I tested this side by side last Sunday for a family dinner. One batch of carrots went straight into a 400 degree oven with oil and salt. The other batch I boiled for 5 minutes first, then tossed them in the same oil and salt and roasted them. The boiled ones came out tender all the way through with caramelized edges in 20 minutes. The raw ones were still crunchy in the middle after 35 minutes. Has anyone else tried blanching veggies first for a faster roast?
I was making a big batch of chili for my office potluck, about 6 quarts worth. Grabbed my cumin from the back of the spice cabinet, it was maybe 2 years old from the Market Basket in Nashua. That chili ended up tasting like dirt and sawdust, nobody touched it and I brought home almost the whole pot. Anyone else ever get burned by expired spices?
I was getting so frustrated with my chops releasing all their juice and turning into steamed meat in the pan until a butcher at the HEB in Austin told me to just let them sit on the counter for 10 minutes after salting, has anyone else found a weird timing trick that fixed a recurring problem?
I was making a batch of biscuits last Tuesday and grabbed a box from the cabinet without looking. Turned out it was baking soda, not powder, and my dough started bubbling like crazy on the counter. I caught it after mixing in a cup of buttermilk and had to toss the whole thing because it tasted metallic. Now I keep them in different containers with big labels so I don't make that mistake again. Has anyone else had a baking mix-up that wrecked a whole meal?
I was standing in the aisle at Target with $40 in my pocket. Grabbed a stainless steel skillet and a nonstick one, both around the same price. Went with stainless because I heard it lasts longer. First week I burned eggs so bad I had to soak it for 2 days. But after watching a quick video on heating it right, it works fine now. Anyone else regret going stainless at first?
I got tired of throwing out half a can of tomato paste every time I made chili or spaghetti sauce. Last month I scooped the rest into a silicone ice cube tray and popped it in the freezer. Now I just pull out a cube or two when a recipe calls for a spoonful of paste. It melts quick in the pan and tastes exactly the same as fresh. No more wasted paste or tiny cans cluttering the fridge. My only issue is figuring out the exact cube size since some recipes need more than one. Does anyone else do this trick with other thick sauces or pastes?
I see so many posts where folks barely add any salt because they think it'll make it too salty, but water needs to taste like the sea for the pasta to actually season properly. Did you learn the hard way like me or were you lucky enough to have someone tell you early on?
Turns out I was letting the batter sit too long after mixing, like 10-15 minutes while the pan heated up. I made a batch last Sunday where I poured the first one right after mixing and it came out fluffy for once. Anyone else have a random cooking habit that was messing things up?
Been making mushy rice for way too long. Started measuring by knuckle depth instead of cups and its a game changer. Stuck with my same $15 pot too. Anyone else have a simple fix like that totally change a dish?
Frank swears by dish soap on his 20 year old skillet and says the seasoning is fine. I tried it once on my pan and felt like I was breaking some sacred rule, but honestly after 2 months of soap washes my eggs still slide right off. Has anyone else been told the 'no soap' thing is a myth?
Turns out I was using too high heat on the stove and the oil was burning 20 minutes before I even started cooking, has anyone else wasted a whole afternoon on a simple fix like that?
I finally gave in and spent $20 on a fancy garlic press thinking it would save me time. The handle snapped off on the third clove and now I'm back to using a knife. Anyone know a brand that actually holds up?
I saw all these people online raving about cast iron Dutch ovens, so I grabbed one on sale for $60. First time using it, I made a lentil soup and left it on medium heat for too long. The bottom of the soup turned black and tasted like burnt metal, total waste of ingredients. I had to scrub for 20 minutes to get it clean and it still smells weird. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I'm thinking of just sticking with my old stainless steel pot. Has anyone else had trouble with cast iron for soups?
I keep seeing people online say you should salt your pasta water until it tastes like the sea, but my grandma always told me just a pinch is plenty. She made pasta for 40 years in her small kitchen and it always came out great. Last week I tried both methods with the same box of spaghetti and I honestly couldn't taste much difference in the final dish. Am I missing something or is super salty water just a myth home cooks believe?
