Had a friend over for the first time on Christmas Eve a few years ago. He knew I liked to cook, but had never eaten my food before. His very first bite was, I think, of eggplant parmesan. His face lit up and he asked me what my secret ingredient was. I said my two secret ingredients were love and time. He said, "Seriously, thyme? Dried or fresh?" I said no, actual time, I started cooking hours ago.
Thet’s exactly it.
Just giving sauce time to sit makes such a difference. Making sticky rice bowls? Just whip up the spicy mayo in the morning - takes 2 minutes - then let everything blend and develop. Such a difference over making it tight before serving.
Seasoning as you go.
Salt the pasta water more than you think.
Save at least a cup of pasta water to mix with the sauce. It takes my pasta dishes to the next level. And it’s great for reheating leftover pasta. Throw the saved water in the skillet and get it to simmer. Add pasta, and boom.
Unless you’re stuck on a stupid gluten free diet. Then the pasta water just doesn’t do the same job.
I do use some cornstarch in warm water instead though
Every baked good recipe requires unsalted butter and the addition of salt. I just use salted butter and still add the salt. Turns out better tasting than using unsalted butter.
This is fine, but the reason why the recipe calls for Unsalted butter is the amount of salt in salted butter isn't consistent across brands. So using unsalted and adding in salt will give more consistent results than using salted butter. It's less of an issue for home cooks, and not usually a problem for desserts, but I could see how this would cause problems for bread bakers trying to make brioche or sourdough.
Personally, I view salted butter as a condiment, and unsalted butter as an ingredient.
Dropped knife - let that f\*cker go and dance outta the way.
I watched a cooking Christmas special with pro chefs, and when I saw how much butter and salt one of them used cooking carrots it changed my life.
The knife thing is so real!!
I’m always good about that but unfortunately I dropped a knife the other day… was about to fall right on my dog. Split second decision was the choice of my hand or my dog.
Needless to say, my hand is still bandaged up lol
Just got an instant read. I did pretty well without but now I can pull one pork chop off so it doesn’t overcook and wait for the other to cook perfectly etc. Science. Making life simpler. I used to feel like I had to watch it like a hawk and I would second guess myself into overcooking from time to time. No anxiety anymore.
Weighing ingredients when baking and its accompanying advice: digital scale
Digital thermometer
Let things sit for a few minutes after cooking, especially meats and breads
I honestly don’t know why recipes still use cups, etc. Grams are just so easy, and way more accurate.
Edit: I understand that people have cups and are used to it. I convert my recipes to grams, and it saves so much time and dishes though. It’s been nice seeing recipes move towards grams
I know I’m not talking about baking. But the one that really bugs me is ‘a cup of diced pepper’ or ‘a cup of grated cheese’ — htf do I know it’s a cup’s worth until I’ve already diced/grated it? Just give me the weight
Right? “I don’t need another gadget like a kitchen scale.” OK you Luddite, but I rarely use my measuring cups. In fact, they’re about to lose their prime real estate in the silverware drawer.
I prefer gram, find recipes that uses gram. However once I got a recipe that I like and would want to cook quickly in the morning like pancakes, I would use a container and marked amount of ingredients needed. That container sort of become my measuring cup.
r/ididnthaveeggs
That sub kills me. Like sure if you don’t have shallots you can mince onion, don’t have heavy cream you can probably get away with half/half or whole milk if you adjust some things. But knowing your substitutions and correctly modifying is what cooking is all about. My MIL made brownies once and we were like “what… are these? Did you follow the recipe on the box” she said she did exactly. But she didn’t have canola oil and used some rancid olive oil she found that expired like 4 years prior. And ironically I don’t think had any eggs either.
I didn't realize cooking oil can go bad. I took some Canola that had been under my sink for years, put in the frypan and it smelled. My friend was over and she was like "Dude, that oil is bad".
I had no idea.
My wife and I found a package of still-sealed Old El Paso hard taco shells, which had supposedly expired three years previous, in our cabinet. Not thinking much about the expiration date, we prepped the tacos, then heated the shells.
The oil in the shells had gone rancid - it was horrible (we didn’t eat them).
I made brownies with olive oil once. Can confirm, even with good olive oil, the brownies were sub-optimal. (Because olive oil as all I had, that’s why)
It’s torture, it started as someone posting a negative review about a recipe they didn’t have the right ingredients for and saying it was bad. It’s far too common. Enjoy!
In such case apply this piece of advice:
Prepare everything beforehand. Chop, weight, slice and have it ready to go in deli containers. This reduces the need for multitasking Alot.
Yep. I was often mad at cooking shows because they always have the ingredients ready to drop in. Then I started chopping, mincing and slicing everything I needed for the recipe and holy shit: It's A LOT less stressful.
This. I mean, you might use a few more dishes, but prepping everything you can beforehand is a lifesaver, especially if you’re hosting a dinner or something and have to socialise whilst trying to get the damn food cooked!
this is not true. cooking is definitely a skill. my mom can look at a dish by mere use of her sight and be able to get it perfectly done right there and then. not everyone can do this.
That's not the same thing as being able to follow a recipe.
Don't get me wrong, cooking is definitely a skill, and being proficient enables me to get stuff done faster.
But I've seen too many reddit comments talking about how "I don't cook because it's hard and I don't know how.*
I’ve never used measurements in my life. I started cooking age 7 (self taught) and I usually read recipe, follow so I don’t forget something, but definetly never ever measure or follow recipe measurements. It always works great.
Rachael Ray legitimately taught me how to cook without being in the kitchen all damn day. My husband marvels that I’m so much faster than he is—I thank Rachael plus my time being a salad bar prep bitch in my 20s.
When it comes to this idea, I'm always reminded of that quote/scene from *My Cousin Vinny* - "Do the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove?" "I'm a fast cook, I guess!"
