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A single episode of Hell’s Kitchen or MasterChef is enough to realize how much guts it takes to become a chef. Working under so much pressure, your blood boiling like it was on the menu is the norm in a restaurant kitchen. And being shouted at is a polite way to confirm you’re still in. On the other side of the cooking industry, crashing hopes and dreams are washed ashore on moldy food containers as seen on Kitchen Nightmares. Whether you’re doing good or not, it never gets easier.
So this time, we are looking at the culinary school grads who have likely been to hell and back to see what cooking tips they have to share. Thanks to one Redditor who posed the question “What are some golden tips to cooking you didn’t learn in culinary school?” on r/Cooking, we can now learn their useful tricks without selling our sanity to the kitchen.
It turns out, learning stuff the "normal way," aka tuning in to a "how to make an omelet" video on YouTube, may just as well do the job.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Not a food tip but a cooking tip.... a falling knife has no handle. If you drop a knife, get the hell out of the way and let it hit the floor. Washing it is easy enough. Try to catch it and you could be visiting the emergency room.
Oathbraker 5 years ago
Wait, people actually try to catch them? I just move my feet a bit and let it fall. It's not like it's going to break or anything.
Astrid Nineor 5 years ago
Instinct: catch faling stuff. I did it once, but luckily I got away with a small scratch
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Csaba Hegedűs 5 years ago
Let the knives hit the floor Let the knives hit the floor Let the knives hit the floor Let the knives hit the... FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!
William Bonner 5 years ago
I saw this happen at a small restaurant. The cook, who was just on the other side of the counter, dropped his knife. He made a grab for it. It did not end well.
cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
Sometimes you don't have the choice. I have very quick reactions, a glass fell down and my foot stood up to avoid it to broke on the floor. Very good! It broke on my bare foot instead, cutting me badly. This kind of reactions are so fast, you can't think "oh it may be dangerous", your body move before you can figure out what it is going on.
Arman Sadeghi 4 years ago
Hopefully, I can give this to the student that I'm helping. They go to the Culinary Lab School: https://culinarylabschool.com/ in California and loves it but are having a hard time with the course. It's probably nerves and uncertainty due to graduating soon. So hopefully, this can help.
Martin Family 4 years ago
Hopefully, I can give this to the student that I'm helping. They go to the Culinary Lab School: https://culinarylabschool.com/ in California and loves it but are having a hard time with the course. It's probably nerves and uncertainty due to graduating soon. So hopefully, this can help.
Grace Marraffa 5 years ago
This happened to me, i was cutting a watermelon and my hands had juice all over them and i dropped the knife, tired to grab it, and almost cut off my finger, still have the scar, 5 years later
RELATED:
#2
If you're a home cook always clean up after your self while you're cooking. You'll thank yourself after you've eaten and you're full and you don't have a sink full of dishes and stuff to put away everywhere.
Vero Morales 5 years ago
my kitchen is so tiny, if a try to wash my dishes while Im cooking, I´ll burn myself with the heath of the stove
Lori Spins 5 years ago
That's a nice thought, but after waking up at 5am, to be at work at 730m to get home by 445pm, to then spend 2 hours cooking, I am not cleaning as I go
Marcia Cash 5 years ago
My husband is my "automatic dishwasher". Though sometimes he gets in the way and grabs dishes before I'm finished with them, I try not to fuss at him..
Crochet lady 5 years ago
The rule in our house is if you cook the other washes dishes but since my husband can't cook anything I always cook. I feel too bad about leaving a sink full of dishes so I mostly wash as I go. That's not to say there's not a few things towards the end but I feel like with mot recipes there's plenty of time to keep up with the dishes.
Kathy Fletcher 5 years ago
Morning girl here with no dishwasher. I rinsecand stage for big cleanup in the AM.
#3
Recipes are a road map. You don't have to follow them exactly, its ok to deviate. Unless you are baking, in which case, follow the recipe exactly.
Marilyn Ransberry 4 years ago
That is the European way and my sister in law loves it but in N Am all our recipes are in cups and no one has weigh scales.
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Michał Osiecki 4 years ago
I always deviate, look up how to make some dishes I know, and then completely change the taste, asian fusion lasagna? Sure!
Allan Breum 5 years ago
Once you get a bit of experience under your belt, baking recipes are more or less just guidelines too.
Agnieszka Oleszkowicz 5 years ago
I always take apropriate measures while cooking or baking and gradually I cut off the sugar and fat doze in recipe.
To find out more about the subreddit r/Cooking, where the “What are some golden tips to cooking you didn’t learn in culinary school?” question was posted, Bored Panda reached out to the moderator u/zem, who told us more about the community.
The Reddit user u/zem explained that r/cooking has evolved over time “to stress the fact the membership is interested in cooking rather than just food.” Hence, the moderator team has disallowed pictures of food without a complete recipe attached.
“Compare r/tonightsdinner to see what we were trying to discourage; that's a great subreddit too, but it's focused more on the food than on how the reader can make it for themselves,” u/zem added.
#4
You can use the stem of broccoli. Just peel, slice and fry it in the pan, it's delicious.
Bobert Robertson 5 years ago
I grew up eating these raw, my siblings and I fought for them. They're the best part
Crochet lady 5 years ago
I'm ashamed to say I'm a pretty good cook and didn't know this! But it all comes down to who you learned to cook from. My mom was a frazzled widow with 5 children and a job. She was a decent cook but a very tired and drained one. We were on a very tight budget and fresh veggies weren't something she made. We had canned or frozen and I never handled fresh broccoli until I was a married woman and decided to really try to learn to cook. But still never saw a recipe that said to use the stems. I have learned something today at the age of 57 and I'm thrilled. It always seemed so wasteful to me to throw that all out. Thanks BP!
Marilyn Ransberry 4 years ago
I always used them . My kids liked them better than the texture of the tops - just cook longer. Also they can be used in soups .
#5
Professional chef here. Hot pans make a world of difference. Never start anything in a cold pan.
Oathbraker 5 years ago
Same for ovens and grills. Never start cooking cold. Heat it up first and then add the food.
Lula Gage 5 years ago
Why? Thank you for the advice, I'm sure it's quite true and helpful, but, why?
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F. H. 5 years ago
But they work fine in a hot pan, too. It depends on how you like them.
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Mary Maney 5 years ago
Except for boiling potatoes. Start in cold water then bring water AND potatoes to boil
Pete Whaley 5 years ago
Except scrambled eggs. That’s the one exception and should always be started in a cold pan.
#6
Learn cooking techniques instead of recipes.
Don't approach recipes like they're magic spells in the Harry Potter universe. If you wiggle your nose wrong or put in a spec to much of some seasoning you're not going to end up with a completely different dish.
