Things you do wrong in the kitchen that you refuse to change

LissaC

LissaC

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Inspired by this article ("5 Things I do "Wrong" in the Kitchen That I Just Refuse to Change") I wanted to ask: what are some things you do "wrong" in the kitchen, but that work for you?

I'll go first:

- Not salting rice or pasta. Growing up my parents never salted pasta water or rice. I like salted pasta, and salted rice, but I like the unsalted versions too, and they're a lot healthier, cheaper and easier to make.
- Overcooking pasta. No one in my family likes pasta al dente, myself included. I did eat a ton of al dente pasta in Italy, and I still prefer the texture of my overcooked pasta.

​

What are some of yours?
 
LissaC said:
- Not salting rice or pasta. Growing up my parents never salted pasta water or rice. I like salted pasta, and salted rice, but I like the unsalted versions too, and they're a lot healthier, cheaper and easier to make.
- Overcooking pasta. No one in my family likes pasta al dente, myself included. I did eat a ton of al dente pasta in Italy, and I still prefer the texture of my overcooked pasta.
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I don't salt my pasta water, but not as much as chef's say your should. Honestly, I can't taste any difference, so I don't need to do it. I don't ever salt the water I used to cook rice.

I also don't like eating al dente pasta. I will boil pasta to al dente, but then add it to my sauce to finish cooking to a softer texture.

CD
 
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From the article, I don't fold kitchen towels, either. I pull them out of the dryer, and dump them in a five gallon container. I pull one out as I need it.

CD
 
I still remember when I was 13 or 14 and an older friend made rice for our lunch. She added water to a pot, salted the water, added a bay leave and a garlic clove, let the water come to a boil, then added the rice. In my house rice was cooked by adding the rice with water in a pot, unseasoned, letting it come a boil and cooking until all the water was absorbed, so I was fascinated by her method. As a grownup, I realized that a lot of people cook rice by stir frying it first. And I've tried the stir fry method too, and it works well, but "my way" is just easier and healthier and I decided to stick to it.
 
LissaC said:
She added water to a pot, salted the water, added a bay leave and a garlic clove, let the water come to a boil, then added the rice.
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That's almost exactly how I make it; as if I were cooking pasta, but only salt in the water, no bay leaf or garlic. With local long grain rice here, it takes exactly 14 minutes. I turn on the timer (on the oven) and do other things until it rings.
I also put my index finger on top of the knife when I'm chopping things up. I'm told that's completely wrong, but I find it takes pressure off my wrist.
 
I’m holding off reading the article until I can think about my own habits, but I’ll echo the “overcooked” pasta. I don’t mind it al dente, but MrsT wants it cooked through and through, so I always let it go a bit longer.
 
Well, in the five minutes it took to eat my cereal, I couldn’t come up with much.

I store my knives on a magnetic strip. My mom says that’s wrong, because “that’ll pull the edge right outta that knife!” :laugh:

I don’t generally try to be as fast/efficient as I could be, simply because I’m in a home kitchen with two potatoes to peel, not a restaurant with 2000 to peel.

I’d point out too, though, that I don’t like calling things “wrong” - much like the highly misused word “better,” something usually isn’t wrong, it’s just different. Maybe where safety is concerned (“I hold my chef’s knife by the blade and use it like a hammer to crack nuts!”), but other than that, it just comes down to preference.

Now I’m off to read that article!
 
TastyReuben said:
Well, in the five minutes it took to eat my cereal, I couldn’t come up with much.

I store my knives on a magnetic strip. My mom says that’s wrong, because “that’ll pull the edge right outta that knife!” :laugh:

I don’t generally try to be as fast/efficient as I could be, simply because I’m in a home kitchen with two potatoes to peel, not a restaurant with 2000 to peel.

I’d point out too, though, that I don’t like calling things “wrong” - much like the highly misused word “better,” something usually isn’t wrong, it’s just different. Maybe where safety is concerned (“I hold my chef’s knife by the blade and use it like a hammer to crack nuts!”), but other than that, it just comes down to preference.

Now I’m off to read that article!
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Agree with you RE: "wrong". Also, when it comes to the kitchen, I believe anything goes, as long as everyone who's eating enjoys what's being done (similar to other "areas of life" if you get my drift!). There are probably techniques/cooking methods/flavor combinations that aren't popular and considered "wrong", but that are still enjoyed by some folks.
 
I haven’t read the article and am only posting about the stir fried rice.

When I make pilaf, I sautee the vegetables in a mix of butter and a bit of oil. Then, i fry the rice until it turns translucent and toasts a bit. It seems to produce a hint of nutty flavor. I do the same when I make cumin rice. Otherwise, it's water, salt and rice only.
 
Ok, I just read the article. I think the author’s title is a little misleading.

I thought it would be more about differences in conventional wisdom, like what karadekoolaid mentioned with his knife-handling.

The author, though she started that way, quickly dropped into “Ain’t I adorably quirky?!” - really, where’s it written that leaving up your kid’s misspelled pantry shelf labels is “wrong?” And a fruit bowl in the fridge? I’ve never read an article that lists that as one of “10 Things You’re Doing Wrong in the Kitchen!” :scratchhead:

She’s just makin’ crap up. Something tells me, she had an article due and hadn’t done anything about it until the night before.

Oh, and a chair in the kitchen isn’t “wrong” - it’s pretty common, actually.
 
As to the rice - I used to make it in a rice cooker, just with water, and whatever was leftover was turned into rice pudding or stir fry the next day.

Then I got the bright idea of cooking it in a little chicken broth, garlic…great for what I was making that night, but when I went back a couple of days later and made rice pudding with it, it was awful! :laugh:
 
TastyReuben said:
As to the rice - I used to make it in a rice cooker, just with water, and whatever was leftover was turned into rice pudding or stir fry the next day.

Then I got the bright idea of cooking it in a little chicken broth, garlic…great for what I was making that night, but when I went back a couple of days later and made rice pudding with it, it was awful! :laugh:
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I absolutely love rice (or pasta) cooked in chicken broth! Makes for a very simple, but lively side dish.
 
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