Honestly, I stopped peeling potatoes about 6 months ago after a buddy who runs a diner in Austin told me he never peels them for his mashed potatoes. I tried it with Yukon Golds for a Sunday roast and the texture was actually better, plus you keep all the fiber and nutrients. People act like it's lazy but the skins get soft and add flavor. Anyone else ditch the peeler and think it tastes just fine?
I stood there staring at the honing rod like an idiot for a solid 10 minutes before my wife walked in and asked why I was rubbing steel on the handle part, has anyone else just completely blanked on basic kitchen stuff mid-task?
I've been making chili the same way since college. Brown the meat, dump in canned tomatoes and beans, add chili powder and cumin, let it simmer. Simple stuff. Last month my wife sits down with a bowl and says 'you know, this is good but it's always a little watery.' I never even thought about it. She said I needed to drain the cans. Drain the beans AND the tomatoes. I tried it next time and the texture was completely different. Way thicker, more like a stew. Now I'm wondering what else I've been doing wrong for years without knowing it. Anyone else get a piece of feedback that made you totally change a recipe you thought was fine?
She told me to just chuck whole ginger roots in the freezer. I thought she was crazy. Then my fresh ginger got moldy after 3 days in the fridge. Tried her way. It grates perfectly frozen. No peeling needed. How do you store herbs without them turning into slime?
Last Tuesday I put a pork shoulder in my slow cooker before bed (like I've done a hundred times). Around 3am I woke up to the smell of burning plastic and found the cord had melted against the counter edge. The outlet was hot enough that the plug was discolored. Turns out the cord was frayed right where it meets the base, probably from years of yanking it out. I never checked that part because the outside looked fine. Has anyone else had a slow cooker cord go bad like that?
So my mom always told me to salt the pasta water until it tastes like the ocean, basically a ton of salt. I did that for years and my pasta always came out fine but nothing special. Then my friend who actually went to culinary school watched me cook last week and laughed. She said you only need about 1 tablespoon of salt per 4 quarts of water, not half a cup. I tried it her way and honestly the pasta tasted better, not as briny and the sauce actually came through more. I felt kinda dumb but she explained that too much salt can mess with the starch release. Has anyone else found that less salt works better for pasta or am I the only one who was oversalting forever?
Everything just lined up. Monday the prep list was short, no call outs, the fryer oil was fresh. Wednesday I turned out 40 tickets of salmon without a single temp complaint. Even the dishwasher showed up on time. It was like the universe decided to give me a break for once. Then Friday a walk-in showed up with a 50 top at 7pm and it all fell apart. Has anyone else had one perfect week that made you suspicious like something bad was coming?
I was using this old analog dial thermometer for years and just figured my roasts were always a little dry. Picked up a digital instant read one from Target last weekend and realized my oven runs 25 degrees hot. Finally had a perfect chicken breast tonight, juicy and not like shoe leather. Anyone else find out their thermometer was lying to them?
I went to that big spice shop on Main Street last weekend and noticed the turmeric jars had no expiration dates on them at all. Has anyone else checked their bulk spices there and seen this?
Old guy next door saw me scrubbing my skillet with dish soap and literally grabbed my arm... I asked him if he ever eats at restaurants with cast iron and that shut him up pretty quick. Anybody else deal with people giving unsolicited cooking advice at 8am on a Saturday?
I was making rice for my kids and the plastic latch broke clean off when I closed it. Steam went everywhere and the rice came out half crunchy. Has anyone found a way to fix these cheap lids or should I just toss the whole thing?
Finally tried it last Wednesday after grabbing some cheap pasta at Aldi and honestly it made the sauce way less acidic and more smooth. Has anyone else had an old family trick that seemed crazy but actually works?