Share one cooking secret, please :)

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Hot Pan - cold oil - food won't stick!

Michael reminded me, another tip to keep the food from sticking and cooking better over all, don't put your meat into a hot pan straight out of the refrigerator. Let it rest on the counter top a bit before putting onto the heat.
Recently I've seen MS and IG both make the same mistake when pan frying a breaded meat. They've both brought the meat to the plate and both lost the breading. Haven't they both owned catering companys and shouldn't tv time be able to catch that and redo that part?

for soups stews crock pot meals whatever, brown the meat, brown the bones and veggies
my potatoes and carrots have a hard time in the crock pot at times, don't know why, but I've started giving them a bit of a kick start too by putting them for just a minute in ye ole nuker first then putting them in the crocker spaniel. that way, I know I won't have rock hard pots and cars:ermm:
learn 2 things:
1) How to be Intimidating
2) how to say "It`s Supposed to be like that, have you No class!?"
Seriously tho :)the main thing is to Always be Flexible and have a good Back-up plan, Just in case!
Yeh, what he ^^^ said, give the Evil kid look if someone doesn't like your meal.
My back up plan once dropped in my lap. I made a stuffed pasta using what I'd had as an ingredient in something similar and we were having friends for dinner. WAY too much chicken liver and that's all you could taste, yuck! The back up plan < ? > they called with a flat and had no tow service and apologized profusly for not making it to dinner, dh and I ordered pizza:ohmy:
 
not to get completely off topic.. but, Lefselover.. that is a beautiful baby in your avatar pic :) very sweet :)
 
not to get completely off topic.. but, Lefselover.. that is a beautiful baby in your avatar pic :) very sweet :)
thank you, and I was off topic too in my responses I'm afraid.
that's my grandson and me kissing his sweet little cherubic face after his first bath that I had to do cause mommy was afraid she may do something wrong, love of my life:wub::in_love:
 
Don't know if this is much of a tip but most packaged ingredients come with a recipe either on the label or on their website. These recipes are usually easy and designed to make their product look good - they do want you to buy their goods again after all!! The more reputable brands will check their recipes, so some of the others you may need to take with a pinch of salt (so to speak!!) and adjust accordingly.

Just an idea.
 
I preheat the oven first then, put out all the needed ingredients and pan or dish I may need for baking, as well as the measuring cups, measuring spoons.
Another thing I use is parchment paper for baking.
 
try to keep a stocked pantry if possible.
things in there should include canned/tinned tomatoes/veggies/broth/fruit/sauces/evapo milk/eaglebrand, meats ie. tuna/salmon/chicken/ham.
also boxed things like bisquick/cake mix/rice/legumes/pasta.
just in case you run amuck and have no clue what's for dinner or dessert, you can run in your pantry and retrieve something at least to pull a meal together.
or when all else fails, just come to my house and use 'it' as your market.
 
Use the right combination of spices and always sautee or caramelize onions and other veggies to bring out more flavor in your dishes. The best tip is to always cook with a passion-if it's made with love, you're bound to cook something great.
 
If you want to crisp up leftover pizza, heat a pizza stone at 400 F on the bottom rack (remove the top rack) and place the pizza slices on top---within 5-8 minutes you have crispy pizza again------microwaving just makes them soggy
 
Not cooking, but to do WITH cooking if you drop a raw egg on the floor or the counter.

Sprinkle the mess with a good shake of plain old table salt....and it will wipe right up!
 
Not cooking, but to do WITH cooking if you drop a raw egg on the floor or the counter.

Sprinkle the mess with a good shake of plain old table salt....and it will wipe right up!
or as in my case, I call in the troops, two big Siberians:LOL:
now don't flood me with warnings, it's only happened twice in my lifetime:-p
 
Lefselover, you have only dropped 2 eggs in your lifetime? Your poor dogs. Mine get an egg or two a week, I think.

Back to the tips.

Remember, baking is science, and baking recipes are formulas. Don't mess with them too much, or you will have a disaster.

(I have a friend who is always trying to "healthy up" muffins and cakes. Subbing in ww flour for white, honey for sugar and adding a cup of flax meal is pretty much a recipe for building materials--bricks.)

Other recipes, for main dishes etc are free game--I always look at them as suggestions, not written in stone. Relax, have fun, make it the way you like it.
 
All the above, especially mis en place.

I'll also add that it's important to read your recipe all the way through before beginning any prepping or cooking. It's no fun to get to a stage of a recipe only to discover you don't have an ingredient in the correct amount or at all or be missing an essential cooking utensil/tool.

Hand-in-hand with reading the recipe completely is to make sure your read it enough in advance of preparing the dish that you will be certain to have enough time to make it. Rushing can lead to mistakes or a poorly prepared recipe. "Haste makes waste" is definitely true.


what she said, reading recipes is necessary and saves lots of time as u make whatever .

babe
 
Don't put your smoke alarm to close to the stove top. ( my son did that last week..it goes off when the toast pops up. Toster is on top of the refrigetor ) :LOL:

 
Never 'play' with a recipe until after you have made it the first time exactly as instructed, and only if you can afford to throw it out if it doesn't work out...
 
To me there is a huge difference between baking and putting a meal on the table. I cook the latter way, I don't bake. As far as putting a meal on the table, to me the rule is to be flexible. I don't think you can be as flexible when you are baking. I have taken a meal for 4 and turned it into a meal for 15. I keep on hand gravy mix packages, instant mashed potato flakes, there is always extra meat in the freezer and usually some real poultry stock of some sort. Carrots and celery, onions and garlic are always in the pantry. To me the secret to "good cooking" is having a fully stocked spice cabinet and pantry.
 
Never 'play' with a recipe until after you have made it the first time exactly as instructed, and only if you can afford to throw it out if it doesn't work out...
I agree with this, except in certain circumstances. For instance, I hate dates but like raisins. So if a recipe calls for dates, I will substitute raisins. I also substitute beef for veal. Since I have made these substitutions before, I know they will work. I figure it is better to use something I like than to never try the recipe at all. However, I won't try to make a substitution for something I don't know about.

:)Barbara
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom