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According to baking expert, TV pie judge, and author Jessica, making a mistake in the kitchen isn't the end of the world. For instance, if you add way too much sugar to your recipe, you could solve the problem by cutting down the portion size for your guests. Or you could pair the dessert with something far less sweet, maybe even something with a savory taste profile.

"For example, if your pie filling is too sweet, you can still use it in hand pies with an unsweetened crust because the ratio of crust to filling is much higher in something akin to a pop tart and your guests won't be getting a giant mouth full of diabetes like they would with a traditional deep dish pie. Or even skip the pie crust altogether and serve your mega sweet filling drizzled over some brie on a cracker! Won't your friends think you’re posh…," Jessica explained how a good imagination and some flexibility can turn any challenge or disaster into an opportunity.

The pie artist herself opened up to Bored Panda and told us that she's a big fan of pairing sweet flavors with sharp, sour notes. For instance, you could pair tart cherries with chocolates, sautée Granny Smith apples in brown sugar syrup, etc.

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks A falling knife has no handle.

Forever true. Don't learn this one the hard way.

chicostick , Tristan Frank Report

Final score:

218points

POST

Earl Grey 2 years ago

This. And… it may be down further in this thread, but… the most dangerous thing in a kitchen is a dull knife. Keep them sharp so that they don’t have a mind of their own and wander sideways when you want to slice something.

116points

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks EDIT: YES I KNOW ABOUT RICE COOKERS AND I OWN ONE, BUT THIS IS STILL A TIP.

Stop lifting the lid off of a pot of rice.

Look at me. LOOK. AT. ME.

STOP TAKING THE LID OFF THE GODDAMN RICE. YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT MUSHY OR CRUNCHY RICE AND IT'S EITHER BECAUSE YOU DON'T MEASURE OR YOU WON'T LEAVE THE LID ALONE.

The steam cooks the rice, by taking the lid off you RUIN EVERYTHING **FOREVER**

anon , Uwe Conrad Report

Final score:

196points

POST

Helenium 2 years ago

Lol ok, breathe

134points

"This keeps your tastebuds on their toes!" Jessica said. "In general, anything that will create a bit of contrast will help your flavors shine in your dish—a tiny bit of exposure to the opposite flavor always makes the sensation of your key flavor stronger."

The pie artist suggested that you try and blend your sweet tastes with something salty like salted nuts. You could also replace the saltiness with something sour like citrus fruits or even something bitter (e.g. dark chocolate). That way, you'll enhance both flavors. However, try not to go overboard! Experimentation is great, but not when you turn your guests into unwitting guinea pigs.

"Be careful to contrast rather than confuse the palate. You want opposite flavors, not competing flavors. Lemon with sweet cream = good. Lemon with mint or espresso = ummm… probably not."

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks When you're cooking burgers with any method, make a small dent on the top of the patty (right in the center) with your thumb. When they cook, they'll stay completely flat instead of shrinking and getting very tall in the middle

u/peachpop123 , Ernesto Andrade Report

Final score:

183points

POST

Lisa Valen 2 years ago

I forgot about this. It really does work.

43points

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks No matter what you're pan frying, don't crowd the pan. Get a bigger pan or cook them in batches, but the reason your potatoes and veggies aren't getting brown and crisp is because they're drowning in their own juice!

BuffaloBounce , Sophie Report

Final score:

170points

POST

Kira Okah 2 years ago (edited)

Not just frying either - when boiling things like pasta and noodles, it is common to see people using too small a pan, stuff gets crowded and sticks together. So many solutions get presented to fix things that can be solved by using a larger pan instead of overcrowding a tiny one.

49points

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Clean up your station (or kitchen) as you go! You'll become so much more efficient in the kitchen, you'll always have space to work, and you'll have very little cleaning to do when you're finished

u/hevorious , Nathan Dumlao Report

Final score:

162points

POST

GlassHalfWay 2 years ago

Yep, right into the dishwasher. If I didn't have one, the kitchen would be a hot mess.

25points

In our personal experience, practice is better than theory when it comes to honing your skills with the knife, spoon, and pan. It’s one thing to understand how flavor profiles work and the dozen+ different uses of butter on a theoretical level, it’s something else entirely to get the results you want when you’re sweating from all the effort.

In short, we feel that the very best chefs, bakers, and food experts are the ones who learn from their mistakes and strive to get better every single day. As opposed to folks who order in pizza, watch pro chefs messing up on TV, and mumble ‘how could you make such an obvious mistake, I could have done better than that’ in between mouthfuls. We salute everyone who burns their eggs and overcooks their rice, and sees every mistake as a valuable lesson.

