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Whether you’re a cooking aficionado with a burning fire (and often, burnt fingertips) for everything food-related or, on the contrary, entrust your taste buds to your holy kitchen majesty, aka the microwave, you can always take your inner chef to a whole new level. And it’s easier than you’d think.

Thanks to the professional chefs of Reddit, who recently shared what simple things “we're probably all doing wrong in the kitchen” in this thread, we can roll up our sleeves and work on the actual things to improve them.

Think of simple things, like never adding an onion and garlic at the same time (so you don’t have that icky burnt garlic aftertaste in a meal you otherwise put your heart into) or having things, ingredients and tools ready at hand to avoid “someone, help me!”-kind of hysteria in the middle of meal prep. Take your notes, everyone, I already have mine.

#1

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Using tongs, you must clink them together at least five times to channel your inner crab.

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Monday
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But be careful, if you clink them more than seven times you end up channeling your inner lobster and that never ends well.

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Let’s face it, regardless of how fast we binge-watched Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen, The Great British Bake Off, Masterchef in all countries it aired in, we didn’t actually learn to cook better. Instead, we now know all about the drama, about the blessing and the curse of being a chef, about nurturing your talent, dreaming hard and working harder… Wait, are we still talking about cooking?

So in order to take us all back to Earth, or rather our kitchen counter, and to find out what exactly we can do to improve our cooking game, since we nailed the watching part already, we spoke with Beth Moncel, a food lover and the founder of “Budget Bytes” where she has been sharing her passion for cooking and delicious recipes designed for small budgets since 2009.

#2

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Since I didn't see it in here: instead of adding more salt, try adding an acid. A splash of vinegar or lemon/lime juice can make flavors pop without over salting.

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#3

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Never add garlic and onions at the same time.

Onions take about 8 minutes to saute and garlic takes about 30 seconds. If you add them together you're gonna have burnt, bitter garlic.

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#4

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Clean as you go. Throw away trash, wipe up what you spill, get unnecessary utensils out of the way. If your kitchen looks like a tornado struck after you're done cooking, you f*cked up.

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When asked what are the most common cooking mistakes people tend to make, Beth said it’s assuming that if they swap out an ingredient, they'll still get the same result. “Changing ingredients often changes both the flavor and texture of a dish, and in some cases can drastically affect the chemical reactions needed to make a recipe work,” she explained.

#5

Salt your damn pasta water. Salt it liberally.

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#6

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid If you want perfect roasted potatoes (oven roasted, chopped pieces) with crispy outside and fluffy insides then boil them for about 5-10 minutes in salt water first. Then roast them.

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Thorsten M. Weisner
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And if you want them extra extra crispy you should try the belgian double roasting technic. Wash them with salt water and dry them. then roast them on a lower temperatur very short then let them cool on a paper and roast them on higher temperatur until crispy

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#7

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Most people suck at roasting vegetables. Brussel sprouts are the number one f*ck up and most people lose their sh*t when I serve them properly done brussels.

Toss with olive oil (more than you think), salt (more than you think), and any other herbs/spices (e.g. curry spices with cauliflower), lay cut side down on a baking sheet, and throw that sh*t into a 200C/400F oven until it's visibly browned. Depending on the veggie (e..g carrots) you'll probably want to turn over to the otherside and continue roasting for a bit. Once they're done you can toss with pepper or fresh/delicate herbs before serving (e.g. mushrooms with tarragon or parsley).

Just because it's fork tender and cooked through doesn't mean it's delicious. Yet.

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The Scout
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately, not liking brussels sprouts might be genetic: https://www.centreofthecell.org/blog/science-questions/why-do-some-people-hate-brussels-sprouts/. According to various studies, some people have a hereditary high sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide, which leads to a very bitter taste even in trace amounts. If you have two of these genetic TAS2R38 markers, no preparation or seasoning can make brussels sprouts edible for you.

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Beth reminds everyone that the best way to gain confidence in the kitchen is to practice. “Don't let a failed recipe keep you from trying again. Try new recipes often. The more you cook, the more you'll understand the nuances of cooking and you'll build intuition,” she said. “Before you know it, you'll be cooking freestyle and you won't even need a recipe!” Beth concluded positively.

