Home Cooks Are Sharing Common Culinary "No-Nos" That Actually Have No Consequence In The Kitchen
If you like to cook and do it often, there are probably many cooking techniques and best practices you abide by. And there are probably a handful that you choose to ignore. Well, Redditor duaneap asked, "What's a huge cooking no-no that you've never really had an issue with?" Here are some of the culinary rules people have no problem disregarding in their own home cooking.
1."Chopping with uniformity. I get the principle, and there are dishes where precision is key. But as long as nothing's undercooked or burned, different sizes vary in texture and flavor, meaning I'm less likely to get bored with my meal. So when I cook for myself, I finely dice and roughly cut everything, ending up in the dish."
2."It's supposedly absolutely sacrilege to mix any seasonings into your meat mix when making burgers from scratch. It's always said it messes up the texture. Still, I was making some burgers a while back and tried mixing in garlic and onion powder into the mix, working it ever so slightly (kind of like a meatball) then shaping them into patties and cooking. I've had zero issues with texture, but the garlic and onion powders really enhanced the flavor."
3."Always abiding by the 'use by' date. Tens of thousands of years of evolution have prepared me to know if my food is spoiled. I will pay no mind to the lies of Big Sticker."
4."I know you're not supposed to use garlic that has sprouted because it apparently tastes bitter, but I absolutely do not notice the difference."
5."The idea that MSG is bad. MSG is a glutamic compound that enhances flavor. It's not meant to replace salt, but it can be used in conjunction to bring out complementary flavors in your food. The idea that it is bad for you has no basis in actual science. And for whatever it's worth, your friend isn't allergic...unless they're also allergic to tomatoes, potatoes, nuts, soy sauce, or most other vegetables."
6."I really like cooking pasta in a large skillet that barely covers the pasta. This makes a super starchy pasta water, which is great for finishing the sauce! I can also use less salt this way."
7."I only use salted butter. I started using salted butter in my baked goods a few years ago and have never looked back, and NOTHING has ever been 'over salted.'"
8."The whole concept of pairing wines with the 'right' foods. I once visited a winery in Tuscany, and after a tasting of several types of finger foods with red and white wines, the owner asked for our favorite pairings. Responses were all over the place. The owner then stated simply, 'There are no rules. Only what you like.' After that, I stopped worrying about red wine with beef, white wine with chicken, etc. Now, I just drink my favorite wines with my favorite foods. It's all good."
9."I ignore all the 'rules' around making a bechamel. I don’t necessarily use warm milk, I don’t carefully add the milk to the roux slowly, etc. I just bang it together, whisk it vigorously, and it always seems to work out."
10."While most recipes call for olive oil, I rarely use it. I don't see the point. It costs much more than other oils like canola and vegetables and has such a low smoke point. It's way too easy to burn your food by cooking with it. I often use a neutral oil like vegetable oil for cooking; then I keep a nice bottle of olive oil on hand to drizzle on top of things as a garnish or to make marinades."
11."I put garlic in my carbonara. Glad I got that off my chest."
12."I rinse off my mushrooms. There’s usually too much dirt, and wiping each one with a damp cloth takes forever. If I’m just straight up sautéing them though, I’ll dry them a bit with a paper towel."
13."I regularly thaw meat on the counter and have done it all my life. Now, I don't just take it out in the morning and leave it all day; I check it periodically and can tell with a quick poke if it's getting thawed enough and needs to finish in the fridge or bowl of cold water if I'm not ready to cook with it.
14."When they say 'always rinse rice.' You only need to rinse it if you want it less sticky when it's finished. And you definitely don't need to rinse it until the water is clear."
15."Flipping a steak only once. That is just not true. I flip my steaks every 30 seconds, and they have a better crust than the one-timers and are just as tender."
16."The advice is not to add salt to scrambled eggs before or during cooking because it will 'draw the moisture out' and dry the eggs. Sure, salt draws out moisture to an extent, but that isn't a bad thing. One of the reasons for cooking the eggs is to remove moisture. In addition to this, I don't see any difference between adding salt before cooking and after. At least it's not negative. What annoys me is that I even heard this from Gordon Ramsay, the guy known for his scrambled eggs."
17."If you use a Crockpot or Instant Pot, most recipes say to sear or brown the meat before adding the rest of the ingredients. But honestly, I've tried searing the meat first plenty of times, and it's not a noticeable enough difference in flavor to be worth the time or effort. If I'm using my slow cooker, I probably have a busy day and can't be bothered."
18."I'm allowed to put any sauce on any pasta, and I don't really care if it insults your Italian grandmother."
19."No cheese and seafood. I love me some Parmesan cheese with cream-based seafood pasta or linguine with clams"
20."I use the same measuring cups for liquids and solids. I know some people will call me a heretic, but I have never noticed a difference."
21."So many soup, sauce, or casserole recipes say to add garlic early on, usually at the same time as carrots and onions, which take longer to soften. I always add it later and add at least double the suggested amount. It's so much more flavorful!"
What is a common cooking "rule" you flagrantly disregard because you've never had an issue ignoring it? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
