know it was BP editors that added the picture, but I just have to comment: slice peppers down the sides, starting at the top and finishing at the bottom, making a slight outward crescent shape. When you're done you'll have the 4 sides of the pepper laying on the cutting board and the core in your non-dominant hand. Try to make the crescent cut in a way that leaves most of the white pith attached to the core.
#48
Don’t cook with extra virgin olive oil.
It’s an oil with a low burning point that when it reaches a certain temperature it turns it from a mono-saturated fat to a poly-saturated fat. So it is no longer healthy and you’ve just bought expensive oil that is no longer having any health benefits.
Also, when it reaches the temperature that turns it unhealthy, it actually creates an acrid flavoured which most people don’t realise that’s where the acidity flavour is coming from in their food.
Fat Harry 3 years ago
Not entirely. You shouldn't fry with olive oil because of its low smoke point. It burns really quickly. However, I find it's perfect for bolognese or the like.
Load More Replies... Kate Jones 3 years ago
Not to mention that while olive oil has a healthy fats, using a cup of it because you don't want to use 1 tablespoon of butter is not an even exchange. I see chefs drizzling it on everything and using so much in their recipes...it's a healthy fat but it's still like 17 grams of fat per tsp!
#49
Home made Chips (or fries) I cut them then salt them and pop them in the fridge, take them out after a while then pat them down to get any excess water so when I shallow fry them for my kid they're crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. Pre-salt your chips .. or fries before frying it draws out excess water from the spuds.
The Scout 3 years ago
Evene better results are archieved by two-step-frying: After cutting the potatoes, fry them at a lower temperature, then take them out and let them cool. Fry them for a second time - very hot this time, and they will be very crunchy while retaining their inner softness. Pre-salting fries is not a good idea, though, as it ruins the frying grease.
Bunzilla 3 years ago
Are you talking about a deep-fryer or pan-frying? Because any time I've tried to pan-fry potatoes in a pan that wasn't sufficiently heated resulted in mush that liked to stick to the pan.
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Iseefractals 3 years ago
if you want fast food quality fries, you've gotta work for them. Once your fries are cut (mandolin ftw) you want to boil the raw fries for about 5 minutes. Salt the water, and add about 1/4 - 1/3rd cup vinegar to the water (5-6qt pot) it sounds weird until you try it and then you wonder how you ate french fries any other way. Once you've drained the liquid, lay them out on a wire rack over a sheet pan, salt them and let them cool. Salting will draw more liquid out pat them dry as best you can. Now, you want to bring a pot of frying oil to a rolling boil, work in small batches frying for 1 minute, remove from oil and spread over paper towels Once all have been fried and cooled to room temp, dust with cornstarch or flour, place in freezer bags (or vacuum seal bags) and put them in the freezer for at least 8 hours, 24 is better. After that....cook them however you normally cook your fries. They come out perfect every time, anything else is flat out incorrect.
#50
Thinking that the truing-rod/truing-steel in your knife block is a sharpener. No, it does not sharpen the knife. A sharpening block does that. The rod is for truing - which is correcting the edge alignment to the center, but this doesn't actually sharpen the knife, which involves grinding off small amounts to form the edge.
ZAPanda 3 years ago (edited)
err no, it definitely works for me. and yes, small bits of steel come off. Maybe post a picture of the thing you are saying is not a sharpener so we can be sure we're talking about the same thing.
Angelar 3 years ago
OP means a honing rod. Honing rods are not supposed to remove metal fibers.
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Shelli LotusFlower 3 years ago (edited)
Sorry but that’s not correct. Honing a knife is literally honing it to be equally sharp on both sides. It’s maintenance to keep your knives sharp. Steel rods sharpens a knife and pulls steel off the blade. Great for that dull knife in your drawer. Once sharp, you then can use the honing rod to keep it that way.
Saint Lynnie 3 years ago
If you don't have a whetstone, in a pinch you can sharpen your knives on the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup or bowl
#51
Pâtissière here, not working in the field anymore because started college, but yay, I have some mild experience. Keep the receipt near you. It doesn't matter if you know it by heart, just keep it near you, because bakery and pastry are a hit or miss: the moment you f*ck up, there's no going back, you have to do it all over. Many people think that keeping the receipts near is "unprofessional" and it's better to just know them by heart (what's actually a big plus, I truly recommend you to know stuff by heart as well) but trust me, when you have to bake and decorate over 20 different desserts before the day even start, it's better to be safe than sorry. You don't want to f*ck up royally and have to redo a whole loaf of sweet bread when you are about to open/your relatives are coming to a family reunion, because baking takes a lot of time.