#8

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid There is a really simple rule when cooking a steak: Leave the steak alone. Stop f*cking with it. Stop poking and prodding and moving it an flipping it around. Let it cook. Let the heat do what it's supposed to do. Get to know your heat source and learn to trust it. Almost everybody I know violates this rule.

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Foxxy (The Original)
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I leave my steak alone, put a timer on, used a meat thermometer, rest it and I still manage to f**k it up. Tried a few different methods and have only managed to get it right ONCE. Followed the same method a few more times without success. Have no idea what I'm doing wrong.

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#9

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid It is the fat that carries the flavor. If your going to saute something, put the herb and spices with the butter or oil that is in the skillet. Don't put them in the flour you're using to bread the food.

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#10

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Not having things ready and in place.

Have you ever been halfway done with a dish and realize you didnt have the cheese grated? Now everything is on hold (and over cooking) while you grate cheese?

Having everything ready to go at the start lets you add the things when they need adding and helps put dishes out at the appropriate time.

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Raoul
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the dish. Sometimes things have to boil for 20 min. Lots of time to either prepare stuff or wait.

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#11

Don’t stare at a toaster, it will jumpscare you. (Learnt this from personal experience)

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#12

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Putting oil in the pot when you're boiling pasta. If you do that, the sauce will just slide right off your pasta. The starchier the water, the better the sauce will stick.

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Random Panda
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nah, I finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Makes it so much tastier.

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#13

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Sharp knives. Makes things a million times easier, and is actually sooo much safer in the end. Combined with the proper grip and a bit of practice, and suddenly cutting things for prep goes from the most hated step of everything to just another step, maybe even becomes fun for some people.

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mulk
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

YEAH! For me, cutting vegetables, meat, ... is fun! ^^ (it's my "yoga time")

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#14

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Cooking too hot to speed things up. If the recipe calls for something to cook for one hour at 350 degress, cooking it at 425 degrees for 35 minutes is not a substitute. Some things just need to be cooked slowly and gently.

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#15

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Crack your damn eggs on a FLAT surface, not the side of a bowl or pan. Cracking on a flat surface makes it easier to open as well as preserving your yolk. If you crack it on an edge it pushes shell inside the egg and is more likely to break the yolk (which sucks if you are making it sunny side up, poached or separating whites) Also, if by some chance there is bacteria or icky gross stuff on the shell it is more likely to contaminate the inside when shell gets pushed in.

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Shelli Aderman
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After 50+ years of cracking eggs on the side of the bowl, I’m good. Doing it on a flat surface for me just makes a mess, actually. 🤣

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#16

My chef brother-in-law taught me how to deglaze a pan to make a sauce like a boss. Leave it hot, and douse it with a cup or more of wine, stock, or water, and you can turn even basic things into an amazing pan of goodness! The stuff in your pan that you're scrubbing off after you're done cooking is all the good sh*t, so learn to deglaze!

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The Scout
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is not even about LEARNING to deglace, the key is just doing it and realizing that the pan residue is your friend. You can make amazing sauces with it, often you do not even need to thicken them. Of course, this only is true if none of the ingredients are burnt, and deglacing works best with cast iron or steel pans. Sorry, but your easy-to-clean-teflon-coated skillet simply is not suitable.

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#17

-Under salting your food!

Everyone is so afraid of sodium but the vast majority of sodium in your diet is coming from processed snacks and fast foods not home cooking.

-Also dry your meat before you sear or sauté it. You’re steaming it if not.

-Taste as you go.

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#18

Being afraid of fattier cuts of meat. People are so used to that boneless skinless chicken breast that they sub them out for recipes that are 10,000x better using chicken thighs instead. If your primary concern is to reduce fat, sure, but if you're eating in moderation or going for flavor instead of low-fat, thighs thighs thighs my friend.

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#19

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Practice your recipes. Don’t find one risotto you like and never make a different one. Cook 10 different risottos two or three times each over a long period of time. Doing this helps you understand the basics of how to make it and allows you to spot bad recipes, recognize good ones, and improvise without one.