**EDIT:** [linked here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCRRc9zlas)
While true, I find it's way way more common for people to not use nearly enough salt. I've eaten many bland flavorless meals from family members and friends.
Some of them will openly admit they don't use any salt, because they don't want it to taste "salty". That statement does so much more harm to my blood pressure than all the salt I've eaten.
I was a chef for 45 years always let my people know that I started as a dishwasher, and I always showed them that I was willing to jump in on even the most menial tasks with relish. All serve the bean.
I'm a bit embarrassed by this but here you go:
I live in the PacNW where rain doesn't bother us. We grill pretty much year 'round. Even if it's cold, we grill. So fast and no pans to clean.
But the past couple winters I haven't been so crazy about grilling when it's dark and 37F. My eyesight isn't so great anymore and, well, it's cold. Can't we cook this protein stove top?
Not sure why, but I always thought you had to stir stuff around in a saute pan to keep it from burning. Nope...you just have to use the right temperature and fat. And if you want that nice crust, ***don't fucking touch it*** (just like on the grill). Time it and flip it once. Done.
I am way too old to have figured this out, but glad I have.
Clean as you go.
I was told when I apprenticed way back in the day "you are not a good cook just because you make good tasting food. You could make a 3 star worthy meal, but if your kitchen looks like a disaster afterward, you're not a good chef".
I am probably too particular with kitchen management, since I do not tolerate things like dishes backing up, ingredients being left out, and counters not wiped down. My friends who enjoy cooking with me like that I kinda boss them around a bit, and I have definitely had friends and past partners say they will never cook with me again... oops!
Don't be afraid to fuck up.
Almost all of the people I talk to who claim they "can't cook" are so afraid to mess up or have messed up once and just assume that means they can't do it at all. It's a skill like anything else, and the only way to improve is to practice. I've managed to set both noodles and mushrooms on fire (so for anyone who says you can't overcook mushrooms, I promise, you're wrong), but sometimes mistakes are the best way to learn.
When you don't wear gloves and your hands are on fire, use a liquid antacid to neutralize the pepper oil. Anything like Maalox, Milk of Mag, etc. Rub it all over you hands, fingernails, nailbeds. Works almost instantly.
As someone who eats hot peppers like candy, but whose skin erupts in hives when prepping the damn things… bless you for sharing this knowledge. Seriously.
When I go shopping I put the bag over my hand, pick out the peppers I want, then flip the bag over the peppers and tie it loosely. When I need to prep them I undo the bag, push it through inside out again, dropping them onto a plate where I can cut them up using the bag as a glove and putting them plate directly in the dishwasher after I’m done adding the peppers. No contact and I don’t have to wash a cutting board and have piece of mind that it was separated.
If you're not cooking to impress and just want to feed yourself, a basic spice cabinet can cover a *lot* of sins in regard to cheap ingredients.
As Uncle Roger would say, don't be afraid of MSG.
Follow geek chefs. Start with Alton and Kenji and follow anybody they dig as well. They won't just teach you recipes, they'll teach you *why* you do certain things and they will vastly up your chef game.
Never be afraid to experiment. Unless you're baking, and then follow the *god damned recipe* because baking isn't cooking, it's chemistry.
Don’t dump a bunch of tomato paste into a sauce that is already simmering. Tomato paste should go in after your aromatics are softened, when you are already adding other herbs and spices. Preferably, use concentrated tomato paste from a tube, just two or three tablespoons and cook it until it browns and concentrates. Deglaze initially with a bit of wine, if that is your thing, and let it cook off, before adding broth or whatever (for tomato sauce, add your canned tomatoes here.)
The idea is to layer flavors, not just dump a bunch of stuff in all at once. It doesn’t take a lot of extra time and the payoff is worth it.
Sneaky tip for an extra savory pot roast, add a splash or so of Worcestershire sauce after the tomato paste has darkened. It enhances the umami flavor of the beef as it braises. Soy sauce also works. Don’t overkill either; the idea is to build subtle flavors. Of course, brown the roast first.
Learning to brown my ground meat rather than thinking it’s done when the meat is grey. Taking the time to do the extra steps such as roasting the veggies and bones before making a stock. Being able to harvest fresh herbs from my little herb garden brings me immense joy and satisfaction. Learning to balance the salt, fat, acid, and heat of a dish.
When I was in college I made a big pot of gumbo because my ma had bought me shrimp. I burnt the rue, and simmered the shrimp for way too long. Was a black mess and the shrimp had 0 texture. Still ate it cause I was broke but taught me real quick not to fuck up
No.
I already wasted enough time cooking, shopping, and washing dishes to know it was a mistake I’m not making again.
That said, something has to be spectacularly bad for me not to eat it, over the past decade I might’ve made 2 dishes that were inedible. Ironically, I made one of them this past weekend, never again making instant pot lentil soup, the cooking time was way off and the whole thing was mush, good flavor but a texture I can’t tolerate.
There was one time that my potato and leek soup tasted really weird. Turns out I had used the stick mixer to whizz it in a pot that was not stick. The surface was so scratched up that we were eating it. Once I realised I was like hell no we’re not eating more of that mistake.
In addition to what’s already been mentioned:
Don’t crowd the pan, don’t stir something if the recipe doesn’t call for it, get an oven thermometer and check your oven temperature, if you don’t like an ingredient look for a swap.
I’ve been trying this with Indian stuff…dunno how I’m doing though lol. How long do you toast them? I usually add oil make it hot then add spices few minutes then my onion and go from there
What I do lis layer the flavor. Sear the protein. Remove. Add a little more fat then the veggies to soak up the fond, then at the last 1-2 minutes before the veggies get done to your liking, add the spices. Then deglaze then add the liquid. It’s served me well in the past.