The fact is that many of us have lots of misconceptions about food. We tend to ‘inherit’ them from the people who raised them. If your parents or grandparents used to cook food a specific way with very particular ingredients, odds are that you’ll follow in their footsteps without thinking too much about whether or not it’s the ‘right’ or ‘best’ way to do things.

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks FLIP THE KNIFE OVER and use the back of it to shove stuff into a pot, not the sharp side

Akoola , Max Delsid Report

Final score:

139points

POST

K4l1m3r0 2 years ago

I am very curious why.. it might be obvious but not seeing it.. any help?

36points

Dull knives are more dangerous than sharp knives.

stellardreamscape Report

Final score:

136points

POST

Pumpkin Spice 2 years ago

But better for a slow and torturous death.

76points

Buy local! Food grown locally will almost always taste better than something grown and shipped half way across the globe. Plus it supports the farmers in your area. Check out when the farmers markets are and get to know the farmers and they will take care of you.
Also get to know your butcher, he will guide you through the world of meat better than any book or website if he's any good.
Pork ftw.

chefjustin Report

Final score:

131points

POST

Ozzie Ogawa 2 years ago

Buy local and seasonal, you'll get fresher and cheaper food.

47points

KillerKad , Marco Verch Professional P Report

Talented pie artist and food expert Jessica recently explained to Bored Panda the link between culinary knowledge and traditions.

“Culinary knowledge is usually passed down generationally. If that’s how your mum/dad/gran did it, that’s how you do it. There’s a lot of, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality around the dinner tables of the world,” she said that people can’t tell what the ‘correct’ version of a dish tastes like if, well, they haven’t tried it out. You can’t say that something’s ‘wrong’ if you don’t have anything to compare it to.

“And even then, due to warm fuzzy nostalgic feelings the foods of our youth often invoke, some people may prefer the ‘incorrect’ version. Overcooked pasta just like mother used to make!” Jessica said that there are a lot of feelings of nostalgia hidden in each bite of a meal cooked in a very particular way.

“Of course, there is a line between ‘sub-optimal’ and ‘inedible’ when it comes to food. But if no one is puking up a lung or dying of obvious malnutrition, most busy parents don’t see much of an impetus to change,” the food expert told Bored Panda.

#10

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Use weight--not volume--to measure ingredients for baking.

Final score:

116points

POST

Schnee Wittchen 2 years ago

Except for liquid ingredients of course...

21points

#11

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Peel your carrots.

Not everything needs to be on high heat.

A good chef knife will be the only tool you really need for home cutting.

Save your bacon fat.

Soups are the best way to use leftovers.

Eversooner , Didriks Report

Final score:

115points

POST

Lisa Valen 2 years ago

*Not everything needs to be on high heat. Amen!

55points

#12

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Season everything. Making chicken alfredo? Season the chicken, season the pasta, and season the sauce. Never assume that one flavor element will permeate the whole dish. The difference between a $1 plate of pasta and a $12 plate of pasta is putting the right amount of salt in the water

deleted , Stefan Katrandjisk Report

Final score:

111points

POST

Aisling Raye 2 years ago

Also, unless it's completely unavoidable for time or what not, make your own pasta. It takes a little learning curve time but it tastes a million times better than the dried store bought.

26points

One thing’s for sure, our understanding of what’s healthy and what isn’t tends to follow fads. For instance, Jessica noted that when she was a kid, butter was “the enemy.” Meanwhile, at that same time, muffins were “the epitome of healthy diet food.” Imagine eating a 1k calorie bran muffin, “slathered in margarine,” with a cup of black coffee while thinking it’s incredibly healthy.

“There are certainly some historical food misconceptions that have done a lot of harm. The vilification of fat by the sugar lobby in the 1960s is a big one that springs to mind, as well as the whole ‘eating a giant bowl of glorified marshmallows is a-ok for breakfast’ phase,” the cooking expert said.

“Outside of broad societal attitudes towards certain foods and diets, there are a number of common everyday cooking mistakes that people make in the preparation of their food—our handling of rice and pasta are high on the list here—but outside of food safety violations, I tend to be pretty sanguine about these things,” she said that as long as there’s nothing dangerous to one’s health, we shouldn’t be too stressed about it. Unless we want to make something taste far better, of course!

“No one ever died from over-cooked pasta, or vegetables boiled within an inch of their life. Sure, they’re missing out on a heightened culinary experience, but do you really want to be ‘that guy?’ I know I’m not going to tell my grandma how to perfect her pasta boiling technique (and if you knew my grandma, you wouldn’t either!),” Jessica quipped.

