Hand-me-down Cooking Habits

[mjd]

flyinglentris' post on scrambled eggs reminded me of this anecdote that I read years ago.

The new Jewish bride is making her first big dinner for her husband and tries her hand at her mother’s brisket recipe, cutting off the ends of the roast the way her mother always did. Hubby thinks the meat is delicious, but says, “Why do you cut off the ends — that’s the best part!” She answers, “That’s the way my mother always made it.”

The next week, they go to the old bubbie’s house, and she prepares the famous brisket recipe, again cutting off the ends. The young bride is sure she must be missing some vital information, so she askes her grandma why she cut off the ends. Grandma says, “Dahlink, that’s the only way it will fit in the pan!”

I always add a little milk to my eggs before scrambling them. I have no explanation other than I saw my father do that.

What cooking habits do you have that were passed down?

 

[Mountain Cat]

flyinglentris' post on scrambled eggs reminded me of this anecdote that I read years ago.



I always add a little milk to my eggs before scrambling them. I have no explanation other than I saw my father do that.

What cooking habits do you have that were passed down?

I did that for a few years after moving out on my own - because Dad did it, too, for both scrambled eggs and omelets. I stopped because I lived in a couple places with tiny kitchens and small fridges - and I never could finish the half gallon in time before it went bad. It never really occurred to me to freeze aliquots for future use - like Burt wisely does. The aliquots would have probably taken up too much space anyway back in those days.

Okay - one of the things I always do because Mom and also Dad did it: I always add seasonings IN my burgers before making them. Including the salt. It is only in recent years that I hear that one should just TOP (maybe also bottom) the burger with salt rather than mixing this in.

So, last spring or last autumn (I have to look this up), after having several years recently about hearing how horrible this idea is, I ran a taste test. Actually it ended up being two of them...

I made quarter pound burgers from ground meat, and on one I mixed in the salt. On the second I formed the patty just as I had the interior-salted one - including the gentle mixing behavior as I had for the former. I added the SAME amount of salt to the top and bottom just before cooking - so I didn't lose any, I added the bottom portion when I'd flipped the burger over in the skillet.

The first batch (since I'd measured salt rather than going on instinct as I usually do) both were TOO salty for words.

The second batch, a few days later, I'd halved the amount of salt for each burger.

No other seasonings, and served on a small bed of lettuce: ABSOLUTELY NO difference in taste.

Mom is right here. Mix it in if you want. I do think perhaps the salt mavens on line might be correct if you make patties several hours in advance, but my folks (and I) never did/do that.

I know I will come up with other examples - but I love that story about the roast, although I saw something similar a few years back...

 

[mjd]

I did that for a few years after moving out on my own - because Dad did it, too, for both scrambled eggs and omelets. I stopped because I lived in a couple places with tiny kitchens and small fridges - and I never could finish the half gallon in time before it went bad. It never really occurred to me to freeze aliquots for future use - like Burt wisely does. The aliquots would have probably taken up too much space anyway back in those days.

Okay - one of the things I always do because Mom and also Dad did it: I always add seasonings IN my burgers before making them. Including the salt. It is only in recent years that I hear that one should just TOP (maybe also bottom) the burger with salt rather than mixing this in.

So, last spring or last autumn (I have to look this up), after having several years recently about hearing how horrible this idea is, I ran a taste test. Actually it ended up being two of them...

I made quarter pound burgers from ground meat, and on one I mixed in the salt. On the second I formed the patty just as I had the interior-salted one - including the gentle mixing behavior as I had for the former. I added the SAME amount of salt to the top and bottom just before cooking - so I didn't lose any, I added the bottom portion when I'd flipped the burger over in the skillet.

The first batch (since I'd measured salt rather than going on instinct as I usually do) both were TOO salty for words.

The second batch, a few days later, I'd halved the amount of salt for each burger.

No other seasonings, and served on a small bed of lettuce: ABSOLUTELY NO difference in taste.

Mom is right here. Mix it in if you want. I do think perhaps the salt mavens on line might be correct if you make patties several hours in advance, but my folks (and I) never did/do that.

I know I will come up with other examples - but I love that story about the roast, although I saw something similar a few years back...

I've heard that some people freeze milk in ice cube trays and then pop them all into a freezer bag. I've never tried it as I used to use it up fast enough. I might try it now as I've become lactose intolerant and don't drink it straight unless I have cereal which isn't too often.

That's really interesting about the burger tests you did. I almost never add salt to anything while cooking unless it's required for a baked item (ie. cornbread). I was trying to avoid high blood pressure as both my parents and both grandmothers had it, but I ended up with it anyway. Sigh.

Do you recall your burgers tasting too salty BEFORE you did your experiments? It's interesting that it became so noticeable after. How much did you use? I don't use a ton of sugar in anything so things with sugar tend to taste TOO sweet. Sweet tea in the South is one example. I call it "liquid diabetes". It might be the same thing with your salt taste test.

 

[LissaC]

My mom hates cooking, my dad doesn't cook and my grandmother is considered a good cook but she can only cook her usual recipes and every time she tries something new it goes wrong. So a lot of my "cooking life" has been spent un-learning stuff I learned from my family because they took short cuts in everything. Some of the short cuts work, some have an impact on how the food tastes (like using canned tomatoes to make tomato sauce, or never searing meat).