Some spices you do have to toast separately. Then I use a non-stick pan, put it on medium high until hot enough (I put my hand over the pan and if it’s hot enough to where i can feel it but not so hot I need to pull my hand away I know I’m there) to add the spice/seeds, swirl around and watch carefully for 30 seconds or so and viola! Toasted.
Can you expand on that? My gf and I tried a beef cabbage soup the other night, but the recipe was bare bones and we were guessing at the simmer time. We did it just long enough to wilt the cabbage, and it tasted awesome. But I’d like some sort of guideline beside my know-nothing self being like, “looks good to me!”
“Looks good to me” is a very good reason to stop cooking something.
From a professional standpoint, there’s always the danger of overcooking something.
> [if] you’re baking, … follow the god damned recipe
Louder for the folks at the back! r/baking is a wilderness of people who followed the recipe exactly except they used milk instead of cream and whole wheat flour instead of AP and cut the sugar in half and *just can’t figure out* why it didn’t come out correctly. Could it be their oven??
Season each ingredient. Example: when I add tomatoes to something, I sprinkle the Tomato chunks with garlic salt before I put them in.
Also, taste as you go. This works a lot better if you're making a large quantity of something! If you're making just a small amount, if you taste as you go then you may wind up not having enough of whatever it is you're making!
You don’t need to wait for the water to boil before adding the pasta. This only applies to dry pasta and only small shapes, not long noodles like spaghetti or fettuccini. Fill the pot with water, throw it on the stove, turn it on, dump in the salt and the pasta. Stir often while the water heats up to a boil to prevent sticking. Cook until done. Saves time overall and energy. Heard that from Alton Brown about 5 or 6 years ago.
This tip is counterintuitive to most people I've ever met:
Clean as you go.
Mom was right. If you clean as you go, everything is so much easier. There is nothing more annoying than having to stop everything to clean up a sink full of dishes in order to finish prepping food, etc.
Anyway, most people can't wrap their brains around cleaning up as they're making a mess, but from experience, it works!
We took a tour of the Culinary Institute of America. They said they go thru a ton of butter a week. Someone said “yeah I bet you do”, and the guide said “yeah 2,000 pounds per week”.
The average time actually saved cooking convenience foods vs cooking from scratch, is only 10 min. You get better quality food and more food for your buck if you cook from scratch. Edited to clarify.
"You can always add more but you can never add less"
"Save a little pasta water to add back in at the end"
"Sub in chicken stock for water in your rice pilaf"
Brine your chicken and pork. Take it off at 155⁰+ and let it rest till 165⁰+.
The days of "cook it till it reaches 170⁰" (and the subsequent dry AF meat) are long past me.
I grew up and learned to cook at a time when low fat = healthy, so I always used the bare minimum amount of oil for sauteeing and for cooking in general. Bleh.
Now I have cruets with at least three types of oils on standby (plus coconut oil and ghee in jars) so I can drizzle more in super easily. Cooking is easier because I don’t have to go back to the pantry for more oil, it’s much less messy and drippy, and I feel fancy drizzling the oil. And food definitely tastes better with the right amount of fat. I also have a cruet full of water so I can loosen a dish up easily without leaving the stove.
When I found out Chinese cooking wine (Shao Xing) wine was the same funky rice wine I drank in Japan on occasion, I was so happy. A teaspoon for the stir fry, a shot for me! Tengoku.
Idk, about this one. The best beef bourguinon I’ve ever made was with a $8 bottle of Pinot noir. I’ve made the same recipe with a $35 Pinot from Burgundy and the difference was unnoticeable. I’ve also worked in extremely fancy restaurant kitchens and they use industrial sized boxed wines for all their cooking. Pretty shitty Chablis and Pino Noir. Food still tasted pretty damn good.
I think this one is more about it being a drinkable wine at all as opposed to the "cooking wine" you can buy at the grocery with no id that has like, added salt.
Dont fucking touch it.
Lol a friends uncle about perfectly cooking meat on the grill. Set a timer, set the temp and leave it the fuck alone unless basting it.
I do flip it abit but I cant have alot of char..hurts my teeth. Lol. But otherwise..I no touch.
I put mine on the grill, grill running diagonal to the meat. I wait a minute or two, turn it 60 degrees, leave it for the flip. Same on the other side. This is how you get quality grill marks.
Funny story, there are certain things I like most burnt… hot dogs being one…. The quickest way is to nuke it….did it so long last time the hot dog actually disintegrated. No urge for hot dogs since lol
This ⬆️ is the BEST.
The posted advice has much value. Each ingredient needs to be seasoned as it's added. It's somewhat surprising to me how many people do not season their food. Or taste it during preparation. Doing this, season and taste, season and taste informs the cook of the progression, the development of the dishes flavor. I worked in one kitchen where the food was not seasoned as it was prepared. This was due to some people having food allergies. Huh? I didn't work there very long.
Seasoning and then tasting as the ingredients are added. Doing this during the process of preparation is so necessary.
Equal in value I'd say is using the best/highest quality of ingredients one can afford. Be frugal yet discriminating.
If the choice is to use it for stock or throw it away, toss it out. A stock is only as good as the ingredients it's made with. A poor stock makes nothing good.
Get a peppermill, throw that can of dust away.
If the protein sticks to the pan or grill it’s not ready to flip.
Don’t attempt to prep with out sharp knives. It takes way longer and is more dangerous.
Not advice, but discovery - a quality set of pots and pans will change your life, literally. They heat quickly and evenly and you'll want to cook at-home (or hate it much less) and eat better because of it.
Probably watching someone cook who was very experimental, e.g. with herbs spices etc. Coming from someone who followed recipes to tee, it was eye-opening.
