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People often talk about the best cooking practices but sometimes, the tastiest dishes on the tables come from the most creative kitchens.
So, interested in switching things up, Redditor u/Suspicious-Account-9 asked other platform users, "What is one cooking 'rule' that you choose to always ignore?"
From measuring spices to crowding the pan, turns out, many home chefs have developed their own ways of going about the stove.
However, I think it's worth mentioning that this thread isn't meant to teach anyone as much as it serves as a reminder to never stop questioning what and how you are preparing. Experimentation is part of the game and what works for others won't automatically fit your taste buds as well.
With that said, continue scrolling to check out the most popular replies to u/Suspicious-Account-9's question!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I make the food how I like it rather than how it's "supposed to be made". I also don't care how another person eats food. If my pal is over and wants a steak charred to a crisp, then enjoy that brick, my friend. Want to slather it in ketchup? Who am I to tell you no? Eat food how you like it rather than how others tell you to eat it.
JessG 2 years ago
Yes, I agree, but sometimes I'd like to be the one to introduce someone to a whole new flavor experience that they may not realize the potential of LOVING it because they may *think* they wouldn't like it. That's the frustrating part about people with picky eating habits, they just might not realize it could be their new favorite!
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#2
Measuring basically anything not associated with baking. I juust keep seasoning until the spirit of my great grandmother says "Enough, child."
Made a successful career of it!
#3
I eat raw cookie dough, cake batter, etc., because while I understand that salmonella is a risk, it's a pretty small one and I am willing to live dangerously when cookie dough is involved.
#6
‘Soften onions for five minutes’ man they always need longer if u want them browned and soft- also add garlic much later than they suggest.
#7
Unsalted butter for baking. I’m not buying 2 different kinds of butter, salted in everything
#8
Not really a rule, but almost every damn recipe that calls for caramelizing onions lists the time necessary to perform that at like 5-10 min. Either these people don’t know what caramelizing means or they’re intentionally lying to people to make the recipe seem like it takes less time than it actually does.
Jo Johannsen 2 years ago
When I want caramelized onions, I set aside at least 45 minutes. I want them mostly tender with crispy browned bits.
#9
I don't throw pasta at a wall to see if it sticks. Seems like a waste to me. I just eat it to see of its ready.
#10
"one clove of garlic"
#11
I defrost my chicken on the counter instead of the fridge, 30 years I've been doing this, still fine
#12
I don't leave my scrambled eggs wet. I mean, I don't cook them until they are rubber or anything, but I want them dry not wet.
#13
spices that are "old". Not so much regular spices, but some blends I had acquired. When I feel they aren't as fresh, rather than throw them away I use them as additives to a salad dressing.
Mitchell 2 years ago
Upvote this to the max! What rubbish that spices need to be discarded after 6 months. I’ve got some big spice containers that are years old. Yeah, maybe I have to use 2 tablespoons instead of 1 - but no way am I going to waste the product or the packaging. No loss of flavor in my dishes.
#14
I rinse mushrooms. That whole "wipe them gently with a paper towel" bulls**t is bulls**t. Take 2-3 mushrooms, hold them under lukewarm running water and roll them around between your hands, then set them on a rack to drain off any water. They scrub themselves.
finisz 2 years ago
It depends. If you use them right after washing, it's okay. But if you plan to store them for a few days, don't wash just before the use, otherwise will go bad in one day. Although the most commonly used mushrooms, champignons doesn't really need to be washed. And of course, there is an exception:chanterelle. They always has to be washed, because sand is edible, but not really tasty, and they are growing on sandy ground.
#15
1 garlic clove means one head of garlic! Don't tell me how to garlic!
#16
I always double the spices when using a recipe. They don’t know me!
#17
That whole “how to properly cut an onion” business. I get that in a restaurant kitchen it minimizes waste but I’m just gonna lop off both ends and remove like 1 layer.
#18
Minced garlic (the stuff in jars) is NOT blasphemy! It's handy and tasty when used properly.
