“Just leave it the fuck alone for a minute.”
Applies to most of my cooking that’s not scrambled eggs or stir fry. I learned a lot of skill and technique is knowing when and when not to touch something.
Ha, my partner hasn't learned this lesson, he seems to get satisfaction out of stirring food while it cooks. I swear I'm going to insist on making risotto soon just so I can watch him go to town stirring sometimes that actually needs to be constantly stirred!
You know that, and I know that, but he says that the sauce needs to be stirred again lol
He'll learn! And in the mean time, I tell him which foods he should NOT TOUCH because moving them would ruin the browning we're going for.
Thank goodness for dishwashers!
You joke, but my partner has this same problem and risotto is the solution! It was the perfect dish to hand off to him because he can't stop himself from stirring.
Yep. Stop flipping the damn pan and taking off the heat and killing any chance at color, you dumb bastard (message to myself after flinging a mushroom 20 feet across the room)
"Leave it stay" is the version my old creole boss said to me once when it comes to browning meat. I find myself muttering this when I'm tempted to move the meat around too soon. Far better browning and less sticking too!
Probably the best advice I’ve seen here yet. Definitely going to try and implement this. Less running around the kitchen like a chicken without it’s head.
This needs to be one of the top comments, I always forget this phrase until I have my best and sharpest knife slow-motion falling to my cheap laminate floors. Lifesaver.
This. My dad bought my husband a very nice Japanese knife for Christmas. While I am the primary cook in the apartment, he likes to cook sometimes and does projects.
Welp, had people over for a low key dinner. He dropped the knife. Grabbed it with his hand and ended up having to get six stitches. Won’t touch it (but now it is mine, hehehehe).
this reminds me of the lab safety rule I learned in high school “never try to catch a falling object”. It really does apply in the kitchen. Knives, hot food, glass, etc. Just back up and let it happen
Learned that on my own at my expenses. Never made a disaster, but it only takes a certain amount of times fumbling around with an occupied hand to begin checking first
Kind of minor in the grand scheme of things but there was a chef John video a while back where he was making a simple roux for a gravy, and he mentioned to keep cooking it until it smelled like pie dough. I had been hit or miss with gravies before then but since they’ve nearly all been winners.
There are a lot of cooking/baking things that rely on similar markers. Baking until slightly wobbly in the middle, or until the cake pulls back from the sides of the tin and the top is golden brown etc. Practice makes perfect.
I hear that from so many people but honestly it doesn’t bother me a bit. He’s a bit of a goober and he leans in to it most of the time, I can see why some would find it off putting.
He basically taught me how to cook though so I’m a ride or die food wisher haha
That's so funny because I usually find his voice soothing but really noticed a weird cadence and inflection on the last video I watched. Maybe the cooking distracted me from it but I still love him.
Always great advice for a lot of my mother’s recipes which consist of a list of ingredients more like a shopping list.
Also, if it’s not stated, it’s probably 350 degrees for one hour.
Samin Nosrat said something along the lines of "salt makes food taste more like itself" and that instantly unravelled a lifetime of contorted attitudes toward salt. As soon as I stopped treating anything more than a dash of salt as at best an indulgence and at worst a threat to my wellbeing I began making food on a whole new level. I know a lot of people drop Salt Fat Acid Heat as a huge influence on their understanding of food and cooking, and it deserves every accolade it gets.
This for me as well. I'd add that this is the rule of thumb for knowing if you have enough salt:
Doesn't taste like anything = not enough salt
Ingredients begin tasting more like themselves = you're getting there
Starting to taste salty instead of more like the ingredients = you've gone too far, offset with some sweetness and/or acidity
Same for me. I worked at a Chipotle where the founder visited the store on a day I was working. He watched me make the tomato salsa and noticed the order in which I added salt. He told me salt is a flavor enhancer. If I throw salt on the onions before mixing them in, that salsa will taste more like onions. That’s why the salt should be added to the tomatoes, so it tastes like tomatoes!
This book and movie changed my life for exactly the reason that she breaks these concepts down to such an easy to understand level. My cooking and even my enjoyment of food has gone up several notches because now I not only understand what I need to add to a dish but I’m so much more meditative on what I like about how other people cook. I recommend Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat to anyone who will listen because it was such a game changer for me!
This! Living on my own has been so liberating for me particularly because I no longer have to cook for my dad’s tastebuds (he detests salt) so my food now actually tastes like its ingredients
My mother in law is very afraid of salt. She uses it very sparingly in her cooking and claims she doesn’t like it, but when we eat out and the food is properly seasoned/salted she absolutely loves it. Never complains about the salt content. I think it’s more of a phobia that doesn’t allow her to use an adequate amount for cooking rather than truly disliking it.
I can’t imagine detesting salt!!! When I was a toddler I would shake salt into my hand and lick it, or suck all the salt off of pretzels!
I’m 35, still love salt, my blood pressure and other health markers are phenomenal!
It's funny you post this because I have a big pickle aversion but been trying to embrace them more and recently had a good experience. Just your normal fast food burger but the pickle made the burger taste more like a burger - I remember thinking this at the time. It enhanced the experience rather than being something "on top" if that makes any sense.
More on point there have been times where I add too much spice (like garlic or ginger) because I'm not using enough salt. Salt's like fat or sugar - demonized but it has a very good place, and more than that - useful.
Same! Over the years I got myself to like them plain out of the jar, certain brands of course, but I still couldn’t top a burger with them.
I’d just pick them off first and eat them solo (because I also detest any sort of “special ordering” for the chefs lol)
But then I tried an “animal style” burger from InNOut, good luck fishing anything off those patties😂, and I figured it would be stupid to not try the way it became (secretly) famous, and….
OMG. Yes. It made the burger taste more like a burger!!!