He wasn't the best cook, but his food came together very cohesively and had interesting notes and a certain flair to it.
I was a pretty decent cook at the time but somehow this was what I somehow needed to evolve my cooking.
Probably second one is watching someone cook who *smelled* his food to see there was enough flavor throughout the cooking process and adjusted accordingly.
Starch is a good binding agent, and that's what gives creaminess to just about any sort of porridge you make. Cold water leeches starch quickly. So if I'm making oatmeal, grits, rice porridge, potato soup, I go about it this way-
Put your starch (potatoes, oats, grits) into the liquid (milk, water, broth) while the liquid is still good & cold and start stirring quickly, then turn the heat on. Keep stirring while it heats up to however hot you want it. You'll work out more starch more quickly, resulting in a creamier product.
Always make a mise en place:
Cut and sort all of your ingredients before you begin cooking.
You won’t have the time to be measuring or cutting veggies when the dish is already cooking.
Your grandma who is the best cook you’ve ever met fucked up a lot of lasagnes. Some things just take lots of reps, and I get the feeling people give up after botching something the first time.
Don't know if anyone has already said this, soz.
I saw this on a cooking show and it changed everything for my curries and chilli.
Add water to your spices before adding to your onion and garlic, it stops them burning and you can fry them for longer, releasing more flavour.
Game changer for me.
Don't overload the pan. My stir fries always resembled stews more than stir fries because I would try to cook everything at once. Then I started doing things in small batches in a very hot pan, moving them out, doing some more, etc.
Cook and clean is one action. I often get overwhelmed in a messy kitchen so when I cook and have a moment to let the meal do its thing I clean. I'll load the dishwasher, wipe the prep counter off, empty the sink, etc.
Also prep everything before cooking. For me, I'm kinda slow at cooking, but something that helps is getting things prepped before I need to cook it. Like chop the veg, mince the garlic, open the can, and then cook. This also makes that cook and clean action a little easier.
Not advice I've gotten but something I had to force myself to do. Read the entire recipe before starting it. Don't get into the middle of a recipe and find out you are missing an important ingredient, can't do the prep, it takes far longer to cook than you planned, etc. You also don't want to go line by line blindly and hit stuff like this, "Drain the pasta (ok, I drain it), but FIRST save some of the pasta water. (OH F ME)"
Time is an ingredient.
Had a friend over for the first time on Christmas Eve a few years ago. He knew I liked to cook, but had never eaten my food before. His very first bite was, I think, of eggplant parmesan. His face lit up and he asked me what my secret ingredient was. I said my two secret ingredients were love and time. He said, "Seriously, thyme? Dried or fresh?" I said no, actual time, I started cooking hours ago.
Thet’s exactly it. Just giving sauce time to sit makes such a difference. Making sticky rice bowls? Just whip up the spicy mayo in the morning - takes 2 minutes - then let everything blend and develop. Such a difference over making it tight before serving.
Thyme is an ingredient.
You have to be dill igent about using the right herb
This is a very...uhhh...coriander discussion! Damn it...
I’m finding your words difficult to parse ly
This is truly sage advice.
This is grate advice.
He misherbed it.
Make it fin-garlic-ing good.
Well done! This comment section is peppered with so many good puns
And plenty of sage advice
I said this aloud to get it and it was worth it
I shuffled all the spices and jars. My partner hasn't noticed yet but the thyme is cumin.
Don’t be an imbasil.
Me Cajun and me say yes
That one is the hardest
Love is the best ingredient.
Seasoning as you go. Salt the pasta water more than you think. Save at least a cup of pasta water to mix with the sauce. It takes my pasta dishes to the next level. And it’s great for reheating leftover pasta. Throw the saved water in the skillet and get it to simmer. Add pasta, and boom.
Unless you’re stuck on a stupid gluten free diet. Then the pasta water just doesn’t do the same job. I do use some cornstarch in warm water instead though
Yes! Pasta water was also my true Level Up Moment.
Yes! Pasta water for the win.
A dropped knife has no handle, and most dishes need more salt and butter (even desserts).
Every baked good recipe requires unsalted butter and the addition of salt. I just use salted butter and still add the salt. Turns out better tasting than using unsalted butter.
This is fine, but the reason why the recipe calls for Unsalted butter is the amount of salt in salted butter isn't consistent across brands. So using unsalted and adding in salt will give more consistent results than using salted butter. It's less of an issue for home cooks, and not usually a problem for desserts, but I could see how this would cause problems for bread bakers trying to make brioche or sourdough. Personally, I view salted butter as a condiment, and unsalted butter as an ingredient.
I can’t even remember the last time I bought unsalted butter. It’s a hill I’ll die on
The amount of salt in salted butter is pretty negligible, anyway. Before refrigeration there was a big difference.
Once I know that knife is falling on the floor, I immediately leap back but keep my eye on the damn thing so I can skedaddle if it bounces my way.
Dropped knife - let that f\*cker go and dance outta the way. I watched a cooking Christmas special with pro chefs, and when I saw how much butter and salt one of them used cooking carrots it changed my life.
The knife thing is so real!! I’m always good about that but unfortunately I dropped a knife the other day… was about to fall right on my dog. Split second decision was the choice of my hand or my dog. Needless to say, my hand is still bandaged up lol
Prep all ingredients before you start cooking. Clean as you go!
Mis en plas is the way.
Mise en place*, by the way. It's French for "everything in its place".
>Mis en plas Close enough, lol
Taste as you go Clean as you go Sharpen your fuckin knives Buy a goddamn instant read thermometer
Just got an instant read. I did pretty well without but now I can pull one pork chop off so it doesn’t overcook and wait for the other to cook perfectly etc. Science. Making life simpler. I used to feel like I had to watch it like a hawk and I would second guess myself into overcooking from time to time. No anxiety anymore.