#13

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks A chef taught me that sprinkling pepper onto strawberries makes them taste like strawberry-flavoured candy. I tried it and definitely recommend it.

anon , Rosina-Sch Report

Final score:

109points

POST

ThatG 2 years ago

Pour a little bit of Balsamic Vinegar in a plate and crack black pepper into it… then dab your Strawberry in it.

69points

#14

When you're cooking... COOK. Don't read, text, talk on the phone, watch a movie or anything else. Those couple of extra minutes when you're not paying attention was when you burned the bottom of the sauce and now it tastes like an ashtray.

When you hear people who make some great food talk about Love being the special ingredient. They mean it. They love cooking. They love making food that people enjoy. They love seeing happy faces. They love to eat good food.

You can't have all of that while you're watching a rerun of CSI and letting your cookies burn into something that explodes into dust when you try to bite into them.

dad0ughb0y Report

Final score:

109points

POST

Isabela Cincu 2 years ago (edited)

Best advice so far...everytime I don't feel like cooking the food is rubbish

35points

#15

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Garlic makes everything better.

smsmith538 , Frédéric Dupont Report

Final score:

108points

POST

Kristal 2 years ago

Ice cream?

49points

#16

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Salads are hard to make absolutely delicious without lots of dressing, but when you chop up juicy vegetables for a salad — like tomatoes, peppers, or cucumber — salt them before you add them to the salad. It'll remove some of the excess moisture so things don't get soggy, and it'll brighten up the whole salad without making it salty

mzito , Leigh Skomal Report

Final score:

104points

POST

Neea P 2 years ago

I think people eat too much salt already. I usually just use vinegar and black pepper instead of dressing (or salt), and my salad taste pretty delicious to me!

41points

#17

Tip #1
You can make popcorn in the microwave with just kernels, a bowl, olive oil, salt, and plastic wrap. It is way healthier than bags, cheaper, and the oil makes it super crunchy.

Place kernels in bowl. Drizzle half a teaspoon of oil on the kernels and add a pinch of fine salt. Mix. Cover top of bowl with plastic wrap. Poke a couple of small holes with your fingers. Cook on high 1.5 minutes.

Tip #2
If making a grilled cheese, butter your bread with softened butter, not melted butter. The fats solids emulsified in the butter when sufficiently toasted with the bread makes for much better flavor. Also, make sure all ingredients in your grilled cheese is room temp before cooking. Cheese will be less likely to separate and the sandwich itself will cook more evenly.

Tip #3
If boiling vegetables or pasta, make sure to salt the water. It makes the pasta taste better and the vegetables brighter in color. Cook both these slightly underdone because carryover cooking occurs even after taking it off the heat.

(edit) tip: Never, ever wash your pasta under cold tap water after straining it. It will taste horrible and lose its texture, even if using it for pasta salad. If you need your pasta to cool, spread on a baking sheet. You can use a drizzle of oil so it won't stick together after cooling.

(Edit #2) Yes, I know you can use the stove instead of the microwave. For me, the microwave is faster and a quicker clean up because I can put the bowl in the dishwasher after. I hand wash all my pans carefully so would rather not use them for this, especially since I like to eat plain popcorn almost every day. Also, easier to control against burning and you don't have to stand next to it when using the microwave. I don't worry about plastic wrap because it's not actually touching the food when it's hot and none of my research has shown that plastic wrap nowadays releases plasticizers in damaging amounts to do anything. I'm a chef, yeah, but at home I'm really lazy.

(Edit #3) TIL: The people of reddit take popcorn and grilled cheese very seriously.

becca_fox Report

Final score:

98points

POST

Raven DeathShade 2 years ago

Ah, the last edit XD.

65points

#18

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Don't overthink your recipes. Instead of trying to make everything as fancy as possible (and use as many impressive ingredients as you can), just learn how to shop for quality ingredients. Food doesn't have to be fancy or complicated to taste good. A simple recipe made with quality ingredients and proper technique is almost always better than being fancy

DirtFantastic , Tara Clark Report

Final score:

94points

POST

Beth S 2 years ago

I wish I could afford quality ingredients 😑

42points

#19

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks If your cutting board keeps slipping around the counter, put a wet towel or paper towel under it to keep it in its place. It'll make your chopping process much safer than it would be otherwise!

u/munificent , Debby Hudson Report

Final score:

90points

POST

空の夢 2 years ago

must try!