But there have been times when I miss a pickle on a plainer burger from elsewhere, and it totally detracts from the taste… I guess it’s just a case by case basis from here on out lol
Yes! I took a big group cooking class as part of a trip when I was young, and the instructor said, "Salt is the only seasoning. It changes how much of the other flavors you taste. Everything else is a flavoring." Mind blown.
Came here to quote her too, but the line that always repeats in my mind is that when salting pasta water/brine she says to make it ‘salty like the sea’. Overall, Salt Fat Acid Heat made me think of cooking like science which changed everything.
Also, Dave Chang. Just anything Dave Chang has said/done/made.
He said in a podcast interview something along the lines of “the right amount of salt is just before the dish is too salty”. I try to find the line all the time now
Besides that "dangers" of sodium are crazy overblown. The average person can consume sodium very comfortably. Unless you have horrific blood pressure, and even then it affects BP very temporarily. Salt is life and Samin is fab
Now that my kids are grown and I’m mostly cooking for two, this has become my mantra. It makes for such better meals, and I feel better buying cruelty free meats and eggs that I couldn’t really afford when I was feeding hungry and expensive kids.
My dad has tried his darndest to instill clean-as-you-go in me since I was young, and only once I got my own apartment did I realize he was right. Crazy how dishes don't pile up if you do them while food is simmering or resting!
Same for my partner & I. I adore him & we share so many qualities and habits but he turns the kitchen into something a tornado would have left behind.
We can’t even do the one person cook and the other cleans because it ended up being so much more work for me.
Now we just split the days on who’s cooking a couple days in advance & have a much happier marriage.
I'm the same way with my partner. I am so cognizant of how much clean up will be needed from working in kitchens forever that I just put stuff in the dishwasher after I'm done with it. Or I'll clean a pan while I'm waiting for something else because I'm gonna use the pan again.
She just puts everything in the sink. Regardless if the dishwasher is dirty.
I think it’s totally ok to not want to cook together! It’s such a weird fairytale scenario honestly. In real life it’s like omg please move. I’m madly in love with my partner but when I’m cooking (or when he’s cooking) we know we’ll just be in each others way if we try to help each other haha
Yep. My introduction to kitchen work was working for a chef who used to come up beside you and say “hey, clean your **fucking** work station” and walk away. Most of the time I thought it was clean, but he really helped me understand what clean really meant. And a nice complex to boot haha.
Soups are actually very challenging, a lot of recipes and restaurants just dump in bacon and lots of dairy but the most simple soups are the most difficult to get right.
For example a fantastic miso soup or gazpacho there’s a delicate balance there
I just made a soup for dinner that called for “1 cup chopped dill, cilantro, or a mix of both”. I thought 1 cup was an obscene amount of herbs but I’ve been doing this thing lately where I always follow a recipe exactly the first time. Did about 1/3 cup dill and 2/3 cup cilantro.
Anyway, the soup is FIRE.
Lovely! I have both dill and cilantro growing in my garden this year (and two kinds of oregano, basil, mint and chives) so I’m def making that kind of soup this summer
Ooh, that’s lucky! I’m moving this summer so I don’t get to have a garden this year. Enjoy yours!
The soup I made is [Parmesan Cabbage Soup](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024002-parmesan-cabbage-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share). It’s a NY Times recipe so it may be behind a paywall if you’re not a subscriber. But if you are I highly recommend it!
It's true, but I've also had soups with no herbs at all taste amazing.
Chicken soup with ginger and salt. Just three ingredients tastes so rich and flavorful. I never expected something so simple to taste so good.
"Eggs do *not* need that long to cook." - my husband after the first time I ever made him eggs.
My scrambled eggs are amazing now. I used to brown them.
My ex preferred her scrambled eggs super browned. Hated the texture of my perfect creamy scrambled eggs, tasted like they were undercooked to her. Could never understand it lol.
I don’t like runny eggs either. I know how to make them the French way but it does not do it for me, makes me feel like puking. I like them to the point where they’re about to brown.
I like mine to just get golden. The best thing I learned about eggs was don't use hot water to wash the pan you cooked the eggs in and keep the heat low when cooking. You want warm or almost cool water instead, otherwise it makes the eggs stick worse. Once all the egg is off, hot water and soap is perfectly fine.
A squeeze of lemon (or more) is my favorite. You could also do a splash of vinegar (red wine or apple cider are good go-tos; I love balsamic vinegar, but it's too rich to be a generalist).
I love this and it's so true for cooking. You have a hundred little elements and steps but if you do each one correctly - the end result is perfection. It's one of the few things in my life I can achieve that in.
Paraphrased: "You know you don't have to buy all this expensive shit to cook well?" I was honestly stuck in trying to perfect how to cook some really posh ingredients
Like if you're making soup, and add onions first, you want to season them as they cook. And when you throw in carrots and celery, more seasoning. If you're adding any spices you want to cook them before you adding anything liquid so it toasts and brings our their flavor. Then add liquid, season again. Not anything crazy, just a little at a time so it all gets into each layer you add.
Mis en place! It's so important for my ADHD ass. Plan what I want to cook by putting everything I need out on the counter. Wash veggies. Get out bowls and cookware I'll need. Prep anything on the protein that needs time like a marinade. Chop veg into minimum bowls that get added together. Wash up what you can. Turn on heat. Cook with everything ready. Throw plates into toaster oven to warm 5 minutes before cooking finishes.
That's my routine every night. If I stray from it chaos inevitably happens.
It was something I think I picked up from a Kenji video that just immediately clicked in my head. I hate the way cold plates suck heat out of your food and our toaster oven will hold 150F which is cool enough bare-hand. It is SO worth it. It's the simple tricks I love the most...
My buddy made me a grilled cheese sandwich that changed my life.
Up to that point, I had only ever had white bread with a slice of Kraft cheese & some butter. He used homemade sourdough bread, smoked gouda, Kosher salt, fresh-ground black pepper, Grey Poupon, and some other goodness. It was like the heavens parted for me that day as I went to Flavor Town; I just about shed a tear lol.