Alton Brown does an incredible job of teaching a cooking technique and then showing you a recipe that applies that technique. If you learn a process instead of a rote recipe you will know how to cook dozens of dishes, and it's really the only way to develop skills in the kitchen.
Daria Z 5 years ago
True. After I learned the basic principle of cooking risotto I can now do it with any ingredients that are available.
Stephanie Baassler 5 years ago
That's how I make soup. Any recipe is just a reference point.
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The moderator also said that the team behind the community is here not because they’re cooking experts, but rather because “we spend a lot of time on Reddit and are basically volunteering some time and effort to keep the community running smoothly.”
The subreddit, which now has 2.2 million members, describes itself as “a place for the cooks of Reddit and those who want to learn how to cook.”
#7
Take a small hand towel and either loop it through a belt loop or between your waist and your belt so it hangs over your leg. As you move around, then, you always have something to wipe your hands/your instruments on and you don't need to go out of your way to do it!
Rickard Shen 5 years ago
“A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.” - Douglas Adams
Colin L 5 years ago
There is one hoopty frood who knows where his towel is!
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Gabriele Besozzi 5 years ago
Really bad for cross contamination and it is actually an infraction of health codes around the developed world
Allan Breum 5 years ago (edited)
OR, you could display some basic friggin' food hygiene and wash your damn hands and utensils. Just wiping is a good way to give yourself, and anyone else who eats your food, a nasty case of food-poisoning.
IlovemydogShilo 5 years ago
This is not just a great tip for cooks; my mechanic does this too and a keen gardener friend of mine does this too for exactly the same reason.
#8
The only recipe that should have only one clove of garlic in it is a recipe for one clove of garlic. Two MINIMUM people.
sorlag110 5 years ago
I add way more garlic that the recipe recommends because I love garlic, it doesn't always mess up the balance 😅
Binxyminxem 5 years ago
Me too! And garlic's good for the heart so the more the merrier I say 🙂
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Madb vonMesser 5 years ago
I'm frigging allergic to garlic. Everything has it these days, it makes eating out a chore.
#9
When making a sauce for your pasta, you should add some of the water you used to boil the pasta into the sauce. This will help the sauce bind better to the pasta and make it taste better.
Molly Cule 5 years ago
One of our favourite and easiest recipes is to half cook pasta in chicken stock, add passata & seasoning (usually mainly oregano), stir until pasta is cooked, take off heat and stir in bit of cream cheese. The starch from the pasta thickens the sauce beautifully and there's only one saucepan to wash up.
Mary Maney 5 years ago
Always. The starches in the pasta water help the sauce thicken and become one with ITSELFFFFFF
Katherine Harriman 5 years ago
I've added the stock of the seafood, When making a seafood dish(shrimp or scallops, it gives the pasta an added boost of flavor..
#10
ALWAYS use real butter, not margarine.
Kane Templer 4 years ago
But isn’t water one molecule away from being an explosive gas?
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miten sasmita 5 years ago
Not everyone can afford butter. I live in indonesia. A block of butter cost IDR 30,000 at least while margarine only cost IDR 5,000. With the cost of a block of butter you can get 2 full meal (rice, meat, veggies, water) here. So margarine it is.
Watchman 5 years ago
Margarine was originally formulated for use as a turkey feed to fatten them up, but they wouldn't touch it. Says it all really.
Seabeast 5 years ago (edited)
Actually, that is a myth. Margarine was invented to win a prize offered by the French government as a butter replacement. It was always meant for humans. Turkeys eat grain, not fat. https://culinarylore.com/food-science:margarine-myths-feed-turkeys-and-more/
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Lucas Bornico 5 years ago
Margarine is not healthy at all it is essentially hydrogenated oil (trans falt)... butter is much healthier and has been around thousands of years.... margarine is essentially an artificial food created in the post war era and, amongst other processed foods, is a culprit at today´s obesity crisis...
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#11
Pay attention to all your senses. Sauteing things like onions sound different at different stages. More of a hiss at the start as the steam escapes settling down to a crackle once all that's left its vegetable and fat. Similarly everything you cook will have subtle changes to the way they smell as they cook. There have been many times when I have been multitasking and my nose has alerted me to check on whatever I have in the oven. I'm not talking about smelling burning but just the subtle changes as certain stages of cooking are reached. Eventually it becomes second nature.
Dippin Dot 5 years ago
I can tell when it's time to check cookies by smell. I made cookies last week for the first time my boyfriend was with me and he didn't believe me until he saw it in action. I warned him I have a sensitive nose!
Stina Kolling 5 years ago
Your cake is done immediately AFTER the smell has wafted through the entire house and then subsided!
Kill-Bunny 5 years ago
That's me! When I make a lot of dishes at once for family celebrations, I randomly ask someone to help me, like stir the pot or saute the pan. And I always hear the same question: "How do You know it's time? You haven't even looked at the pan or at the clock!" And my answers is always the same: "I can hear my food" :D
#12
Add about a half of a tablespoon of sugar to your chili or spaghetti sauce. It takes some of the acidity out.
Oathbraker 5 years ago
Honestly do this whenever adding tomatoes to a sauce since they can be pretty acidic.
Nianudd 5 years ago
I find if I add pepper too, say in pasta sauce, the sweetness balances out the acidity of the tomatoes
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Nela Rothenbach 5 years ago
I don't lile cinnamon, but I use dark chocolate, too.
Load More Replies... Kyle Sipple 5 years ago
I add raisins for the same effect. They soak up the juice and really pop?
B 5 years ago
1 - 2 (depending on portion size) finely diced or shredded carrots add a natural sweetness. That's how many Italians do it. Use 3/4 beef mince and 1/4 pork mince. Plenty of garlic and tomato paste and a quarter bottle of red wine, simmer for about two hours, leave to rest and reheat the following day, and you have a very good bolognese sauce.
Saico Hipe 5 years ago
It will not 'take the acidity out.' You would need something alkaline for that, like baking soda. What it actually does it help balance the flavor.
#13
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not for frying things! It has a very low smoke point and will break down. For higher (but still not very high) heat, you want regular Olive Oil, not Extra Virgin.
Sandra Cesca 5 years ago
Sunflower oil has the lowest smoke point and it's not suitable for frying. A cheaper alternative to the olive oil is peanut oil.
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Shelby P 5 years ago
I read somewhere that some olive oil labeled "extra virgin" was no different than regular. That the person worked at a plant where they put the same olive oil in many differently labeled bottles... so how would a person know the difference?
pebs 5 years ago
Both extra virgin and virgin oil are extracted from the first pressing of the olives. The difference lies in the organoleptic qualities and the percentage of acidity. For extra virgin olive oil the limit is set at 0.8 grams per 100 grams, while for virgin oil the maximum limit is 2 grams per 100 grams. The extra virgin olive oil is of superior quality and the difference can be understood from the taste. The quality of the olives is also important.
