What are some of the dumbest, most impractical "facts" or advice you've heard on a cooking show?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

larry_stewart

Master Chef
Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
6,162
Location
Long Island, New York
I've been watching cooking shows for decades. Must are fact filled and a good learning experience. Every now and then I come across things said, that just make no sense or are impractical. The purpose of this thread is just t see what you guys have experienced, not to embarrass or call out the chef or chefs involved, so I wont provide the sources of the dumb comments.

1) I went t a demo where the chef said " I'm going to show you the fastest , easiest way to peel carrots. you will never go back to peeling them the old way again." With this, he put a pot of water up to boil ( Took like 5 - 10 minutes), Dropped the carrots in the boiling water ( another few minutes ). Then drained them and kinda brushed off the user skin layer (another few minutes). Then tossed them in some cold water to bring their temps down so they wouldn't ' cook' ( another few minutes). When I cook, most f my recipes call for 1 or 2 carrots at almost. Maybe if it's a carrot cake, a couple more. Why would the home cook even consider this ? Just peel the dam carrots. 2 minutes maybe ? and no risk of them getting cooked.

2) The second dumb thing was , eat another demo, the chef insisted that cold water boils faster than hot water. I mean, she was adamant about this. I'm no physics major ( but I did take my fair share of physics courses, along with common sense), but if your starting with a liquid that is 50 degrees closer to the boiling point than anther liquid, my guess is the warmer liquid will boil first, given the same conditions. Now maybe, if using really cold water, it's possible it may heat up at a quicker rate due to the atomic bonds of the cold water molecule wanting to expand. But even considering that, once it reaches the temps of its warm water counterpart, they would heat up at the same rate.

Im sure there are other dumb things I've heard over the years, but those are the two that stick out.
 
For me, most of it revolves around pretentious information and opinions about food products or kitchen tools.

People around the world have been preparing great food with simple ingredients and basic equipment since the dawn of time.

“Cooking is the art of adjustment.”
Jacques Pepin
 
Hmmm...good subject, @larry_stewart! Although I do not have a good, on topic, comment to make at this moment. Veering slightly: One of my biggest gripes about cooking shows now is that some have stopped providing the recipe to go with the demonstration. Sigh. Now, if the show is on the Travel Channel, I would (better) understand. But if it is on a Food Channel, I'm probably watching to learn and be able to recreate it too! Yep, I can figure it out from the demo, but first, you're going to get me pretty po'ed that I even need to do so.
 
One I have seen written a lot and in a few amateur cook videos is to "seal" the meat by searing it. Nope, that has been debunked repeatedly.

I dislike when any recipes say "The best". I don't mind someone calling it "my best" or "my favourite" or similar. But, "The best", hmph. I might know a version that I think is better.

I know that there are other "facts" that I have seen or heard stated in cooking shows/videos/online recipes. I can't think of any others at the moment. I'm sure something will come to me.

I just remembered one. "You should never fry with olive oil." Why? Just because it's good in salad dressing? EVOO is fine to at least 350°F. I use it all the time for frying. It's not a problem. I used to be sparing with the EVOO, but it didn't get used enough and would start to smell wrong. Since I started using it for frying, that never happens.
 
reminds me....

"best quality you can buy" what's that???? the highest price? the fanciest label? what defines quality?
I have no idea what Olive Oil is supposed to taste like - in fact, more often than not, when tasted alone, I don't like it. In a recipe I try to use good olive oil and from comments on my eaters I've chosen right... but really...
 
Not sure if this really fits the brief, but here goes.
I get really OCD when TV chefs are using a mandolin without the finger guard and cheerily say “be careful of your fingers “.
Like, WTF? Almost all mandolins come with a finger guard nowadays and, in my time in professional kitchens I saw some horrendous accidents using mandolins, many of which necessitated a trip to the hospital.
For goodness sake, just educate to use the guard!!!
 
I've been watching cooking shows for decades. Must are fact filled and a good learning experience. Every now and then I come across things said, that just make no sense or are impractical. The purpose of this thread is just t see what you guys have experienced, not to embarrass or call out the chef or chefs involved, so I wont provide the sources of the dumb comments.

1) I went t a demo where the chef said " I'm going to show you the fastest , easiest way to peel carrots. you will never go back to peeling them the old way again." With this, he put a pot of water up to boil ( Took like 5 - 10 minutes), Dropped the carrots in the boiling water ( another few minutes ). Then drained them and kinda brushed off the user skin layer (another few minutes). Then tossed them in some cold water to bring their temps down so they wouldn't ' cook' ( another few minutes). When I cook, most f my recipes call for 1 or 2 carrots at almost. Maybe if it's a carrot cake, a couple more. Why would the home cook even consider this ? Just peel the dam carrots. 2 minutes maybe ? and no risk of them getting cooked.

