Following ‘expert advice’ does not always produce the best cooking!
There are certain things we do in the kitchen because kitchen wisdom tells us to. Or our mother, or Julia Child or other TV personality. “The Christmas fruitcake batter must be stirred with a wooden spoon clockwise only.” Not a clue why. “Add oil to the pasta cooking pan so it doesn’t clump together.” Sorry mom. “Don’t lift the cover on the dumplings until the time is up.” That one I’m not sure about. Some of the advice was spot on, yet, sometimes, we find it doesn’t really work, but we still hesitate to do it differently. Are we convinced we’re just not doing it right, or was the advice really bad?
But mother told me…
A few of the accepted gems of kitchen wisdom have always left me scratching my head. I wonder how they became such hard-and-fast rules, when in practice they don’t seem to work or make life easier. Sometimes I guess ideas just have a life of their own.
Are there any cooking ‘rules’ you constantly break? As much as I learned from my mother, I pretty much set aside anything she said about cooking spaghetti; I never add oil to the pasta water like she did because it doesn’t really stop anything from sticking together, and I don’t break my spaghetti in two either. Or rinse it off.
Here’s some advice you might have heard along the way, do they really work?
Never salt your beans until they are cooked or they will remain hard, or get mushy.
You hear this all the time. Salting your bean water will make your beans tough, or never cook, or they will fall apart and get mushy. I’m not sure why both extremes are cited. All sorts of calamities will arise by seasoning at the beginning of the process. Yet, when I followed these instructions and salted at the end, my beans often tasted bland, or like the salt was just sitting on the bland bean. They never tasted as good as my mother’s.
It occurred to me one day that whenever my mom made beans, she first sautéed a big piece of salt port. This was extremely salty, and it was the beginning of the bean cooking time. So I started salting the beans both when they had their overnight soak and then again at the beginning of cooking. A world of difference! And my beans did not come out hard or mushy, just really tasty, and my stewed yellow-eye beans actually tasted like my mother’s, even without the salt pork, which was a good thing.
If your beans don’t seem to be cooking and remain hard, they were probably quite old, But, just add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to the water and cook a little longer. This change in pH helps soften the beans, and it works like a charm.
Peel your ginger with a teaspoon
You’ve seen it dozens of times. To peel your ginger, don’t use a peeler, just scrape with the back of a teaspoon and it will come off easier with little loss of flesh.
Most ginger I buy is pretty knobby and bumpy, and scraping it with a spoon is not much easier than the peeler unless you have a very large, smooth piece of ginger. How often is that the case?
However, let’s back up a step – why peel the ginger at all? I never do. The peelings have as much flavor as the flesh, and unless the rhizomes are really old, the peelings blend right in.
Poach your fish covered in court-bouillon
I learned how to do this taking a French cooking class more years ago than I care to admit. We prepared a lovely court-bouillon using onion, carrots, celery, various herbs and wine and water. This is supposed to keep the fish beautifully moist and impart all this flavor, and yes, there is lots of flavor that enters the fish through this deep, slow poach, and it remains moist.
Unfortunately, it’s and equal exchange and a lot of the flavor of the fish ends up in the liquid, and making a sauce from the liquid doesn’t make up for what it takes from the fish. I first realized this when I bought a beautiful side of salmon for a party, poached it, and when I tasted the poaching liquid, the flavor was almost a salmon soup, which meant all that flavor was no longer in the fish. I wasn’t making salmon soup, so something was definitely wrong here.
My method now is to cook the fish in just a little liquid on the bottom of the pan, usually a splash of wine, and tightly seal it to keep the moisture in. So much more flavorful, tender, and beautifully ‘poached.’
Never wash your mushrooms or they will get soggy
You’ve heard it a million times. Usually, if the mushrooms look fairly clean, yes, I’ll just brush any remaining dirt off, and that’s all that is needed. However, if they are really gritty and the dirt sticky, especially crimini, this could take forever and you end up rubbing mud into the mushroom. There is nothing wrong with a quick wash. They simply won’t absorb water unless submerged for a long time. However, when you wash your mushrooms, do so only just before you use them, and dry them thoroughly.