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Rickard Shen 5 years ago
Since I don't know much about this, and most comments here just have downvotes, I guess I'm going with motor oil.
Sandra Cesca 5 years ago (edited)
Oils smoke points - Extra Virgin Olive oil: 210°C Peanut oil: 180°C Coconut oil: 177°C Corn oil: 160°C Soy oil: 130°C Sunflower oil: less than 130°C
Watchman 5 years ago
Rapeseed is best for frying at high temps and has a nice flavour as well.
Bored Little Panda 5 years ago
Ok so since olive oil has a low smoke point, use vegetable oil!! Its meant for frying... olive oil is a flavor oil and vegetable oil is a cooking oil.
#14
You can use soy sauce or fish sauce as a substitute for salt for a better umami taste. Also, because you'll need less due to the concentrated flavour, it'll naturally be less sodium.
A Random Panda 2 5 years ago
Miso onigiri are good! Mix it with some melted butter, and putt it on rice balls, then grill.
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Stefan van der Klooster 4 years ago
Fish Sauce is magic! The challenge is to keep it subtle and not overdo it. You shouldn't taste the fishy fishy (except in Thai food!). I put it in so many sauces, soups etc. and people never notice it (even people that say they can't stand fish sauce!)
Nancy Troyer 5 years ago
I like strong flavors and my preference for soy sauce is a dark soy sauce. It has a thicker consistency than your basic cheap Kikkoman and is a staple in my kitchen.
Saico Hipe 5 years ago
I skip the middlemen and buy huge bags of pure MSG at the Asian supermarket. It's wicked cheap, and has a purer umami flavor that soy sauce or fish sauce.
#15
Salt in the hand, not in the pan. When adding salt to a dish, try not to hang a 5 pound box over it.
J Gund 5 years ago
Title of you sex tape? (Btw, this is from the show and if you watch it, you will know it if funny, not gross. please go easy on the replies until you watch it)
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Jaded Queen 5 years ago
This is so stupid. Don't u people have kitchen counters and steel boxes with spoons to keep salt in. Damn where do u ppl cook, of u dont even have kitchen counters
Marilyn Ransberry 4 years ago
Bc of my husband not being allowed to have much salt I use very little. The salt shaker is never used ( except for corn on the cob or French fries which I HAVE to salt). You get used to the amount used and some restaurant food taste too salty for us.
Anne Mitchell 4 years ago
Same with a pepper grinder. Mine broke and spilt a whole grinder of pepper corns into a huge pot of pumpkin soup. Ruined the lot.
Crochet lady 5 years ago
I learned that lesson when I was in my very first apartment and just dumped a whole pour of salt in by accident. It's not a mistake you make twice. Lol.
#16
Mise en place. Have all your stuff lined up and ready to go before you start. You don't want something to burn because you're busy looking for the tablespoon or opening a can of something.
Crochet lady 5 years ago
I had to start doing this when I became chronically ill/pain and my husband started doing the grocery shopping. I learned 2 things about my husband of 25 years. One he's a hoarder and 2 he doesn't put anything where it's supposed to go. So I would be in the middle of a recipe and go to grab an ingredient and not only would it not be where I had been keeping it all those years but I would have to search behind 6 cans of stewed to tomatoes or 4 cans of kidney beans and bags and bags of rice and I would hear my dish boiling over as I looked in frustration for the missing ingredient. Easy to solve that problem by assembling everything first. Bonus, don't have to try to think like my husband. Lol.
Stina Kolling 5 years ago
i am NOT a mise on place person. makes way too many small dishes to clean. drives me nuts. (but i'm a really good multitasker and i've been cooking for years, so i know what to cut while something else is cooking, and how to stagger things.)
#17
Always scrape the ingredients from the cutting board into a pot with the back of the knife, it will help the blade stay sharp longer
Diana Pahule 4 years ago
I've always done this because it's convenient. The knife is there already from the chopping.
Lisa Jane 5 years ago
Why would you waste a tissue when the knife usually has been used to chop up what you’re doing?
Load More Replies... Oathbraker 5 years ago
Not if it's a wooden cutting board. Though you can use the bottom of porcelain plates as a cheap sharpener. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKsIBtskdjM
F. H. 5 years ago
Scraping the blade over a wooden cutting board will dull you knive just as well as with a plastic cutting board. If you use the bottom of plates to sharpen your knives instead of buying a 1$ ceramic or steel sharpener, it's very likely that you don't care how sharp your knives are in first place.
Load More Replies... #18
Keep it simple. Something with 3-4 ingredients that go really well together is better than something with 12 ingredients that clash with each other.
Melanie Burlock 5 years ago
I keep telling my husband this and he refuses to listen. When he cooks it’s overkill of meats, and he doesn’t notice if the flavours are complimentary.
Marie jeeves 5 years ago
I’d have to murder him lol. My husband is not allowed to cook in my kitchen. He doesn’t even know how to turn the oven on...
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#19
Salt early, salt late. Adding salt at different points in cooking dramatically affects results.
Chantel Atwell 5 years ago
I know this is a fact because when I was a kid, I had a friend over who made scrambled eggs for me. She didn't put salt in it while it was cooking. She said I could put it on after it's on my plate. I did, and it's SO DIFFERENT - I don't like it that way. It tastes better to me if you salt the eggs before cooking them.
JessG 5 years ago
Fun fact: salting the scrambled eggs before cooking breaks down the eggs resulting in eggs that are not so fluffy (I do anyway, tastes better, lol)
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Marilyn Ransberry 4 years ago
N American food relies too much on salt and not enough in herbs and spices.
#20
There’s literally no point, and even a health hazard, to “rinse” pre-cut chicken and salmon.
Steve Barnett 5 years ago
By rinsing chicken under a faucet/tap you are splashing any potential germs/bacteria all over the shop.
Shelby P 5 years ago
same, I hate the slime... and I wash my sink and counters thoroughly after doing so...
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sushant kanojiya 5 years ago
We bring pre-cut chicken from shop. And before we start cooking.. we wash them under running tap to remove bit of blood and sticky fats. Is that we referring here as 'rinse'? If not to rinse chicken, then how to clean it???
Marina 5 years ago
Yes, that's what the text is referring to. Meat is not supposed to be rinsed, especially chicken and salmon, because they could contain dangerous bacteria. The splashes of water could contaminate the area around the sink and whatever there is around it and that's why rinsing it with water that could splash around is highly unadvised. It's better to cook it as it is and eventually carefully remove by hand the "nastier" parts like pieces of fat or blood clots if that's truly necessary
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Tee Vee 4 years ago
Me. I don't like the slime or the blood or wondering what's on my food from processing.