2) The second dumb thing was , eat another demo, the chef insisted that cold water boils faster than hot water. I mean, she was adamant about this. I'm no physics major ( but I did take my fair share of physics courses, along with common sense), but if your starting with a liquid that is 50 degrees closer to the boiling point than anther liquid, my guess is the warmer liquid will boil first, given the same conditions. Now maybe, if using really cold water, it's possible it may heat up at a quicker rate due to the atomic bonds of the cold water molecule wanting to expand. But even considering that, once it reaches the temps of its warm water counterpart, they would heat up at the same rate.

Im sure there are other dumb things I've heard over the years, but those are the two that stick out.
My Zwilling Prpo le
For me, most of it revolves around pretentious information and opinions about food products or kitchen tools.

People around the world have been preparing great food with simple ingredients and basic equipment since the dawn of time.

“Cooking is the art of adjustment.”
Jacques Pepin
My Zwilling Pro Line knives have hard, right-angle spines, which I put to good use. Need to scrape a carrot or some ginger? I just flip the knife over and scrape away. That IF I feel th need to peel the carrot, which I normally don't. And I never peel spuds.
 
Not sure if this really fits the brief, but here goes.
I get really OCD when TV chefs are using a mandolin without the finger guard and cheerily say “be careful of your fingers “.
Like, WTF? Almost all mandolins come with a finger guard nowadays and, in my time in professional kitchens I saw some horrendous accidents using mandolins, many of which necessitated a trip to the hospital.
For goodness sake, just educate to use the guard!!!
You're right, Jade. I always try to keep in mind that the mandoline was invented by the French--inventors, also, of the guillotine.
 
My Zwilling Prpo le

My Zwilling Pro Line knives have hard, right-angle spines, which I put to good use. Need to scrape a carrot or some ginger? I just flip the knife over and scrape away. That IF I feel th need to peel the carrot, which I normally don't. And I never peel spuds.
If you enjoy them and they give you pleasure or confidence in the kitchen that’s great.

I hope that you enjoy them as much as I enjoy my frugal approach to equipping my humble little kitchen.

Enjoy!
 
I'm a backer of frugality most of the time. I got the Zwilling only because they were on sale (insane discount!) at the time--and just when I felt I deserved a little pampering. As for your frugal kitchen, may we hope for a richly detailed post soon?
 
I've had 10 Henckels Pro S knives for 20+ years. I bought them because they are quality knives that were comfortable to my hand and I expected them to last a life time and beyond. I sharpen them myself and they are as good as new except for the usual scars of normal use. If one fails for some reason (twice a handle cracked) Henckels replaces it for free under their lifetime warranty.
 
I've been watching cooking shows for decades. Must are fact filled and a good learning experience. Every now and then I come across things said, that just make no sense or are impractical. The purpose of this thread is just t see what you guys have experienced, not to embarrass or call out the chef or chefs involved, so I wont provide the sources of the dumb comments.

1) I went t a demo where the chef said " I'm going to show you the fastest , easiest way to peel carrots. you will never go back to peeling them the old way again." With this, he put a pot of water up to boil ( Took like 5 - 10 minutes), Dropped the carrots in the boiling water ( another few minutes ). Then drained them and kinda brushed off the user skin layer (another few minutes). Then tossed them in some cold water to bring their temps down so they wouldn't ' cook' ( another few minutes). When I cook, most f my recipes call for 1 or 2 carrots at almost. Maybe if it's a carrot cake, a couple more. Why would the home cook even consider this ? Just peel the dam carrots. 2 minutes maybe ? and no risk of them getting cooked.

2) The second dumb thing was , eat another demo, the chef insisted that cold water boils faster than hot water. I mean, she was adamant about this. I'm no physics major ( but I did take my fair share of physics courses, along with common sense), but if your starting with a liquid that is 50 degrees closer to the boiling point than anther liquid, my guess is the warmer liquid will boil first, given the same conditions. Now maybe, if using really cold water, it's possible it may heat up at a quicker rate due to the atomic bonds of the cold water molecule wanting to expand. But even considering that, once it reaches the temps of its warm water counterpart, they would heat up at the same rate.

Im sure there are other dumb things I've heard over the years, but those are the two that stick out.
Cold water is recommended for cooking not because it boils faster (it doesn't) but because it hasn't been through a water heater. I think it is overly fussy to worry about how hot water will affect the taste of what you boil but there you have it.
 
Back
Top Bottom