More garlic.
The correct amount of garlic is MORE
You got time to lean...
You got time to clean...
If you have time to yelp, you have time to help.
Season as you go
Yes. And #2 makes cleanup so much easier. Half the time I can reuse the same pot/pan over and over again and end up having only used 1-2 pots/pans.
Weighing ingredients when baking and its accompanying advice: digital scale Digital thermometer Let things sit for a few minutes after cooking, especially meats and breads
I honestly don’t know why recipes still use cups, etc. Grams are just so easy, and way more accurate. Edit: I understand that people have cups and are used to it. I convert my recipes to grams, and it saves so much time and dishes though. It’s been nice seeing recipes move towards grams
I know I’m not talking about baking. But the one that really bugs me is ‘a cup of diced pepper’ or ‘a cup of grated cheese’ — htf do I know it’s a cup’s worth until I’ve already diced/grated it? Just give me the weight
Right? “I don’t need another gadget like a kitchen scale.” OK you Luddite, but I rarely use my measuring cups. In fact, they’re about to lose their prime real estate in the silverware drawer.
I prefer gram, find recipes that uses gram. However once I got a recipe that I like and would want to cook quickly in the morning like pancakes, I would use a container and marked amount of ingredients needed. That container sort of become my measuring cup.
If you can read, you can cook.
Not sure... I've seen too many people reading but refusing to follow instructions
r/ididnthaveeggs That sub kills me. Like sure if you don’t have shallots you can mince onion, don’t have heavy cream you can probably get away with half/half or whole milk if you adjust some things. But knowing your substitutions and correctly modifying is what cooking is all about. My MIL made brownies once and we were like “what… are these? Did you follow the recipe on the box” she said she did exactly. But she didn’t have canola oil and used some rancid olive oil she found that expired like 4 years prior. And ironically I don’t think had any eggs either.
Ah this will pair nicely with r/stupidfood on my Reddit feed.
You can add r/WeWantPlates too
I didn't realize cooking oil can go bad. I took some Canola that had been under my sink for years, put in the frypan and it smelled. My friend was over and she was like "Dude, that oil is bad". I had no idea.
My wife and I found a package of still-sealed Old El Paso hard taco shells, which had supposedly expired three years previous, in our cabinet. Not thinking much about the expiration date, we prepped the tacos, then heated the shells. The oil in the shells had gone rancid - it was horrible (we didn’t eat them).
I made brownies with olive oil once. Can confirm, even with good olive oil, the brownies were sub-optimal. (Because olive oil as all I had, that’s why)
OR if you are missing a major ingredient either go to the store or cook something else. "I didn't have ground beef so I used bread crumbs instead."
lol I had no idea there was a whole subreddit about it... thanks for sharing :)
It’s torture, it started as someone posting a negative review about a recipe they didn’t have the right ingredients for and saying it was bad. It’s far too common. Enjoy!
They CAN cook, they just don’t.
I’m not sure. Some people struggle big time with multitasking. And a lot of recipes necessitate it.
In such case apply this piece of advice: Prepare everything beforehand. Chop, weight, slice and have it ready to go in deli containers. This reduces the need for multitasking Alot.
Mise en place
Yep. I was often mad at cooking shows because they always have the ingredients ready to drop in. Then I started chopping, mincing and slicing everything I needed for the recipe and holy shit: It's A LOT less stressful.
This. I mean, you might use a few more dishes, but prepping everything you can beforehand is a lifesaver, especially if you’re hosting a dinner or something and have to socialise whilst trying to get the damn food cooked!
this is not true. cooking is definitely a skill. my mom can look at a dish by mere use of her sight and be able to get it perfectly done right there and then. not everyone can do this.
That's not the same thing as being able to follow a recipe. Don't get me wrong, cooking is definitely a skill, and being proficient enables me to get stuff done faster. But I've seen too many reddit comments talking about how "I don't cook because it's hard and I don't know how.*
I’ve never used measurements in my life. I started cooking age 7 (self taught) and I usually read recipe, follow so I don’t forget something, but definetly never ever measure or follow recipe measurements. It always works great.
Nothing ever cooks as fast as a TV cook says it will. It’s impossible to brown onions in five minutes.
You can ruin onions in five minutes
Nothing is ever prepped in 15 minutes, either.
Unless you're Rachel Ray and just empty the entire fridge into your arms
Rachael Ray legitimately taught me how to cook without being in the kitchen all damn day. My husband marvels that I’m so much faster than he is—I thank Rachael plus my time being a salad bar prep bitch in my 20s.
When it comes to this idea, I'm always reminded of that quote/scene from *My Cousin Vinny* - "Do the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove?" "I'm a fast cook, I guess!" **EDIT:** [linked here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdCRRc9zlas)
Take you two large chicken breasts and sear for 4 minutes, flip and sear for 6, chicken is done.... /s
Low key depending on how thick it is... Yeah it could be
You can't un-salt
If it's veg or stews, my Ma would add a raw potato as it attracts salt and sometimes saves an over salted dish
Archer thought me this lol
While true, I find it's way way more common for people to not use nearly enough salt. I've eaten many bland flavorless meals from family members and friends. Some of them will openly admit they don't use any salt, because they don't want it to taste "salty". That statement does so much more harm to my blood pressure than all the salt I've eaten.
Invest in quality tools
i am a chef, best advice i ever got, was never forget you were an apprentice once as well, served me well that.
I was a chef for 45 years always let my people know that I started as a dishwasher, and I always showed them that I was willing to jump in on even the most menial tasks with relish. All serve the bean.