Load More Replies... Todd Hunter 5 years ago
I've worked in many restaurants in my life, chicken and many other items that are pre cut are coming from meat packing plants where contamination is rampant. They've done many tests on the stuff and animal fecal bacteria is present. You can and should rinse or clean meats before cooking them.
K O 5 years ago
It's all covered in fecal matter, yes...but you are better cooking that off than spreading it all over your kitchen, water isn't going to clean the bacteria - you'd need soap or bleach for that. Washing that dirt everywhere could get you killed
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Paul Zelf 5 years ago
Rinsing fish is always a good idea. You get rid of the mucus layer and you never know how clean the fish has been handled.
F. H. 5 years ago
Certain recepies require the mucus layer intact (blue cooking, for example) and if the fish wasn't handled clean, cold water won't do any good.
Load More Replies... #21
Electric stoves are much hotter than gas. A high setting on gas will get you a nice sear, but the same on electric will burn. It's not something to worry about in the kitchen, but definitely at home.
Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
I have heard that gas cookers are apparently so much better and seem to cook more evenly, especially in the oven. Does anyone know if this is true, I have only lived in houses with electric ovens and pretty crappy ones at that. One thing I do know is that gas is cheaper to run, well in Aus anyway.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
It's the opposite. You have a lot of control over your heat if you use a gas stove top. Gas ovens tend not to heat as evenly and consistently as electric ones, though. When I replace my stove, I'm getting one with gas burners and an electric oven.
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Crochet lady 5 years ago
I've had both kinds and have truly come to hate electric. I feel I have much more control over the heat with gas and you don't have to remember to take things off the burner. Wouldn't go back to electric, even just converted the stove top in our future retirement house, wouldn't ever go back. Bonus! If the power is out you can still cook! This has happened to us for days at a time here where we live in PA. Not having access to any kind of warm food for more than a few hours is awful. If nothing else you can still have tea, pasta etc with a gas stove, can't do that with electric.
John Shearer 5 years ago
That's not true, only reason it would burn is that you have no control over the heat, gas gives that control as when it is shut off it stops being a heat source, electric cookers stay hot even when turned off for a long while
Craig Reynolds 4 years ago
Induction electric is best. It's faster than gas to heat up and also faster heat control.
Mary Maney 5 years ago
No. Gas is better. Heats up so much faster and u can roast a marshmallow when it’s raining. :)
Marcia Cash 5 years ago
Electric burners are slow to heat up and cool down, a totally different skill set than cooking with gas.
Katherine Boag 5 years ago
In NZ i found it very difficult to get a low heat for simmering with gas, while it was easy on electric. So this i dont understand
#22
A master chef told me this in culinary school: "you can always stop cooking." Take it off the burner or out of the oven if you need to. Surprisingly helpful tip
Oathbraker 5 years ago
And do what- let the existential dread settle in? Or do they mean to lower the heat so you can stir and add ingredients without overcooking the whole thing?
Patrick Bussink 5 years ago
For me this tip comes in handy when you're cooking multiple dishes and want them all hot and ready at the same time. For some reason you may need to pause one dish either because you don't want it overdone or there's another dish that needs dedicated attention. Just take it off (or even lower) the heat for a bit, and pick it back up to suit your timing. That said, you can't do it w/everything. Like pasta, once it's boiling don't stop til its al dente, but then you can ice bath, drain, set aside. There's other exceptions but that's what I took this comment to mean.
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Titas Burinskas 5 years ago (edited)
It means that dishes like steak and chicken can settle without being cooked constantly. A chicken's inside can cook without direct heat on it, just pull it out before it's peak level, and you serve it on peak tastiness. If you cook it till it's done, by the time you serve it, it gets stale and overcooked. OR if you see things cook too fast (like a cake), just pull it out and let it rest for a bit. You won't ruin it's consistency.
Yeah, you heard 5 years ago
Gosh, so thats what I've been doing wrong all these years: I've been putting food in the oven, and never taking it out. I wondered why the oven was full of burnt food.
#23
Always use cold water to mix with flour or cornstarch to make your gravy. It won't get lumpy.
Roadkill The Brave 5 years ago
Put the water in the freezer before you need it. The colder the water the better the mix, also make sure all your cornstarch has disolved before you pour it into your pan. Also also, cornstarch disolved easier in cold cinnamon in hot. Fun stuff. Don't just throw cornstarch in the pan thinking it acts like flour.
s. vitkovitsky 5 years ago
Usually a roux is used to thicken gravy. Plain flour dulls the flavor of drippings. But then. I guess some people enjoy the taste of wallpaper paste!
Lois Matelan 4 years ago
If you start by making a roux (adding the flour to the oil in the pan and letting it brown) then it will blend much more readily and not make lumps, no matter whether the water is hot or cold.
#24
Please don’t buy pre-marinated meats in butchers and grocery stores, they’re usually older cuts of meat being ‘rescued’ with a marinade to cover the unfreshness and smell.
Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
If no-one buys any of the pre marinated meats then it will all just end up being dumped. There is nothing wrong with the marinated meats even if they are the “older” meats, doesn’t mean they are off/spoiled.
Enuya 5 years ago
NO, unfortunately marinated meats tend to be very, very off, especially in supermarkets. Friend of mine used to sell meat in one of bigger shops - she and her co-workers were forced to wash and/or marinate meat which was smelly and even started to turn green. Believe me, you *don't* want to eat this.
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#25
Timers. I always forget I have something going on the stove while I'm cutting something across the kitchen. Timers save lives.
Libby Maeder 5 years ago
"Alexa, set a rice timer for 45 minutes!" This is my favorite Alexa feature, super handy, especially for multiple timers.
Nancy Troyer 5 years ago
I probably use my microwave for the timer more than I actually use it to heat up anything (though I have been doing a lot of big-batch cooking and freezing during the pandemic so it gets more use than it used to).
#26
Make your own stock. Save the parts of veggies you didn't use like ends of onions, inners of peppers, and chicken bones in a ziplock in the freezer. Just make sure you don't put anything bitter like cabbage or brocolli in. Also never put lemon rind in, it will make it super bitter and inedible. Sweet things like carrots or squash are a must, even pieces of apples are delicious. And I always make sure to put in some celery. Put it all straight from freezer bag to pot, cover with water, throw in a few bay leaves and salt and pepper and simmer for like two hours. I always try to have chicken stock on hand... so much better than store bought broth, and you control the sodium. Your soups will never be the same. Also delicious to use to cook rice
Roadkill The Brave 5 years ago
I've made my own stock for years and this is a great way to save yourself money in the long run. It might not last as long but that's why you do it in small batches.
