How To Solve 5 Common Cooking Mistakes

Author

Nik

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1. Rubbery Eggs & Time-Management
These terms are used in corporate America, but not in the culinary world. We watch the cooking shows with the chef that juliennes the carrots with such speed and precision that we want to do the same. Here’s the errors: We fail to comprehend that the speed of such knife skills took time, repetition and years to perfect.

2. Fast doesn’t always mean better
Understanding basic chemistry allows a cook to create consistent meals with less issues in flavor, taste or texture. Cooking shows have editors in the production process and a set full of professionals to make things look seamless.

Unless you have a large production staff on hand, prepare to prepare your ingredients- mise en place. Prepping ahead saves time, frustration and guarantees a finished meal you don’t have to throw out before consuming. Remember, setting the heat on high does not guarantee a quick meal, but does insure rubbery eggs.

3. Too Much Salt
Tasting spoons aren’t just for professional kitchens. Yes, the recipe calls for specific ingredients, but if you’re cooking savory, are you tasting as you go?* Sometimes we accidently put in too much salt because we misread the recipe (more on that in the next tip) or by accidental dumping from the pourer.

COOKING TIP: When in salt crises grab a potato, peel it and place it in the soup or place it and place it in the smaller meal in progress. The potato will absorb the salt and ease the chance of the dish being inedible.

4. Cooking while reading the recipe for the first time
Whether you are trying a recipe for the first time or multiple times, read the recipe 3 times. Yes, three and not back to back. Why three times? Three times leaves less chance for avoidable cooking mistakes. Grab your notepad before reading your recipe.

• 1st time reading the recipe- Take your time, note the ingredients and make sure you have all the ingredients noted int eh recipe. If you do not have specific ingredients write it down on your notepad that you’ll take with you to the store to pick up missing ingredients.

 

• 2nd time reading the recipe- Do this when you have all the ingredients. This is your mise en place stage. Cut, chop, measure, sift, stir, or anything else that needs to be done per recipe instructions. The instructions give the order in how the ingredients will be added or how they are to be prepared for the dish. Do not skip this process and do not ignore the order of the instructions or the punctuation. Commas and other punctuation are placed in the directions for a reason. Do not wing it or second guess the recipe writers tested proof of how to recreate their recipe.

 

• 3rd time reading the recipe- TO be done as you are making the dish. Follow the order and reread each sentence before taking action. Because you have read the recipe to make sure you have the ingredients and make sure that you have mise en place everything and set it up in the order to be added this last step will feel reminiscent of what you see on the cooking shows.

 5. Substitutions that add too much or too little flavor
There is science involved in substitutions and should not be done unless you understand the original recipes use for the original ingredient. Also, substituting requires understanding the amount to use may not be a 1:1 or give you the finished consistency required for the dish.
 

• Not all sweetener substitutes are created equal. Stevia and Granulated sugar are not always an exact substitution.
• Not all herbs are 1:1 ratio, Fresh and dried herbs have different intensity.
• Not all flours will result in the correct texture. Soft flour versus hard can make a muffin moist and delectable or a brick.

Example: Good Fat and Vegan baked goods
Omitting butter in a dish and replacing it with a delicious avocado can be a rich and creamy finished dish, but in your choosing to be “healthy” you forget to find a binding agent that isn’t an egg you will have a finish crumb of a dish.
Reading the recipe multiple times (see above) allows you to understand the intention of the dish, but also realize that substitutions made need to be appropriate to ensure a good meal that has good texture and appearance.

BONUS TIP!!!
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6. Do NOT create the Causes for Food Poisoning

• Always wash your hands with soap and water for the length of time it takes to sing happy birthday.
• Do not thaw meat outside of a refrigerator.

• Do not leave out food for hours without proper cooling or heating equipment that keeps everything at the correct temperature. This is also known as Fried Rice Syndrome which causes food poisoning and at worse can cause death. Yes, really.
• Do not reuse an unwashed tasting spoon.
• Use separate spoons, ladles, spatulas, etc. when making multiple items in order to lessen cross-contamination.

Example: I went to a well-known café and placed my order. As I took my 3rd bite the corners of my mouth began to swell, my tongue and throat got itchy, my breathing became a struggle. My order did not have an allergen, but the kitchen staff used the knife to cut a roast beef sandwich and without washing it off, used the same knife to cut my non-beef sandwich.
Be mindful or else you can kill people.**
Oh and always wash your hands with soap and water.
 
 
 
*do not double dip a tasting spoon into your WIP.
** even if you don’t like a family member and you know they have an allergy, if you cross-contaminate things accidentally or purpose you could wind up being charged with attempted murder. Yes, really. Please do not asking me how I know.

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