Tips, hints and tricks to share with our members

Jade Emperor · May 10, 2023

Hello everyone!
I am starting a thread here for everyone to share their hints, tricks and ideas for easier cooking and learning for beginners. We can also debate and discuss how lots of different techniques are available.

My first suggestion is this:
I was always taught to heat your frying pan before adding the oil - it is certainly the best thing for woks and in general.

It matters not if your contribution is something familiar or common - we never know how much other people already know.

pepperhead212 · May 10, 2023

That's a good tip, and something I always do. And this is also a good idea even when not using oil in the pan - I do this all the time when toasting all those spices I do for Indian foods, as well as others. This way, the cooking starts immediately when the ingredients are put in the pan, and having it about the same temperature every time, it takes about the same time. If the heating is started after putting the ingredients in, it's easy to get doing something else, as it is not quick - especially in a CI pan. Much better to heat up an empty pan.

Badjak · May 11, 2023

I'm not sure if it is true, but I've been told not to heat a teflon coated pan empty....

I pre-heat cast iron and carbon steel before use. Seems to help preventing food stick to the pan.

Tip: use pre-cooked cold rice when trying to make fried rice.
It will become a mess otherwise

Jade Emperor · May 11, 2023

Badjak said:
Tip: use pre-cooked cold rice when trying to make fried rice.
It will become a mess otherwise

Absolutely correct. I always have day old rice in my fridge for exactly this purpose.

Reminds me of another hint - maybe surprisingly, the most common causes of food poisoning are old orange juice and old rice.

Andy M. · May 11, 2023

If you want fried rice TODAY. Cook the rice, spread it onto a cookie sheet and freeze it until it's cold. Once it's cold you it can be used for fried rice. The cooking then freezing serves the same purpose as an overnight in the fridge. It thaws quickly as it's spread out thinly on the cookie sheet.

pepperhead212 · May 11, 2023

Badjak said:
I'm not sure if it is true, but I've been told not to heat a teflon coated pan empty....

I pre-heat cast iron and carbon steel before use. Seems to help preventing food stick to the pan.

Teflon's something I never heat empty, yet I am always seeing instructions for toasting spices to "heat a dry non-stick pan"! I never understood why they do that, and what purpose NS serves when dry toasting spices, nuts, and the like.

I remember from my early books they always had those instructions on heating, then adding the oil, and it definitely helped reduce the sticking, esp. with CI pans. That's definitely a good tip!

Andy M. · May 11, 2023

A Teflon coated pan can be heated empty. At 500ºF the teflon surface will begin to break down. You would be toasting dry spices in a pan that's not nearly that hot. So there is no issue. Cooking usually happens at temps well below that 500ºF threshold so there shouldn't be an issue. However, manufacturers have to plan for the intellectually least of us and thus these warnings arise.

dragnlaw · May 12, 2023

Andy - aka my late brother. My mom used to buy a new pan about every other month as my brother would continually burnt the bejeebers out of them.

Jade Emperor · May 13, 2023

When you are prepping your ingredients on your chopping board, turn your knife over to scrape them off the board and into your container or bowl etc.
Scraping off the board using the sharp edge of your knife will contribute to taking the edge off the knife and you will need to sharpen it more often.

blissful · May 13, 2023

Jade Emperor said:
When you are prepping your ingredients on your chopping board, turn your knife over to scrape them off the board and into your container or bowl etc.
Scraping off the board using the sharp edge of your knife will contribute to taking the edge off the knife and you will need to sharpen it more often.

When I'm chopping a lot of things I use a bread scraper or dough scraper to pick up large amounts of cut veggies/fruit. I also use it to clean scrape the bread board after I knead dough. It's super handy when I make salads or large batches of soups. It helped keep pineapple juice at bay when I chopped dozens of pineapple for canning too.

dragnlaw · May 13, 2023

Generally speaking I too use the back of my knife for that very reason, Jade. My bench scraper like blissful, for large quantities and to clean the board, it's great.

But I do still use the sharp side for small quantities like garlic and ginger. The back of most of my knives are rounded and takes several scrapes to get it all, sharp side does it in one.

Aunt Bea · May 13, 2023

I use these small bartenders boards in my tiny apartment kitchen.

It’s easy to take the board to the pot.

They are small enough to wash easily in the dishwasher or sink, only cost a couple dollars and are available in assorted colors if you want a separate one for prepping raw chicken, seafood, etc…

Jade Emperor · May 13, 2023

beerose said:
Thank you for information
I just read this book:

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

It’s a legendary book, great read. Bourdain also wrote one called A Cook’s Tour which is great too, and sort of like his television series in prose.

@blissful , @dragnlaw - I too use a bread scraper for large quantities of chopped goods, good tip.

@Aunt Bea - those little prep boards are so handy. Another good idea.

KatyCooks · May 13, 2023

I find it very convenient to soften chopped onions in the microwave (with a little bit of oil). It takes me anywhere from 40 - 60 minutes to soften them in a pan which is a ruinous waste of electricity when I can achieve the same result in 5 mins in the microwave. I then just pop them in the pan for a few more minutes to get a bit of browning (caramelisation) if required.

dragnlaw · May 14, 2023

I have often thought of doing that Katy but never actually have. Next time! now that you've tested it for me. LOL

Badjak · May 18, 2023

Some more little tips:
When trying to chop garlic, put a little oil on it and the chopped pieces don't fly anywhere (tip from my dad).
My own: peeling garlic: little cut at root end. Then put in microwave with a little water. 10 or 20 seconds and the garlic jumps out of the skin.
Times are a bit arbitrary and depend on microwave. I haven't got one anymore, so timings are from memory

taxlady · May 18, 2023

If you want your garlic to have the full, lovely, pungent flavour and the health benefits of allicin, you should chop or crush it and wait for 10 minutes before exposing it to heat. From Wikipedia:

When fresh garlic is chopped or crushed, the enzyme alliinase converts alliin into allicin, which is responsible for the aroma of fresh garlic.

Heat deactivates the enzyme, allisinase.

dragnlaw · May 18, 2023

Good to know taxy! Thanks.
Has anyone here actually done that - for that specific reason?
and could you actually tell a difference?

taxlady · May 18, 2023

dragnlaw said:
Good to know taxy! Thanks.
Has anyone here actually done that - for that specific reason?
and could you actually tell a difference?

I might try a side by side taste test.

Kenji Lopez-Alt used some pre-peeled garlic in some dish, don't remember what. But, he mentioned that they blanch the garlic to mechanically peel it. So, when he wants the strong garlic flavour (or maybe it was some aspect of the flavour), he peels his own garlic. He said that with the particular dish he was making, it wouldn't really matter.

dr morbius · May 18, 2023

While I love the flavor of extra virgin olive oil, I do not recommend using it for just any application. While it tastes terrific, olive oil has a relatively low smoking point, which means if your burner is really high you can turn the oil rancid when you're cooking - ruining the flavor of your dish. If I'm cooking some kind of meat, like steak cut into strips or chicken breast, I use canola oil and get it nice and hot before adding the meat. I use olive oil when I'm sautéing onions, eggplant or some other kind of veggie. If you're browning Italian sausage for some kind of sauce, feel free to use olive oil but don't turn the burner beyond the middle.

Also, never, and I mean never, buy more olive oil than you're going to use in a couple months, tops. It goes bad sitting in your cabinet. It might be tempting to purchase that giant 3 liter can, but you may end up regretting it.

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