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

[Aunt Bea]

In 1960, Peg Bracken wrote the "I Hate To Cook Book". The classic tuna/mushroom soup casserole, complete with peas, was one of her featured recipes for 'little kids parties'.

In 1968, Campbell's published "A Campbell Cookbook: Cooking WIth Soup". Yes, it included Peg Bracken's Tuna Mushroom Soup Casserole. Pantries all around the country were well stocked with C.O.Mushrrom, C.O.Chicken, C.O.Celery, and many others. Canned Beef Consume was used for beef stock in the recipes; cake was made with C.O.Tomato soup: "Sweedish" meatballs were cooked in CO Celery soup.

I have long since given away my tattered copy of the Campbell's Cookbook, but I still have this:


View attachment 65705

I still make Peg Bracken's Stay A Bed Stew!

 

[dragnlaw]

OMG - taxy - you hit the nail on the head! a lot of those recipe were for Guides/Scouts. But only insomuch if they traveled by bus and didn't have to hike in with their supplies,

As a soup - Campbell's Chicken Noodle was my favourite. I would not eat Mushroom Soup as a soup, but in a casserole? worked for me!

and Peg Bracken should be on every wanna-be's required reading

 

[Andy M.]

My ex, who couldn't boil water, used to make a pot roast with three different kinds of 'cream of...' soups. I don't miss it.

 

[pepperhead212]

I must admit I tried making a recipe using Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup and I wasn't too happy with it. I usually make sauces from scratch and I guess I am used to that taste/texture? That said, I also tried making home made mayonnaise, and it was fine - but I still prefer a jar of Hellman's any day!!

I think a lot depends on nostalgia, and your changing taste over the years.

This gave me another laugh! That's because I have NEVER bought a jar of mayonnaise, and that's because when I was 4 or 5, I somehow (I don't remember who told me what, and Mom didn't have a clue) developed a phobia about mayo, and wouldn't eat anything with mayo on it or in it! Fortunately, Mom and other family members would keep small amounts of things aside, like potato salad, and I would put my own dressing on them, and this was before this was a common thing to do. This went on forever, but when I was away at school, I actually taught myself how to make it, and used something from the co-op, that I had never seen before, and was basically not available anywhere, back then - Rice Wine Vinegar. That, and lemon juice, as the acid, are something I use to this day, when I occasionally make mayonnaise, to use for something. I called her, and told her to take a guess at the most ridiculous thing she thought I would make (she thought it was going to be some disgusting ingredient), and she couldn't believe it was mayonnaise. I still won't buy mayo or Miracle Whip, or anything that might have them in it.

And something I just remembered, that Mom did, because of my mayo phobia - she got a recipe from my neighbor, that was an almost black chocolate cake, and I've always loved chocolate. It called for 3/4 c of mayo, which makes sense, with the oil, acid, and more egg, but she wrote in the handwritten recipe 3/4 c sour cream* - the asterisk, in case I looked at the recipe!

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Ina Garten saying "I use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt", and then incremently add enough salt to whatever she's cooking to give the little girl on the Morton box a stroke.

 

[KatyCooks]

This gave me another laugh! That's because I have NEVER bought a jar of mayonnaise, and that's because when I was 4 or 5, I somehow (I don't remember who told me what, and Mom didn't have a clue) developed a phobia about mayo, and wouldn't eat anything with mayo on it or in it! Fortunately, Mom and other family members would keep small amounts of things aside, like potato salad, and I would put my own dressing on them, and this was before this was a common thing to do. This went on forever, but when I was away at school, I actually taught myself how to make it, and used something from the co-op, that I had never seen before, and was basically not available anywhere, back then - Rice Wine Vinegar. That, and lemon juice, as the acid, are something I use to this day, when I occasionally make mayonnaise, to use for something. I called her, and told her to take a guess at the most ridiculous thing she thought I would make (she thought it was going to be some disgusting ingredient), and she couldn't believe it was mayonnaise. I still won't buy mayo or Miracle Whip, or anything that might have them in it.

And something I just remembered, that Mom did, because of my mayo phobia - she got a recipe from my neighbor, that was an almost black chocolate cake, and I've always loved chocolate. It called for 3/4 c of mayo, which makes sense, with the oil, acid, and more egg, but she wrote in the handwritten recipe 3/4 c sour cream* - the asterisk, in case I looked at the recipe!

Glad this gave you a laugh and brought back some memories Pepper! Amazing what our mums will do for us isn't it! My mum put up with a lot of my childhood "whims" with such patience. (I did grow out of them for the most part, which must have been a relief - as was me taking over the cooking later on - she never enjoyed it.)

 

[KatyCooks]

Ina Garten saying "I use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt", and then incremently add enough salt to whatever she's cooking to give the little girl on the Morton box a stroke.

I find Ina Garten deeply irritating. (I don't know how much of that is because of plain jealousy of her stunning house and garden though.)

 

[Kathleen]

I really don't remember my mum using canned soup or veg with two exceptions that I can remember. One was in a very easy stew for the Girl Sprouts to make (canned green beans, potatoes, and maybe caned corn, plus fresh stuff). The other was that she would make potato salad or pan fried potatoes with canned potatoes. She did often use canned vegis as the vegi portion of a veg-starch-protein supper. Though more often than not, the starch was boiled or fried potatoes. She also served canned soups as soup.