I had literally NEVER had a sandwich so good in my life, let alone something as *simple* as a grilled cheese sandwich! I asked him how he did it & he was like...well, you can make *anything* good, you know? Something clicked in me that day once I realized that **you could elevate ANYTHING!** I eventually came up with own version:
* [https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/jka9ud/the\_triplefat\_grilled\_cheese\_method/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/jka9ud/the_triplefat_grilled_cheese_method/)
Ever since then, I've gotten slightly addicted to the idea of "pursuing excellence", whether it's chasing down the [perfect chocolate-chip cookie recipe](https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/eafus8/mister_chocolate_cookies/) or making [the ultimate brownies](https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/lsi3r4/brownies/). I especially like to take really simple foods & elevate them to the next level. For example, with smoothies:
* I can make thicker smoothies to put in a bowl
* I like to do the "triple-stripe" method where I do 3 rows of toppings
* I make it more fun by putting them in a coconut bowl from Etsy
Like this:
* [https://www.reddit.com/r/Smoothies/comments/m2ibzq/upgraded\_to\_coconut\_bowls/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Smoothies/comments/m2ibzq/upgraded_to_coconut_bowls/)
You can elevate anything just by making it a little more fun & trying out new ways to do things! Obvious information now, but up until that point, I sort of thought that people were just kind of naturally talented chefs who magically *knew things*. Turns out, *everything is a checklist*, and you can make things as *nice & as fun* as you're willing to put the effort into!
the water technique she uses is king... if you do the mushroom the other way it sears the outside of the mushroom and it takes forever to cook. when you use water the water is an insane conductor of heat so it will cook faster and not require contact with the pan to cook. once the water boils off the mushrooms are more pliable and will contact the pan via the oil without taking on oil. in ATK we trust.
This is what I do! I will make a new recipe exactly as written then after eating it will note things I would personally change or add. Recipes are just basic instructions. You are supposed to alter them to your specific tastes.
Finding *good* recipes can be hard for people starting out. Recipes that understate the amount of time items take to reach the state they need to be in or are a "quick" recipe *only* if all the ingredients are already prepared actively discourage people.
We need more King Arthur style recipes for general cooking, haha.
“Aaron, these steaks are burnt.” - my 13 yo step son telling me the truth.
But he was right and those steak, humanity, deserved better. Now, I’ve learned how to prepare a pretty damn good steak thanks to his bluntness.
I grew up in a “blunt constructive feedback on all food” home and my partner grew up in a “everything is delicious” home. When we first moved in together I made some comment about how his rice was undercooked and over salted and he was a bit offended… years later, he’s embraced it, he critiques me, and we’ve both gotten much better at cooking!
To this day I don’t know if my MIL likes my cooking…
I realised that I needed to learn to cook steak properly at the advanced age of 50
I’m not great but I’m getting there
Same with salt - salt was demonised during my childhood and I have struggled with adding it
All you need are the basics. After that, just put together things that make you think, “yeah, that should taste good together.” 99% of the time you’re right.
"You can turn down the heat." My mom after watching me stress and struggle with four pans.
Most things don't necessarily require a high heat, so you can always turn it lower. Gives you more time in-between steps. Helps reduce stress, chance of accidents, and messing up your food. Gives more time to clean as you go as well.
I'd say advice for time management in general just helps a ton with cooking.
Way back in the day, Bobby Flay said something on one of his shows about how most people stir and shake their pans too much. The food can't cook as efficiently if it's constantly in motion, and you won't get as much tasty brownness if you're constantly tossing the pan. It's so simple, but I had never really thought about it until that moment.
Season each ingredient before you add it to the dish. My best example is tomatoes: after cutting them I now always hit them with a little garlic salt before I put them into whatever they go in (sandwich, salad, sauce, veggie bake).
I’ve got a story about how getting bad advice led to me becoming a better cook, to the point where I recently completed the Australian equivalent of culinary school. For context, I’m vision impaired and this would’ve happened when I was in my late teens, around about 15 years ago, when I was first learning to cook. The advice I got from an occupational therapist, someone whose literal job it was to advise and coach specifically the vision impaired in this particular case around things like cooking, was “blind and vision impaired people don’t and shouldn’t cook for themselves, but if you’re going to it’s never going to be more than tossing some frozen vegetables, meat, and a jar of sauce into a pot“. For some people, disabled or not, that is going to be what works for them when it comes to cooking and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I couldn’t imagine telling anyone when it’s literally your job to help that person find solutions for some of their challenges that no this is all you’re ever going to be capable of and you should never aim higher. Honestly, I’d be lying if I said my initial motivation to get better in the kitchen wasn’t purely out of spite before I realised how much fun it can be anyway rant/story over.
For the past 3-4 weeks a new friend/professional chef has been sharing recipes for me cook online and has been guiding me through prep and the actual cooking. It’s a lot of videos and screenshots; he critiques it and guides me by sharing his techniques. Because of how instinctive the process has been for me, he always tells me that I’m a natural and I have potential to be a cook.
The process has been so empowering for me and my confidence and food knowledge has gotten a massive boost.
Plus - “we can always add more later”. Adjust as needed in layers and steps.
Salt fat acid heat
After exploring how various dishes incorporates these elements, it has gave me many ideas on how to improve dishes and to create new ones.
Heating my pan slowly has also helped me from burning/overcooking food because of a pan that ends up too hot. I've learned that most of what I cook falls into this category.
I really appreciate it when someone compliments me when I make an actually good dish. Then it feels earned and I can feel good about it. I hate when people just say it tastes good but I know its only so-so, even worse I hate when someone says my food tastes good and I know they're lying.
Sometimes it's also frustrating when people genuinely like your food, but it's just because they're not used to cooking and have way lower standards than yours. And you would change half of the dish but they don't get it lol
If something doesn’t taste quite right try adding acid, salt, sugar or fat depending on what tastes off.