F. H. 5 years ago
I'm doing it too, but I don't think it saves any money. It takes a lot of work, ingredients and electricity. Buying powder is much cheaper, it just doesn't taste as good.
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ChickyChicky 5 years ago
After I make the stock, I boil it way way way down, then freeze it in an ice cube tray. Each cube reconstitutes to about a cup of broth. Saves space and keeps for months.
Cecile Desjardins 5 years ago
Basic. And healthy also. Bought stock are made of dubious fats with extra load of salt, plus color
Jamie Andersen 5 years ago
Also has collagen/gelatin naturally in is so it adds to the unctuous mouth feel.
A 5 years ago
I do this. I keep an old, extra-large margarine tub in the freezer and add vegetable ends and bones to it. When it's full, or when I've cooked a chicken and am making stock, I add everthing from the tub. I also keep a ziploc full of bread ends and when it's full, I throw them in the food processor and make breadcrumbs. (I let the ends pile up for a few weeks so I don't have to wash the food processor every time)
Saico Hipe 5 years ago
I do big batches I my pressure cooker and then freeze it in 1 quart containers.
JuJu 5 years ago
Why call it waste? You get sth in the end that has a much better quality than stock powder
Load More Replies... #27
A few drops of a hot sauce like Crystal or a fish sauce can be unrecognizable in a vinaigrette, dip or sauce but it can take it to otherworldly levels. A touch of heat, umami, sugar or acid can turn a flat dish into something people crave. Little drops, add more. Stop when you taste it and start salivating.
#28
Using scissors to cut things. Cherry tomatoes, dough, pizza, some cuts of meat, veggies.... So much faster, less to clean up and way cleaner cuts.
ML 5 years ago
I can imagine the tomatoes when cutting them. I bet I would have more squished tomatoes on the floor than the ones wich are cut neatly.
Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
I can guarantee that is the case as I have tried this hack. It is a useless hack in my opinion. I do cut sausages, steak and pizza with scissors though.
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Mark Kelly 5 years ago
Good advice except the tomato one. But them between 2 lids and cut them in a cross sectional ay.
#29
You'll move faster if you maintain the saying of 'Everything has a home, and if it's not in my hand, it's in its home.' This way, you can rely on everything being exactly in its place.
Also, stay clean. Not just by wiping up crumbs after you use a cutting board (keep a sanitized towel nearby for a quick wipe and it'll become second nature), but by always keeping 'landing spaces' clear. You go faster when your space is flexible, and that only happens if you stay clean.
Anne 5 years ago
They sure do.. And it seems to be trashed after. What a waste!
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Peter Weir 5 years ago
my scrap get dyhydrated and made into veggies stock powder, never waste it...compost the rest
#30
Work like an assembly line. Cut all the ends off, then peel everything, then split everything, then slice. Having 500 veggies to chop will take so long if you do each, from beginning to end, individually. When you change jobs or motions or tools, you slow down to recalibrate. The less you change actions, the faster you can get.
Yeah, you heard 5 years ago
This "tip" is rubbish. Do all the veggies that take longest to cook first (e.g. carrots) then while they're cooking you can be preparing something that won't take as long to cook, e.g. cauliflower or courgette.
Benjamin Lensgraf 5 years ago
I disagree. Better to have everything prepped first that way you don't have a "deadline" to get the others done while some are cooking.
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Arman Sadeghi 4 years ago
Hopefully, I can give this to the student that I'm helping. They go to the Culinary Lab School: https://culinarylabschool.com/ in California and loves it but are having a hard time with the course. It's probably nerves and uncertainty due to graduating soon. So hopefully, this can help.
Shelby 5 years ago
I'm definitely a prepper. I line up and knock down all reasonable preparation before starting to cook. There are some ingredients out there that really need to be busted out on demand like fragrants. There isn't a world where I'll be a professional cook but I am a cooking show addict, my whole life, and every efficient kitchen preps prior to service. :) And suddenly I want to double down on a Hell's Kitchen marathon lol
#31
Chop with the rear part of the blade, not the tip, in a rolling motion.
Oathbraker 5 years ago
Also don't press down- MOVE the knife front to back. I've seen so many people just press the knife down while barely moving. It's a blade- not a hammer.
#32
This is more than one: -If your sauce is too salty, add half a potato. -If you are going to be deep frying or making candy, invest in a decent thermometer. -If you are making simple drop cookies, you want to mix every stage to totally smooth. -Garlic reduces spice. -Don't be a punk, use fresh cracked pepper.
#33
Dry any ingredients that trap moisture — like meat, fish, and vegetables — with a paper towel before cooking them. My mom’s cooking was always too watery — and not properly crispy, browned, or caramelized — because she missed this step.
#34
Don't be afraid to experiment. Every successful new recipe or derivation was at one point an experiment.
Steven Cook 5 years ago
If you're on a budget, experiment with cheap ingredients. It doesn't matter if you ruin $2 worth of stuff. This goes for learning to bake too. Flour and sugar are not expensive.
#35
This isn't a secret or anything, but I think a lot of folks don't realize how important acid is in a lot of cooking. When you've seasoned something perfectly but it still tastes like it's missing something, it's usually acid. A bit of citrus juice or vinegar will take it to the next level.
IlovemydogShilo 5 years ago
Add Worcestershire Sauce to anything savoury (or anything that's not sweet really). It gives it an amazing kick. I do this for stir fries, pan fried meat like chicken or burgers and cheese on toast. Just half cook the cheese on toast under the grill, take out half way through cooking as the sauce will lie better on half melted cheese and then put back under to finish cooking. It even tastes amazing on crisps/ chips. Just sprinkle a few drops in the bag, shake, then enjoy☺
Anne 5 years ago
acid reflux in almost half the cases is due to too little stomach acid
Load More Replies... #36
Don’t add the oil or butter before your pan is hot! Heat up your pan first, then add the oil and let that heat up (it will get ripply), then add whatever you’re cooking.
David Hunn 5 years ago
Because the pan is going to take longer to heat up. Your fat probably would have broken by then. -Chef David
Load More Replies... #37
If you want to brown your meat, don't fill the pan to the brim. It will only boil in its own juices until it's still pale but also tough. Just put a few pieces in at once, you can place them on a plate once they're done and then do the next ones.
#38
Place cherry tomatoes in between two plastic lids to cut them in half. You can cut 15 to 20 at a time this way instead of one at a time.
Olivia Agave 5 years ago
I have tried this. I assume I did something wrong because all I got was an uneven cut and tomato goo everywhere. I'll stick with individually cutting them, I don't mess that up.
