7 Cooking Habits You Need to Quit Right Away
Oct 30, 2021 05:32 AM
Cooking mistakes are a common problem for those who are still learning the smallest details in the field. This is perfectly normal. In fact, even experienced cooks make mistakes - after all, cooking is an art form that you learn throughout your life, as new recipes, trends, and ways of preparing food are constantly emerging. But there are some basic rules, and if you know them, you will not have any problems. What are the main and most common mistakes in cooking that drive housewives crazy?
1.You move your food around too much as it cooks.
Of course, it's super tempting to flip and move your food around and check if it's done every few seconds. But patience is key here, and letting the magic happen without disturbing the ingredients in the pan will allow for a nice golden color to develop, which also means a better texture and flavor.
2. You always use olive oil by default.
It's worth repeating: you should not use olive oil for everything. This is because olive oil has a low smoke point (between 365°F and 420°F). This means that it will start to smoke if you try to use it over high heat - for frying or browning meat, for example.
3. You never sharpen your knives.
A sharp knife is both more efficient and safer to use. A sharp blade may intimidate you, but a dull knife means you have to use more force when you use it - which can cause you to slip and cut yourself. You should also sharpen your knife every few months with a whetstone or knife sharpener. For best results, have it professionally sharpened once a year.
4. You put a lot of hot food directly into a cold refrigerator.
If you leave hot food at room temperature for very long (more than two hours), bacteria can develop in it. But it's also dangerous to put hot foods in the fridge right away - they can raise the temperature of the fridge and endanger other foods. To avoid this, refrigerate your warm but not hot foods in small, airtight containers and leave space next to them in the fridge. This will allow air to circulate properly and cool the food faster.
5. You do not read the recipe all the way through before you start cooking.
We have all been there: you get super excited about a recipe, get all the ingredients, start cooking, and halfway through you realize that the chicken you are making needs to marinate in the fridge for at least 5 hours? The solution: read the recipe all the way through. It only takes a few minutes, but it can save you hours of work.
6. You do not prepare your ingredients in advance.
Just like reading the recipe, prepping your ingredients is the key to a less stressful time in the kitchen. Sure, chopping and dicing is not the most exciting thing ever, and I know you are eager to get down to business, but mastering the art of mise en place is what separates beginner cooks from the pros. The first thing you should do before you start cooking is prepare all the ingredients. This means measuring the quantities, cutting what needs to be cut, and keeping each ingredient in its own place. That way, if you are making risotto, you do not have to interrupt to measure out the wine while stirring constantly at the same time. This means less stress and fewer mistakes!
7. You do not have to deglaze your pan.
Never throw away all that precious brown residue that sticks to the bottom of the pan at the end of cooking. These leftovers - stock - are culinary gold and should be treated as such. You can use wine, tomato sauce, lemon juice, chicken stock, or even water to deglaze a pan. This will create a delicious, flavorful sauce that will hold your entire dish together.
Hard to find in my neighborhood.