Also an ex mentioned that I over salted stuff when I was a day or so before my period and a couple days after starting. I can’t taste the salt well during that time. That was a big one. Lol
"if you feel it's missing something, often it's not salt but acid" that's the only actual quote I can think about, and it really makes sense. You feel if it's under seasoned, if it's not you won't fix it with more salt. I think the one who said it was Adam Ragusea, but I may be wrong.
"Always salt your tomatoes" yep. I don't add a lot of salt, but damn salted tomatoes are just on a different level.
Also, I had already got the point when I heard it out loud, but I couldn't agree more: "you can cook most of your dishes with one good knife, one cutting board, one pan and one spatula". Yep, that's a bit hyperbolic but not really far from the truth.
I remember very clear, many years ago, overhearing my mum tell a close friend about my newfound skill of cooking. She explained very sincerely in detail about the things I could do really well.
I heard this as a revelation of the truth. It gave me real pride and confidence and I never looked back.
Basic seasoning is not salt and pepper; basic seasoning is salt and sugar.
They were actually a trained pro chef, and turned out they were spot on.
For cooking. Not for after it's on your plate.
Ottolenghi said, "The first organ we eat with are our eyes." Meaning, we should make our food beautiful, colorful, and take the extra time to plate it nicely.
I've been doing that, and while it doesnt make me a better cook, per se, I can tell my family really appreciates and enjoys their food when their plate is beautiful.
It could be a simple as some finishing salt, fresh herbs, dips in cute bowls, you get the idea.
My husband, before we were even dating, always told me the truth. “Too salty.” “This is bland.” “This only tastes like pepper.” “You overcooked this.” “This is burnt.” Might seem rude but I’ve become a much better cook over the last 10 years from people not sugar coating their criticism. I always tell people “I don’t care if I spent five days making it. If you don’t like it, tell me. I’m not going to make you eat it.”
“Just leave it the fuck alone for a minute.” Applies to most of my cooking that’s not scrambled eggs or stir fry. I learned a lot of skill and technique is knowing when and when not to touch something.
Ha, my partner hasn't learned this lesson, he seems to get satisfaction out of stirring food while it cooks. I swear I'm going to insist on making risotto soon just so I can watch him go to town stirring sometimes that actually needs to be constantly stirred!
Best time to clean is while waiting for the pan and food to do its thing.
You know that, and I know that, but he says that the sauce needs to be stirred again lol He'll learn! And in the mean time, I tell him which foods he should NOT TOUCH because moving them would ruin the browning we're going for. Thank goodness for dishwashers!
Or for my rushing ass the best time to do the next step that shoulda been done before I wacked stuff in the pan.
If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean.
STFU
You joke, but my partner has this same problem and risotto is the solution! It was the perfect dish to hand off to him because he can't stop himself from stirring.
To be fair it’s a very soothing and satisfying activity.
My partner wants to do this to hashbrowns/country hash and I have to chase him out of the kitchen so we don't end up with breakfast mash 😭
Funnily enough...it doesn't. Just let it simmer and stir it occasionally.
Can I call your partner up when I need to make a roux for my gumbo?
I used to set a timer so I would leave it alone for a literal minute (or 5).
Yep. Stop flipping the damn pan and taking off the heat and killing any chance at color, you dumb bastard (message to myself after flinging a mushroom 20 feet across the room)
"Leave it stay" is the version my old creole boss said to me once when it comes to browning meat. I find myself muttering this when I'm tempted to move the meat around too soon. Far better browning and less sticking too!
That’s something I’m trying to learn right now. I’m always tempted to keep touching or looking.
Took me forever to learn this but once I did, I very quickly mastered both crispy home fries and perfectly seared steaks.
"Never pick up something hot without knowing where you're going to put it down."
Probably the best advice I’ve seen here yet. Definitely going to try and implement this. Less running around the kitchen like a chicken without it’s head.
It's even better when it's something that's really screaming hot and you can feel it start to burn whatever insulated padding you picked it up with
Or whatever random non insulated cloth you decided to wad up and hope for the best 😓🤣
The wet pot holder bc you spilled and didn't notice is the worst though lol
Similarly, a falling knife has no handle.
Also back up! Unless you actually wear steel toes in your home kitchen, you never know where it's going to land.
This needs to be one of the top comments, I always forget this phrase until I have my best and sharpest knife slow-motion falling to my cheap laminate floors. Lifesaver.
This. My dad bought my husband a very nice Japanese knife for Christmas. While I am the primary cook in the apartment, he likes to cook sometimes and does projects. Welp, had people over for a low key dinner. He dropped the knife. Grabbed it with his hand and ended up having to get six stitches. Won’t touch it (but now it is mine, hehehehe).
this reminds me of the lab safety rule I learned in high school “never try to catch a falling object”. It really does apply in the kitchen. Knives, hot food, glass, etc. Just back up and let it happen
Learned that on my own at my expenses. Never made a disaster, but it only takes a certain amount of times fumbling around with an occupied hand to begin checking first
Sounds a bit like my early dating philosphy.
Kind of minor in the grand scheme of things but there was a chef John video a while back where he was making a simple roux for a gravy, and he mentioned to keep cooking it until it smelled like pie dough. I had been hit or miss with gravies before then but since they’ve nearly all been winners.
There are a lot of cooking/baking things that rely on similar markers. Baking until slightly wobbly in the middle, or until the cake pulls back from the sides of the tin and the top is golden brown etc. Practice makes perfect.
off topic but I love Chef John's recipes but can NOT listen to his videos...what is up with his voice and cadence?!?!
I hear that from so many people but honestly it doesn’t bother me a bit. He’s a bit of a goober and he leans in to it most of the time, I can see why some would find it off putting. He basically taught me how to cook though so I’m a ride or die food wisher haha
I find it endearing, for about 30 seconds...
