The 25 Most Common Cooking Mistakes

[Tesha]

I like this one
24. You don’t know when to abandon ship and start over

http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/cooking-questions-tips-00400000064986/page29.html

[wildflower]

1. Thanks! I found this tip especially helpful:

(Boldface is mine)

A cooking method gentler than boiling, simmering refers to cooking food in liquid (or cooking just the liquid itself) at a temperature slightly below the boiling point―around 180 to 190 degrees. It's trickier than boiling because it requires careful regulation of the temperature so that the surface of the liquid shimmers with a bubble coming up every few seconds.

I've always had a hard time with boiling vs. simmering, especially with meats. So these specific things to look for are really helpful to me.

ON EDIT: Oops, the above is actually from a separate article linked to from the tips. The tip in question is at http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/cooking-questions-tips-00400000064986/page6.html ; the article about boiling and simmering (where I got the quote from) is at http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/cooking-class-boiling-and-simmering-00400000001032/ . :hi:

[eleny]

4. I share your experience

I think it's why I like to braise meats where you start it on top of the stove and finish it in the oven. It's nice to be able to leave it in the oven and not have to keep an eye on the dish.

The first time I made a meal that needed the simmering was a New England Boiled Dinner. It all turned out great but took much of my time. Maybe being at high altitude made it more of a challenge since boiling temps are an issue.

[wildflower]

2. Another tip I hadn't thought of:

To figure out how hot it is in different spots in your oven:

SaBrina Bone, who tests in our kitchen, advises the "bread test:" Arrange bread slices to cover the middle oven rack. Bake at 350° for a few minutes, and see which slices get singed―their location marks your oven's hot spot(s). If you know you have a hot spot in, say, the back left corner, avoid putting pans in that location, or rotate accordingly.

[BarbaRosa]

6. That is a good idea,

I'm going to do that, sometimes it's the simplest of things that get overlooked.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. That's a lot of good info. Even an experienced cook could learn something.

I'm sending that link to the people I know who love to cook. Thanks for the link.

[spinbaby]

5. I've been guilty of most

But that's how you learn, no?

[japple]

7. My biggest mistakes have been not reading the recipe all

the way through. Sometimes I'll skim a recipe and think I know all of the steps involved only to discover that I missed something important. Another bad mistake is not assembling all of the ingredients before starting, thinking that I have all of the ingredients on hand, then getting near the end and finding that I am out of an essential ingredient and having to make a (someimes inappropriate) substitution. I am making an effort now to remind myself to be more careful.

[Phentex]

8. I do this even with old tried and true recipes...

I'll THINK I have everything I need only to discover part way through that I don't. I can borrow from a neighbor (I have one who has every oddball ingredient you can think of!) or I make a trip to the store. IF I can sub I will, but it's almost always something pretty important, lol.

The worst thing I do is forget something major - like fish - as the entree!

I hate getting old...