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#20

Idk if this will get buried but my dad is a chef and I know what he would say here.

Always keep trying new things, in different preparations, with different ingredients to compliment them. And if you think you hate a specific meal or ingredient but you haven't tasted it in 10 years, give it a try again.

We were never picky eaters as kids because we were always encouraged to just try things we were unsure about and it opened me up to so many great foods as an adult!

So many people get stuck with what they know for sure they like, not even realizing how much it limits you.

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Donkey boi
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unless it Marmite! If you didn't like when you tried it 30 years ago, you're still not going to like it!

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#21

Leave your meat out to go to room temp before you cook it.

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#22

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Way too many people over clutter their kitchen and think they need a gadget for everything. In reality, a well-crafted, sharpened French knife, a pairing knife and a peel can get you a long way.

MISE EN PLACE! Everything has a place and everything has a purpose.

Also, steak should never be cooked to more than medium.

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Christopher Bowers
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nothing wrong with a well done juicy steak. Some people know how to cook well done steaks and keep them juicy, tender and flavorful.

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#23

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Not sanitizing your hands and work area after handling raw meat, especially chicken.

Can't count the number of times I've been cooking with friends or family and have to stop them from chopping salad veggies on the same cutting board as raw meat, or running their hands under cold water for a second to 'clean them' before going to grab stuff out of the fridge or drawer or even just going about their day.

Same goes for giving your slimy raw-chicken cutting board a quick scrub to wash it using the same sponge you use for everything else.

If it's touched raw meat, it needs to be throughly cleaned and sanitized with hot water and either soap (your hands) or bleach (everything else).

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#24

Don't buy tomatoes that are pink and have no smell. Fresh, good heirloom tomatoes should have a distinct smell and be nice and red/solid yellow. The walmarts and safeway's of the world are selling you these horrific non-tomato tomatos....devoid of flavor and frequently unripe. Don't do it.

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Kira Okah
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never seen a pink tomato, or a smell-less one. Also not everyone can afford or in some cases even find an heirloom variety.

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#25

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid If you have to drain your rice after cooking it, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!

You should be measuring your rice:water as 1:2 ( 1 cup rice : 2 cup water. Get proper measuring cups, don't use a coffee mug...) and you should no liquid left if cooked properly. Simmer on low after initial boil, lid closed, fluff with a fork about 3/4 of the way, that's it.

And wash the rice until water runs clear. Othersie you're eating dust and bug poop ( Basmati and Jasmine rice mainly...don't wash arborio rice)

MY entire process is:

-Wash rice thoroughly under cold water

-Place washed/drained rice in clean pot and set on stove on low-med heat to slowly dry and toast the rice.

-Add 2bsp oil to the hot dry rice and make it sing, but should not get any color!

-Boil water in your kettle; add salt, pepper and other seasoning(Chicken stock powder is great for rice..or you know, MSG) to your measuring cup, dissolve with the water.

-Dump all the liquid in the pot; it will boil virgorously for like 5 seconds, don't be scared.

-Lower heat to a simmer, cover with the lid ( Big plus if it has a small vent)

-Fluff with a fork at 10mins in, then about 5mins later it should be ready to serve.

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Raoul
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Both methods (exact amount of water & too much (flavoured) water with exact cooking time) work perfectly fine.

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#26

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Pressing/squashing burger patties down as they cook on the BBQ (you're just making them drier by squeezing out the juices IMHO)

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Sam
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I personally love steak and shake's squashed flat burger patties. The crispy edge bits are the best

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#27

Ex-chef here, and this is a dumb one but I've seen it so many times in student halls. Don't microwave a f*cking steak, or eggs, to cook it.

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The Scout
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even the thought of microwaving a steak sends shivers down my spine... But I never understood the american obsession with microwaves. A microwave is a tool for the quick re-warming or thawing of food, not for cooking.

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#28

Pouring water into a grease fire. That's actually SUPER dangerous.

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#29

NOT using a mandolin for all your veg. A good one, not the cheapo plastic ones.