Girl Scouts! I loved the meals we made. My favorite was the banana boat. Carefully open a banana so it looks like a boat. Cut the banana without cutting through the peel. Stuff the slices with marshmallow bits and chocolate. Rest it on the grill for about 2 to 5 minutes. SOOO good.....or at least it was darn delicious in my 10 year old memory!

In 1960, Peg Bracken wrote the "I Hate To Cook Book". The classic tuna/mushroom soup casserole, complete with peas, was one of her featured recipes for 'little kids parties'.

In 1968, Campbell's published "A Campbell Cookbook: Cooking WIth Soup". Yes, it included Peg Bracken's Tuna Mushroom Soup Casserole. Pantries all around the country were well stocked with C.O.Mushrrom, C.O.Chicken, C.O.Celery, and many others. Canned Beef Consume was used for beef stock in the recipes; cake was made with C.O.Tomato soup: "Sweedish" meatballs were cooked in CO Celery soup.

I have long since given away my tattered copy of the Campbell's Cookbook, but I still have this:


View attachment 65705

This makes me laugh as I *just* purchased this for my sister who says, "I hate cooking" most times when we talk on the phone.

I still make Peg Bracken's Stay A Bed Stew!

My sister does not sit down and rest. I visit, she is go-go-go. I need a nap: She uses the time to clean something, do laundry, mow the yard, etc. This recipe was the reason I bought the book. I wrote by the page, "NOW GO BACK TO BED."

 

[Janet H]

Gordon Ramsays claim that one side of foil cooks faster than the other is hogwash, IMO. The dull/shiny side arguments he makes are that the dull side holds heat better and the shiny reflects when in fact the foil is the same on both sides - the color difference is a processing and rolling by-product from the factory.

 

[dcSaute]

it is, however, scientific hogwash.
light/shiny things reflect light/heat, dark/matte things absorb light/heat more than the light/shiny stuff.

how big a difference does it make?
ah, well that's a different question.

comma, however . . .
here's an intentional 'experiment' - JOC White Bread Plus - one single batch - divided - one loaf baked in a dark bread pan, one load baked in a shiny bread pan - same oven - same bake time - same . . .

 

[Andy M.]

That's what I'd expect.

Ramsey's assumption was that high gloss metallic reflected more than matte metallic finish. I can't imagine it makes a noticeable difference.

 

[dragnlaw]

Think posted once before about an acquaintance who worked for Alcan. Aluminum foil has, as Janet stated, different sides purely an affect of processing.

Baking in different coloured pans is not the same thing.

Gordon Ramsey is only stupid in the fact he didn't check it out first before making a global statement.

 

[pepperhead212]

I've actually found bread gets darker in those "blue steel" pans, side by side to heavy aluminum pans. I also have one of those for a double length of baguettes, which gives a bottom crust as dark or darker than the top. Also have those small, 6" diameter black steel pans I first saw many years ago at an early Pizzeria Uno, and had to get some! Nowhere around here had them (way before internet!), so next trip to NYC I got some in a restaurant supply place. Makes incredibly dark crust. You would not want to bake cakes in those, I don't think!

Early books instructed to reduce temperature by 25°, when using the black metal or glass pans.

 

[CharlieD]

I find Ina Garten deeply irritating. (I don't know how much of that is because of plain jealousy of her stunning house and garden though.)

Can't stand her. But she does say one very smart thing. When cooking noodles the water should taste like a sea water (or was it ocean), well whichever one, I know to make water salty.

 

[dragnlaw]

I wish I could remember who they are but 2 chefs, 1 female the other male, on their shows, I gave a whole heartedly thumbs up when I saw them slicing onions and mushrooms.
They did not do it fast - they did not do it slow.
They just sliced carefully.
I was super impressed!

 

[CharlieD]

Charlie, she had a show on the Food Network called Semi-Homemade. The vast majority of her cooking involved opening cans and/or using other prepared foods, with elaborate table and room decor to fit the current show theme. It was a joke of a cooking show, basically a vanity program. Her  decor cost way more than the food.

I watched tat show. My 10-12 year old daughter at the time would watch it with me and kept going around the house with a glass of water and pretending it was a cocktail. Extremely nice person in real life. Met her in person. And as far as her cooking, there is audience for everybody obviously. I do not like Inna Gatrten, doesn't mean she is a bad cook, or people should stop using her recipes. But it also doesn't mean we have to mean about.

 

[HeyItsSara]

I also remember the Semi homemade show. I liked it! I also watched it with a daughter and we had a good time with it.

 

[ElleSmith]

When I was binge-watching cooking shows last weekend, I stumbled upon some truly bizarre advice. It made me wonder if the hosts had ever set foot in a kitchen!
"For a healthier option, substitute butter with mayonnaise in your baking recipes."
Because apparently, mayo magically transforms into a health food when it's baked.

It's mind-boggling how some of these "tips" make it onto cooking shows, but I guess we're all entitled to our kitchen experiments, right?

 

[caseydog]

Searing meat "seals in" juices.

And my favorite, "Soak your smoking wood in water before burning it."

CD

 

[taxlady]

I often see recipes that tell you to "seal your meat" instead of "sear". They might tell you how high to turn your burner.