11points

#20

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Always, ALWAYS taste your food while cooking. I always have like 5 spoons beside me while cooking. This allows you to accurately adjust seasoning, flavours, and cooking time.

It is tough at first to know what to adjust, but you get better at it with time and it will really improve the quality of food you make (especially over-salting).

arshonagon , Joshua Rappeneker Report

Final score:

87points

POST

E Menendez 2 years ago

A dash of vinegar is always a good bet when you can't quite figure out what the dish needs. That kernel of knowledge changed my life.

71points

#21

The Roux - Probably one of the most useful things in cooking, it's used as base for sauces. heat up a few tbs of butter in a saucepan and stir in an equal amount of flour. Once it is thick and frothy you can add a liquid of your choice for the base of your sauce (milk or chicken stock are my favorites) add as much as necessary to reach your desired consistency. Add spices or melt cheese to make a great cheese sauce. Be creative!

aSpryLad Report

Final score:

80points

POST

Beth S 2 years ago (edited)

Doesn’t have to be butter, could also be rendered fat.

21points

#22

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks If you're using raw, chopped onions in a dish, soak them in cold water first to draw out some of that bite. It's a really small thing, but it can make a world of difference

chaos37 , Dave Dugdale Report

Final score:

72points

POST

Jo Johannsen 2 years ago

I like the onion bite.

82points

#23

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Steaks *continue* to cook even off the grill.

iam4real , Bon Vivant Report

Final score:

67points

POST

Zoe's Mom 2 years ago

So does chicken.

28points

#24

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Cooking with softened butter and melted butter yield entirely differently results. For example, grilled cheese. If you butter your bread with softened butter instead of just melting the butter in the pan, you'll get a much more flavorful (and crispy) result. The fat solids emulsified in the softened butter make the bread crispier when it gets toasted over high heat

u/becca_fox , Brett Jordan Report

Final score:

67points

POST

Lisa Valen 2 years ago

Also, always use REAL butter. Not margarine or other butter substitutes.

63points

#25

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Learning proper knife safety and knife skills aren't all about chopping things as quickly or impressively as possible — when you know how to use a knife properly, you'll also save a lot of effort and make yourself far less prone to injuries

chloesilverado , Kyle Mesdag Report

Final score:

67points

POST

Chris Wright 2 years ago

It just a shame that the above photo does not show proper knife skills :( Claw grip people!

83points

#26

Use dried spices as early as possible when cooking as they need time to rehydrate. Use fresh spices at the end immediately before serving. Don't salt your food until you're about to serve.

Edit: I honestly don't understand what's so contentious about this comment. It's the advice I've been given by professional chefs both in person and boilerplate text in practically every recipe I've followed over the years. Maybe because I said "spices" instead of "herbs"? It doesn't matter when you add turmeric, but it damned sure matters when you add dried rosemary.

ReallyHender Report

Final score:

54points

POST

Ellen Ranks 2 years ago

This also depends on the herb or spice, for example rosemary should be added early, parsley later.

25points

#27

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks When making pork chops cut the ribbon of fat so that it is in pieces instead of one long piece.

It prevents the chop from curling in the pan and cooking unevenly.

Capitan_Amazing , Kyle Mackie Report

Final score:

48points

POST

Daniel Ikelman 2 years ago

So why show a beef ribeye in the pic?

62points

#28

Perfect cake - weigh however many eggs you need. (2 or 3 generally) everything else should be the same weight (marg, flour, sugar etc)

_River_Song_ Report

Final score:

40points

POST

royal_antelope 2 years ago

marg? like margarine?

13points

#29

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks SALT. My god salt your food. If there is one mistake that home cooks make, and then wonder why it doesn't taste as good as a restaurant, it is usually too little salt. Salt opens up the receptors on your tongue and enhances the flavor of pretty much everything.

Easiest example is salting the water you would use to boil any starch (pasta, potatoes, etc). You should put **a lot** of salt in the water. Think about how much you would consider a lot, then double it, and add that much. This is the best time to season any starch, when it is boiling. Then adjust the flavor (add more) if needed once it is cooked.

IM_Swooptech , Becca Tapert Report

Final score:

39points

POST

Bobby 2 years ago

Don't salt your rice water as much as your pasta water. I learned that one the hard way

39points

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

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Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#30

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Peanut butter can really round out the flavour in sauces and stew-like dishes.

tzivje , Tetiana Bykovets Report

Final score:

39points

POST

Ranax 2 years ago

What is that muck? I hope they don't sell that as peanut butter.

