Cooking secrets you wished you'd known about sooner.

[newme]

Where do you get ghee though?

We bought ghee as it was the first sort of word my youngest said, sort of. Then went to go find out how to use it all. A random but delicious tangent.

 

[newme]

I reiterate gochujang. Sweet, salty, hot and sour in one spoonful. It's not meant to blow your head off, and it's frankly gross to use so much that it would. You don't want to taste "gochujang" in the same way that you don't want to (usually) taste salt. It works with the other flavours in moderation. A teaspoon's worth in macaroni cheese is divine.

I've got a bottle of this I keep meaning to use in something. We have far too many different spice packs and bottles now but we will make our way through them over time.

 

[Cid]

I reiterate gochujang. Sweet, salty, hot and sour in one spoonful. It's not meant to blow your head off, and it's frankly gross to use so much that it would. You don't want to taste "gochujang" in the same way that you don't want to (usually) taste salt. It works with the other flavours in moderation. A teaspoon's worth in macaroni cheese is divine.

Pff, 'gross'. You can use a fair ol' whack of gochujang in many, many circumstances. Though ssamjang is better for the more dippy end of things...

Gochujang is an amazing 'everything stew' base... In Korea this would be army stew (budae jigae), which contains things like American cheese and spam (for grim history reasons) anyway, so use whatever comes to hand. Cheese rinds are my secret ingredient. But base usually; gochujang, chicken stock, light soy, touch of dark soy, rice wine. Vinegar and sugar if you want more elevation. Gochugaru (chili flakes) to add more spice. I tend to go for a fairly thick sauce. Throw in a pack of instant noodles towards the end if that takes your fancy.

 

[Cid]

Laoganma chili crisp. Think it's fairly widely known now, but maybe not? It is phenomenal. A chili oil, but one that has an amazing crispy texture from the various ingredients and a massive whack of umami. Will go on anything. ANYTHING. But for a classic use dip bao or other dumplings.

They do various ones (the black bean is excellent too), you have to specifically seek out the chili crisp and not get standard chili oil (which iirc they also make, hence can be confusing). This one (obviously just go to a chinese supermarket if available).

 

[moose]

Laoganma chili crisp. Think it's fairly widely known now, but maybe not? It is phenomenal. A chili oil, but one that has an amazing crispy texture from the various ingredients and a massive whack of umami. Will go on anything. ANYTHING. But for a classic use dip bao or other dumplings.

They do various ones (the black bean is excellent too), you have to specifically seek out the chili crisp and not get standard chili oil (which iirc they also make, hence can be confusing). This one (obviously just go to a chinese supermarket if available).

I didn't realise you were supposed to put it on things, rather than just eat it from the jar with a spoon

 

[ouirdeaux]

Speaking of oily things, vindaloo curry paste is brilliant on cheese sandwiches. Toasted or untoasted.

 

[polly]

To stop tahini or sesame paste from developing an inch of oil on top and bedrock at the bottom, when you open a new container put the lot into a blender and give it a mix. It seems to stop it from separating, or at least slows it down a lot.

I wholeheartedly second the use of scissors, actually for loads of cooking - except probably herb scissors for herbs, which are really annoying to use and clean.

Most fruit and veg does better out of the fridge.

Don't let anyone else use your knives.

I can't think of any more right now.

 

[cesare]

To stop tahini or sesame paste from developing an inch of oil on top and bedrock at the bottom, when you open a new container put the lot into a blender and give it a mix. It seems to stop it from separating, or at least slows it down a lot.

I wholeheartedly second the use of scissors, actually for loads of cooking - except probably herb scissors for herbs, which are really annoying to use and clean.

Most fruit and veg does better out of the fridge.

Don't let anyone else use your knives.

I can't think of any more right now.

I really like that tahini one!

 

[Spymaster]

Speaking of oily things, vindaloo curry paste is brilliant on cheese sandwiches.

Hmmm.

Not sure about this one cos you'll be eating raw spices, but if you like it, fairy nuff.

 

[Spymaster]

Don't let anyone else use your knives.

