PrintThis lesson I learned might help a beginner cook/baker.
We've all learned from our mistakes, so let's share and maybe help somebody we know, or those who love to just stay in the background and read and learn. Maybe they'll decide to join in the fun if they feel comfortable. Honestly, none of us are perfect and we all have something to share!
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29 Comments:
When I started baking cakes, if the recipe said to beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, I figured high speed at 5 minutes would be even better. I didn't realize that the more you work the dough for cakes, muffins, cookies, pastries, etc., the tougher it will be. Once the flour goes in, handle or mix as little as possible to incorporate, unless your recipe says differently. Often times, you even have to let it rest and or chill. Baking recipes are scientific experiments and have to be followed exactly, at least the first time. It also helps to have a respected cookbook with recipes that are tried and true.
PerkyMac at 11:09PM on 04/18/08
Although they both come in yellow cardboard boxes, baking soda and cornstarch are NOT THE SAME THING! I never actually thought they were, but was once baking a lemon custard pie at 2 am, and in my sleep deprived stupor, made that unfortunate swap. What resulted was not pretty (and neither was my early morning hysteria--this is what happens when you become a perfectionist compulsive baker at too young an age)...
http://flickr.com/photos/15337490@N02/2423892059/
http://flickr.com/photos/15337490@N02/2423892083/in/photostream/
http://flickr.com/photos/15337490@N02/2424705122/in/photostream/
More practically applicable advice: prep/measure out ALL of your ingredients beforehand (and put away containers/extra) to save yourself a lot of time in baking and cleanup!
ChristineB at 11:46PM on 04/18/08
@ChristineB......takes COURAGE to post those photos.......haha!
PerkyMac at 11:59PM on 04/18/08
I also learned that if you neglect to add the eggs that were called for in a brownie recipe, you end up with boiling chocolate liquid and when you discover your mistake and throw in the two eggs, you can have them boiled or scrambled, but must wait for brownie liquid to cool before sticking your finger in to see if there is anything salvageable.
p.s. there isn't.
PerkyMac at 12:00AM on 04/19/08
DO NOT EVER USE SALT IN PLACE OF SUGAR IN ANY RECIPE. IT IS NOT A SUITABLE SUBSTITUTE, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME.
PerkyMac at 12:01AM on 04/19/08
That when the recipe for a cake calls for room temperature ingredients, they actually mean it. It's not a suggestion.
Making a roast chicken when it's still half frozen is not a good idea.
There is a difference between breakfast sausage and Italian sausage.
There is nothing you can do to save overcooked pasta. Just throw it out and start over.
chisai at 12:29AM on 04/19/08
When you put a really large cake pan in the oven, you must make sure the oven rack is even or you wind up with the basis for a really good Ski Slope Cake. (Luckily the batter did no spill out of the pan which would have been worse.)
@ChristineB....You go girl...Those pix are truly wretched! :D
chiff0nade at 3:37AM on 04/19/08
Remember to take the plastic bag of "parts" out of the turkey before roasting.
KashaKnish at 5:45AM on 04/19/08
always check the oven inside before turning it on! some nincompoop, like me, may have decided to use the space to store plastic ware :( p.s. the smell will never completely go away ;)
huney_bumper at 8:54AM on 04/19/08
Timers are one of God's greatest inventions. Even if you think you'll remember to take the _____ off the burner or out of the oven in ___ minutes, you are very likely to forget until the smoke alarm goes off and you may lose a valuable pan as well as ruin a ____. Not that I've done that more than a couple dozen times. BTW - make sure you are in hearing range of said timer.
If you have a smoke alarm IN your kitchen - move it. If you remove the batteries because it's driving you crazy, then make sure you put another one in a more reasonable place, but DO have a smoke alarm. You will likely be grateful one day. I have been on several occasions. And on that note, the best way to put out a fire on top of the stove is to cover it. Never throw water on a grease fire. Baking soda can also help put out a fire. If it's not out immediately, get everybody OUT and call 911.
PerkyMac at 9:14AM on 04/19/08
Cleaning your kitchen cabinets with spray furniture polish will turn your floor into a slippery skating rink, especially if you are wearing socks. There are better products for cleaning the cabinets, but if you must use spray, lay down a towel to catch the mist, so no one has a dangerous fall.