Where it can take a good 45 minutes to matchstick fine dice your carrots, courgette, red onion, garlic, red, green & yellow bell pepper & ginger.... All this will take about 15 minutes with a nice quality mandolin.

Make sure you get a finger guard and use it, and always use the utmost caution with the beast & go slowly until you gain confidence through repeated uses.

Once you've mastered the mandolin, your knives won't leave the butcher block as often as they used to.

Get one with the V configuration, not one that's just a slant, those are rubbish.

Seriously, mastering the mandolin changes everything in terms of prep time. It's amazing how fast tomatoes get sliced, how blissfully paper thin fine you can get your onions in just a few seconds!

I love that thing. I have one with a handle & a knob that adjusts the depth of the blade, all in one. I think it cost about 70 bucks.

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Kate
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never thought of a mandolin as a kitchen implement. Does a balalaika have a use, too? What about a guitar?

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#30

Toss your hardboiled eggs in an icewater bath right when they're done to make them peel easier.

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Jiminy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope, this is an urban legend. It depends on how old the egg is, not if you put it in cold water or not.

Discordant Bluecheese
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Crack the egg all the way round, toss it in water, wait a minute, peel and be happy. Thank me later.

Kimberly Gratz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just steam your eggs people...the shells fall right off...full stop.

Dolly_of TheCowboy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Was going to say this. Years of ragged boiled eggs, even after ice bathing them. Got told steam them. Tried it and will never go back. Also helps to prevent the green tinge you get overcooking them. You can still icebath them once out of the steamer which helps stop them keeping on cooking once off the heat source

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bill marsano
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hard-boil eggs by steaming them 14 min. Google "Julia Child hard-boiled eggs." You'll be glad you did.

ItsJess
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I make a dozen hard boiled eggs at once in my instant pot and they cook quickly and peel beautifully. No pockmarks or bits of shell gouging the white.

Cee Grant
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The cold water is to stop the egg cooking. It's about getting timing right. So it's a useful thing if you know what you're doing.

No you can't have my name
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually saw an article about this, it depends on how the eggs are cooked(started in cold water or hot) and how long they get cooked. Mostly what it does is help stop them from *continuing* to cook from the inside.

Joshua Ortiz
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never heard this making them easier to peel. I just heard it stops the cooking process so they don't get the unsightly green layer.

Elizabeth VanDyke
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I start eggs in cold water over medium heat. Once they start to boil a little, I turn the heat down and simmer them for about 10 minutes. I run cold water over them until they're cool enough to handle. That means no heat when you hold them in your hand, and they always peel like magic. Just roll them around a little, gently, just enough to crush the shells and the shells almost fall off!

R C
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Easy Peeling Hard Boiled Eggs - take the eggs out of the fridge an hour before boiling to reduce cracked shells from thermal shock. Bring a pot of water to a "rapid boil" and quickly add eggs to the pot, lowering into the water with a strainer. Boil for 13 minutes, drain quickly while running cold water into the pot. Add cold water to cover the eggs with a couple of inches of cold water then add 2 trays worth of Ice cubes. Let sit for about 10 minutes, drain and refrigerate. By adding eggs closer to room temperature to rapidly boiling water the water will continue to boil. The eggs will cook and the membrane does not cook to the shell or the egg. The ice bath at the end stops the cooking process. The eggs will peel easily every time. This method is similar to steaming. Adding eggs to cold water and bringing the water to a boil cooks the membrane to the egg and the shell and will always result in an egg that is hard to peel.

Selene Hausman
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually age of egg doesn’t matter, it’s method that matters. Add eggs to steamer over boiling water or directly to already boiling water-America’s Test Kitchen did a whole thing on this issue.

Serena
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is true but you don't want your eggs to get too cold. Them being warm is the easiest to peel

Manuela Langer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Add a pinch of salt or a dash of vinegar to the water. The eggs will peel more easily.

Tracey Snepp
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it really necessary to use curse words to get the point across??? Why? 🤷‍♀️ It doesn’t make you seem cool or very smart.