Never cut meat or fish on a wooden cutting board
When I first set up the kitchen at our inn, the health inspector said we had to use plastic cutting boards dedicated to meats and fish. This was points off our score if we didn’t have a board that was actually labeled as such.
A few years later, the whole recommendation changed after a series of scientific studies showed that a wooden cutting board actually was safer to use than plastic as long as it was handled right. Apparently, any bacteria on the meat gets absorbed into the board and is rendered harmless. There is actually more bacterial growth on the plastic boards. Who knew?
Plus, the knife feel of cutting on plastic and the horrible scraping sound is enough to give one the willies and dull your knives.
So the inspector advised to use the wooden boards for the proteins, and simply wash them with soap and hot water immediately afterwards. He said to use common sense – don’t cut up a piece of chicken then cut a loaf of bread without washing it well.
The ‘easy’ way to pit an avocado
When you watch some people do this, it can be terrifying. We are told to cut the avocado all around the fruit lengthwise and twist it apart. So far so good. Then, we’re told to nestle the half with the pit in one hand, and armed with a sharp chef’s knife whack into the pit, turn it, and it easily will pop out of the fruit and off the knife with a gentle flick of the thumb.
There are so many things that could go wrong here. You have an imagination, so I don’t really need to spell them out. And to compound matters, we’re told to then to take that large chef’s knife and cut crosshatches in that side nestled in your hand.
A much safer way after halving the fruit is to make a second slice lengthwise, making quarters, and you can easily remove the pit safely with your fingers. Nothing is in harm’s way. And the pit won’t get stuck to your fingers like it often does to the knife (it seldom comes off with a flick of the thumb). If, you really need the whole half intact, just place that half with the pit on a counter, hand completely out of the way, and wield your knife to your heart’s content.
Never mix Cheese and Seafood
Really? Don’t you just hate those all or nothing rules? Some Italian chefs from some parts of Italy, and one “Chopped” judge, might swear by this, but I’m not Italian, so I’ll happily choose not to follow this rule. Let’s not forget about Coquilles St. Jacques, Swiss Stuffed Sole, Crab and Le Gruyère Quiche, Salmon with Mornay Sauce, and Parmesan Crusted Shrimp. Lobster Mac and Cheese is pretty darn good too, and a family favorite around here.
Poach your eggs by making a whirlpool in your pot of water.
So, I’ve saved my biggest annoyance for last. Can you tell it’s Cabin Fever Season and I might be a bit cranky?
How many times have you seen a chef demonstrate the absolute best way to poach eggs by making a whirlpool in a deep pot of water? As they are telling you that this prevents the whites from shredding all over the place, you watch in wonder as their whites shred all over the place! When they take it out of the water, all that is left is a little yolk with a thin cover of white, and a lot of wasted white. Plus, you can only cook one egg at a time!
No need for all this drama. Bring a large skillet to the simmer, no big bubbles please. If you like, add a splash of vinegar, but even that is not necessary. Use the freshest eggs possible*, that’s probably the most important part of the equation, and have them at room temperature. Gently crack your egg and open it as close to the water as you dare, and let the egg carefully slip into the water. If your eggs are older and might spread, place in the water and very gently move the whites toward the yolk, but only for the first few seconds, no longer, then leave it alone for three minutes, depending on size. You will be able to cook five or six eggs at the same time, so the family can be fed together.
And no matter how careful you are, there will probably be a few wisps of white streaming out, and that makes no matter at all. It’s way better than a potful of egg white shreds.
* Exactly how fresh is that supermarket egg? The carton will have a code on it that is the numerical day of the year. Thus, if it was packed on February 26, the code will read 057. If it is May, you might pause, and that’s not an outrageous date to expect from a commercial egg. I was checking supermarket eggs recently deep in February and some had a sell-by date of May. I doubt they would actually be there still in May, but it does make one think.
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Sage advice all right. Love your alternates.
Thanks Jovina!
Yes! Go, Dorothy!!! Rules are made by people who couldn’t find a workaround. I love all of these tips, and you already know how much the “salt the beans” and “use baking soda” has saved me. May I add one of my own to the list?
I never, ever peel eggplant for a recipe. Apparently, conventional wisdom has convinced cooks that the skin is bitter and must be removed. But peeling has proven to be a time-consuming and completely unnecessary task. I love how it looks with the skin in eggplant parm or ratatouille, and it cooks up tender every time and I never detect a bitter taste.