Peter Weir 5 years ago
not hard to cut ...by the time you place it in the lid, cover it up and hen cut, you would be finished and having a glass of wine.....and you are using what looks like a bread knife.
Kizzie 5 years ago
Bread knives or serrated knives are meant for cutting tomatoes too. They work great for melons, chocolate, and cake along with bread and tomatoes.
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#39
The more you diversify your cuisine knowledge, the better a cook you will become. There's usually more than one way to do something well, and no one cuisine or continent has all the answers. My culinary school was very Eurocentric in its approach. But in the real world, people cook differently — with different techniques from one place to the next — and all create amazing food. I've learned from many YouTube cooking channels that a lot of the old cooking or baking wisdom from school doesn't apply. Or that it may be OK, but there are newer and better ways of doing things."
Steven Cook 5 years ago
I started learning to make Ramen, then I learned it's a local dish to be made with local ingredients. This inspired me to invent Milwaukee Style Ramen. Yes, it uses beer. The IPA agitama eggs are amazing.
#40
Add some cider vinegar to chicken or turkey gravy. Game. Changer.
#41
Caramelize onions in butter (rather than olive oil) and a bit of sugar. Butter is especially great for browning. If you’re going a bit beyond just browning, like with fried or caramelized onions, use butter and sugar. It makes a world of difference.
ultravioletmaglite 5 years ago
(grandfather's artisanal) honey instead of sugar taste really good too
Oathbraker 5 years ago
But pay attention to it, because butter overcook much faster and easier than oil.
#42
Flouring pans for cakes is a step not to be skipped but when it comes to chocolate cakes, it looks awful so for dark cakes, I use cocoa powder instead.
Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
Why? I have never had to flour pans. I just use baking paper.
Stina Kolling 5 years ago
I always had a problem getting my bundt cakes out of the pan until my coworker taught me this: Butter the pan, then flour it, then put it in the fridge until you're ready to pour the batter in! Works a treat!
Katy McMouse 5 years ago
I use sugar. Just gently wipe off the sides once your cake is COMPLETELY cool and frost. Any remnants left on the side add a nice little crunch to the last few bites of cake. (If I'm pouring ganache over a bundt cake, I leave it all on).
#43
Instead of just straight up sauteeing shrimp for a dish you can take (high quality) raw uncooked shrimp, take off the shells and tails and set them aside, heat up a little oil in your pan, saute the shells in the hot oil until they turn red and get little white speckles on them, add 1C of a good white wine, simmer for about 5 min, strain and use a spoon to sort of press on the shells to get all the liquid out, return the liquid to the pan, and then poach the shrimp in that liquid just until cooked. Flavor explosion!
#44
Only cook with wine you would actually drink yourself. This means, don't use "cooking" wine. As in, that garbage that is all salty from the grocery. Just stick to wines you'd find on the shelf that aren't in the cooking aisle.
#45
If you are cooking a dish that asks for thinly sliced beef or pork, throw that hunk of meat in the freezer. Way easier to cut thin when semi-frozen
#46
If you’re searing a bunch of little things in a pan, like scallops, set them in the pan in a clock-like circular pattern. That way, you’ll be able to easily keep track of where to start flipping, and then you can just move clockwise down the line. Seems obvious, but I was just haphazardly throwing pieces of meat or seafood in a pan prior to seeing this done on a cooking show.
#47
Never throw away bacon fat. Filter cooled (but still liquid) bacon fat through a paper towel into a coffee mug or heat-resistant container. It stays fresh uncovered in the fridge for months. Use it anywhere you'd use butter, lard, or oil. It makes great gravy and is also perfect for sautéing veggies, especially leafy stuff like kale and spinach. Just remember that bacon fat is salty, so you'll want to adjust your recipe for that.
#49
Heat will remain in your food after turning off the stove and it will continue to cook, so pay attention to your timing. e.g. when you want to add cheese to your omelette, cheese should melt in a plate with heat of the eggs, otherwise you will have over dried omelette, same as overcooked pasta.
Katy McMouse 5 years ago
Same with baking. I tend to take a minute off the original recipe's minimum time, especially when baking something like chocolate chips - they continue to bake on the sheet after removal from the oven. This way they stay soft on the inside and slightly crunchy on the edges.
#50
If you're worried about calories, just eat a smaller portion rather than substituting "healthier" ingredients. Especially when baking.
Katrina B. 5 years ago
Again, this is dumb. You can do both. I grew up with my mom putting applesauce in our cupcakes to make them moist and they tasted great. So you can be healthy and have portion control.
Oscar Hanzély 5 years ago
Yep! Use real butter hand have less, rather than margarine for volume ...
Tiger Pearl 5 years ago
I do nearly all my baking with sugar substitutes and almond/coconut flour. That way I can eat more!!!
#51
If you're cooking on a budget, buy pasta, potatoes, rice, beans, onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, olive oil, butter, green peppers, salt? Pepper, cumin, Italian seasoning, broth. You can make lots of dishes with these
JuJu 5 years ago
What's "Italian seasoning"? Just buy herbs. Frozen herbs are better than dried ones, but dried herbs are still better than no herbs.
Kristin Ingersoll 5 years ago
Italian Seasoning, at least in The US, is a mix of dried herbs that people usually use when cooking Italian (again, AMERICAN Italian) food. It's herbs. It's just a mix of them.
Load More Replies... Aunt Messy 5 years ago
Because it tastes disgusting and it doesn't cook well. Margarine has a lot of water in it. Butter does not.
Load More Replies... #52
Read the recipe all the way through before you start cooking. You could miss small details otherwise.
Sophia Graubart 5 years ago
Also it's good so you don't go halfway and then realize...4 HOURS to chill in the fridge?!
#53
When prepping or cooking a recipe, plan your next two tasks as you're performing your current task.
That way, you always know what you're moving toward.
Johan van Luijn-Hermans 5 years ago
This is for any task or job in life, not just for cooking :)
#54
Control your heat. Control everything, but mostly your heat.
#55
If you're cooking with chicken or pork, season aggressively. Both meats are wonderful seasoning sponges; find a regional spice map or guide and start combining flavors.
#56
Using the finger measurement for rice. Just fill your pot with rice and cover with water so that the tip of your finger is touching the top of the rice and the the water comes to your first knuckle.
sorlag110 5 years ago
This would depend on the shape of the pot, and the length of one's fingers. The depth of the water depends on the diameter of the pot. I put in 5 dl water and 2,5 dl rice, i.e. twice the water as rice, as it says on the package and it works regardless of finger or pot shape.
Benjamin Lensgraf 5 years ago
not to mention the ratio of rice/water is 1/1.5 for some kinds of rice.