Mark Konopasek
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

cover while boiling and remove from heat (leaving the cover on) for 15 min before storing/peeling. You can peel the entire shell at once each time. Has nothing to do with how old is the egg or icewater bath.

Amber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I learned to use a thumbtack to poke a hole in the flat side. My eggs have peeled perfectly since. I think I also put the eggs in cold water and peel the eggs when warm not cold.

Passivepagan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've always found them easier to peel WHILE running them under cold water. It forces the water between the shell and the egg white and kinda releases the shell so it just slides off.

Mary Tonningsen
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Premium
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you hardboil them in an Instant Pot, they always peel perfectly, no matter if they're new or not!

bill marsano
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, hell, here it is, from Sara Moulton, Julia's favorite "4 foot, 12 inch" colleague: "The real nugget was she put the eggs in cold water, bring them up to a boil, take them off the heat and cover them and give them, say, 14 minutes without the boiling. And then immediately drain them and put them in the ice water," Moulton tells Homemade host Martie Duncan. "If you don't boil them, the whites are much more tender. And if you get them right into ice water, you cool them down very fast. You don't get that green line between the yolk and the white."

Josey Griffin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just put a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda in water and the spoon. The bi carb soda makes them peel very easy, and the spoon stops the eggs from breaking whilst boiling. Works every time.

Connie Teeters
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I use older eggs and add some baking soda to the water. I run cold water over them when they are done and I've always had eggs that peel easy.

Lynne Stankard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is true - but I'd say really THROW the cooked eggs into the cold water, so they crack. Leave about 10 minutes , the easiest way to peel an egg.

Douglas Sutherland-Bruce
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The ice water bath is good advice, but it makes no difference to peeling - what it does do is stop that grey colour on the yokes from forming.

Matt Black
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope. But it will stop that sulphurous green tinge to the yolk. Generally the older the egg the easier to peel because as it ages carbon dioxide and moisture exit through pores in the shell and oxygen moves in to take their place forming an air picket at the blunt end of the egg and getting between inner and outer membranes of the egg.

Ash Turnbull
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

More importantly, it stops them from cooking after you remove them from the pot, so you don't have overdone eggs.

Ellen Tannenbaum
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The ice water bath is to keep the yolk yellow instead of it turning greenish around the edges.

Nandina
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I boil eggs by bringing a pot of water to a rolling boil, then place room temp eggs in with a strainer ladle for ten minutes. scoop them out into an ice water bath and the shells always fall off. I have tried every other method out there and this is what I will do from now on.

epiccollision
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope, it’s fresh vs not fresh and even then nothing is guaranteed with a boiled egg.

Mercedes Harrison
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Boil them with a little vinegar or lemon juice and it peels the egg easily.

Lyricana Rokarin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I make perfectly peelable eggs every time and I don't ever put them in an ice water bath.

Eliza May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you have your own hens and get eggs directly from lay, you will find ice bath foes not make them peel easier. Only age will do that. I have even tried peeling them under/in the water, still get a grotty mess. The ph level in the membrane needs time to change, the tight connection to the pores in the shell is what allows chicks to breath as they develop. Only after they age for a few weeks does it start to separate.

SelkieBlackfysh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Frankly I find taking the eggs once boiled and still hot and rolling it over a flat surface under the flat of my hand after a little bit of shell cracking to loosen it up. Always comes off easy, had never damaged my eggs.

Stoopham McFernybabes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Add some vinegar and salt to your egg boiling water - it minimises the risk of them cracking open and prevents too much egg seeking out if it does crack.

Cody
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All this different tips with water temp, egg age, and shaking the pan... When the REAL trick for easy-to-peel boiled eggs is adding a teaspoon or so of baking soda to the water when boiling.

Miss Frankfurter
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My best advice was, after pouring the boiling water out, shake the pot (with the lid on) to cause the shells to crack and its easier to get started and continue to peel.

Mary Keeton
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tap the round bottom of an egg on the counter till you hear it Crack. Then gently boil for 10 minutes and it will peel perfectly. I tried this after seeing a video and I'll be damned it worked perfectly.

