What's your best "cooking hack"?

Goza 2017-03-05 02:32:36 UTC #1

Mine is street kitchen. When I don't want to make something from scratch, they always seem to broaden my views without buying an ingredient that I'm going to use once if I don't like it.

Home_Brew_Geek 2017-03-05 05:03:47 UTC #2

Add salt

You 2017-03-05 13:15:05 UTC #3

I use fire sometimes

Faram 2017-03-05 22:13:30 UTC #4

Cheese on anything and everything even broccoli tastes good with cheese

Gigz 2017-03-05 22:19:10 UTC #5

Grab your fresh batch of cup noodle, place it on leh kitchen counter.
Boil water.
Pour boil water into leh cup noodle.
Eat.

Gigz 2017-03-05 22:21:35 UTC #6

Just kiddin.
If you don't have a certain ingredient and it's impossible (or you're too lazy to go to the grocery store) to obtain, make some alternatives.

Making a sweet dish always requires salt.
Balances it out.

Wait, everyone knows this stuff. Ignore me.

Goza 2017-03-05 22:39:33 UTC #7

I live in a ridiculously small town and ingredients that would be commonplace in other areas (no rice wine vinegar? Is this soviet Russia?) are super hard to find. I make the most of substitutions when I can, but it can be a pain.

Gigz 2017-03-05 22:41:50 UTC #8

Sure can.
And if you assume an ingredient can substitute another, you can end up making a dish that tastes like the dead rat across the street.
(Experience. Don't ask what I did.)

Home_Brew_Geek 2017-03-05 23:00:48 UTC #9

Oh no... Please say you didn't eat that rat I left outside last night.

Gigz 2017-03-05 23:02:41 UTC #10

I thought it would make a nice substitute for ham!

I thought wrong....

Home_Brew_Geek 2017-03-05 23:04:29 UTC #11

Right? It's WAY too gamey.

Goza 2017-03-05 23:16:28 UTC #12

I did a similar thing by adding molasses to sugar to make brown sugar. No measurements were used, and I ended up with a nice sticky brick of what looked to be brown Playdoh

Bloodlust_Rico 2017-03-06 08:28:47 UTC #13

Chilli. I add chilli on everything. Almost.

Gigz 2017-03-06 17:23:13 UTC #14

But do you add chilli to chilli?

Faram 2017-03-06 18:04:43 UTC #15

You can add cheese to cheese and chilli!

Bloodlust_Rico 2017-03-06 21:47:23 UTC #16

Chilli on chilli is without saying lol!

Psykin 2017-03-07 01:34:30 UTC #17

Lol, you guys are always interesting. On a serious note. When cooking steak or burgers that you've added seasoning (s) to, use a couple drops of lemon juice on it. It will make all the flavors soak into the meat. Works on chicken and fish as well, just don't use too much.

Goza 2017-03-07 01:41:59 UTC #18

My best hack for steaks is "dry brining" (an oxymoron I know). It's super simple and makes most cuts taste incredible.

Ranger_Perry_II 2017-10-08 10:51:50 UTC #19

one good steak hack is after cooking it let it rest

Old_Gregg 2017-10-26 04:50:09 UTC #20

For a basic stock remember Cloc, Peel ginger with a tablespoon, poach eggs in cling film, add vinegar to yorkshire pudding batter for extra crunch, peel bananas from the bottom, to know if an egg is safe to eat put them in water - if they're bad they float, OK to eat if they sink, to get rid of the smell of garlic/onion off your hands just rub them on anything stainless steel, etc etc etc. I know way too many to list or remember off hand.