13points

Keysar_Soze , Michelle @New Layer Photography Report

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#31

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Don't cook bacon naked. (microwaving is fine)

Final score:

13points

POST

Indosidius 2 years ago

Not a chef here. Do you mean Bacon on its own without added stuff, or do you mean yourself buttnaked? I can understand the second reason, because bacon fat splatters....

15points

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

#32

Chop with the rear part of the blade, not the tip, in a rolling motion.

dberis Report

Final score:

12points

POST

Marlowe Fitzpatrik 2 years ago

Yes, but only when the blade is curved outwards and not straight. So for chopping, get a curved blade!

0points

#33

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Im no professional, but in my years of cooking i've found that NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE COOKED ON HIGH.

Pitoface , Pruthvi Sagar A R Report

Final score:

12points

POST

Nikki Sevven 2 years ago

Most things don't.

1point

#34

Do NOT put cast iron stuff (skillets, grill pans, etc) in the dishwasher. Unless you like ruining things.

Also, presentation somehow adds to how good the food tastes

vasudidi Report

Final score:

12points

POST

Raven DeathShade 2 years ago

Your senses tend to collaborate on those sorts of things. That's why presentation matters. Your eyes and nose work with your tongue and palate to get the best result from your food.

0points

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“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#35

Make your own stock. It's remarkably simple and freezes fantastically. Use a bird carcass or wing tips plus some roasted vegetables to make a huge batch. It will make anything you make taste better.

Prep your vegetables before starting your meal. If you know you're making a meal that night then cut up the veg in the morning and leave in a ziplock or whatnot. It's a lot easier to get a meal timed properly when you're not trying to do too many things at once.

akirabob Report

Final score:

12points

POST

Kusotare 2 years ago

Making your own stock is conceptually a great idea, but I don't have the freezer space to hold it, nor the ingredients that would go into it (veg scraps, chicken wingtips, beef bones, etc). My freezer is full of stuff I've stocked up on that was on sale ($5 top sirloin or pork chops), frozen veggies, and ice cream. I would love to make my own stock, but I'm not willing to buy a separate freezer that that would require.

1point

#36

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks **1. Pay attention to plating.**

A nice, clean, warm plate can make the difference between an OK meal, and a great meal. Most restaurants I've worked in aren't serving anything special, they just serve it in a way that makes it *look* special. If you treat your homemade stuff like it was in a five-star restaurant, you can make Hamburger Helper taste like scratch-made casserole.

**2. Read recipes completely, and prepare before starting.**

Don't start cooking until your mise en place is completely squared away. Get out ever knife, tool, and pan you will need. Measure out all of your ingredients, and put all of them on the counter next to your stove. When you are on step 1 of your recipe, you should know what steps 2 and 3 are. With most recipes, you don't have time to go back to the cookbook to double-check what you're doing while your chicken dries up into leathery bits in the pan. Plan ahead, and make sure you're ready to *finish* your dish before you start it.

**3. A good sauce can save almost anything.**

Learn how to cook at least three sauces from memory with every day ingredients. A red wine sauce (cup or so of red wine, some butter, salt, onions and pepper) can turn any cheap steak into a great meal. Simple marinara can be made for under $10 bucks, and is just as good as the $20 pasta you get at Maggiano's. Find some recipes you like, and memorize them.

**4. Season Everything.**

Cooking chicken alfredo? Season the chicken, season the pasta, season the sauce. Never assume that one flavor element will permeate the whole dish. The difference between a $1 plate of pasta and a $12 plate of pasta is putting the right amount of salt in the water. While we're on the subject...

**5. Taste Everything.**

Taste everything, all the time. Good Italian chefs taste the pasta water before they drop the noodles. Taste your sauce every time you add to it. Never throw things in a pan and "wait to see" what happens. You should know what your dish will taste like *before* it hits the plate.

**Edits:**

* Don't taste boiling pasta water. I have seen life-long chefs do this, and it boggles my mind.
* Always keep a good French cookbook in your kitchen. The French are known for their food for very good reasons.
* Unless you're baking, recipes are guidelines, not infallible rules. Once you are comfortable with the basics of cooking, apply those skills to your own original ideas. Use cookbook recipes as jumping-off points for ingredients you really like.

anon , Cody Chan Report

Final score:

11points

POST

NsG 2 years ago (edited)

That last point - unless you already know what you are doing, the first time you make a recipe, follow the damn recipe! When you know how the ingredients interact and flavour mixes, then go to town with your own version. Edit: known substitutions for allergens are obviously excepted

9points

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#37

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks If you swirl the hot wings around in the bottom of the sauce bowl for about eight seconds before tumbling them, the oil in the sauce (butter - what have you) breaks down in the heat first and you get a better coverage when you tumble / flip them.

