Cooking Skills I Used Today

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Yesterday I browned and braised chicken thighs, chopped and sautéed onions and garlic, steamed and seasoned rice and chopped vegetables for salad.

I also made an omelet for lunch. Whisked eggs with Penzeys Sandwich Sprinkle, cooked them till mostly done, then added a filling of diced tomatoes, shaved Parmesan cheese, fresh basil and toasted pine nuts.
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I do that all the time. Am I breaking a rule I don't know about?

Traditionally greens should be hand-torn into bite size pieces. (a skill)
We were always told not to use metal to cut lettuce as it would turn them brown. Which it does, with time. But if you are using the entire head I see no problem with that.

Around here you can actually find plastic knives that are specifically meant for lettuces.

Tupperware used to sell them. They also showed how to smack a head of lettuce (iceberg) on the core, give it a twist and remove it. (another skill) No metal touching but cored!
I also believe these was from days of NON-stainless steel knives, therefore becoming redundant.
 
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Traditionally greens should be hand-torn into bite size pieces. (a skill)
We were always told not to use metal to cut lettuce as it would turn them brown. Which it does, with time. But if you are using the entire head I see no problem with that.

I tear off as many leaves as I want to make salad with and cut them, then we eat them. So the rest of the head wasn't touched by the knife. I learned this from Rachael Ray ;)
 
This morning I used (rather skillfully I might add)

a knife to slice mushrooms, kielbasa
my hands to wash/rinse tomatoes, open & remove bacon slices,
the edge of the stove to crack an egg into a cup, my hand to hold cup, tilt and slide egg into simmering water,
a dull knife to slice some polenta, fingers to lay it into frypan
a spatula to turn articles in frypan, and lift out, also to lift out egg

Held a fork in hand to utilize raising chunks of yumminess to mouth for mastication.
 
Traditionally greens should be hand-torn into bite size pieces. (a skill)
We were always told not to use metal to cut lettuce as it would turn them brown. Which it does, with time. But if you are using the entire head I see no problem with that.

Around here you can actually find plastic knives that are specifically meant for lettuces.

Tupperware used to sell them. They also showed how to smack a head of lettuce (iceberg) on the core, give it a twist and remove it. (another skill) No metal touching but cored!
I also believe these was from days of NON-stainless steel knives, therefore becoming redundant.

Removing the core does help a head of lettuce last longer. But, I use a knife, so maybe I'm doing it wrong.

So, perhaps I learned a new skill in this thread. :chef:

Good topic, PF.

CD
 
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I dipped my finger in a pot of split pea soup and tasted to see if it needed any more seasoning.

I use my finger if I am cooking for myself, but keep a supply of disposable plastic spoons around if I am cooking for others... and they can see me. :angel:

CD
 
That's more important than many people realize. Definitely a good skill to employ.

I agree.

I had a friend , who cooks quite a bit, ask me if I taste my food as Im cooking it. My reply was, absolutely !!! He replied by saying that in most of the articles and books he reads, they recommend doing that. For me, it just seamed like common sense, so I was surprised that he hasn't been doing that. At the very least, I need to make sure the salt level is adequate. Even if i measure exactly as the recipe calls for ( assuming I'm even using a recipe), so many ingredients ( especially produce) vary on their ripeness, sweetness .... so its always a moving target when seasoning.
 
I agree.

I had a friend , who cooks quite a bit, ask me if I taste my food as Im cooking it. My reply was, absolutely !!! He replied by saying that in most of the articles and books he reads, they recommend doing that. For me, it just seamed like common sense, so I was surprised that he hasn't been doing that. At the very least, I need to make sure the salt level is adequate. Even if i measure exactly as the recipe calls for ( assuming I'm even using a recipe), so many ingredients ( especially produce) vary on their ripeness, sweetness .... so its always a moving target when seasoning.

I have found that if I am doing a long cook, such as a slow simmer, I need to wait until late in the cook to do my tasting. I over seasoned a few things by tasting too early in the cook, and fortunately learned from it.

Sauces, like tomato sauce, are really easy to over season if you don't wait.

CD
 
Adjusting seasonings to taste is a skill for sure. The problems happen when you say "whoops, that was a mistake" and you can't take it back.:ohmy:;)

Several years ago, I made a big pot of chili at a party, and accidentally used too much cumin. A friend of mine was there, and told me to add nutmeg to the chili. :huh:

I thought she was nuts, but it worked!

Anyone else had experience with using one spice to counteract another? That's a cooking skill.

CD
 
I use my finger if I am cooking for myself, but keep a supply of disposable plastic spoons around if I am cooking for others... and they can see me. :angel:

CD

I use a 'trick' I learned from a TV show a while back. You keep two spoons, a tablespoon and a teaspoon. The tablespoon never touches your mouth. It's used to spoon a taste into the teaspoon, which goes to your mouth. That way you can taste repeatedly with just two spoons.
 
my kids are always floating around when I'm making dinner, they just casually grab a teaspoon to taste what's coming,lol. They tell me if it needs anything. Usually chillies.

Russ
 
I have found that if I am doing a long cook, such as a slow simmer, I need to wait until late in the cook to do my tasting. I over seasoned a few things by tasting too early in the cook, and fortunately learned from it.
CD

Thats the issue I have with the slow cookers.
I'm more of an active cook.
Its almost impossible for me to throw things in a slow cooker and just let it do its job. Ive tried using one in the past several times, but I found myself opening up the lid (a lot more frequently than I should have) and tasting and mixing and adjusting .... So, I have only myself to blame for my slow cooker experiences not working out too well, but I just have so much more fun mixing, adjusting, tasting , adding ....
 
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