Rai Grant 3 years ago
The old word for recipe in English was receipt. I don't know when it changed, but in a couple of really old novels I've read, the word receipt was used (and yes I did find it confusing!)
Load More Replies... BigFootToo 3 years ago (edited)
Me at the store, so the steak didn't come out right. Here's the receipt. Can I get a refund? The store, that's just a piece of fat and a bone. Me, well yeah, but it didn't work
#52
Add herbs and spices during the frying stages, always let your food simmer before serving, lid off low heat. When adding chilli's to dishes the heat will draw out over time, if you can't taste it immediately wait for the dish to simmer for a while.
#53
You're probably not using proper knives for what you're cutting, I always catch my wife trying to cut meat with a bread knife. Also sharpen hone them b*tches EVERY TIME you use it.
Wang Zhuang 3 years ago (edited)
One of my friends was visiting with me once and noticed that I had a variety of knives. She asked me why I have so many. I told her that I used them for cutting different things, like a serrated knife for bread, for example. She grabbed my cleaver and told me in her home (she's from Xinjiang in China), the cleaver is the only knife her mom has ever had, and she can cut everything with it. She then used the cleaver to cut the baguette I had bought to have with dinner. She made it look easy.
BasedWang 3 years ago
This is why I invested in a cleaver.... Chop, smash, cut thru tendon and bone, scoop, and have fun doin it
Load More Replies... Angelar 3 years ago (edited)
I'm a knife enthusiast, but since I have a fancy Santoku knife this distinction became rather blurry. But do I keep it sharp? Absolutely
BasedWang 3 years ago
Yea I read alot about a decent Santoku can replace damn near every "normal" knife.... Exception for bread or shucking, but that should be obvious
Load More Replies... Kate Jones 3 years ago
Lol this is so true and I'm totally guilty of it I use a chef's knife for literally everything. Even buttering bread.
#54
not a chef but use a piece of aluminum foil or cling film to cover the surface of your guacamole if you have some leftover in a container. don't just wrap it around the rim, actually place it on the guacamole. it goes brown with exposure to air, so if it's covered directly it will last far far longer than just putting the lid back on.
Shelli Aderman 3 years ago
Put the pit in the guac, and only use plastic wrap. Tin foil will react with acids.
ZAPanda 3 years ago
My solution is to flatten the guac and either cover it with a thin layer of olive oil or lemon juice. Also, the lemon juice reverses the brown. Also, the brown is just brown, it tastes the same.
Living Example 3 years ago
You can use water for this, too. Flatten out the guac and add enough water to cover it. Next time you use it, just pour the water out. It really work, and is free.
Load More Replies... #55
Adding oil to a cold pan. Heating up the pan before you add oil prevents food from sticking.
ZAPanda 3 years ago
this sounds to me like someone who wants an oil fire or splash damage +1d6 on their skin.
Load More Replies... Jiminy 3 years ago (edited)
This is simply wrong. And can be bad for your pans too, please don't heat then up empty (unless the are cast iron).
Dolly_of TheCowboy 3 years ago
Agreed. Putting the pan on the burner and turning it on to start heating and immediately adding the butter/oil etc is as close to putting an empty pan on the stove for me as I get
Load More Replies... Nadine Debard 3 years ago
I have a fancy enamelled cast iron cooking pot and they say 'always add something before heating (oil, water...) or it will cause damages to the product'.
Kenny Kulbiski 3 years ago
I believed this until one day I was in a hurry. Added oil to a cold pan and no difference. Made me wonder about a bunch of other sacred rules and I found out quite a few of them are b******t.
Claudia Calabrese 3 years ago
I think not. You must heat the tray in the oven before putting potatoes or other vegetables, so they don't stick. But you must put the oil on the cold pan over the fire or there will be splashes of oil everywhere.
#56
Asking me tons of questions about my job when I'm off and sitting at the bar. This isn't the food network. Most of us only eat hotdogs, hotpockets and pizza when we get off. It isn't glamorous, don't go to culinary school, just wash dishes somewhere. Season at every step, butter makes things good, don't try to skimp there, that isn't why you're fat. Sharp knives(victorinox is a good start). People lose their mind over risotto, its easy to make. You like onions, stop omitting them.
BigFootToo 3 years ago
Global knives are probably one of the best knives on the planet for the home chef or professional. They're all stainless steel, including the handle and start super sharp. Good knives aren't cheap and cheap knives will only hurt the user.
#57
Duck in a cold pan and heat it up so the skin renders and goes crispy.