Proteon , Lindsey Turner Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Debra Robinson 2 years ago

I do this using a sturdy container and lid. Same for buttering vegetables.

1point

#38

My brother is a chef and works at one of the leading restaurants/hotels in my state. Has cooked for presidents, A-list actors, etc. Shadowed him last night as he was cooking dinner for the family and I'd have to say the most surprisingly simple yet brilliant thing I learned was to throw a little bacon in with vegetable medleys. Still very healthy, yet insanely delicious. I've never been able to eat sprouts or kale happily before, but that was just incredible.

TJOP Report

Final score:

9points

POST

Nikki Sevven 2 years ago

Roast your vegetables. The Maillard reaction will make them sweeter. If it's a bitter vegetable, like anything in the cabbage family, acid counters bitterness, so drizzle with some lemon juice or vinegar.

1point

#39

* Mise en place ("mess in place")... Get everything sorted out, measured out, chopped and prepped beforehand.

* Preheat your oven for 20 minutes AFTER the timer beeps. This will allow the metal inside to heat up as well, resulting in better heat retention when you open the door.

* When baking, if the recipe says 10 - 12 minutes, set your timer for the 10. You can always add minutes to a bake, but you can never take minutes away.

* Wet towel or a grippy shelf-liner thing under your cutting board. Don't chase it across your counter and cut yourself.

* Sharpen your knives regularly. A few quick passes on a stone or through a machine every other time you use them will prolong their life as well as yours. The most dangerous tool in a kitchen is a dull knife.

* Don't bake in dark-colored pans. Dark holds heat. So if you're baking a cake and are using $10 Walmart pans that are dark gray, you're going to overcook the edges before the center is done. Buy some light pans on Amazon and thank me later.

* Don't be afraid to experiment. Try adding dried sweetened cranberries (craisins) to your oatmeal raisin cookies. Tinker with your favorites and maybe change them up a bit.

* Carry-over cooking. As mentioned repeatedly in the thread, food will continue to cook after it's taken off the heat. So always shoot for under when you pull.

* Let your meat rest. Just pulled a 7lb prime rib out of the oven? Better let that b***h rest for at least 10 minutes before you cut it. Otherwise it'll bleed out, become dry, and you'll be pissed. Resting lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat, meaning each slice is perfect.

* Save your spice bottles. When you make custom spice combos, like rib rubs or seasoning salt, these come in handy. Piece of masking tape with the contents on it, and you're good to go.

* Read reviews on recipe websites. Many of the people have made the recipe repeatedly and tweaked it according to their tastes, which might be similar to yours. Yes, 1000 comments might seem like a lot to fish through, but if you're 100 in and you notice a common trend, like "too much salt" or "lemon flavor wasn't strong enough", you'll get the hint.

exzyle2k Report

Final score:

9points

POST

Hydro Keychain 2 years ago

Mise en place = put in place (set things up.)

14points

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#40

sharp knives mean less wounds, bacon grease for every pan related event, learn how to properly cut an onion (halved, top removed, scored vertically toward the intact base, then sliced horizontally), shallots f*****g rule, when you can taste the salt you've used too much (generally speaking) and mandolines are wonderful but remain f*****g attentive while using- there's a good reason i call 'em palm peelers.

edit:punctuation
edit:sp

smithandcrossed Report

Final score:

8points

POST

Jo Johannsen 2 years ago

Invest in a set of cut proof gloves.

1point

#41

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Using your dominant hand, touch your pointer finger to the muscle at the base of your thumb, on the palm. The fleshy part that you can move freely.

When you use your pointer finger and press down on that muscle, that is rare.
Middle Is medium rare
Ring is medium
Pinky is Well Done. (Don't ever cook meat to well done.)

anon , Ira Vishnevskaya Report

Final score:

7points

POST

Kira Okah 2 years ago

Chicken has to be well done because salmonella is present throughout the body of the chicken. Pregnant women are recommended to eat well done beef, do not have a go at people who opt to follow this advice. Or anyone that you are cooking fr with a different personal preference.

8points

#42

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Cold oil, hot pan, foods won't stick.

anon , Cooker King Report

Final score:

7points

POST

Daniel Ikelman 2 years ago

No...hot pan, hot oil.