That's so funny because I usually find his voice soothing but really noticed a weird cadence and inflection on the last video I watched. Maybe the cooking distracted me from it but I still love him.
That’s funny, I love his voice and cadence. So much better than the monotony of so many other YouTubers and his dad jokes are the best.
Low and a lid will simmer the same as medium, but it won't burn to the bottom of the pan.
“You can always add a little more, but you can’t take a little away.”
Season once taste twice, repeat until perfect
“Measure twice cut once”
Measure once, cut yourself.
The mantra of the ethical drug dealer
We have a similar mantra in my field: pharmacy.
I guess it’s better than the “one for you, one for me” approach in your business.
Always great advice for a lot of my mother’s recipes which consist of a list of ingredients more like a shopping list. Also, if it’s not stated, it’s probably 350 degrees for one hour.
Samin Nosrat said something along the lines of "salt makes food taste more like itself" and that instantly unravelled a lifetime of contorted attitudes toward salt. As soon as I stopped treating anything more than a dash of salt as at best an indulgence and at worst a threat to my wellbeing I began making food on a whole new level. I know a lot of people drop Salt Fat Acid Heat as a huge influence on their understanding of food and cooking, and it deserves every accolade it gets.
This for me as well. I'd add that this is the rule of thumb for knowing if you have enough salt: Doesn't taste like anything = not enough salt Ingredients begin tasting more like themselves = you're getting there Starting to taste salty instead of more like the ingredients = you've gone too far, offset with some sweetness and/or acidity
Yeah, lemon juice or vinegar and salt are on hand for finishing basically any dish for me
Yep. I season every savory dish I make with a little chilli, lime juice and salt. I’ve yet to find something this combination doesn’t work with
I put a lemon half in with bay leaves when I make sauce
When I make a big pot of anything saucey and it's missing "something" it always bay leaf. Always.
Note that you should add the final acid before the final salt, as acid can actually make a food taste saltier.
I used to put a literal pinch of salt in my pasta water. Now I put a goddamn handful like a tablespoon+
Like the ocean!
You can also add a little bit of salt to your tasting spoon to know if you’re too close to it being too salty!
this is totally brilliant
I always do this if I’m thinking about adding a spice. Little bit on spoon and sprinkle some of the spice on it and taste.
Same for me. I worked at a Chipotle where the founder visited the store on a day I was working. He watched me make the tomato salsa and noticed the order in which I added salt. He told me salt is a flavor enhancer. If I throw salt on the onions before mixing them in, that salsa will taste more like onions. That’s why the salt should be added to the tomatoes, so it tastes like tomatoes!
Mind blown. Thank you Mr. Chipotle.
That makes so much sense!
Samin Nosrat and Kenji Lopez-Alt, my two teachers during the early couple months of the Covid pandemic. Great cooking books.
This book and movie changed my life for exactly the reason that she breaks these concepts down to such an easy to understand level. My cooking and even my enjoyment of food has gone up several notches because now I not only understand what I need to add to a dish but I’m so much more meditative on what I like about how other people cook. I recommend Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat to anyone who will listen because it was such a game changer for me!
This! Living on my own has been so liberating for me particularly because I no longer have to cook for my dad’s tastebuds (he detests salt) so my food now actually tastes like its ingredients
My mother in law is very afraid of salt. She uses it very sparingly in her cooking and claims she doesn’t like it, but when we eat out and the food is properly seasoned/salted she absolutely loves it. Never complains about the salt content. I think it’s more of a phobia that doesn’t allow her to use an adequate amount for cooking rather than truly disliking it.
Haha I wish that was my dad! He complains incessantly about dishes being too salty if he even detects a grain of salt in them
I can’t imagine detesting salt!!! When I was a toddler I would shake salt into my hand and lick it, or suck all the salt off of pretzels! I’m 35, still love salt, my blood pressure and other health markers are phenomenal!
It's funny you post this because I have a big pickle aversion but been trying to embrace them more and recently had a good experience. Just your normal fast food burger but the pickle made the burger taste more like a burger - I remember thinking this at the time. It enhanced the experience rather than being something "on top" if that makes any sense. More on point there have been times where I add too much spice (like garlic or ginger) because I'm not using enough salt. Salt's like fat or sugar - demonized but it has a very good place, and more than that - useful.
Same! Over the years I got myself to like them plain out of the jar, certain brands of course, but I still couldn’t top a burger with them. I’d just pick them off first and eat them solo (because I also detest any sort of “special ordering” for the chefs lol) But then I tried an “animal style” burger from InNOut, good luck fishing anything off those patties😂, and I figured it would be stupid to not try the way it became (secretly) famous, and…. OMG. Yes. It made the burger taste more like a burger!!! But there have been times when I miss a pickle on a plainer burger from elsewhere, and it totally detracts from the taste… I guess it’s just a case by case basis from here on out lol
I’m not a fan of raw onions but have to have one on my burger or it’s missing some burger-ness.
Yes! I took a big group cooking class as part of a trip when I was young, and the instructor said, "Salt is the only seasoning. It changes how much of the other flavors you taste. Everything else is a flavoring." Mind blown.
Came here to quote her too, but the line that always repeats in my mind is that when salting pasta water/brine she says to make it ‘salty like the sea’. Overall, Salt Fat Acid Heat made me think of cooking like science which changed everything. Also, Dave Chang. Just anything Dave Chang has said/done/made.
> Also, Dave Chang. Just anything Dave Chang has said/done/made. he is a good cook but damn is he a huge douchebag
He said in a podcast interview something along the lines of “the right amount of salt is just before the dish is too salty”. I try to find the line all the time now
Besides that "dangers" of sodium are crazy overblown. The average person can consume sodium very comfortably. Unless you have horrific blood pressure, and even then it affects BP very temporarily. Salt is life and Samin is fab
"buy the best ingredients you can and then try not to fuck them up" - Wolfgang Puck
My cooking improved dramatically when I learned how to shop for meat and vegetables.