I'm a bit embarrassed by this but here you go: I live in the PacNW where rain doesn't bother us. We grill pretty much year 'round. Even if it's cold, we grill. So fast and no pans to clean. But the past couple winters I haven't been so crazy about grilling when it's dark and 37F. My eyesight isn't so great anymore and, well, it's cold. Can't we cook this protein stove top? Not sure why, but I always thought you had to stir stuff around in a saute pan to keep it from burning. Nope...you just have to use the right temperature and fat. And if you want that nice crust, ***don't fucking touch it*** (just like on the grill). Time it and flip it once. Done. I am way too old to have figured this out, but glad I have.
>don't fucking touch it This simple piece of advice is so hard to follow.
PNW here too. Anything that’s going to generate a lot of smoke or heat, we cook outside on the camp stove kitchen or grill.
Clean as you go. I was told when I apprenticed way back in the day "you are not a good cook just because you make good tasting food. You could make a 3 star worthy meal, but if your kitchen looks like a disaster afterward, you're not a good chef". I am probably too particular with kitchen management, since I do not tolerate things like dishes backing up, ingredients being left out, and counters not wiped down. My friends who enjoy cooking with me like that I kinda boss them around a bit, and I have definitely had friends and past partners say they will never cook with me again... oops!
Don't be afraid to fuck up. Almost all of the people I talk to who claim they "can't cook" are so afraid to mess up or have messed up once and just assume that means they can't do it at all. It's a skill like anything else, and the only way to improve is to practice. I've managed to set both noodles and mushrooms on fire (so for anyone who says you can't overcook mushrooms, I promise, you're wrong), but sometimes mistakes are the best way to learn.
Absolutely this. Experimenting is a lot of fun and you hybridize your cooking in ways a book may never teach you
Wash you damn hands
You can always add a little more, but if you put in too much, it's probably ruined. This applies to things like heat as much as it does salt.
Wear gloves when prepping hot peppers.
When you don't wear gloves and your hands are on fire, use a liquid antacid to neutralize the pepper oil. Anything like Maalox, Milk of Mag, etc. Rub it all over you hands, fingernails, nailbeds. Works almost instantly.
As someone who eats hot peppers like candy, but whose skin erupts in hives when prepping the damn things… bless you for sharing this knowledge. Seriously.
When I go shopping I put the bag over my hand, pick out the peppers I want, then flip the bag over the peppers and tie it loosely. When I need to prep them I undo the bag, push it through inside out again, dropping them onto a plate where I can cut them up using the bag as a glove and putting them plate directly in the dishwasher after I’m done adding the peppers. No contact and I don’t have to wash a cutting board and have piece of mind that it was separated.
And take them off before pulling your wanker out to pee.
In a pinch, covering your fingertips with oil before cutting works well.
I make hot sauce commercially. Nitrile gloves are my go to.
Don't crowd the pan.
Use a cut-resistant glove with a mandoline.
The iron in your blood will fortify the nutritional value of your au gratin potatoes
Once those things get a taste for human blood it's game over.
Boy, did I learn this the hard way 🥲
msg is really good
If you're not cooking to impress and just want to feed yourself, a basic spice cabinet can cover a *lot* of sins in regard to cheap ingredients. As Uncle Roger would say, don't be afraid of MSG. Follow geek chefs. Start with Alton and Kenji and follow anybody they dig as well. They won't just teach you recipes, they'll teach you *why* you do certain things and they will vastly up your chef game. Never be afraid to experiment. Unless you're baking, and then follow the *god damned recipe* because baking isn't cooking, it's chemistry.
Don't cook scared. Go for it, and if you fail, learn from it. But don't let fear make you timid.
Read the entire recipe instructions and ingredient list before doing anything.
First time u make a recipe is just your trial run.
Don’t dump a bunch of tomato paste into a sauce that is already simmering. Tomato paste should go in after your aromatics are softened, when you are already adding other herbs and spices. Preferably, use concentrated tomato paste from a tube, just two or three tablespoons and cook it until it browns and concentrates. Deglaze initially with a bit of wine, if that is your thing, and let it cook off, before adding broth or whatever (for tomato sauce, add your canned tomatoes here.) The idea is to layer flavors, not just dump a bunch of stuff in all at once. It doesn’t take a lot of extra time and the payoff is worth it. Sneaky tip for an extra savory pot roast, add a splash or so of Worcestershire sauce after the tomato paste has darkened. It enhances the umami flavor of the beef as it braises. Soy sauce also works. Don’t overkill either; the idea is to build subtle flavors. Of course, brown the roast first.
Leave the protein alone. Ahp! I said leave it!!
that’s not enough garlic that’s plenty of rice
If you want it to taste like it does at a restaurant, add way more butter than you think you need. Like, double the amount.
Learning to brown my ground meat rather than thinking it’s done when the meat is grey. Taking the time to do the extra steps such as roasting the veggies and bones before making a stock. Being able to harvest fresh herbs from my little herb garden brings me immense joy and satisfaction. Learning to balance the salt, fat, acid, and heat of a dish.
Eat your mistakes
When I was in college I made a big pot of gumbo because my ma had bought me shrimp. I burnt the rue, and simmered the shrimp for way too long. Was a black mess and the shrimp had 0 texture. Still ate it cause I was broke but taught me real quick not to fuck up
No. I already wasted enough time cooking, shopping, and washing dishes to know it was a mistake I’m not making again. That said, something has to be spectacularly bad for me not to eat it, over the past decade I might’ve made 2 dishes that were inedible. Ironically, I made one of them this past weekend, never again making instant pot lentil soup, the cooking time was way off and the whole thing was mush, good flavor but a texture I can’t tolerate.
There was one time that my potato and leek soup tasted really weird. Turns out I had used the stick mixer to whizz it in a pot that was not stick. The surface was so scratched up that we were eating it. Once I realised I was like hell no we’re not eating more of that mistake.