8points

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

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“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

#43

I'm not a chef but an awesome chef's knife that I got as a gift changed *everything* in how I prepare my food. I can't tell you how important it is to have good knives, it makes everything go so smoothly.

dem358 Report

Final score:

7points

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#44

The best advice I've gotten is that the main two differences between a restaurant chef and a home cook, other than training and basic cooking knowledge/skills, is that the chef will season (salt) much more generously.

Second and most importantly CLEAN AS YOU GO. You will become so much more efficient in the kitchen, will always have space to work, and will have very little cleaning work to do when you're finished cooking!

hevorius Report

Final score:

6points

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v 2 years ago

"other than training and basic cooking knowledge/skills" So...basically everything then since the training/knowledge/skills lead to good cooking.

-1point

#45

-Most foods cook after you pull them out of the; oven, grill, or pan.

-Always add a little less seasoning if you are unsure, you can always add more later.

-If you do over-salt something (rice, soup or whatever) cut a potato in half and throw it in there, the starch will suck up the salt.

-Always wash your hands before and after touching food, no one wants your germs on their food.

-Use the drippings from a pot roast or turkey at the bottom of the pan to make gravy using corstarch and water (plus spices).

-Stir fry's you want your veggies to hit a HOT pan, pre-heat a pan as you would the oven.

-You can use the fleshy part of your thumb's muscle to test for meat done-ness. index finger - thumb = rare| middle finger to thumb = Med Rare| Ring finger - thumb = med well| pinky to thumb = well done.

-Always wash your equipment as you go, if needed use a spoon to scrape pans to get that hard to clean stuff off.

-Know how to use a knife! and know the different terms for cuts in food. (julienne, brunoise, chiffonade, [google how to do them, and their use])

-Salad dressings are easy! Seasoning/herbs->vinegar of some sort->oil (mix dressings as you are pouring in the oil, give your GF/BF an orgasm in the mouth)

-MOST IMPORTANT, IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO COOK FIGURE IT OUT, OR ASK SOMEONE! COOKING IS A VITAL TOOL TO BEING ABLE TO LIVE, PEOPLE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED (I KNOW A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO COOK THAT'S WHY I SAID IT), HOWEVER IT IS A LEARNED SKILL. JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE IT TAKES TIME TO MASTER, KEEP AT IT AND YOU WILL GET IT.

-also, parsley is cheap and adds a dimension of "art" to your food.

If I can think of anymore I will add them, also been cooking for 10+ years in restaurants...

wontonraider Report

Final score:

6points

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#46

1. mushrooms contain a lot of water. Don't wash them, brush the dirt off.

2. dessert and baking is more of a science than an art. Follow instructions and measurements of ingredients exactly

3. herbs such as thyme, rosemary, cilantro, bay leaves, parsley enhance the flavour and fragrance of your food. ex. roasted potatoes, meat, soups, broth.

4. when you're boiling something, the water WILL evaporate and will reduce the solution thicker and more flavourful.

5. there is a difference between oils. (peanut, canola, olive, granola) Know when to use one or the other

6. Whenever you cook meat, always let it rest for at least 5 minutes or else the juices will escape and lose flavour

7. always have onions and garlic ready to use

**EDIT:** a lot of people are refuting my "brushing mushroom" thing. I watch a lot of cooking channels and I myself cook frequently and I do recall that mushrooms have so much water in them already that if you coat them in water, it won't release it's full flavour. I'm not an expert so don't hold me up on this. [here's a video.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf-DPoSMP04)

twitinkie Report

Final score:

5points

POST

Kira Okah 2 years ago

The mushroom one is bs.

6points

“All Three Shot Out Pink”: Triplets' Baby Shower Turns Sour, Pregnant Wife Wants A Divorce

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#47

If you oversalt something (soup, stew, etc.), throw a potato into the pot. It'll suck up all the salt and won't leave it oversalted.

sifu_scott Report

Final score:

5points

POST

Kira Okah 2 years ago

The consistency and usefulness of the potato tip is...murky. If you can, dilute the broth. If you can't, add an acid. Much better ideas.

3points

#48

When making chili, add sriracha. (That red hot sauce with the rooster on it.) Not a lot, just one good squirt into the pot. Gives it a good spiciness that normal chili powder doesn't achieve, as well as a good flavor.

jaywallace1 Report

Final score:

5points

POST

Kira Okah 2 years ago

Use a decent chilli sauce or chilli oil, not sriracha!

3points

#49

Mix one part sugar and water, heat it and stir until all the sugar dissolves. Brush this in-between layers of a cake and keep it super moist and awesome for longer.

Pinkiepie1170 Report

Final score:

5points

POST

Eat Dirt Crow 2 years ago

And you can use any leftovers to make an old fashioned.