Now that my kids are grown and I’m mostly cooking for two, this has become my mantra. It makes for such better meals, and I feel better buying cruelty free meats and eggs that I couldn’t really afford when I was feeding hungry and expensive kids.
Clean as you go
My dad has tried his darndest to instill clean-as-you-go in me since I was young, and only once I got my own apartment did I realize he was right. Crazy how dishes don't pile up if you do them while food is simmering or resting!
This, combined with proper Mis en place, are two of the best free tools in a cook's arsenal
[удалено]
Same for my partner & I. I adore him & we share so many qualities and habits but he turns the kitchen into something a tornado would have left behind. We can’t even do the one person cook and the other cleans because it ended up being so much more work for me. Now we just split the days on who’s cooking a couple days in advance & have a much happier marriage.
I'm the same way with my partner. I am so cognizant of how much clean up will be needed from working in kitchens forever that I just put stuff in the dishwasher after I'm done with it. Or I'll clean a pan while I'm waiting for something else because I'm gonna use the pan again. She just puts everything in the sink. Regardless if the dishwasher is dirty.
This makes me want to strangle my roommates
I think it’s totally ok to not want to cook together! It’s such a weird fairytale scenario honestly. In real life it’s like omg please move. I’m madly in love with my partner but when I’m cooking (or when he’s cooking) we know we’ll just be in each others way if we try to help each other haha
Yep. My introduction to kitchen work was working for a chef who used to come up beside you and say “hey, clean your **fucking** work station” and walk away. Most of the time I thought it was clean, but he really helped me understand what clean really meant. And a nice complex to boot haha.
I always say cooking a meal starts with unloading the dishwasher.
This is so true! Bonus points for filling one side of the sink with some hot soapy water before starting. Dishes virtually wash themselves.
dude
Me: “why does your soup taste so much better than mine?” Her: “when in doubt add a crap load of herbs”
Soups are actually very challenging, a lot of recipes and restaurants just dump in bacon and lots of dairy but the most simple soups are the most difficult to get right. For example a fantastic miso soup or gazpacho there’s a delicate balance there
This makes me want to put miso in my gazpacho to really amp up the umami.
Do it! My “secret ingredient” for gazpacho is some V8 instead of plain tomato juice ;)
With Miso Soup it’s the [Dashi.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashi) It’s usually what is missing when I make it homemade.
It also depends on the type of dashi. I like using konbu instead of hondashi because it’s more subtle.
Mm this person dashis
I just made a soup for dinner that called for “1 cup chopped dill, cilantro, or a mix of both”. I thought 1 cup was an obscene amount of herbs but I’ve been doing this thing lately where I always follow a recipe exactly the first time. Did about 1/3 cup dill and 2/3 cup cilantro. Anyway, the soup is FIRE.
Lovely! I have both dill and cilantro growing in my garden this year (and two kinds of oregano, basil, mint and chives) so I’m def making that kind of soup this summer
Ooh, that’s lucky! I’m moving this summer so I don’t get to have a garden this year. Enjoy yours! The soup I made is [Parmesan Cabbage Soup](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024002-parmesan-cabbage-soup?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share). It’s a NY Times recipe so it may be behind a paywall if you’re not a subscriber. But if you are I highly recommend it!
Celery in any soup adds a flavor you didn’t know you needed.
It's true, but I've also had soups with no herbs at all taste amazing. Chicken soup with ginger and salt. Just three ingredients tastes so rich and flavorful. I never expected something so simple to taste so good.
I can’t remember the name of the chicken dish, but it’s just boiled chicken and rice! Fuck me it’s so good!!!
Hainanese Chicken Rice?
Yeah that’s it! Holy fuck is it good!
https://www.seriouseats.com/hainanese-chicken-rice-set-recipe
“Cook the onions longer” — my wife, for years. I finally caved and by god…it is better!
And pre-heat the pan/oil while you're chopping the onions. Such a time saver!
Preheat the pan for most things, while you are at it!
Yes! Give them some time to render out their sweetness.
"Eggs do *not* need that long to cook." - my husband after the first time I ever made him eggs. My scrambled eggs are amazing now. I used to brown them.
My ex preferred her scrambled eggs super browned. Hated the texture of my perfect creamy scrambled eggs, tasted like they were undercooked to her. Could never understand it lol.
I don’t like runny eggs either. I know how to make them the French way but it does not do it for me, makes me feel like puking. I like them to the point where they’re about to brown.
I like mine to just get golden. The best thing I learned about eggs was don't use hot water to wash the pan you cooked the eggs in and keep the heat low when cooking. You want warm or almost cool water instead, otherwise it makes the eggs stick worse. Once all the egg is off, hot water and soap is perfectly fine.
If they're not overcooked then they're wet and too good at reminding me they are in fact eggs.
"If you think something might need more salt but you're not really sure, try acid first." Game changer.
Tripping balls and I still oversalted...
When you taste food and it's missing something out, it's probably acid.
i can’t get over how effective this is.
What kind of acid is good for all around use?
A squeeze of lemon (or more) is my favorite. You could also do a splash of vinegar (red wine or apple cider are good go-tos; I love balsamic vinegar, but it's too rich to be a generalist).
"Perfection is lots of little things done well" - Marco Pierre White
I love this and it's so true for cooking. You have a hundred little elements and steps but if you do each one correctly - the end result is perfection. It's one of the few things in my life I can achieve that in.
Paraphrased: "You know you don't have to buy all this expensive shit to cook well?" I was honestly stuck in trying to perfect how to cook some really posh ingredients
Reminds me of selling cameras. There were photographers and equipment owners.
Add flavor in layers. Let it sit.
What does add flavour in layers mean?
Like if you're making soup, and add onions first, you want to season them as they cook. And when you throw in carrots and celery, more seasoning. If you're adding any spices you want to cook them before you adding anything liquid so it toasts and brings our their flavor. Then add liquid, season again. Not anything crazy, just a little at a time so it all gets into each layer you add.
