Cooking secrets you wished you'd known about sooner.

[DaveCinzano]

That's a genuinely brilliant tip.

I'd go as far as saying it's irritatingly genius

 

[iona]

That's a genuinely brilliant tip.

I've always done it because it just seemed obvious to me, but it's a great way of making even people who are really good at baking think you must be some kind of cake genius

Usually take the precaution of taping a THIS WAY UP note to the tin as well if it'll be around other people.

 

[RubyToogood]

I wholeheartedly second the use of scissors, actually for loads of cooking

Scissors for cutting up pizza.

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.

I use a fork.

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.

I do this, but if you are giving the cake to someone, or anyone else is moving it, make sure they understand what you have done and don't flip it the right way up thinking you've made a mistake. Specially if it's iced.

 

[iona]

I do this, but if you are giving the cake to someone, or anyone else is moving it, make sure they understand what you have done and don't flip it the right way up thinking you've made a mistake. Specially if it's iced.

Cross-posted

If it's not a really nice borrowed tin and it's at risk of being moved by idiots, I'll even tape it closed in case they try picking the tin up by just its sides.

 

[polly]

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.

A mezzaluna! Yeah i do but generally find a knife is the best thing.

 

[polly]

I use a fork

Yesss

 

[scifisam]

A mezzaluna! Yeah i do but generally find a knife is the best thing.

Of course! Moon knife.

 

[bluescreen]

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.

Be sure to tell other people that's what you've done.

ETA: I see you've already dealt with this point! I do it too.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Be sure to tell other people that's what you've done.

You have no sense of adventure

 

[Epona]

Bit annoying these days that Xmas sweet and biscuit tubs don't tend to be nice tins.

I use a big plastic Jacob's Crackers box for home made cake storage and always put the cake on the lid, difficult to retrieve/cut otherwise!

 

[May Kasahara]

That's a genuinely brilliant tip.

It is, and one I would absolutely use if I didn't know for a fact that I would always forget I'd put the cake in that way up

 

[existentialist]

I've always done it because it just seemed obvious to me, but it's a great way of making even people who are really good at baking think you must be some kind of cake genius

Usually take the precaution of taping a THIS WAY UP note to the tin as well if it'll be around other people.

That's an important cooking tip. Other people WILL be dumber than you expect.

 

[iona]

That's an important cooking tip. Other people WILL be dumber than you expect.

CFY

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

It is, and one I would absolutely use if I didn't know for a fact that I would always forget I'd put the cake in that way up

That's an important cooking tip. Other people WILL be dumber than you expect.

nicely immediately subsequent posts

 

[danny la rouge]

Thanks for clarifying

Thymeing

 

[8ball]

Other people WILL be dumber than you expect.

…and this is an important life tip.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

…and this is an important life tip.

@foolproof: you're underestimating the fool

 

[Betsi]

Top and tail some green beans and lightly boil them in water, drain and set aside - you want them to still have a bit of crunch and not be wilted and soggy.

Get a big frying pan. Melt some butter. Add some sliced garlic. The heat shouldn't be too high, otherwise the garlic will burn and become bitter.

Add some small tomatoes. I usually just add a punnet of cherry tomatoes on the vine. I keep them on the vine. Maybe chop into smaller bunches, depending on how many people you're serving. The tomatoes will start to soften.

Add the green beans to the frying pan with the tomatoes in garlicky butter. Gently stir. You don't want to smush the tomatoes. You just want to make sure the green beans, which had probably cooled a bit, have now been warmed through again and coated in buttery garlicky goodness.

Serve as a side with pretty much anything, roast chicken, fresh fish, lamb shank/chops, quiche, risotto, etc.

One of my brothers introduced me to the above. It’s glorious.

 

[Hollis]

Another one learnt tonight...

Yes - you can microwave mushrooms, and a) they taste good b) they retain more nutirents.

 

[Happy Tree]

You don't really need to sift flour.
Potatoes always take longer in the oven than the recipe says.
It's more fun to do all your mise en place first and put it in little bowls like you're doing a TV show.

 

[Epona]

It's more fun to do all your mise en place first and put it in little bowls like you're doing a TV show.

Not so much fun if you have to wash it all up
(Essential for stuff with a short cooking time like stir-fries though, or at least laid out on a big plate or tray or board in terms of when it needs to be added).

 

[Elpenor]

The problem with doing the mise en place is I can’t be fucked to cook anything after going to all that effort with the prep

It is quite a good idea especially for people like me who start cooking a recipe and then mess it up as I haven’t got the ability to grate a carrot whilst simultaneously stirring a pan

 

[Happy Tree]

Wireless headphones. Pop on a podcast. Bob's your auntie. Recently I have been chopping carrots to the strains of Alan Partridge From the Oasthouse.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

The problem with doing the mise en place is I can’t be fucked to cook anything after going to all that effort with the prep

It is quite a good idea especially for people like me who start cooking a recipe and then mess it up as I haven’t got the ability to grate a carrot whilst simultaneously stirring a pan

Get yourself a food processor - I think most will come with a grater blade which will grate a carrot in a few seconds. Really handy for prepping veg.

 

[kalmatthew]

Get yourself a food processor - I think most will come with a grater blade which will grate a carrot in a few seconds. Really handy for prepping veg.

I got a new food processor last Xmas and it's bigger than my old one so didn't fit in the cupboard. While some people will hate that it's on the surface it does mean I use it a lot more than I did my old one.

 

[Fez909]

Swede makes an excellent, and cheap, substitute for green papaya. Now you can make som tum at home for pennies and it tastes great.