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#57
Pour boiling water on a chopping board after cutting raw chicken, will cook any remnants and make it easier to clean
lara 5 years ago
You should never chop or cut up poultry on wooden boards. Eventually you will not be able to clean the scratch marks. Only use nylon or similar boards. Veggies, fruits, bread, dough, etc. for wooden boards or only cooked meats.
Load More Replies... #58
Properly browning mushrooms takes fat, time and a lot of heat. I'm talking "20 minutes on high heat"-heat with the occasional stir-and-flip. If you don't like mushrooms, you have probably only eaten soggy chewy mushrooms that have been warmed up in their own juices for 5 minutes. You need to cook all those juices away!
#59
Always "cook one off" — and taste your product or prep mixture before you dive into making the rest of it. Too many people just go along making recipes and don’t taste.
Katy McMouse 5 years ago
Same with baking cookies - if you have the time. Plop one or two in the oven at the minimum baking time, remove, let cool then taste and adjust your time from that. This has saved me countless times - and a whole lot of wasted dough - when trying a new recipe. It's a little extra work but worth it. Oh, and make sure to note the best time on the recipe.
#60
The size and cut of your vegetables has a dramatic impact on how the overall dish will taste. Ever order a pizza and the onions still taste and feel raw? They cut them too big and they couldn't finish cooking in the 8 minutes it takes to bake the pizza. Same with dips, if you cut the veggies too large, the consistency of your dip will suck.
sorlag110 5 years ago
Same the the other way around in some cases, like if you're making stew, if you cut the ingredients too small it will be a mushy, flat stew.
sorlag110 5 years ago
the the (why doesn't editing posts work on BP for me?)
Load More Replies... #61
When making cookies (maybe sweets in general?) if the recipe calls for both brown sugar and granulated sugar always add more brown than white. It makes your baked goods softer
David Dau 5 years ago
whip your dough longer, make the cookies a bit smaller/flatter than normal, and reduce the heat by about 25 degrees. one or all of those can make for crispier cookies. if none of those work, then lower the sugar and butter by a bit.
Load More Replies... #62
If something burns slightly, throw BBQ sauce on it and call it "Smoked". If something that's supposed to be smooth comes out chunky, call it "Homestyle".
#63
When browning ground meat only flip it twice. Flatten it out and cook it till it is half done flip over like a giant burger then cook till done. Crumble it once its cooked. And never again eat gray tasteless ground beef.
#64
Memorize the three-step method for perfectly crispy fish skin.
1) Scrape the skin with the back of a knife to dry it out.
2) Put it in a hot pan with fat skin down and press it until it stops trying to curl. 3) Put the whole pan in the oven and roast until done. Cook it the whole way skin down.
cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
My dog is really disappointed about this "tip": "the fish skin is mine, please don't eat it!"
cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
"why would you stole my dog's pleasure! i'm the only one on earth that have that right! I told him that i did not know where is his carrot piece, he believed me, what a fool!" 20190302_1...a9e906.jpg 
#65
Treat your learning experiences as if they're "XP bars" in video gaming/rpg's, I approach all my learning this way. Your time spent x difficulty = wisdom/learning/skill level. If you're getting good at something and keep doing the same thing you'll plateau and go from learning to stagnating. Push your boundaries beyond your limit like you did when your first learned to get the most effect, and the most failure.
#66
Peeling a hard boiled egg is easier if you do it under cold running water.
Roadkill The Brave 5 years ago
For perfect hard boil eggs: eggs in pan with cold water just covering them, cook on stove until they reach a rolling boil. Set a 2 minute timer and cook at that boil for 2 minutes. Remove from stove, cover the pan with lid and the set timer for 15 minutes. When that timer goes off drain the water and get them in cold water to stop the cooking. You're eggs will turn out perfect every time with no gray ring around the yolk (over cooked). As for peeling it depends on the eggs. Store bought vinegar or baking soda in the water, farm fresh aim for vinegar and baking soda. Also if you have a sealed tight container put the egg in it with some water and shake the crap out of it. Water will peel the egg without doing so much damage or any at all.
Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
I have tried almost every technique I could find to peel a perfect egg and I still can’t bloody master it.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
Crack the shell repeatedly on the counter, then roll the egg gently between your hands. If you do that, the shell will adhere to the inner membrane of the egg and that makes it easier to peel. Peeling under running water does the same thing. The water will flow between the egg and the membrane, making the membrane come off with the shell.
Load More Replies... F. H. 5 years ago
That doesn't help with peeling, that is to keep the eggs from spilling if one cracks during cooking.
Load More Replies... Emily 5 years ago
I actually do this and it helps a ton! I just put the pot over the sink drain and peel over that so it doesn't clog.
Load More Replies... #67
Use chopsticks to cook bacon. Makes flipping the bacon so much easier and gives you great control in moving the bacon around the pan!
Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
I doubt it would be easier for me, I can’t seem to be able to use chopsticks.
#68
If you do it enough times, you can make a great sourdough loaf by feel. You don't have to measure anything.
Add your flour to make a loaf the size you choose, your starter into a levain, your water and salt. You can tell by the feel of the dough if it's hydrated where you like it. I make my best loaves this way.
Lillukka79 5 years ago
I never measure with bread or pizza does or similar. I've always done by touch, that's how my granny and mom did it.
#69
If you're cooking a meal with lots of components, use appliances to keep things at temperature — *without* taking up real estate on stove burners.
A slow cooker, Instant Pot, or grill with some kind of temp control can all have things going low and slow, holding food at temp waiting for you.
#70
When melting chocolate: Chocolate holds its shape after melting point, so stir it frequently If it has lost its initial shape but feels thick to stir, it's burnt If it is lightly burnt, it can be saved by a bit of olive oil. Add a teaspoon at a time, stir well, and your chocolate will be magically good again.
#71
Most recipes tell you to fry onions before browning meat. Don't. The onions will add liquid to the pan, meaning your meat boils rather than browns properly.
#72
Silicone spatula for eggs. Fat bonds to plastic, making plastic spatulas frustrating to use when frying eggs.
Kristin Ingersoll 5 years ago
I've never used a wooden spatula for eggs. Wood takes on the flavor of what it touches. I used silicon. Smarty pants.
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
Joley Hidaka 5 years ago
Yes great article - I would add not to cook meat straight out of the fridge - by the time it warms through it's overcooked on the outside...let the chill come off first.
Tien 5 years ago
Chefs have studies this. Leaving meat out of the fridge for half an hour or an hour doesn't do anything for the cooking process and the taste
Load More Replies...