Darcy Chevrette
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2 years ago

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Darcy Chevrette
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To get ANY egg to easily peel add a small amount (approximately 1/4 tsp.) of baking soda to the water before eggs. Took me years of hating to peel eggs to learn this, works wonders.

Cyrus Allard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

roll your hard-boiled eggs on the counter. way easier to peel.

Bill Wyrebek
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The sudden immersion in very cold water helps to separate the membrane from the cooked egg. It is a stuck membrane that causes chaos when peeling eggs.

John C
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My bullet-proof method: cover cold eggs in pot with cold tap water (forget salt/vinegar/etc), cut heat as soon as it reaches boiling on the stove, cover. After 8 min, run cold water from tap into the pot (no ice) and peel immediately WITH A SPOON. It's magical how much the spoon helps, esp under a little running water - this works like a charm for any type egg; new, old, brown, white, and ugly. And they're PERFECTLY cooked, not a hint of green around the yolk.

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#31

Even on the food network I see chefs cut the top off of bell peppers and then pull out the seeds. Bell peppers are shaped like a cube, just slice from the top down on all 4 sides and you will end up with easily chopable or sliceable pieces. The only time you chop the top off is if you need rings.

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#32

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Never letting meat rest... not keeping sharp knives, and just knife work in general... cooking should be simple and easy... fighting with prep work is never fun.

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#33

Putting you knives in a drawer. It ruins the edge. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. (Because you can’t slice through the food and you struggle, this results in an injury.)

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Caro Caro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've got a magnet rail on the wall for my knives. It's ideal, I love it.

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#34

Just finished that awesome, wholeseome, home cooked and hot delicious meal? Don't put it on a cold plate from the cabinet. Some ovens have a warm plate setting or even keeping a stack in hot water and drying them off right before plating can keep a hot meal hot. I always hated cooking an awesome dinner and then by the time I've served everyone and sat down my food is cold because its sitting on an ice cold plate. Hell even some of the newer dishwashers have a plat warmer setting.

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#35

Use fresh lemon not that cr*p in the little yellow bottle.

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#36

Stop throwing away your scallion greens and broccoli stems!

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#37

Under seasoning.

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#38

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Not using a thermometer when cooking meat.

By using a thermometer, even a novice cook can be sure that they are cooking their meat to the desired level of doneness. You may not need to use a thermometer after you've cooked a certain cut of meat a few times, but for new recipes and types of meat , a meat thermometer gives you confidence and precision.

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John C
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it's amazing how easy it is to level-up your cooking with a good set of thermometers in the kitchen. it might be the best money-to-benefit ratio of all kitchen tools. I have an instant-read probe, leave-in clamp-to-the-side-of-the-pot type, infrared gun, and leave-in probe with alarm. Example: coffee is best brewed at around 190-195F - brewing with water fresh off the boil >200F will impart extra bitterness (not the good kind). Having a good thermometer at hand makes this so easy. I'd hate to deep fry anything and have to guess at the temp: being sure that I'm in that 350-375F sweet spot gives me consistent and repeatable results every time.

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#39

Do not EVER put a good knife through a dishwasher.

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#40

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Never put knives under soapy water EVER. I once saw someone put one in and they sliced their hand pretty deep, don’t know how.

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ZAPanda
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do this but I have a method: put the cutlery to the side in the corner of the sink and wash them last. That way you know where they are lying.

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#41

Iodized salt (table salt) is not the same grade as kosher salt. Makes things taste way salty and metallic. Go for either Morton's kosher salt which is a dense salt or Diamond Crystal which is a lighter flaky salt. And keep the salt in a bowl, makes it easier to just grab a pinch and season whatever you're cooking with

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#42

Don't put raw onions in a casserole or meatloaf and expect them to cook properly.

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#43

Food safety.

I don't know how many times I've seen folks cross-contaminate, not wash their hands, leave ingredients (or finished product that is perishable) out too long, etc.

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Kate Jones
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm such a stickler for handwashing and sanitizing. I used to work in a restaurant and I went to a trade high school for Culinary Arts for 4 years, so I understand the importance. But I have to admit I cross contaminate at home all the time. I don't think twice about cutting stuff all together. And it's so crazy because I know better and like I said, at work, I used to be so cautious. I do still wash my hands like a doctor at home because it just became such a habit but I'm so bad when it comes to using the same cutting board and knives.