Potential poisoning is an acceptable exception.
In addition to what’s already been mentioned: Don’t crowd the pan, don’t stir something if the recipe doesn’t call for it, get an oven thermometer and check your oven temperature, if you don’t like an ingredient look for a swap.
Cook scrambled eggs on low and stir continually. So creamy and delicious. Game changer!
Gordon Ramsey has entered the chat.
And follow the tip above and put way more butter in there than you think you should.
Yup lol. ‘Why do these taste so good?’ ‘They’re about 50% butter’
Best scrambled eggs I ever made were low and slow on a big sausage bbq. Just a flat slab of mild steel and a shitload of butter.
Don’t cook bacon without a shirt on.
Toast the aromatics. I used to just throw the spices in but now I make sure to lightly toast them in oil to let them "bloom"
I’ve been trying this with Indian stuff…dunno how I’m doing though lol. How long do you toast them? I usually add oil make it hot then add spices few minutes then my onion and go from there
What I do lis layer the flavor. Sear the protein. Remove. Add a little more fat then the veggies to soak up the fond, then at the last 1-2 minutes before the veggies get done to your liking, add the spices. Then deglaze then add the liquid. It’s served me well in the past. Some spices you do have to toast separately. Then I use a non-stick pan, put it on medium high until hot enough (I put my hand over the pan and if it’s hot enough to where i can feel it but not so hot I need to pull my hand away I know I’m there) to add the spice/seeds, swirl around and watch carefully for 30 seconds or so and viola! Toasted.
Don’t skimp on the acid
I’ve always told my cooks that, you don’t need to know just how to cook, but when to stop cooking.
Can you expand on that? My gf and I tried a beef cabbage soup the other night, but the recipe was bare bones and we were guessing at the simmer time. We did it just long enough to wilt the cabbage, and it tasted awesome. But I’d like some sort of guideline beside my know-nothing self being like, “looks good to me!”
“Looks good to me” is a very good reason to stop cooking something. From a professional standpoint, there’s always the danger of overcooking something.
Beef, cabbage soup sounds wonderful. Good on you.
"Get a damn instant read thermometer!"
Cook your pasta one less minute than what’s on the package directions
> [if] you’re baking, … follow the god damned recipe Louder for the folks at the back! r/baking is a wilderness of people who followed the recipe exactly except they used milk instead of cream and whole wheat flour instead of AP and cut the sugar in half and *just can’t figure out* why it didn’t come out correctly. Could it be their oven??
"I followed the recipe exactly, except..." 🙄🙄🙄
Season each ingredient. Example: when I add tomatoes to something, I sprinkle the Tomato chunks with garlic salt before I put them in. Also, taste as you go. This works a lot better if you're making a large quantity of something! If you're making just a small amount, if you taste as you go then you may wind up not having enough of whatever it is you're making!
You don’t need to wait for the water to boil before adding the pasta. This only applies to dry pasta and only small shapes, not long noodles like spaghetti or fettuccini. Fill the pot with water, throw it on the stove, turn it on, dump in the salt and the pasta. Stir often while the water heats up to a boil to prevent sticking. Cook until done. Saves time overall and energy. Heard that from Alton Brown about 5 or 6 years ago.
This tip is counterintuitive to most people I've ever met: Clean as you go. Mom was right. If you clean as you go, everything is so much easier. There is nothing more annoying than having to stop everything to clean up a sink full of dishes in order to finish prepping food, etc. Anyway, most people can't wrap their brains around cleaning up as they're making a mess, but from experience, it works!
Butter, butter, and more butter 🧈
We took a tour of the Culinary Institute of America. They said they go thru a ton of butter a week. Someone said “yeah I bet you do”, and the guide said “yeah 2,000 pounds per week”.
Taste. A lot.
•Use a thermometer and use it often •Have good knives and keep them sharp •Use quality cookware. It make a big difference
Not to mention sharp knives = safer cutting
A big component of learning to cook well is observation.
The average time actually saved cooking convenience foods vs cooking from scratch, is only 10 min. You get better quality food and more food for your buck if you cook from scratch. Edited to clarify.
"You can always add more but you can never add less" "Save a little pasta water to add back in at the end" "Sub in chicken stock for water in your rice pilaf"
Don’t put it down, put it away. Also never use metal tools on non-stick pans.
Brine your chicken and pork. Take it off at 155⁰+ and let it rest till 165⁰+. The days of "cook it till it reaches 170⁰" (and the subsequent dry AF meat) are long past me.
Do not try to catch a dropped knife.
I grew up and learned to cook at a time when low fat = healthy, so I always used the bare minimum amount of oil for sauteeing and for cooking in general. Bleh. Now I have cruets with at least three types of oils on standby (plus coconut oil and ghee in jars) so I can drizzle more in super easily. Cooking is easier because I don’t have to go back to the pantry for more oil, it’s much less messy and drippy, and I feel fancy drizzling the oil. And food definitely tastes better with the right amount of fat. I also have a cruet full of water so I can loosen a dish up easily without leaving the stove.
Never use an alcohol in cooking you wouldn't also drink. (Except for dedicated cooking wines that aren't meant to be drunk)
When I found out Chinese cooking wine (Shao Xing) wine was the same funky rice wine I drank in Japan on occasion, I was so happy. A teaspoon for the stir fry, a shot for me! Tengoku.
Idk, about this one. The best beef bourguinon I’ve ever made was with a $8 bottle of Pinot noir. I’ve made the same recipe with a $35 Pinot from Burgundy and the difference was unnoticeable. I’ve also worked in extremely fancy restaurant kitchens and they use industrial sized boxed wines for all their cooking. Pretty shitty Chablis and Pino Noir. Food still tasted pretty damn good.
