Secret Vices - Cooking Dept.

[Ohioan]

The recent thread about secret eating vices (read: junk food) and another thread where people wound up talking about the punishment we give our pots suggested to me yet another poll: What no-nos do you do while you're cooking? In other words, what do all the books say you should never, never do but you do anyway?

I'll confess that I cook spaghetti in an old, cheap, aluminum pot because it heats up so quickly. And to keep the aluminum from discoloring from the boiling water, I throw a few drops of vinegar in at the beginning. Gasp! Boiling water and acid in a reactive pot! Oh, well. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[lorilei]

(first of all -- those potatoes sound luscious.. thanx http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif)

Confessions? I have many. Here's one:

I /never/ temper chocolate -- and when I melt it on the stove I don't use a double boiler. (wince... I either microwave it, chance it on a burner or have even gone so far as to avoid recipes that would require this)

Hmmm... maybe this isn't a vice so much as stupidity http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif But, it will do for now


[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 07-25-2000).]

[LauraEllen]

When I want to slice a bunch of mushrooms in a hurry I use a boiled egg slicer (the kind that slices with stretched wires). It doesn't have the same finesse as a chefs knife, but it sure is quick.

[Beth]

Originally posted by lorilei:
[BI /never/ temper chocolate -- and when I melt it on the stove I don't use a double boiler.
[/B]

Neither do I! I own a double boiler and an insert for one of my other pans, but I rarely use them. I'm a direct-on-the- stovetop gal (the Dacor range was great for this because I could walk away for a minute and not have a disaster, the burners go that low).

And I don't sift flour, salt, and such together before adding. I sprinkle the salt, soda, or other smaller ingredients around and gove a light stir, then add the flour and mix it all in. Much easier, quicker and less to clean up. Never had it fail me.

[Mamasue]

I don't sift all the dry ingredients either. Okay now no faces here, but I don't always wash the lettuce for salad http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif.

[Kristilyn1]

I never sift ingredients--I never "finely" chop and sometimes when it says to de-seed the tomatos--I ignore it.

I always turn the burner too high when making pancakes and I never measure ingredients exactly if it is under 1/2 cup......apparently I am very, very bad.

Kristi

[lorilei]

Aha -- I don't "sift" either.
And I've never seeded a tomato, cucumber or a jalapeno in my life... As you already know, I also don't peel veggies http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif (lazy, lazy me)

My husband yells at me because I don't measure spices (I always pour them into my hand, stare a little bit, and then dump them in)

Oh - and I'm also a bit of a dare-devil, I suppose, in that I don't own a meat thermometer...

[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 07-26-2000).]

[MaryB]

I also never use a double boiler to melt chocolate ... I just try not to step away from the kitchen while its on the stove.

When I roast a turkey, I have never sewed up the flap over the cavity. My dressing seems to stay in any way. For a long time I didn't bend the wings under the back or truss up the legs. I have done it now but you know this really doesn't seem to make a difference.

[MrsReber]

Oh boy, I must be a real rebel in the kitchen because I can relate to most of the things posted here. I do not own a meat thermometer, I don't even own a double boiler and don't have anything to improvise with. Measure spices? Never- I just throw in as much as I think we'd like and I really over do the cinnamon (our favorite at home). Sift? What's that? Seems like it's just an extra step. Never hog tied my turkey either. I have never ever seeded a tomato. I make this tomato potato bisque that my husband loves and he thinks it's the greatest thing to have the tomato seeds floating around in there. And the biggest no no? I hardly ever shake the pot when I make popcorn- we don't believe in microwave popcorn anymore. It's very bad for the environment and for you, so I only buy from Crown Jewel gourmet. We don't skimp on the popcorn! Okay, so it occasinally burns, but I do secretly like the burnt peices- not to mention, I get to scrub the heck out of the pot with my brillo when I'm done!!

I'm sure I'll see more posts on here later on that I can relate to!


[This message has been edited by MrsReber (edited 07-26-2000).]

[This message has been edited by MrsReber (edited 07-26-2000).]

[cookgirl]

Oh please don't ban me from the BB after I say this: I don't own a measuring cup OR spoon of any type. In fact, I don't own any thing that measures volume, weight, temp, etc. I don't own a power mixer. So basically, I do everything with my hands (don't worry...I have this OC handwashing problem too.) And to make things worse...I don't have a dishwasher!!!!
BUT..I have very muscular arms...hee hee!

[MrsReber]

I thought I was the only poor soul with no dishwasher! What makes it worse is that my husband is a neat freak (the product of two neat freak parents) and insists that I do not wash the dishes correctly because I don't wash them the way his mother does! Hey, they come out just as clean, I just hate "washing" my dishes in a dishpan full of water. Seems to dirty to me. I keep telling him that he is free to wash the dishes his way anytime he likes, but he never takes me up on that! This is our only major issue in our marriage. Go figure.

[JeanneW]

MrsReber:

I had kind of the same problem with my husband except he was my boyfriend at the time. His apartment had a dishwasher! YAY! As someone who grew up without one, I was thrilled and loaded up the dishes. He was convinced that it wouldn't get the dishes really clean. I told him that he was free to do them if he preferred and left the kitchen.

The interesting part is that you'd think he learned to like the dishwasher, but no. 18 years later, he still washes the dishes every night. He figures if I cook, he can clean up. Seems fair to me. Good luck with getting him to help.

[MrsReber]

I must be doing something wrong. I cook AND I clean up!! But, in all fairness, he does do laundry, take care of all the garbage and recycling, and he even cleans the bathroom. But still no dishes!