That’s a good one Terrie, and you are so right! A few years ago I went on my “don’t peel unless it is absolutely necessary” kick, and I made some grilled eggplants for a gathering and didn’t peel them. Everyone who had them loved them! I couldn’t sample because I’m allergic!
Wonderful and practical advice. Thanks
Thanks Bernie!
I enjoyed reading this post, and agree with almost all points, especially regarding the “never mix cheese and seafood” part, which is really silly!
However, I do use the whirlpool method when poaching eggs, and it always worked for me. I find it gives the eggs a “tighter” texture. But it really isn’t that crucial.
I’m all for less rules, and more spontaneity in cooking! 🙂
I do mix cheese and seafood because I find it is delicious!!!
I’m so glad at least one person has perfected the whirlpool!!!
I’m not even sure who came up with this so-called rule, regarding seafood and cheese, and why??? 🙂
I know! With some of the rules, you can sort of see what people were thinking. But, anyone who would not try Parmesan crusted roasted shrimp because of a rule, well, doesn’t deserve to eat any of it!
All very interesting advice, Dorothy! Thank you!
Joanna
Great information and I really like the grated ginger point 🙂
Thank you June! It does make life easier.
I’m with you Dorothy!
Thanks! Sometimes it takes a while to trust our own instincts.
True
I never attempted to poach an egg after my first whirlpool disaster. I cook beans the way my mother did, and they are always good. I do not put oil in my pasta water, and it has never ever clumped on me. I always wash my mushrooms, but only just before using. Apparently, Mississippi has very dirty mushrooms! And that is all I have to say about that…BUT, I loved your stories, and IF I ever decide to poach an egg (or a skillet full of eggs), I will definitely know how to do so! I so enjoy reading your blog, regardless of whether or not I intend to cook!
Ah, thanks so much! Eventually we all figure out what we need to know!
Fun post! I have a shrimp and feta dish that is outstanding. So much for that rule.
I don’t like to put cheese on fish or seafood, simply because the flavor and texture of cheese can overwhelm the fish rather than enhance it. Instead, I would recommend a little butter or some toasted bread crumbs.
Wow – you did a public service here for all your readers plus your Mom is smiling. Happy Sunday!
I didn’t know the egg cartons had the day they were packed. Thanks for sharing.
What a fun way to rethink some of our automatic kitchen habits! Thank you with a smile!
Thank you for sharing and unpacking some of these old kitchen wisdoms. I have both wooden and plastic cutting boards but have always preferred my wooden ones. Now more and more research is verifying not only that wooden boards harbour less bacteria, plastic boards frequently shed plastic fibres into the foods that we are preparing. Yikes! Another changeover for my kitchen accessories!
“Can you tell it’s Cabin Fever Season and I might be a bit cranky?” Bahaha! I loved this post from beginning to end. My Mom always yelled, I mean screamed at me if I lifted the lid on a pot of rice that was cooking. She was seriously demented about this issue. TO THIS DAY I HAVE AN INTENSE FEAR OF CHECKING ON THE RICE. She insisted it would not cook any longer if I let the steam out. Please tell me this is not true! Hugs, C
My mom said the same thing! But I peek because I need to know how close it is, and so far I haven’t ruined it!
But, I still don’t dare to lift the lid on the dumplings!
I’ve tried peeling root ginger with a teaspoon and find it frustrating. Sooner or later I resort to a sharp veg knife and trim off the outer, much more effectively. I hadn’t thought of leaving it unpeeled, though, and will give that a try.
It’s so much easier, and the microplane, or rasp from the hardware store, makes quick work of it.
You are wise beyond the kitchen! I’m particularly glad you greenlighted salting the beans while they soak. I was just writing about a batch of crockpot baked beans I made and will definitely use this advice next go-round.
Thanks Amie! My mom was a wise woman indeed, except when it came to spaghetti!
I was told that washing mushrooms means they will take longer to cook. And I never liked plastic cutting boards at all. Wooden all the way. But your are correct about using common sense, especially when it comes to poached eggs.
I am going to try your salmon cooking method asap.