PerkyMac at 9:22AM on 04/19/08
If you are broiling with the oven ajar and the pan catches fire, don't try to put the fire out or remove the pan, just shut the oven door and the fire will extinguish itself.
Yes, I've had way too many kitchen fires!
PerkyMac at 9:24AM on 04/19/08
remember to use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising to make home-made chicken-in-dumplins. for some reason my dumplins dissappeared with the self-rising flour and i had the thickess soup, lol.
jobug_tincher at 10:24AM on 04/19/08
Timing a meal so that everything is ready for the table at the same time takes experience, but a lot of it is just common sense. If the meat takes 30 minutes and the vegetables 6 minutes, you're not going to put them on at the same time......unless you can reheat the veggies without overcooking them at the last minute. Meat usually has to rest at least 10 minutes, so you can bake the biscuits, or warm the potatoes when the oven is free. If you plan it out ahead of time, you'll have a better chance of success. Always do as much prep as you can, before you actually start cooking, and have ALL your ingredients on the counter, so you don't end up without a vital component.
PerkyMac at 11:03AM on 04/19/08
Yes KashaKnish, but I can add that if you do forget to take out the packet with the giblets inside, you won't die if you eat the turkey anyway. But your gravy will suffer.
Also, if you notice that everything you put in the oven seems to burn, it's worth buying an oven thermometer. I still haven't done this, only guessing that it's about 50 degrees off, but baking is nerve-racking.
Always protect your hand with a folded kitchen towel and press firmly on the lid when you are pureeing hot soup in the blender. When the soup starts to come to the top, don't freak out and let go. But don't press so firmly that you knock the plastic thingy from the lid into the blender.
Newly-weds/newly cohabitated should learn which foods give them "tummy troubles."
Separating eggs over a small bowl one at a time is worth the extra dish.
Cheap steak will taste like cafeteria food now matter how perfectly you cut it. (But beef heart is cheap, grills well, and has a deliciously tender, meaty texture.)
Biggest lesson of all, and yes, I'll use all caps:
CLEAN AS YOU GO.
Aka "work clean." Now matter how small or huge your kitchen (I've taken on huge projects in both), you are exponentially more prone to error and inevitably more stressed out both during and after cooking if you don't do your damnedest to clean every spill, put away things you are finished with, maintain an organized work space, and do your best to clean bowls, utensils, etc. as you are finished with them.
The vast majority of mistakes and accidents in the kitchen trace back to a messy/disorganized cook (which reflects a messy/disorganized mind, temporary or not). It's one of the most fundamental maxims of professional kitchen for good reason.
renzata at 11:18AM on 04/19/08
to tack onto renzata's excellent advice..........Rachael Ray's handy garbage bowl is a great idea that I now use. Any decent sized plastic bowl will do.
I learned from LoCo that you should wash eggs before using. Think about where they've been!
Soak leeks in cold water and let all the dirt fall to the bottom of the bowl/sink.
Put fresh mussels in cold water with a handful of flour. They will disgorge the sand. Then rinse them well before cooking.
Live clams, mussels, oysters should be closed, or close if you tap on them. If not, they're dead - discard. Cooked, they all should open. If not - discard.
PerkyMac at 11:32AM on 04/19/08
You can always revive lettuce, herbs and celery by giving them a cold water bath.
Clorox is your friend. Learn to love it.
The dog will eat any form of veg, protein or fruit scraps as long as its simmered in water for awhile and poured over her kibble.
Baking bread isn't as dramatic as people make it. A bread machine to do the hard work is your best friend but you get all the credit for shaping and baking!
If you see anything with a pulse anywhere near your good knives, feel free to execute. No judge in the world would ever blame you.
Learn to load your dishwasher correctly and efficiently.
Best damn "fried" chickens I have ever come across was pounded breasts left to soak for 2 days in buttermilk, hot sauce and whole grain mustard. Yeah, I said it...2 days. Hey, I got busy. I crushed some club crackers and mixed it with seasoned crumbs. Let dredged breasts sit on a rack for half an hour then drizzled butter over. Bake. Yipppiiieeee!
