I love to cook... a lot. Over the past couple of years, I've learned some tips that I find most people have never heard of. Just simple things...

1. When you cook meat, especially beef (grill, bake, whatever) let it sit for a couple of minutes afterwards. If you cut into it immediately, the juices will run out and it will be dry.

2. When you're making hamburgers, don't mix the hamburger meat up too much, it will make the hamburgers tough. When you put the spices and whatever else you put in, add them all in once, then mix. If you put in shredded onions, it will help keep your hamburgers moist.

3. If you've burned something in your skillet or pot, you can put wine or broth in it while it's still on the burner, and it will pick up the pieces burned on the bottom.

4. Kosher salt is amazing. I've completely stopped using regular salt in my dishes.

5. When you buy fresh strawberries and some other fresh fruits, don't wash them until just before you eat them. If you wash them then refrigerate them, they'll mold much faster.

Hopefully some of you will enjoy this info. I'd love to hear some of your tips too. Happy cooking!

 

Good stuff!


<------Mildly retarded in the kitchen

 

Great tips.

Here's some more:

1. Don't wash mushrooms with water, simply brush them thoroughly. If washed with water mushrooms will steam instead of brown when cooked.

2. Pizza dough will harden instantly when put on a hot grill. Pizza fired on a grill is fantastic, just don't over do it with the toppings. Less is more in regards to the toppings.

3. If you have a gas grill and long for the taste of a charcoal grill, go buy a small aluminum loaf pan and hardwood chips. Soak the wood chips in water for 30 minutes then put them in the aluminum loaf pan and set it on top of the burners, under the grate. It gives you a nice hardwood smoked taste without all the fuss of a charcoal grill. Just remember to douse the wood chips before putting the grill away.

4. Use the freshest ingredients you can possibly find. Stay away from canned fruits, vegetables and any processed foods such as cheeses. Parmesan is much better when grated from a block rather than poured from a green can.

5. A gas cook top and an electric oven is the best combination. We have a Dacor dual fuel range and it is fantastic to cook and bake with. You have the instant heating/cooling of a gas cooktop, with the heating accuracy needed to bake the finest cakes and quiches.

6. If you are on a limited budget for cookware, at least spend the money on a good quality skillet. In the long run it will save you money as a good skillet will out last a cheap "Wal-Mart" special by many years. You will also have the advantage of having a skillet with even heating and it won't easily warp.

CanopyFlyer

Foody Extrodinaire

 

Good stuff!

 

All good tips.

One I'd like to add is carry-over heat.

The biggest mistake people make it overcooking food.

Food continues to cook after you remove it from the heat source, so remove the food from the heat source before it's done. If you wait until it's done, say, on the grill, it'll be overdone by the time you eat.

 

the first "similar thread" below is "In this thread, we will share love-making tips"

 

#3 is also known as "deglazing"

Surprisingly, I knew all of them...Food Network FTW...

 

It's like a treasure-chest of cool food info (guess why they called it what they did)

 

I think I learn the most from Iron Chef and Good Eats. Alton, while massively anal, is one smart food guy...

BTW, lucky guy that your wife loves to cook. My wife can cook, but only when I declare I'm on strike.

 

While I think Iron Chef is retarded, you do pick up quite a few good tips.

Alton Brown is by far the most informative and most entertaining to watch, until he gets too involved in his skits.

***

I hate Rachael Ray but I have to admit that I've made more of her meals than anyone else on food network (Tyler Florence is a close second)

 

Yea, I dont know what the draw is to RR. She's friggin annoying as hell.

Batali is my fav. Can't wait to visit NYC sometime soon. Del Posto is the first place I'll hit...

 

RR on mute is the way to go.

 

Giada de Laurentiis has the best recipes. But I also just love italian food.

 

You mean she has the best breasts.

Mario makes the best Italian food, but his man boobs don't do it for me.

 

 

So you don't watch food network?

 

lol...re-read my 'quote' - I'm giving you a hard time.

and yes, I watch it a lot w/my wife.

 

With your posts, I expect sentences. None of this cop out crap with smiley faces. And any man who has ever watched Giada doesn't notice the food unless the camera shot is off her cleavage.

 

Yes, sir; there will be nothing but complete sentences for you from now on! And F&F (the OP) is my wife. I'm glad you can enjoy your food-porn.

 

Giada is pretty hot and cooks pretty well too...

Actually, my favorite one to drool over at the moment is Nigella.

100% MILF

 

We've made several recipes from Giada de Laurentiis' books and found them good, but a bit bland.

Mario Batali is awesome, we've had some very good meals from his recipes.

Going outside of Italian, Jamie Oliver is pretty reliable and sometimes he has some very interesting concoctions. I really like his version of Tikka Masala.

 

i can't express how much i've learned from Alton.....I record about 2-3 a week

 

Good Eats is one of my favorite shows on tv.

 

Really? I love her recipes... she tends to use a lot of kosher salt, and I didn't understand how different it can make the food taste until I finally tried it. I'm not saying kosher salt won't make it bland, but I've never had that problem with her recipes. I like that they're all so easy to make.

 

Amen. The science of cooking, so you know what is behind the "Culinary Arts".

Plus a solid base of knowledge allows anyone to create a broad spectrum of dishes.