Steve Barnett 5 years ago
First rule of burger club, DO NOT PRESS BURGER, JUST LEAVE IT ALONE, STEP BACK UNTIL YOU NEED TO TURN IT OVER. If you start prodding and pressing the burger any moisture/fat starts to leak out and instead of a juicy burger, you've got a flat piece of chewable, ground beef.
Anne Reid 5 years ago
Amen! I don’t get this trend of “smashing” burgers...all I’ve been getting are dry, tough burgers. Yuck!
Load More Replies... Stina Kolling 5 years ago
Is it just me or does the "wipe your hands & knife on a towel" thing just seem unhygienic? i just wash my hands. a LOT.
Irma 4 years ago
Yea dont do that with raw chicken obviously. With bread or veg its fine. If you work in a restaurant you do go wash up completely to get rid of some bread crumbs. That takes much time and your hands feel like sandpaper after one day.
Load More Replies...
Pete Whaley 5 years ago
Use a bigger cutting board than you think you need. Under sixes cutting boards slow you down A LOT and are dangerous.
IlovemydogShilo 5 years ago
For perfect jacket potatoes everytime cook them in the microwave first. 10 minutes for a large potato and 7 to 8 minutes for a medium size potato. then put them in the oven. This literally cuts the usual cooking time in half. Even really big potatoes cool in about 40-45 minutes instead of about an hour and a half. But remember score a X on each side of each potato before putting in the microwave to prevent the potatoes from splitting. Tip 2. When making buns cup cakes and /or muffins pour the mixture into an icing bag. Make one if necessary if you need to by pouring the mixture into a small plastic bag and cutting one of the bottom corners off. Then just as you would when icing the bun cupcake and /or muffin squeeze the mixture into their cases then put in the oven to bake. This tip I got from my brother who has been a professional chef specialising in dessert and pastries for over 30 years.
lara 4 years ago
The baked potato should be done after ten minutes in the microwave. That's how I fix my baked potatoes and I use the big ones. Ten minutes in the microwave and then 45 minutes in the oven. Geez, how big are these potatoes?
Load More Replies... Allan Breum 5 years ago
My own tip: If you have to cut any kind of dough that is flattened, use a pizza wheel. It is so much easier than using a knife or scissors, gives you much more control of the cut, and the dough doesn't stick to the tool. (At least not nearly as much as using anything else).
Looloo 5 years ago
Jeez, I thought these were pretty obvious but judging by the comments they're not to most on here. They need to reintroduce home economics in schools if adults don't know this stuff!
Sandij D 5 years ago
Learned much of this in home economics and from my grandmother. I do rinse chicken to remove blood & goo. But, I don't really have much issue with the splashing everyone worries about. But, I do wipe down surfaces w/bleach and frequently wash my hands. Disposable food gloves are wonderful. I don't like bits of meat stuck in my nails hard to disinfect without soaking. Being a mom of five/grandma of five has also helped me hone cooking/baking skills. Gas stoves rule. Never had a problem w/gas ovens, but cleaning any oven, with non-caustic cleaners is essential. One daughter has first electric stove/oven in her life and is not thrilled.
Load More Replies... Joley Hidaka 5 years ago
Yes great article - I would add not to cook meat straight out of the fridge - by the time it warms through it's overcooked on the outside...let the chill come off first.
Tien 5 years ago
Chefs have studies this. Leaving meat out of the fridge for half an hour or an hour doesn't do anything for the cooking process and the taste
Load More Replies... Steve Barnett 5 years ago
First rule of burger club, DO NOT PRESS BURGER, JUST LEAVE IT ALONE, STEP BACK UNTIL YOU NEED TO TURN IT OVER. If you start prodding and pressing the burger any moisture/fat starts to leak out and instead of a juicy burger, you've got a flat piece of chewable, ground beef.
Anne Reid 5 years ago
Amen! I don’t get this trend of “smashing” burgers...all I’ve been getting are dry, tough burgers. Yuck!
Load More Replies... Stina Kolling 5 years ago
Is it just me or does the "wipe your hands & knife on a towel" thing just seem unhygienic? i just wash my hands. a LOT.
Irma 4 years ago
Yea dont do that with raw chicken obviously. With bread or veg its fine. If you work in a restaurant you do go wash up completely to get rid of some bread crumbs. That takes much time and your hands feel like sandpaper after one day.
Load More Replies... Pete Whaley 5 years ago
Use a bigger cutting board than you think you need. Under sixes cutting boards slow you down A LOT and are dangerous.
IlovemydogShilo 5 years ago
For perfect jacket potatoes everytime cook them in the microwave first. 10 minutes for a large potato and 7 to 8 minutes for a medium size potato. then put them in the oven. This literally cuts the usual cooking time in half. Even really big potatoes cool in about 40-45 minutes instead of about an hour and a half. But remember score a X on each side of each potato before putting in the microwave to prevent the potatoes from splitting. Tip 2. When making buns cup cakes and /or muffins pour the mixture into an icing bag. Make one if necessary if you need to by pouring the mixture into a small plastic bag and cutting one of the bottom corners off. Then just as you would when icing the bun cupcake and /or muffin squeeze the mixture into their cases then put in the oven to bake. This tip I got from my brother who has been a professional chef specialising in dessert and pastries for over 30 years.
lara 4 years ago
The baked potato should be done after ten minutes in the microwave. That's how I fix my baked potatoes and I use the big ones. Ten minutes in the microwave and then 45 minutes in the oven. Geez, how big are these potatoes?
Load More Replies... Allan Breum 5 years ago
My own tip: If you have to cut any kind of dough that is flattened, use a pizza wheel. It is so much easier than using a knife or scissors, gives you much more control of the cut, and the dough doesn't stick to the tool. (At least not nearly as much as using anything else).
Looloo 5 years ago
Jeez, I thought these were pretty obvious but judging by the comments they're not to most on here. They need to reintroduce home economics in schools if adults don't know this stuff!
Sandij D 5 years ago
Learned much of this in home economics and from my grandmother. I do rinse chicken to remove blood & goo. But, I don't really have much issue with the splashing everyone worries about. But, I do wipe down surfaces w/bleach and frequently wash my hands. Disposable food gloves are wonderful. I don't like bits of meat stuck in my nails hard to disinfect without soaking. Being a mom of five/grandma of five has also helped me hone cooking/baking skills. Gas stoves rule. Never had a problem w/gas ovens, but cleaning any oven, with non-caustic cleaners is essential. One daughter has first electric stove/oven in her life and is not thrilled.
Load More Replies... You May Like “Works Surprisingly Well”: 45 Psychological ‘Cheat Codes’ People Use In Social Situations And Swear They Work 51 Chefs’ Favorite Ingredients To Give Your Taste Buds A Special Treat
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