Great food is one of the simple pleasures of life. It nourishes our bodies and souls and brings people together. It's also pretty practical as far as hobbies go – hardly anyone likes to be the idiot sandwich in the kitchen. That's why learning a trick or two can help you improve immensely.
And where better to take inspiration and advice from than other culinary enthusiasts? That's why we're bringing you the things people shared in this thread: the small changes they made that took their kitchen game to 11. And if you're a Panda that has some culinary prowess beyond bamboo, share your tips in the comment section!
#21
I'm British, so, you know...Lately I've been putting white miso in simple British foods like cottage pie (savoury mince topped with mashed potato) or beef stew, basically using a teaspoon or two instead of salt. It adds extra umami. I even put some in bolognese sauce - please don't kill me, Italian people. It's lovely.
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18points
#22
A tadka for Indian food. I used to skip it for simplicity, but it's really necessary for that Indian restaurant richness.
17points
#23
Making pasta dough in a food processor.
No more 10-15 minutes of kneading by hand. Food processor achieves same, if not better result, in less than 1 minute.
No more 10-15 minutes of kneading by hand. Food processor achieves same, if not better result, in less than 1 minute.
17points
#24
Saving a bit of pasta water to add to pasta sauces
Tossing raw shrimp with a bit of baking soda and salt before cooking
A dab of anchovy paste can be magical.
17points
#25
I was making an Alfredo type of white wine and mushroom sauce and I didn’t have any white wine so I used a pink wine instead. It was fantastic. I realized that must be the secret ingredient in the chicken and penne that I love from The Old Spaghetti Factory, it tastes just like their sauce. So now I make it quite often with pink instead of white wine. It’s a flavour you would notice but you can’t put your finger on what it is. I tried for years to recreate their sauce using different mushrooms and different ratios of butter and cream, adding shallots and garlic. Never nailed it until I used pink wine.
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17points
#26
We try to avoid having rice too frequently for diet reasons, so I jumped on the riced cauliflower train. I just started ricing other veggies, including my current fave, riced broccoli. Great for quiche, added to omelets, sauteed with a little butter for a "rice" alternative, etc. It has a more vegetal presence than the flavor vacuum that is cauli rice.
17points
#27
Ooh this post reminds me to make some shallot oil/ginger oil/garlic oil. It is a tedious process but you get a two-for-one deal; crispy ginger/garlic/shallot pieces to top stir fries/sandwiches/noodle dishes and a small glug of fragrant oil.
I have jars of quick pickled veggies in my fridge too; red cabbage, daikon, carrots, and red onions are mainstays for bowls, sandwiches, and salads.
I also make a lot of long-life sauces, pickles, spread; if you are a vegetarian, you must try ajvar. I also make something called nyonya achar which is vegetables and pineapple pickled in a spicy, nutty sauce which is a great side dish for rich dishes.
Another thing I always do now is premarinade my proteins the moment I get home from the grocery store; marinated hard boiled eggs, marinated tofu/paneer, marinated tempeh, and chicken always live in my fridge or freezer, ready to cook. Even a simple salt/garlic/lemon marinade helps any protein taste better and makes healthy eating less sad.
16points
#29
Finishing oil is so vital. A light drizzle imparts a huge flavor to whatever I'm serving. I now have store-bought oils and I also make my own.
15points
#30
I've always been a big DIYer, but two of my more recent additions are ferments. I do my own hot sauce now, and my vacuum sealed kim chi is leagues above anything I've ever bought, even from asian markets.
Also, rendering my own fats. I use to toss so much fat when I trimmed. Now, when I pick up pork shoulders at costco, I also net about 1.5c of lard as well. My chicken fat jar is slower to fill, but it's liquid gold. And the beef tallow jar gets used a bit more rarely, but it gets a big boost when I buy a brisket to break down. I really like beef tallow tortillas.
And homemade tortillas is of course life changing and only adds a little time to fajita/taco night.
13points
#31
Boiling a pot of water and white vinegar while cooking.
I can cook the most aromatic foods I want without worrying about all the fabrics in the house smelling lol. The boiling mixture has been a life changer!
11points
#32
Not exactly food, but ice cubes come out whole instead of in pieces if you make them using hot water because it has fewer air bubbles in it than cold. It doesn't take longer to freeze them either, and they are much clearer than ones made with cold water.
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11points
#33
My secret ingredient is salt-preserved lemons! It really adds a depth of flavor to any dish that can benefit from a salty zesty pop.
10points
#34
Honestly i start most of my meals now with butter, minced garlic and onion and it’s a total game changer. Most of my chicken/beef dishes are much better now.
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10points
#35
1. Cooking vegetables in the microwave. I learned about this on the cooking issues podcast with Dave Arnold. Using a glass bowl with a glass lid you can steam vegetables in their own moisture which greatly heightens the flavor compared to regular steaming because no extra water is added. The vegetables also dehydrate very slightly concentrating the flavor as well. Mind blowing improvement.
2. Fish sauce. OMFG this was a huge leap forward in my culinary ability.
3. Using MSG on the regular. I used to be a huge fish sauce fan because of the umami hit it provided. I still love fish sauce but MSG is so much more flexible and adding that umami richness to things is incredible.
3. Sous vide, or low temperature cooking. This revolutionized my ability to nail grilled proteins. Not only does it help with meal prep and portioning on a regular basis but it is a complete game changer when it comes to large-scale cooking. My greatest success in this regard was when I catered my brother's wedding. With two Weber grills filled almost to the brim with charcoal I was able to get 20 lb of steaks and 30 lb of chicken from the cooler to the buffet table perfectly cooked in 45 minutes. Still get compliments on that meal years later.
9points
#36
One of my go to basic lazy meals is pesto pasta with chicken or broccoli but lately I've been stepping it up a bit with just a bit more effort for much better tasting pasta.
Instead of just scooping some pesto out of the jar onto my plain pasta I've instead been mixing the pesto with an egg and a bunch of parm that I grate with my microplane. I also cook a bit of minced garlic in bacon fat then combine it all in a pot along with a splash of pasta water to make a delicious sauce. Basically just a pesto carbonara without the bacon.
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8points
#37
Marmite is amazing for adding umami and depth to soups and sauces.
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7points
#38
- not buying shredded cheese anymore
- cutting everything small so that you can get all elements of a dish in a spoonful.
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7points
#39
I like making extra pound cake batter or cinnamon rolls and use them for future use in bread pudding or sweet stuffing since it requires stale bread it work’s perfectly.
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7points
#40
I started making more garlic confit. It's amazing.
4points
Cooking and preparing meals at home has numerous benefits beyond just satisfying hunger. It allows for greater control over ingredient quality and healthiness, not to mention that cooking can also be a deeply satisfying hobby. Many people seeking to improve their cooking skills can gain insight from professional chefs, especially by focusing on practical tips for amateurs. If you're keen on honing your culinary skills under expert guidance, consider exploring some practical advice on how chefs refine their cooking techniques by incorporating simple changes such as adding finishing oils, which greatly enhance the flavor of dishes.
This advice can truly elevate your cooking experience.