One thing that did stay with me is how we cook rice. In my parents house rice is cooked in water only, no seasoning whatsoever. First time I saw other methods of cooking rice was when I was a teenager and one of my friends cooked lunch for us; she cooked rice by first seasoning the water with salt, garlic and olive oil, let the water boil and then added the rice; and I thought "Wow, that is interesting". Growing up I have started cooking rice by lightly frying it in oil first. But whenever I felt lazy I just cooked my rice in water without any seasoning. And one day it dawned on me: the rice my parents cooked tastes good, tastes like rice, and it's probably healthier than the fried, seasoned rice. So I'm back to cooking rice like my parents used to.

 

[Hemulen]

flyinglentris' post on scrambled eggs reminded me of this anecdote that I read years ago.



I always add a little milk to my eggs before scrambling them. I have no explanation other than I saw my father do that.

What cooking habits do you have that were passed down?

I have a similar habit. My mom always added a tablespoon of milk for each egg in a regular omelette. Otherwise I just watched my grandma and mom cook (while adopting some basics of cooking; maybe 20-30 everyday dishes). The best cooking-related hand-me-down habits I absorbed were probably handling fishing nets and wire fish-traps, cleaning and smoking fish and picking and preparing various mushrooms.

 

[Morning Glory]

aliquots

This is now my word of the day!

 

[Morning Glory]

I have a similar habit. My mom always added a tablespoon of milk for each egg in a regular omelette. Otherwise I just watched my grandma and mom cook (while adopting some basics of cooking; maybe 20-30 everyday dishes). The best cooking-related hand-me-down habits I absorbed were probably handling fishing nets and wire fish-traps, cleaning and smoking fish and picking and preparing various mushrooms.

My half French partner (long ago) taught me to make omelettes. I was a hopeless cook at the time. He always added a splash of cold water beaten into the eggs and I still do that to this day. I reckon it makes for a lighter omelette but maybe I imagine it. It certainly does no harm.

 

[LissaC]

My half French partner (long ago) taught me to make omelettes. I was a hopeless cook at the time. He always added a splash of cold water beaten into the eggs and I still do that to this day. I reckon it makes for a lighter omelette but maybe I imagine it. It certainly does no harm.

Slightly different, but I cook my scrambled eggs in water every morning. The more water I add, the "fluffier" they become.

 

[Backbay]

Mix a can of Campbell's tomato soup with cooked ground beef and diced onions/ minced garlic to make sloppy joes. Season with pepper,Lawry's seasoning salt and sugar. Made by Grandma, Mom and now I follow the same recipe.

 

[Mountain Cat]

That's really interesting about the burger tests you did. I almost never add salt to anything while cooking unless it's required for a baked item (ie. cornbread). I was trying to avoid high blood pressure as both my parents and both grandmothers had it, but I ended up with it anyway. Sigh.

Do you recall your burgers tasting too salty BEFORE you did your experiments? It's interesting that it became so noticeable after. How much did you use? I don't use a ton of sugar in anything so things with sugar tend to taste TOO sweet. Sweet tea in the South is one example. I call it "liquid diabetes". It might be the same thing with your salt taste test.

The salt: I usually add a pinch or two of salt in burgers when making them, NO measurements. The first test I added 1/4 teaspoon to each patty (within or on top) - obviously a "pinch" is much less. The second time I went with 1/8th teaspoon for each. This was on the borderline but enough for me to know that internal salt and external salt yields the same level of saltiness. I'm now back to my un-measured pinches - mixed into the ground beef.

True about sugar - I always add less than requested, and I cannot drink "sweet tea" at all.

 

[Morning Glory]

Slightly different, but I cook my scrambled eggs in water every morning. The more water I add, the "fluffier" they become.

You don't mean in water do you?

 

[LissaC]

You don't mean 'in water' do you?

I mean I add a bit of water to coat the bottom of the frying pan, instead of oil.

 

[Morning Glory]

I mean I add a bit of water to coat the bottom of the frying pan, instead of oil.

Oh I see (my mistake) - I must try that. Saves on calories too. Do you add anything else to the eggs.

 

[LissaC]

Oh I see (my mistake) - I must try that. Saves on calories too. Do you add anything else to the eggs.

You're right about saving calories and that was my main goal since I eat scrambled eggs every morning. I don't add anything else to the eggs nowadays but there was a time when I was adding pepper.

 

[TastyReuben]

I didn't inherit much from my mom in the way of cooking, as she cooked any meat extra-well done and she burned a lot of stuff because she's naturally disorganized and always running behind her time, so she'd start things late and try and get them done in a hurry (high burners for everything).

That said, she did manage to feed 10 people for decades.

One thing I did learn from her - bacon grease, and plenty of it.

Eggs...Mom used to scramble them with milk. I did that for years, then read/saw something from a food science geek who said milk toughened eggs, and to use sour cream instead - some difference between sour cream and milk, though I don't know what. So I switched to sour cream.

Then I ran across several chefs/cooks who said no, don't add any other liquid, it changes and dilutes the egg, so now I do that. It's all fine, whatever works for you.

I will occasionally add plops of sour cream or creme fraiche, more for flavor, so I do that once the eggs hit the pan, and I'll also hold back some of the mixed egg to stir in at the end to stop the cooking. I learned that from Pepin.