2points

#50

30 Of The Best Pearls Of Wisdom, As Shared By These Friendly Internet Cooks Kosher salt is far better to cook with than iodized salt, and is considered the gold standard in most kitchens. It's also less 'salty' than some other kinds of salts, so it's more forgiving and makes you less likely to over-salt something in the first place

Jessica Kelly , Milada Vigerova Report

Final score:

5points

POST

Ranax 2 years ago

Bullocks

7points

#51

The perfect omelet is made with 2 eggs not 3, some people add milk but that's a mistake.

Also, when cooking pancakes, heat the pan until its hot enough where if you add a drop of water it immediately boils. roughly 350 F.

dcmjim Report

Final score:

4points

POST

Hydro Keychain 2 years ago

The amount of eggs is determined by the pan size and nothing else.

4points

Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

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I'm a Visual Editor for Bored Panda. I’m also an analog collage artist. My love for images and experience in layering goes well with both creating collages by hand and working with digital images as an Editor. When I’m not using my kitchen area as an art studio I also do various experiments making my own cosmetics or brewing kombucha. When I’m not at home you would most definitely find me attending a concert or walking my dog.

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What do you think ?

POST

RandomFrog 2 years ago

I would like to add my own nugget of wisdom in here. I was having a conversation With my friend about how she stopped taking her meds becuase she thinks she can’t get better. I was trying to tell her to keep taking them, when I just came up with this: a dented car can still drive.

4points

Fernanda Abreu 2 years ago

wut

2points

Aisling Raye 2 years ago

Best nugget of advice from my grandmother when I was learning to cook as a kid....LEARN YOUR MOTHER SAUCES! It's not just that they can be the base to almost anything, it's also that they teach technique.

3points

Channo Sagara 2 years ago

My mother died before i can learn her sauce recipe. Yesterday i ate in a small restaurant near the station and cried. The sauce taste exactly the same. I will be coming back.

4points

Lainie 2 years ago

I feel attacked and vulnerable. My android also. :)

3points

SuePrew 2 years ago

To make a boxed cake mix taste homemade, change the water for milk, the oil for melted butter and add ad extra egg. Cook as directed.

2points

MJLstrd 2 years ago

A little vanilla doesn’t hurt either

0points

Isabel Frost 2 years ago

Not available for Android :P

2points

Jonathan Schaefer 2 years ago

EVERYTHING IS HOT !!!!!! Is the best advise for walking into a working kitchen or one that is not your own, you should absolutely think every pan and pot is HOT and do not grab things with bare hands please

0points

Ronald Nye 2 years ago

My mom was excellent cook. I used to watch her and learned how to cook that way. But I could never make the fried chicken she made. It was so good. One day I was biking through Minnesota and stopped at a mom and pop restaurant and had my mom's fried chicken. I was so excited I walk into their kitchen and hugged the chef. Told him why and he told me to come back the next day and would show my how he did it. Thank you Jack.

0points

Barbara Baldwin 2 years ago

I have yet to find a reason to peel a potato....ever

0points

Amy Stone-Chandler 2 years ago

The biggest one: DO NOT COOK FOOD IN A MICROWAVE. DRY HEAVE

0points

Francesa Miller 2 years ago

I started using mayonnaise (real mayo - not "salad dressing") to 'butter' the bread for a toasted cheese sandwich -or toast. It's easy to spread, doesn't scorch easily, and tastes wonderful.

0points

marianne eliza 2 years ago

Bring your steak to room temp before cooking. You get more even cooking without a raw middle due to the interior cold. And once the steak is on the heat, leave it alone until time to flip. Set a timer. Walk away if you have to. Just leave it alone.

0points

Ava Fulghum 2 years ago

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Dave Hinckley 2 years ago

No need to push your religious c**p on people.

3points

jessica nora 2 years ago

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Jessica254 2 years ago

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POST

RandomFrog 2 years ago

4points

Fernanda Abreu 2 years ago

wut

2points

Aisling Raye 2 years ago

3points

Channo Sagara 2 years ago

My mother died before i can learn her sauce recipe. Yesterday i ate in a small restaurant near the station and cried. The sauce taste exactly the same. I will be coming back.

4points

Lainie 2 years ago

I feel attacked and vulnerable. My android also. :)

3points

SuePrew 2 years ago

To make a boxed cake mix taste homemade, change the water for milk, the oil for melted butter and add ad extra egg. Cook as directed.

2points

MJLstrd 2 years ago

A little vanilla doesn’t hurt either

0points