A recent conversation took place on social media platform Reddit that asked users about cooking practices they do not believe in that are commonly accepted.
Responses ranged from the lack of necessity to use room temperature milk when making a roux to refusing to save cheese rinds to add to soup to rejecting the notion that a lasagna needs to be covered for the majority of its baking time.
The topic evoked responses from The News’ food team on not only cooking practices we spurn, but those that we believe are worth the time and effort.
What cooking practices do you not believe in? What about the ones you do? Tell us your thoughts.
In the meantime, here’s a look at the DMN food team’s first impressions of the topic:
Cooking practices we don’t believe in
Claire Ballor, food reporter: Peeling carrots you’re going to cook. It’s not necessary!
Most one-pot pasta dishes. The pasta is usually overcooked or the sauce consistency is off.
Jarred minced garlic that comes in that liquid that looks like it’s left over from a science experiment. Don’t kid yourself, it doesn’t taste the same as fresh garlic. Just buy frozen minced garlic if you’re looking to save some time. The flavor is much better.
Sarah Blaskovich, senior food reporter: This probably doesn’t count because it’s not cooking, but raw celery is an abomination. It should never be anywhere on a plate — not diced in a salad, not sliced as a side to Buffalo wings or on a veggie plate.
My mom made me eat Ants on a Log as a kid. I’m still recovering.
Anna Butler: Not everything is better homemade. Yes, hand-cut fries, whole-roasted chicken and even a simply dressed salad benefit from scratch-made care. You know what doesn’t? Making your own chips if you don’t have a high-quality fryer (and having a high-quality fryer sounds like a lot of work). I don’t care what kind they are: Just buy the corn chips, Ruffles or Miss Vickie’s. Don’t waste your time because your best crunch won’t be as crunchy.
Cooking practices we do believe in
Claire Ballor: I feel strongly about not cutting corners on seeding bell peppers. I hate it when stray seeds wind up in a dish when they’re clearly not supposed to be there. They’re a textural faux pas.
Anna Butler: Cutting things, especially vegetables, into similarly sized pieces for even cooking is essential. No one is saying it needs to be a perfect dice, but one of my least favorite experience is thinking I’m biting into a soft carrot and feeling I need to get my molars checked out when I get to the next one. Or the varying taste between something in the allium family caramelized and then a near-raw onion, shallot or green onion.
José Sánchez Córdova, features fellow: Maybe it’s basic, but I think having nice, sharp knives is huge. As someone that just graduated college I know a bunch of my friends were working with some dreadfully dull knives in their off-campus apartments.
Imelda García, staff writer: You can mix the most crazy components to make something tasty, like a chocolate ice cream torta. Actually, you can make a torta of everything, even a taco torta. They are delicious!
I usually make salsa verde using chicken stock cubes to blend with the other ingredients to add lots of flavor. I boil tomatillo and serrano chiles — the quantity of each depends on how spicy you like it — and blend all that with a clove or garlic, salt, cilantro, and a stock cube. Delicious!—