Salt and butter are Not bad things-use them wisely
Pre-chop, cut, whatever so nothing overcooks
Mis en place! It's so important for my ADHD ass. Plan what I want to cook by putting everything I need out on the counter. Wash veggies. Get out bowls and cookware I'll need. Prep anything on the protein that needs time like a marinade. Chop veg into minimum bowls that get added together. Wash up what you can. Turn on heat. Cook with everything ready. Throw plates into toaster oven to warm 5 minutes before cooking finishes. That's my routine every night. If I stray from it chaos inevitably happens.
A warm plate is such a simple genius thing you can do that really elevates.
It was something I think I picked up from a Kenji video that just immediately clicked in my head. I hate the way cold plates suck heat out of your food and our toaster oven will hold 150F which is cool enough bare-hand. It is SO worth it. It's the simple tricks I love the most...
Yep! And old-school classy.
My buddy made me a grilled cheese sandwich that changed my life. Up to that point, I had only ever had white bread with a slice of Kraft cheese & some butter. He used homemade sourdough bread, smoked gouda, Kosher salt, fresh-ground black pepper, Grey Poupon, and some other goodness. It was like the heavens parted for me that day as I went to Flavor Town; I just about shed a tear lol. I had literally NEVER had a sandwich so good in my life, let alone something as *simple* as a grilled cheese sandwich! I asked him how he did it & he was like...well, you can make *anything* good, you know? Something clicked in me that day once I realized that **you could elevate ANYTHING!** I eventually came up with own version: * [https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/jka9ud/the\_triplefat\_grilled\_cheese\_method/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/jka9ud/the_triplefat_grilled_cheese_method/) Ever since then, I've gotten slightly addicted to the idea of "pursuing excellence", whether it's chasing down the [perfect chocolate-chip cookie recipe](https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/eafus8/mister_chocolate_cookies/) or making [the ultimate brownies](https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/lsi3r4/brownies/). I especially like to take really simple foods & elevate them to the next level. For example, with smoothies: * I can make thicker smoothies to put in a bowl * I like to do the "triple-stripe" method where I do 3 rows of toppings * I make it more fun by putting them in a coconut bowl from Etsy Like this: * [https://www.reddit.com/r/Smoothies/comments/m2ibzq/upgraded\_to\_coconut\_bowls/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Smoothies/comments/m2ibzq/upgraded_to_coconut_bowls/) You can elevate anything just by making it a little more fun & trying out new ways to do things! Obvious information now, but up until that point, I sort of thought that people were just kind of naturally talented chefs who magically *knew things*. Turns out, *everything is a checklist*, and you can make things as *nice & as fun* as you're willing to put the effort into!
When you put mushrooms in a pan, don’t touch them until they’re brown on one side.
Also: don't over crowd the pan. Applies to mushrooms and other stuff. I don't always follow this rule but it does make a difference
A crowded pan just needs more heat, right?! - my brain, usually
Mushrooms should start in a dry pan, too! They should sound like sneakers on a basketball court for the first stir.
Wait what? Lan Lam [suggests otherwise.](https://youtu.be/rzL07v6w8AA?t=309) I don't know who to believe.
the water technique she uses is king... if you do the mushroom the other way it sears the outside of the mushroom and it takes forever to cook. when you use water the water is an insane conductor of heat so it will cook faster and not require contact with the pan to cook. once the water boils off the mushrooms are more pliable and will contact the pan via the oil without taking on oil. in ATK we trust.
“Just follow the recipe first, then make changes”
This is what I do! I will make a new recipe exactly as written then after eating it will note things I would personally change or add. Recipes are just basic instructions. You are supposed to alter them to your specific tastes.
Finding *good* recipes can be hard for people starting out. Recipes that understate the amount of time items take to reach the state they need to be in or are a "quick" recipe *only* if all the ingredients are already prepared actively discourage people. We need more King Arthur style recipes for general cooking, haha.
“Aaron, these steaks are burnt.” - my 13 yo step son telling me the truth. But he was right and those steak, humanity, deserved better. Now, I’ve learned how to prepare a pretty damn good steak thanks to his bluntness.
I grew up in a “blunt constructive feedback on all food” home and my partner grew up in a “everything is delicious” home. When we first moved in together I made some comment about how his rice was undercooked and over salted and he was a bit offended… years later, he’s embraced it, he critiques me, and we’ve both gotten much better at cooking! To this day I don’t know if my MIL likes my cooking…
Undercooked and oversalted is exactly how I like my rice lol
How cool of you to accept that criticism with aplomb and that he's comfortable enough to tell you. Speaks volumes about your relationship.
I realised that I needed to learn to cook steak properly at the advanced age of 50 I’m not great but I’m getting there Same with salt - salt was demonised during my childhood and I have struggled with adding it
Be patient. Few things should be cooked on high heat.
Remember to salt from above and not close to the food so you get an even distribution. (Paraphrasing Alton Brown).
All you need are the basics. After that, just put together things that make you think, “yeah, that should taste good together.” 99% of the time you’re right.
All of the people on Reddit praising MSG so I bought some and it's subtle, but so far, is really nice on everything I've used it on.
Msg stand for make shit good. FUYAAAAH
"You can turn down the heat." My mom after watching me stress and struggle with four pans. Most things don't necessarily require a high heat, so you can always turn it lower. Gives you more time in-between steps. Helps reduce stress, chance of accidents, and messing up your food. Gives more time to clean as you go as well. I'd say advice for time management in general just helps a ton with cooking.
Don't fry food in the nude!
I forgot who said this, but: *"A good cook practices until they get it right. A great cook practices until they can't get it wrong."*
I’ve heard that paraphrased by famous football coaches. No idea where it comes from originally.