Debbie Barnes 3 years ago
I thought the rule was to put duck, skin down, in a hot pan to crisp up the skin.. How would a cold pan, slowly heating up do that?
Nadine Debard 3 years ago (edited)
The skin grease is abundant. Using a cold/warm pan to begin will melt it first because you need to get rid of 80% of it and then it will allow to fry the rest and make it very crispy. I always finish in the oven to have a perfectly done meat. And I draw cross lines on the skin with a knife to help it cook.
Load More Replies... #58
Don’t make croissants before everything else. My mama thought me that also, there is such thing as too much cheese.
Blurryface 3 years ago
I beg to differ. (As long as we’re talking real cheese, not Organic American Play-doh cheese.)
Nikole 3 years ago
For f**k's sake.......... AMERICAN CHEESE (TM) IS NOT CHEESE. WE KNOW THIS. WE HAVE REAL CHEESE, JUST LIKE YOU.
Load More Replies... #59
To cook bacon in the oven, start with a cold oven. Then rotate the baking sheet halfway through cooking for delicious, crispy bacon.
Kate Jones 3 years ago
I've tried cooking bacon in the oven but I'm not sure if it's just not a good idea in electric ovens or what...it's always either too rubbery or really over done. It's not a timing issue... I've tried putting another pan on top to keep it flat, I've tried taking it out earlier or later to compensate but it just doesn't taste right. It seems like this method works best in a convection or gas oven.
Brivid 3 years ago
You put the bacon directly on the pan, not on the oven rack/grate.
Load More Replies... BigFootToo 3 years ago
Cook that bacon at 400° on parchment paper. I used to use brown sugar and Ancho chili powder. It's a smoky sweet flavor without the heat.
Living Example 3 years ago
Sprinkle a little brown sugar and freshly ground black pepper on it before putting it in the oven. Really good.
#60
How about simply chopping onions. It’s literally one of the easiest things to do if you use the natural anatomical structure of the onion in your favor. Most people hack it into oblivion, which not only takes much, much longer, but also results in unnecessarily sad-looking onions. Plus it makes you cry.
Ogre Juan Canolli 3 years ago (edited)
Shows You How https://www.google.com/search?q=dicing+onions&oq=dicing+onions&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l7j0i390.32056j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_sUUpYq63L6qbptQPwv6ZmAw14
Load More Replies... Nadine Debard 3 years ago
When I want onions as a vegetable (e.g. Asian food) i cut them in 2 parts from one pole to the other, then I slice it longitudinally. They keep a certain shape and taste. If I want them soft and melting to the sauce I cut them at the equator and chop them.
#61
Overcooking eggs. If the water comes out of it, they are overcooked. Some people see wetness and think. Oh lemme cook that out.
Sergy Yeltsen 3 years ago
Water in eggs? Am I missing something? I thought an egg was shell, yolk, white and air.
Jo Johannsen 3 years ago (edited)
If you scramble eggs with a splash of milk, you often get a bit of water puddling on the plate. I add a splash of water and don't get the puddle. 🤷
Claudia Calabrese 3 years ago
I don't know what tjis means. But I prefer well cooked eggs in my salad. I know they are fone when I smell over the pot and it smells like egg.
Not A Panda 3 years ago
I have never had water come out of eggs. Is this a result of the US way of washing and then refrigerating eggs instead of leaving on their nice natural protective cover?
#62
Using a microwave. If you do have to use one half the power and double the time but check its hot all the way through before serving.
John C 3 years ago (edited)
Fun fact: the magnetron in a microwave is either ON or OFF. Power settings cycle the magnetron on and off at different time ratios (e.g. 5 seconds on / 5 seconds off) while the microwave appears to be "on" the whole time (and the plate keeps spinning). That's not to say it's ineffective - learning to use the power settings on a microwave is key to using it correctly and efficiently.
#63
The most important thing when boiling eggs is to put them in water that's already boiling, not cold water. This way, the skin doesn't fuse the shell and insides together.
Rai Grant 3 years ago
Eh, no... Put them in boiling water n the shell cracks n you end up with messy eggs! However, a drop of vinegar in the water can stop whites escaping if the shell does crack before it starts to cook.
Ogre Juan Canolli 3 years ago
Agreed. Put In Cold Water--Bring To Boil--Turn Off Heat--Let Sit 10Mins Ice-Water Bath To Shock That Pesky Membrane Right Off
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Not A Panda 3 years ago
Sorry, that is b******t. All of that is simply to do with the age of the egg and has nothing to do with the water or its temperature.
#64
That thing you call a spatula isn't a spatula, it's a turner.