Kids will be more tempted to try things if you get them involved from going to the farm market, picking tomatoes and corn, washing and then helping cook. When my niece Taylor was 11 months old, her first word was Guacamole.
Any overcooked beef, pork or chicken can be made into taco filling with no harm done.
ChelleyD01 at 1:49PM on 04/19/08
Don't try and make a cake more "healthy" by using ONLY whole wheat flour. Sub in only 1/2 at most.
Your lovely loaf will end up dense as a brick and ultimately, in the trash.
jazzinx at 2:51PM on 04/19/08
Need Baking Powder?
Make your own:
2 parts cream of tartar, 1 part baking soda
No chemicals either!
PerkyMac at 3:00PM on 04/19/08
Great tips and stories, the pics I could've done without! :-)
I would add read, read, read the recipe, and then read the recipe again. Make sure you have all ingredients and know how long it's going to take. I've made the mistake of not seeing the "let rest for 20 minutes" at the very end, and had everything else go cold, not fun.
I also think you should buy the best equipment you can afford, that doesn't mean to be a snob, and not everything that's the most expensive is the best, but I've really become a good cook by having good quality equipment, AND ingredients. I find Cooks Illustrated equipment ratings a pretty good place to learn about what's worth it and what isn't most of the time.
And finally, if you haven't already, go check out your local farmer's market. You'll never turn back.
bobcatsteph3 at 3:56PM on 04/19/08
The most important thing about cooking I have learned is to take the extra time to make it special, cooking with love and not taking shortcuts. The few dishes I have learned to make well and am confident in serving to my family and friends are the dishes that convey my effort and desire to please.
izatryt at 4:54PM on 04/19/08
One word - Mis en place. Ok, that was actually three words, but you got my drift. I learnt early on that it's not a good idea to "chop as you go" and doing so may result in assorted kitchen disasters (although I reckon the sight of a crazed "cook" running round the kitchen like a deranged chicken and being even less efficient than a deranged chicken might be highly amusing if you happen to watch it from afar). The "extra" time spent on prepping all ingredients before you fire up that oven pays big time!
brooke29 at 6:17PM on 04/20/08
I agree - prep everything first. It makes the whole process much smoother.
Some other tips: always use fresh garlic, fresh herbs and lots of fresh citrus zest/juice. It will make an immense difference in your dishes.
bitchincamero at 11:02AM on 04/21/08
Even though it may say "butter flavored" crisco, you can not sustitute it for butter.
Adding fresh ginger to stir fry's gives it a little more something...Deliciousness.:)
Don't be afraid to cook/bake outside of what you're used to...You just may surprise yourself. Made some homemade Cream Puffs that were absolute perfection...:)
Oh yes-HAVE FUN and remember to laugh at yourself instead of getting too angry.
Butrflygirly at 1:54PM on 04/21/08
I agree with those who said to have all the ingredients ready before you begin....I've left out things more than I can mention.
Another tip now that we're getting into salad season......for mayonaisse salads like potato, macaroni...etc....mix all of your seasoning ingredients & vegetables into the mayo instead of sprinkling them onto the salad separately....this way everything gets evenly distributed throughout the entire salad.
mepolo at 2:08PM on 04/21/08
@PerkyMac: Your comments have made me laugh.:) Great posts.
Hope you haven't had a kitchen fire in a while..:)
Butrflygirly at 2:06PM on 04/22/08
Aw, missed this while it was going on, but I'll chime in - a clove of garlic is the little piece of it inside the big one. The whole big thing is a bulb. I was 18 and my daddy swore that as the first dinner I ever made, it was delicious. My mama figured out the problem. Dad's always a sweetheart, but mom's point was certainly more useful. :)
LauraII at 4:49PM on 04/25/08
@LauraII..........are you saying your father ate a whole bulb of garlic, paper and all? That sure is a doting father's love. Maybe he didn't know either, if he didn't cook. Mom's advice was also love.
Funny, funny, honey!
PerkyMac at 4:59PM on 04/25/08
In culinary school, the first thing they taught us was, "Never try to catch a falling knife." Turns out it was good advice (ouch!).
CookiePie at 5:18PM on 04/25/08