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#44

Not a chef, but cover the pan when you're frying eggs and you get perfect sunny side up.

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Peej Maybe
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A good tip is also to turn up the heat until the yolk / white begins to solidify then turn the heat right down

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#45

If you don't have a stove powerful enough to cook Asian food (most aren't) put the wok in a really hot oven (450-500+) for 10-15 minutes. The residual heat should be enough to stir fry properly.

A cast iron wok is even better because it holds the heat longer.

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ZAPanda
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am assuming these numbers are fahrenheit? unless you're planning to forge metal or something?

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#46

When you add fresh basil leaves or sun dried tomatoes to a pizza or something similar, don’t put them on top. Both of these items burn very easily and unless you want them charred, don’t put them on top of the dish.

Also, if you want to cut onions without having the juices make you cry, chill them first, then chop them while they’re chilled. Not exactly a ‘what you’re doing wrong’ fact, but it’s a neat tip.

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Marco Malavolti
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Add basil (and a bit of some really good olive oil) when you bring the pizza out from the oven

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#47

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid When scraping ingredients off the cutting board use the non-bladed edge. Fresh pasta tastes 1000% better than boxed and takes a fraction of the time to cook and is probably a dollar more than boxed pasta. Adding salt & pepper to even the sides of the meal can really improve the flavor. Let the meat rest the same amount of time it was cooked. Most meat can be cooked on medium-high in a pan (best temp)

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Monday
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where are you finding fresh pasta that's only a dollar more? For the price of 500g of fresh spaghetti I can buy 1.5kg of regular bag spaghetti. Even if I buy both from the same overpriced grocery store fresh is double the price.

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#48

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Don’t cook with extra virgin olive oil.

It’s an oil with a low burning point that when it reaches a certain temperature it turns it from a mono-saturated fat to a poly-saturated fat. So it is no longer healthy and you’ve just bought expensive oil that is no longer having any health benefits.

Also, when it reaches the temperature that turns it unhealthy, it actually creates an acrid flavoured which most people don’t realise that’s where the acidity flavour is coming from in their food.

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The Scout
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cooking with olive oil is fine - frying is not. The smoking point of olive oil is low, so it is poerfect to sauteé your veggies in - but not to fry your steak.

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#49

Home made Chips (or fries) I cut them then salt them and pop them in the fridge, take them out after a while then pat them down to get any excess water so when I shallow fry them for my kid they're crispy on the outside and fluffy inside.

Pre-salt your chips .. or fries before frying it draws out excess water from the spuds.

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The Scout
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Evene better results are archieved by two-step-frying: After cutting the potatoes, fry them at a lower temperature, then take them out and let them cool. Fry them for a second time - very hot this time, and they will be very crunchy while retaining their inner softness. Pre-salting fries is not a good idea, though, as it ruins the frying grease.

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#50

Thinking that the truing-rod/truing-steel in your knife block is a sharpener.

No, it does not sharpen the knife. A sharpening block does that. The rod is for truing - which is correcting the edge alignment to the center, but this doesn't actually sharpen the knife, which involves grinding off small amounts to form the edge.

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ZAPanda
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

err no, it definitely works for me. and yes, small bits of steel come off. Maybe post a picture of the thing you are saying is not a sharpener so we can be sure we're talking about the same thing.

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#51

Pâtissière here, not working in the field anymore because started college, but yay, I have some mild experience. Keep the receipt near you. It doesn't matter if you know it by heart, just keep it near you, because bakery and pastry are a hit or miss: the moment you f*ck up, there's no going back, you have to do it all over. Many people think that keeping the receipts near is "unprofessional" and it's better to just know them by heart (what's actually a big plus, I truly recommend you to know stuff by heart as well) but trust me, when you have to bake and decorate over 20 different desserts before the day even start, it's better to be safe than sorry. You don't want to f*ck up royally and have to redo a whole loaf of sweet bread when you are about to open/your relatives are coming to a family reunion, because baking takes a lot of time.