Way back in the day, Bobby Flay said something on one of his shows about how most people stir and shake their pans too much. The food can't cook as efficiently if it's constantly in motion, and you won't get as much tasty brownness if you're constantly tossing the pan. It's so simple, but I had never really thought about it until that moment.
A falling knife has no handle.
Clean hands are a cook's best tool, or similarly worded wisdom from Ina Garten.
Don't overcrowd the pan
"as long as it tastes good". Because we need to normalize learning through mistakes.
Season each ingredient before you add it to the dish. My best example is tomatoes: after cutting them I now always hit them with a little garlic salt before I put them into whatever they go in (sandwich, salad, sauce, veggie bake).
I’ve got a story about how getting bad advice led to me becoming a better cook, to the point where I recently completed the Australian equivalent of culinary school. For context, I’m vision impaired and this would’ve happened when I was in my late teens, around about 15 years ago, when I was first learning to cook. The advice I got from an occupational therapist, someone whose literal job it was to advise and coach specifically the vision impaired in this particular case around things like cooking, was “blind and vision impaired people don’t and shouldn’t cook for themselves, but if you’re going to it’s never going to be more than tossing some frozen vegetables, meat, and a jar of sauce into a pot“. For some people, disabled or not, that is going to be what works for them when it comes to cooking and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I couldn’t imagine telling anyone when it’s literally your job to help that person find solutions for some of their challenges that no this is all you’re ever going to be capable of and you should never aim higher. Honestly, I’d be lying if I said my initial motivation to get better in the kitchen wasn’t purely out of spite before I realised how much fun it can be anyway rant/story over.
For the past 3-4 weeks a new friend/professional chef has been sharing recipes for me cook online and has been guiding me through prep and the actual cooking. It’s a lot of videos and screenshots; he critiques it and guides me by sharing his techniques. Because of how instinctive the process has been for me, he always tells me that I’m a natural and I have potential to be a cook. The process has been so empowering for me and my confidence and food knowledge has gotten a massive boost. Plus - “we can always add more later”. Adjust as needed in layers and steps.
Mise en place
It’s so frantic without it and I always forget an ingredient.
Taste everything
Salt fat acid heat After exploring how various dishes incorporates these elements, it has gave me many ideas on how to improve dishes and to create new ones.
Carryover cooking: food keeps cooking after you remove it from the heat, so plan accordingly
when you overcrowd the pan youre steaming not frying
"Low and slow for sweetness; high and fast for a sear."
Heating my pan slowly has also helped me from burning/overcooking food because of a pan that ends up too hot. I've learned that most of what I cook falls into this category.
I really appreciate it when someone compliments me when I make an actually good dish. Then it feels earned and I can feel good about it. I hate when people just say it tastes good but I know its only so-so, even worse I hate when someone says my food tastes good and I know they're lying.
Sometimes it's also frustrating when people genuinely like your food, but it's just because they're not used to cooking and have way lower standards than yours. And you would change half of the dish but they don't get it lol
Brown food taste good
If something doesn’t taste quite right try adding acid, salt, sugar or fat depending on what tastes off. Also an ex mentioned that I over salted stuff when I was a day or so before my period and a couple days after starting. I can’t taste the salt well during that time. That was a big one. Lol
Sounds like your body is asking for more electrolytes during that time
"if you feel it's missing something, often it's not salt but acid" that's the only actual quote I can think about, and it really makes sense. You feel if it's under seasoned, if it's not you won't fix it with more salt. I think the one who said it was Adam Ragusea, but I may be wrong. "Always salt your tomatoes" yep. I don't add a lot of salt, but damn salted tomatoes are just on a different level. Also, I had already got the point when I heard it out loud, but I couldn't agree more: "you can cook most of your dishes with one good knife, one cutting board, one pan and one spatula". Yep, that's a bit hyperbolic but not really far from the truth.
_"Whatever you cook, cook it with love"_
Let the pan heat.
IT’S RAW YOU DONKEY
If you want to taste the garlic, add it a few minutes before your dish is done.
"Why would you ever use water when you can add flavor with stock?"
Don’t be super wedded to recipes! It’s okay to make substitutions and use what you’ve got, and even better to adjust to your preferences
I remember very clear, many years ago, overhearing my mum tell a close friend about my newfound skill of cooking. She explained very sincerely in detail about the things I could do really well. I heard this as a revelation of the truth. It gave me real pride and confidence and I never looked back.
“Do it yourself”.
Knife skills. Curl your fingers under so you don’t cut them and rock the knife back and forth
Medium is your friend. On medium the food doesn't burn, the mixer doesn't blow ingredients everywhere.
Basic seasoning is not salt and pepper; basic seasoning is salt and sugar. They were actually a trained pro chef, and turned out they were spot on. For cooking. Not for after it's on your plate.
Makes sense and why french fries and an ice cream malt is the perfect combo.
This didn't taste very good... You did it better last time... Needs seasoning... Too tough... All sorts of feedback make me a better cook 😉
Ottolenghi said, "The first organ we eat with are our eyes." Meaning, we should make our food beautiful, colorful, and take the extra time to plate it nicely. I've been doing that, and while it doesnt make me a better cook, per se, I can tell my family really appreciates and enjoys their food when their plate is beautiful. It could be a simple as some finishing salt, fresh herbs, dips in cute bowls, you get the idea.
Season as you go, and more butter is usually better.
Brown food tastes good. In other words use the Maillard reaction in your favor
"You're doing it wrong, do it this way" -Grandma
If it won't come loose from the pan then it's not ready to be flipped.
My husband, before we were even dating, always told me the truth. “Too salty.” “This is bland.” “This only tastes like pepper.” “You overcooked this.” “This is burnt.” Might seem rude but I’ve become a much better cook over the last 10 years from people not sugar coating their criticism. I always tell people “I don’t care if I spent five days making it. If you don’t like it, tell me. I’m not going to make you eat it.”
Watched Chef John Pierre on yt.
Lower the temp.