Especially as screwdrivers

 

[iona]

Have one shit kitchen knife that you lend to other people or use instead of a screwdriver/chisel/etc

 

[polly]

Have one shit kitchen knife that you lend to other people or use instead of a screwdriver/chisel/etc

Yeah I have a few hated knives for this - two of them paring knives that I snapped the tip off trying to open paint pots Two

Oh! Jam a knife under the lid of a new jar you can't open to break the vacuum. It's the best way by far.

 

[izz]

Yeah I have a few hated knives for this - two of them paring knives that I snapped the tip off trying to open paint pots Two

Tsk ! Try a bottle opener for paint pots rather than a knife

 

[cesare]

Tsk ! Try a bottle opener for paint pots rather than a knife

Good one!

 

[Spymaster]

Tsk ! Try a bottle opener for paint pots rather than a knife

Screwdriver, surely?

 

[polly]

Tsk ! Try a bottle opener for paint pots rather than a knife

Yeah I won't be doing it again, twice is idiotic enough.

 

[ouirdeaux]

Hmmm.

Not sure about this one cos you'll be eating raw spices, but if you like it, fairy nuff.

I think it's better on toasted cheese sandwiches, but it livens up the non-toasted ones as well.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Yeah I have a few hated knives for this - two of them paring knives that I snapped the tip off trying to open paint pots Two

Oh! Jam a knife under the lid of a new jar you can't open to break the vacuum. It's the best way by far.

No the best way is to turn the jar upside down, put the metal lid in some just boiled water for a minute then just open it normally

 

[nottsgirl]

No the best way is to turn the jar upside down, put the metal lid in some just boiled water for a minute then just open it normally

Boil a kettle and then turn the jar on its side and pour boiling water on the metal lid only so you don’t burn your fingers or crack the glass.

 

[iona]

If you're using a biscuit tin to store or transport a cake, flip the tin upside-down first so the cake is sitting on the lid and you don't have to try and reach down the tiny gap between cake & tin sides to take it out.

 

[Spymaster]

Boil a kettle and then turn the jar on its side and pour boiling water on the metal lid only so you don’t burn your fingers or crack the glass.

This, but no need to boil the kettle. Reasonably hot tap water will do the trick.

 

[polly]

No the best way is to turn the jar upside down, put the metal lid in some just boiled water for a minute then just open it normally

It's definitely not. Why go to all the bother of boiling water when my way works perfectly? You people.

 

[polly]

Boil a kettle and then turn the jar on its side and pour boiling water on the metal lid only so you don’t burn your fingers or crack the glass.

Also crazy. Crazy!

 

[polly]

This, but no need to boil the kettle. Reasonably hot tap water will do the trick.

I don't know why I even bother. Silliness.

 

[rubbershoes]

Speaking of oily things, vindaloo curry paste is brilliant on cheese sandwiches. Toasted or untoasted.

Patak's aubergine pickle works well too

 

[Spymaster]

Patak's aubergine pickle works well too

... with pretty much everything.

Running out of it in our house creates panic and withdrawal symptoms.

 

[Poot]

I'm sure it's been mentioned but whacking the edge of the lid of a jar with the edge of a wooden spoon as hard as you can is quite a good way of releasing your pent up bank holiday tension with your family. And sometimes it breaks the seal and opens the jar, too.

 

[prunus]

I’ve always used the give the edge of the lid a firm rap on a doorjamb method myself

 

[scifisam]

To stop tahini or sesame paste from developing an inch of oil on top and bedrock at the bottom, when you open a new container put the lot into a blender and give it a mix. It seems to stop it from separating, or at least slows it down a lot.

I wholeheartedly second the use of scissors, actually for loads of cooking - except probably herb scissors for herbs, which are really annoying to use and clean.

Most fruit and veg does better out of the fridge.

Don't let anyone else use your knives.

I can't think of any more right now.

Do you have one of those special curved herb chopping boards with the curved chopping knife thing? I mean, a lot of the time just tearing the herbs by hand works best, but that herb chopper is fun to use for the rocking motion and crunching sound, and it does make them easier to put in the pot.

 

[scifisam]

If you're using a biscuit tin to store or transport a cake, flip the tin upside-down first so the cake is sitting on the lid and you don't have to try and reach down the tiny gap between cake & tin sides to take it out.

That's a genuinely brilliant tip.