I was chopping onions for chili last night and halfway through my eyes were burning so bad I had to step outside for 5 minutes. Tried holding a piece of bread in my mouth like my grandma said, didn't work. Anyone got a cheap trick that actually stops the tears?
So I finally upgraded my knife game last spring and bought a nice Wusthof chef's knife for about $200. It feels solid and cuts through squash like butter, no lie. But here's the thing, whenever I'm prepping a quick dinner after work I keep grabbing my beat up $15 Kiwi knife from the Asian market. It's lighter and I don't feel bad about hacking through chicken bones with it. Now I'm wondering if the expensive knife was a waste or if I just haven't broken it in yet. Who else has spent money on kitchen gear that should be a game changer but ended up sitting in the drawer?
I've had the same cast iron skillet for about 8 years and always thought I was doing fine with it. But last Tuesday I was outside cleaning it with salt and my elderly neighbor Mrs. Garcia came over to ask why I was being so rough with it. She showed me her method which is basically just wiping it down with a thin layer of Crisco after every use and putting it on low heat for 10 minutes. I tried it and now I finally get that non-stick surface people talk about. No more scrubbing or worrying about rust spots. Has anyone else had a cooking revelation from someone older who just knows better by experience?
I was at a friend's cookout last Saturday and watched him dump a quarter cup of salt into a pot of water for a single box of spaghetti, and the pasta came out tasting like a salt lick. In my experience, the old rule of 'salty like the sea' gets taken way too literally when you're just boiling noodles for a simple weeknight meal. Anyone else notice people going overboard, or do you actually stick to the heavy salt method?
I read this piece from Cook's Illustrated last month where they tested bagged romaine against whole heads. The prewashed stuff actually had way more bacteria because the washing process just spreads it around in the damp bag. I used to buy the prewashed stuff for convenience but now I just buy whole heads and wash them myself (takes like 2 extra minutes). Has anyone else looked into the actual safety numbers on these bags?
I was making French onion soup from scratch on Tuesday and thought I could cut back on the butter to save some calories. The onions basically welded themselves to the bottom of the pan after 10 minutes and I had to scrub for 20 minutes to get the crust off. Anyone else just accept that you need a full stick of butter for good caramelized onions?
For like 5 years I'd just chuck onion skins and carrot tops without thinking twice, but last month after watching a lady at the farmers market fill a whole pot with scraps I decided to try it. Now every Sunday I boil a big bag of frozen scraps with some salt and pepper and end up with free stock that tastes way better than the canned stuff. Anyone else do this or am I just late to the party?
Honestly, I thought buying blocks of cheese was just a waste of time. I mean, why spend 5 minutes grating when the bag is right there? Then I tried melting some pre-shredded cheddar on a burger last week and it turned into this greasy, clumpy mess instead of getting smooth. Now I grate my own mozzarella for pizza and the difference is night and day. Has anyone else noticed this or do you still grab the bagged stuff?
I cooked eggs every morning for two weeks in a cast iron pan and then two weeks in a nonstick one to see which worked better for my busy routine. The cast iron gave me a nicer crust but took forever to heat up and clean, while the nonstick was fast but the coating already started scratching. Has anyone else done this test and stuck with one over the other?
After spending $4.50 a can for chickpeas I finally tried soaking a $2 bag of dried ones and made 4 batches of hummus that tasted better, has anyone else made the switch and found it saves more than they expected?
Honestly, I stopped peeling potatoes about 6 months ago after a buddy who runs a diner in Austin told me he never peels them for his mashed potatoes. I tried it with Yukon Golds for a Sunday roast and the texture was actually better, plus you keep all the fiber and nutrients. People act like it's lazy but the skins get soft and add flavor. Anyone else ditch the peeler and think it tastes just fine?