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#52

Add herbs and spices during the frying stages, always let your food simmer before serving, lid off low heat.

When adding chilli's to dishes the heat will draw out over time, if you can't taste it immediately wait for the dish to simmer for a while.

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SusanS
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Found out the latter the hard way. Twasn't pretty or appetizing.

#53

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid You're probably not using proper knives for what you're cutting, I always catch my wife trying to cut meat with a bread knife. Also sharpen hone them b*tches EVERY TIME you use it.

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Wang Zhuang
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of my friends was visiting with me once and noticed that I had a variety of knives. She asked me why I have so many. I told her that I used them for cutting different things, like a serrated knife for bread, for example. She grabbed my cleaver and told me in her home (she's from Xinjiang in China), the cleaver is the only knife her mom has ever had, and she can cut everything with it. She then used the cleaver to cut the baguette I had bought to have with dinner. She made it look easy.

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#54

not a chef but

use a piece of aluminum foil or cling film to cover the surface of your guacamole if you have some leftover in a container. don't just wrap it around the rim, actually place it on the guacamole. it goes brown with exposure to air, so if it's covered directly it will last far far longer than just putting the lid back on.

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Shelli Aderman
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Put the pit in the guac, and only use plastic wrap. Tin foil will react with acids.

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#55

Adding oil to a cold pan.

Heating up the pan before you add oil prevents food from sticking.

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#56

Asking me tons of questions about my job when I'm off and sitting at the bar. This isn't the food network. Most of us only eat hotdogs, hotpockets and pizza when we get off. It isn't glamorous, don't go to culinary school, just wash dishes somewhere. Season at every step, butter makes things good, don't try to skimp there, that isn't why you're fat. Sharp knives(victorinox is a good start). People lose their mind over risotto, its easy to make. You like onions, stop omitting them.

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BigFootToo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Global knives are probably one of the best knives on the planet for the home chef or professional. They're all stainless steel, including the handle and start super sharp. Good knives aren't cheap and cheap knives will only hurt the user.

#57

Duck in a cold pan and heat it up so the skin renders and goes crispy.

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Debbie Barnes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought the rule was to put duck, skin down, in a hot pan to crisp up the skin.. How would a cold pan, slowly heating up do that?

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#58

Don’t make croissants before everything else. My mama thought me that also, there is such thing as too much cheese.

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Blurryface
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I beg to differ. (As long as we’re talking real cheese, not Organic American Play-doh cheese.)

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#59

To cook bacon in the oven, start with a cold oven. Then rotate the baking sheet halfway through cooking for delicious, crispy bacon.

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Kate Jones
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've tried cooking bacon in the oven but I'm not sure if it's just not a good idea in electric ovens or what...it's always either too rubbery or really over done. It's not a timing issue... I've tried putting another pan on top to keep it flat, I've tried taking it out earlier or later to compensate but it just doesn't taste right. It seems like this method works best in a convection or gas oven.

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#60

How about simply chopping onions. It’s literally one of the easiest things to do if you use the natural anatomical structure of the onion in your favor. Most people hack it into oblivion, which not only takes much, much longer, but also results in unnecessarily sad-looking onions. Plus it makes you cry.

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#61

Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Overcooking eggs. If the water comes out of it, they are overcooked. Some people see wetness and think. Oh lemme cook that out.

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Sergy Yeltsen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Water in eggs? Am I missing something? I thought an egg was shell, yolk, white and air.

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#62

Using a microwave.

If you do have to use one half the power and double the time but check its hot all the way through before serving.

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#63

The most important thing when boiling eggs is to put them in water that's already boiling, not cold water. This way, the skin doesn't fuse the shell and insides together.

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Rai Grant
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Eh, no... Put them in boiling water n the shell cracks n you end up with messy eggs! However, a drop of vinegar in the water can stop whites escaping if the shell does crack before it starts to cook.

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#64

That thing you call a spatula isn't a spatula, it's a turner.

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ZAPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OK mister I only use my local vernacular... bet you call pans skillets as well.

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