Whether you're a casual cook or a die-hard fan of cooking shows, there are many cooking tips and facts that people swear by. But, in reality, some cooking tips can and should be ignored for various reasons, ranging from unhygienic kitchen practices to ones that are just improbable or impractical.
But there are some cooking facts that, while based on truth, can be hard to accept. Users on an online cooking forum offer some cold, hard facts that may be hard for some to accept.
1. Don't Always Believe What You See on Social Media
There are countless social media videos of professional chefs, amateur cooks, and even celebrities making their favorite dishes and still photos of tasty-looking dishes. However, one user warns against being taken in by those videos and pictures, saying what looks good online doesn't necessarily mean it'll taste good when you make it.
Last year, actress Paula Patton went viral (for all the wrong reasons) for her social media post about making her mom's fried chicken. In the video, she adds seasoning to the meat while frying it in the pan, essentially flavoring the cooking oil instead of the chicken, which is a big no-no.
2. Your Sweets Need a Little Salt
It's a common belief that salt is only for savory foods, not sweet ones, but this is far from true. Adding salt to desserts and fruit enhances the flavors of those foods and can take away some of the bitterness from desserts containing chocolate. As one user replies, "Your cake needs salt. So do your cookies. Stop leaving it out."
3. Grandma's Original Recipe May Not Be So Original
Numerous users recount comical stories of discovering their grandma's supposedly original cookie was a store-bought refrigerated cookie tray or their cake recipe was a box mix. The fond memories attached to recipes count more than the origin. However, the next person had the opposite experience.
4. Grandma's Original Recipe Is, Unfortunately, Original
This person laments their grandma's original recipe, writing, "My grandma's recipe has been passed down for generations, and we have the original text to prove it! And it's just as sad and bland as it ever was."
5. No Singular Cuisine Is Authentic
The debate on which cuisine is authentic versus inauthentic occurs across all cultures. Is a recipe from a specific region more authentic than similar recipes from other parts of the world?
Quite a few users on the cooking thread agree that authenticity and tastes are subjective. No one has a claim on what's genuine because food, like individual tastes, changes.
6. Don't Wash Packaged Meat and Poultry
This fact is highly controversial because of the divide between those who believe washing meat and poultry before cooking is part of the food prep process and those who think meat and poultry purchased from a retailer or butcher don't require washing because they are sanitized before packaging. If it helps, even the FDA advises against washing raw meat and poultry.
7. Cleaning the Kitchen is a Must
Making sure the kitchen is clean before you start cooking is a no-brainer. Whether you're a clean-the-kitchen-as-you-go cook like some users or a clean-after-everything-is-done cook, you must clean the kitchen.
8. Truffle Oil is Overrated
One restaurant industry professional claims, "Truffle oil is a crutch to make mediocre food seem fancy." Do you hear that noise? That's a collective "ouch!" from truffle oil enthusiasts everywhere.
9. Food Blogs are Often Plagiarized
With all the available recipes online and offline, it's impractical to believe someone can develop a wholly original recipe today. According to multiple people on the cooking forum, most food bloggers plagiarize existing recipes, changing one ingredient and calling it their creation.
10. Even Good Cooks Follow Recipes
Some cooks, like me, prefer to follow recipes until we get a handle on how to make a dish. Some cooks, like my dad, choose to follow their instincts. Both approaches are correct and are a matter of personal preference.
One user didn't appreciate the perceived arrogance of those who didn't follow recipes, as if they were somehow superior cooks, saying, "Using recipes doesn't mean you are not a good cook. It is odd to be smug about not using recipes." Great meals can come from both methods of cooking.
This thread inspired this post.
This article originally appeared on Seasonal Cravings.
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