Thanks Amanda! I think the wisdom said the mushrooms would absorb so much water they would take longer to cook and never brown. I think you’d have to let them soak an awful long time for this to happen. But you do have to dry them off.
I think you’ll enjoy the salmon ‘poached’ in just a bit of liquid.
Trust those instincts!
I loved this, Dorothy, and smiled and nodded all the way through! Mind you, I am a bit of a rebel and think so many rules are there to be broken, especially when you consider how misguided some of them are. Happily, the kitchen police don’t tend to come knocking! 😊
I’m with you! Sometimes it takes a while to trust your own instincts!
You’re a wealth of knowledge when it comes to kitchen ideas, tried-and-true techniques, and food preparation. Well Done, Dorothy. 🤔🍃🌞
Thanks Gail, any wisdom I have has come from lots of little mistakes! The best teachers!
Truth! 🌟✨💫
I have to admit I was unfamiliar with many of those, particularly the one about not washing mushrooms. The ones I buy are usually loaded with dirt, and I—wait for it—actually soak them and then set them on a towel to dry. Never had any problems with them.
I know! I have no idea who decided that you can’t wash or soak your mushrooms. I am not particularly fond of eating mushroom fertilizer mud.
Great tips Dorothy, thanks!
Thanks! A little experience, a lot of luck!
Oh what great advice! My mom must have been from the same generation as yours, she had the same thoughts on many of the things you listed. I’ve found though my own experiences, my cooking has changed in many ways from the way she used to cook.
We do evolve with the times!
Fabulous post, D! I must disagree with you on one thing and that is adding a bit of oil to my lasagna water. I find it does nothing when added to other pasta but it does help to keep the big sheets of lasagna from sticking together. If you’ve ever had stuck-together lasagna sheets, you know what a messy, frustrating mess that can be!
That’s a good point my friend! Those sheets can be tricky!
i agree with the bit about eating cheese and seafood together. I think they can be great companions!
Agreed! They work marvelously together.
Agree with everything you wrote, Dorothy. I actually have blog posts about most of these topics. Some additions:
For the beans, add the salt to the soaking water.
For the poached eggs: break them in a coffee cup first, makes it easier to slide them into the hot water. Or even put heat-resistant cling film in the cup, twist it closed, and poach the egg wrapped in plastic.
All the things your mother did with spaghetti are considered capital offenses in Italy 😉
Thanks Stefan! The coffee cup idea sounds brilliant. You still get the egg close to the water but your fingers are out of harm’s way!
Yes, it’s a good thing mom never showed her face in Italy!
I super love this!❤️ Dorothy’s tips!🫶👍👍
Thank you!
I do believe, Dorothy, it was you who first suggested grating ginger ‘skin and all’. I wouldn’t do it any other way these days. As for the avo; guilty as charged. I use a wallop of a knife to snare and lift the pit, then hit the handle of the knife against the bin. Off falls the pit into the bin. But, don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to be accused of maiming!
Just a fair warning my friend! It always gives me the Willie’s when I see someone do this!
Thank You for caring. I am extremely careful – promise!
Hi Dorothy, some excellent advice here. My husband and I were both taught to add oil to the cooking water for pasta. I also add salt when I soak beans and when I cook them.
Kitchen wisdom is part of the charm and the traditions we hold close to our hearts. And with our modern cooking techniques I am sure can debunk most. Still, these nuggets of wisdom passed down through the generations hold a little piece of my heart.
Velva
They do hold our hearts! I’ll still never peek when the dumplings are cooking!
This was a fun post, Dorothy. We do have so many kitchen “rules.” Thank you for sharing your expertise. I do love your blog.
Thanks Mary! In the end, most of us figure out what really works, don’t we? Time and experience, that makes confidence!
Enjoyed your post immensely – oh those kitchen rules!!!
I know! Luckily, most of us figure these things out.
What a fun and informative post Dorothy, I really enjoyed reading it!
Thank you!
Thanks for the tips! I especially like the one about not peeling the ginger! 🙂
I messed with them for a long time, but there really is no reason to perk them. Waste not, especially time!
What a lovely and interesting post Dorothy! I usually don’t follow any rules, just my “common sense” 😅 but sometimes is good to have some advice 😉
Our own instincts and common sense are always the best Ribana!