ZAPanda 3 years ago
OK mister I only use my local vernacular... bet you call pans skillets as well.
Dillon Sizemore 3 years ago
Technically true but you can tell SpongeBob he doesn't use a spatula not me
What do you think ?
Jo Choto 3 years ago
My grandmother taught me to always put a little bit of salt in sweet things and a little bit of sugar in savoury things. It does really help bring out the flavours of both.
Incitatus 3 years ago
My mum (rip) always put 2 chocolate chips in with any beef-based sauce. She was the best.
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Kai David 3 years ago
Heart disease runs in my dads family, so grew up on a low to no salt diet. I continued this into my adult hood. As a consequence I now have a salt deficiency that is worse than someone who has too much salt. I have to take a prescription grade tablets of a type of sodium chloride daily since my system can no longer absorb and maintain sodium levels.
Kelly Jo 3 years ago
I can relate, but my doctor figured out what was going on before I had to take pills. Just adjusting my diet.
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GirlFriday 3 years ago
My grandmother gave me these five rules for cooking and they have served me very well my entire life: 1. Sharpen your knives; 2. Fresh is best; 3. Season high; 4. Taste everything at every stage; 5. Clean as you go.
Nathaniel 3 years ago
All the comments about salting foods. My Dad has had several strokes, salt is a major no no, food should reflect dietary needs and health concerns but you see all these television chefs cooking "healthy" food and throwing in handfuls of salt.
Jo Choto 3 years ago
The latest research shows that salt doesn't have that much effect on health after all. In terms of heart disease, strokes, blood pressure, etc. the difference between a low salt and a high salt diet makes <5% difference.
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MzFitz1215 3 years ago
One of the important ones I didn't see listed, NEVER TRY TO CATCH A FALLING KNIFE!
Liz 3 years ago
And don't take a perfectly good nicely seasoned cast iron skillet and ruin it with dish soap and steel wool
Ilvana Babic 3 years ago
Don't blame it on the salt while you are eating like 10 burgers/day! Salt is a very important for our health, specially iodine in it .Keeps our organs to funktion properly.
Grant Clemons 3 years ago
This list is presented as objective facts from professionals, but for the most part they're just differences in style or taste preferences.
CanidaeVulpes 3 years ago
Seems like Liucija is having writer’s block. Wasn’t this very same thing posted just a few months ago? And the one about different architecture? Usually there’s some new content, but it all looks the same to me
Jo Choto 3 years ago
My grandmother taught me to always put a little bit of salt in sweet things and a little bit of sugar in savoury things. It does really help bring out the flavours of both.
Incitatus 3 years ago
My mum (rip) always put 2 chocolate chips in with any beef-based sauce. She was the best.
Load More Replies... Kai David 3 years ago
Heart disease runs in my dads family, so grew up on a low to no salt diet. I continued this into my adult hood. As a consequence I now have a salt deficiency that is worse than someone who has too much salt. I have to take a prescription grade tablets of a type of sodium chloride daily since my system can no longer absorb and maintain sodium levels.
Kelly Jo 3 years ago
I can relate, but my doctor figured out what was going on before I had to take pills. Just adjusting my diet.
Load More Replies... GirlFriday 3 years ago
My grandmother gave me these five rules for cooking and they have served me very well my entire life: 1. Sharpen your knives; 2. Fresh is best; 3. Season high; 4. Taste everything at every stage; 5. Clean as you go.
Nathaniel 3 years ago
All the comments about salting foods. My Dad has had several strokes, salt is a major no no, food should reflect dietary needs and health concerns but you see all these television chefs cooking "healthy" food and throwing in handfuls of salt.
Jo Choto 3 years ago
The latest research shows that salt doesn't have that much effect on health after all. In terms of heart disease, strokes, blood pressure, etc. the difference between a low salt and a high salt diet makes <5% difference.
Load More Replies... MzFitz1215 3 years ago
One of the important ones I didn't see listed, NEVER TRY TO CATCH A FALLING KNIFE!
Liz 3 years ago
And don't take a perfectly good nicely seasoned cast iron skillet and ruin it with dish soap and steel wool
Ilvana Babic 3 years ago
Don't blame it on the salt while you are eating like 10 burgers/day! Salt is a very important for our health, specially iodine in it .Keeps our organs to funktion properly.
Grant Clemons 3 years ago
This list is presented as objective facts from professionals, but for the most part they're just differences in style or taste preferences.
CanidaeVulpes 3 years ago
Seems like Liucija is having writer’s block. Wasn’t this very same thing posted just a few months ago? And the one about different architecture? Usually there’s some new content, but it all looks the same to me
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