Lots of great take-out places use minced garlic in their dishes, so if you're trying to recreate a favourite dish, it could be the secret ingredient you're missing.
I still use fresh garlic often, but I've gotten off my high horse about the other stuff.
#19
Beer/wine pairings. I know them, I understand them and I get it. However, at home, I believe that regardless of what the world says, to me, the very best beer/wine to go with meal X is whatever my personal favorite beer/wine happens to be. Does this drink "go" with this meal? Who cares? It's my favorite, of course, it does!!!
#20
Cooking with olive oil.
I really don't see the point. It cost a lot more and it has such a low smoke point, it's way too easy to burn your oil and then everything tastes weird.
I use vegetable oil for cooking. I keep a bottle of very nice olive oil to drizzle on top of things to finish them after they are cooked or to make the marinade, but i don't cook with it.
Skull in Sky 2 years ago
Why do I ALWAYS have to write this one down. Olive oil comes in three types. Refined for frying, Refined and Virgin (and the extra virgin variant marketing thing). Refined olive oil has one of the highest smoking points because the pulp that'd give it taste and lower the smoking point is not in it. That also means it's taste neutral.
#21
Not mine, but my wife's…
Adding salt to a finished plated dish without tasting it first. Cringe every time.
Carol Emory 2 years ago
In some countries, like Japan, it's considered bad manners to put anything on your food without tasting it first. It means you don't trust the chef.
#22
Still flabbers my gasts that people rinse off the chicken.
#23
Steak must be undercooked, so says all the hype…. I will eat mine how I like. Sometimes pink in the middle, sometimes cooked right through but never raw/rare.
#24
Frozen pizza:
Preheat the oven...
If I'm eating frozen pizza it's because I'm too busy/lazy to eat real food that evening.
Turn on the oven, unwrap the pizza, "OK google set timer for (recommended time +4 minutes)"
Jayne Kyra 2 years ago
Whenever I made frozen pizza directly from freezer to oven, the middle was still cold and outside would get burnt. Now I defrost it in the fridge and once it is soft in the middle, off it goes. Never failed me! (Dr. Oetker pizzas are delicious.)
#25
I know risotto looks better when made with white wine but try a mushroom risotto with red wine and elevate it to something richer and more satisfying
#26
I never bother to sift flour. I haven’t had a sifter in over 40 years.
#27
“Add a 1/8 teaspoon.” I’m sorry but a 1/8 tsp isn’t going to do anything.
Guillaume Derode 2 years ago
Use grams for pete's sake. It's so much easier than parts of teaspoons of the content of an 18th century midwife's snuffbox.
#28
Searing meat when I make pot roast in an instant pot/crockpot.
I have done it and not done it enough times and it’s not a noticeable enough flavor for me to bother with anymore. I’m content with how it tastes.
Dave Van Beurden 2 years ago
Searing colours/caramelises the meat so the sauce ends up looking a nicer, darker brown. But if that is not an issue, don't bother
#30
I never rinse canned beans
What do you think ?
Paul Davis 2 years ago
Title was terrible, almost all of these cooking tips were not "to be avoided at any cost" but ones that people feel are unnecessary and are free to ignore.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Simple tip: Cook with your nose. Use your sense of smell to guide you. (In baking, use a recipe and experiment *carefully*, but again, your nose knows!)
Mike Beck 2 years ago
Nope. I have almost no sense of smell. If I cook to smell, I can't even eat it.
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Agamemenon Triforce 2 years ago
There are so many repeating tooics in this list. BP should edit them all together.
Paul Davis 2 years ago
Title was terrible, almost all of these cooking tips were not "to be avoided at any cost" but ones that people feel are unnecessary and are free to ignore.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Simple tip: Cook with your nose. Use your sense of smell to guide you. (In baking, use a recipe and experiment *carefully*, but again, your nose knows!)
Mike Beck 2 years ago
Nope. I have almost no sense of smell. If I cook to smell, I can't even eat it.
Load More Replies... Agamemenon Triforce 2 years ago
There are so many repeating tooics in this list. BP should edit them all together.
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