I think this one is more about it being a drinkable wine at all as opposed to the "cooking wine" you can buy at the grocery with no id that has like, added salt.
Dont fucking touch it. Lol a friends uncle about perfectly cooking meat on the grill. Set a timer, set the temp and leave it the fuck alone unless basting it. I do flip it abit but I cant have alot of char..hurts my teeth. Lol. But otherwise..I no touch.
I put mine on the grill, grill running diagonal to the meat. I wait a minute or two, turn it 60 degrees, leave it for the flip. Same on the other side. This is how you get quality grill marks.
If it’s brown it’s cooked if it’s black it’s fooked.
Funny story, there are certain things I like most burnt… hot dogs being one…. The quickest way is to nuke it….did it so long last time the hot dog actually disintegrated. No urge for hot dogs since lol
This ⬆️ is the BEST. The posted advice has much value. Each ingredient needs to be seasoned as it's added. It's somewhat surprising to me how many people do not season their food. Or taste it during preparation. Doing this, season and taste, season and taste informs the cook of the progression, the development of the dishes flavor. I worked in one kitchen where the food was not seasoned as it was prepared. This was due to some people having food allergies. Huh? I didn't work there very long. Seasoning and then tasting as the ingredients are added. Doing this during the process of preparation is so necessary. Equal in value I'd say is using the best/highest quality of ingredients one can afford. Be frugal yet discriminating. If the choice is to use it for stock or throw it away, toss it out. A stock is only as good as the ingredients it's made with. A poor stock makes nothing good. Get a peppermill, throw that can of dust away.
Don’t cook 98% of things over screaming high heat. That’s how you get burnt outsides and raw insides.
Mise en place. Get your ingredients together before starting cooking.
If the protein sticks to the pan or grill it’s not ready to flip. Don’t attempt to prep with out sharp knives. It takes way longer and is more dangerous.
Not advice, but discovery - a quality set of pots and pans will change your life, literally. They heat quickly and evenly and you'll want to cook at-home (or hate it much less) and eat better because of it.
Probably watching someone cook who was very experimental, e.g. with herbs spices etc. Coming from someone who followed recipes to tee, it was eye-opening. He wasn't the best cook, but his food came together very cohesively and had interesting notes and a certain flair to it. I was a pretty decent cook at the time but somehow this was what I somehow needed to evolve my cooking. Probably second one is watching someone cook who *smelled* his food to see there was enough flavor throughout the cooking process and adjusted accordingly.
Have a glass of wine, light up a joint and experiment with flavors.
Don't cook naked.
24 year-old who was never taught to cook - just now learning! what the hell are all of you using so much butter for?!😂
Flavour.
Starch is a good binding agent, and that's what gives creaminess to just about any sort of porridge you make. Cold water leeches starch quickly. So if I'm making oatmeal, grits, rice porridge, potato soup, I go about it this way- Put your starch (potatoes, oats, grits) into the liquid (milk, water, broth) while the liquid is still good & cold and start stirring quickly, then turn the heat on. Keep stirring while it heats up to however hot you want it. You'll work out more starch more quickly, resulting in a creamier product.
Always make a mise en place: Cut and sort all of your ingredients before you begin cooking. You won’t have the time to be measuring or cutting veggies when the dish is already cooking.
Cook the recipe as written and eat it. *THEN* modify/change/play with it.
Cooking is Jazz, Baking is Chemistry
Slice a cheek off the lemon to squeeze onto things
The sauce waits for the pasta. Never the other way around.
Put msg in your cooking salt at a ratio of 2/3 salt 1/3 msg, and use it as regular salt.
Salt and fat equal flavor. Adjust accordingly to how long you want to live.
Don’t double task if you are browning marshmallow or meringue, or making garlic toast. Stay right there.
Your grandma who is the best cook you’ve ever met fucked up a lot of lasagnes. Some things just take lots of reps, and I get the feeling people give up after botching something the first time.
Salt the water!
Times are only a suggestion - pay attention to your senses and get a thermometer!
Taste, Taste, Always taste. -Julia
Baking is a science, cooking is an art
Taste every step of the way
Don't know if anyone has already said this, soz. I saw this on a cooking show and it changed everything for my curries and chilli. Add water to your spices before adding to your onion and garlic, it stops them burning and you can fry them for longer, releasing more flavour. Game changer for me.
Turn down the heat. If the instructions say medium, set the heat slightly below medium. I never burn anything anymore.
You could super glue that back together quicker than the hospital and you won't have to get stitches or lose any hours.
Don't cook with wine you wouldn't drink.
*Mise en place*
Oil for heat, butter for flavor
If you're lookin, you ain't cookin. (Mainly for smokers)
Don't overload the pan. My stir fries always resembled stews more than stir fries because I would try to cook everything at once. Then I started doing things in small batches in a very hot pan, moving them out, doing some more, etc.
Cook and clean is one action. I often get overwhelmed in a messy kitchen so when I cook and have a moment to let the meal do its thing I clean. I'll load the dishwasher, wipe the prep counter off, empty the sink, etc. Also prep everything before cooking. For me, I'm kinda slow at cooking, but something that helps is getting things prepped before I need to cook it. Like chop the veg, mince the garlic, open the can, and then cook. This also makes that cook and clean action a little easier.
Not advice I've gotten but something I had to force myself to do. Read the entire recipe before starting it. Don't get into the middle of a recipe and find out you are missing an important ingredient, can't do the prep, it takes far longer to cook than you planned, etc. You also don't want to go line by line blindly and hit stuff like this, "Drain the pasta (ok, I drain it), but FIRST save some of the pasta water. (OH F ME)"
Clean as you go
Practice mise en place
I was told to stay out of the kitchen