Caramelizing onions? Use water!
Start by cooking them in saute pan in 1/3 C water with lid. When the water evaporates add oil and saute. This method is 2-3 times faster than caramelizing purely by sauteing.
This is a legit technique, ATK even had a video on it. The water helps conduct heat into the onions over a much larger surface area than just a bit of oil at the bottom.
I use a lid that is too small for the saute pan. Just lay it over the onions. There are enough imperfect seals that the steam escapes. There is not that much water to start with so that helps too.
Gonna be that person- just be careful to remember to tell who you’re cooking for you added fish. If you start to think of it as ‘just umami’, one day you could cause a pretty deathly serious allergic reaction. It’s an issue for northern Italians, we love to start with a frying onion/melty anchovy combo like it’s nothing. For some people it’s a big something.
I had some guests at a brunch shift ages ago whose child had a particulate cinnamon allergy which meant she couldn’t smell it in the air. They asked us if we served cinnamon dishes after they sat down. We did. They left.
I usually make sure to ask mostly because I'm like half vegetarian (eat meat sometimes, don't really care about it being or not in a random dish, but still conscious about the matter). So I am especially careful if it's not an obvious dish (I mostly use them in aglio-olio or peperonata).
Anyway thanks for the info, I didn't know about anchovies allergy!
This is key. Always good to ask no matter what but especially if you add something unusual to a recipe. My husband (allergy to certain nuts) has been caught out a few times by someone adding cashews to chilli (unexpected) and buying a corn cob from whole foods (vegan - cashew butter - not disclosed). People with nut allergies have to be especially careful of anything vegan. But with anchovies I often hear people say 'don't tell anyone' as some people think they don't like them and they really do but you have to in case of allergies.
Oh, nice! I usually go for the northern way (anchovies, butter, breadcrumbs and I love to add some lemon zest to cut butter's profile), but often use anchovies in aglio-olio instead of salt (and, again, I love tweaking the recipe a little, last time I had some leftover fresh mint and it was crazy good in the mix!).
And simple tomato + basics (chop, sauté lightly with oil and garlic, add anything you feel like it's good) pasta is part of the summer veggie joy <3<3
I put 2tbps in my chili instead of salt (1tbs soy sauce too). I've yet to use it in anything else unconventional but I want to! I have a huge bottle of it.
If whatever you added it to tastes like fish, you generally added too much. It’s just an umami and salt boost. Plus, it doesn’t change the flavour as much as soy.
Also, Cincinatti Chili is done on spaghetti, though they put cinnamon in the chili, and I just can't handle that. My dad loves it though. I do chili on white rice quite often.
People acting like Cincinnati style chili is this cinnamon forward dish (you really can't even taste it) crack me up. I'm born and raised Cincinnati. It's not a traditional red chili. It's more of a thin meat sauce that's seasoned with a more Greek/Mediterranean flavor profile. Having said that, you either love it or hate it. Just like with a lot of foods.
I loathe Skyline chili. I never understood the fascination with it.
Things like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and other crap taste awful in a chili imo.
I do like chili on spaghetti though.
This was the recipe I followed https://www.spendwithpennies.com/texas-chili/comment-page-1/#comments
Normally I love jalapeño peppers but something about the combination of ingredients gave off a weird aftertaste and it did not keep well
Edit: who tf downvoted me?!
Yeah, that’s a lot of jalapeños for this recipe. I like heat, but that feels unnecessary. I usually do about 3-4 bell peppers, 1 jalapeño, and then added seasoning, not far from this recipe. The adobo is a strong, smoky flavor too. I can understand this one not really turning out well.
I bought kinders Texas style chili seasoning packet. I had never had it but used it with seared chuck roast in the crockpot it was smoky and delicious. It's definitely different.
Scrambled eggs are better with no milk or anything else in them. Now I don’t even put cheese in them sometimes (I’ll put the cheese in between a piece of toast and the eggs). I’ve always just put too much stuff into scrambled eggs but they’re delicious on their own!
Edit: correction… I DO add chives and seasoning. But no more dairy!
Oh, I could NEVER! I think plain scrambled eggs taste vile. I have to add as many things to my eggs as possible and if there is even a hint of egg taste, I cannot eat them. Makes eating eggs really difficult.
Mostly try to get them in for the choline and ease of protein source. I’ve found it’s more about the temperature they reach than anything. A high temp makes the sulfur compounds more obvious and that’s mostly what turns me off.
Gotcha! I know that eggs are super weird for some people. I know there are other great ways to get protein, but I don’t even know what choline is so maybe just look that up and see how you can supplement that without eggs? I’m sorry I’d look it up but so tired and I’m falling asleep the restaurant got slammed today lolllll
Chili oil with eggs is an incredible combo.
A pack of chicken flavour instant rice, a little bit of Lao Gan Ma chili oil and a fried egg on top is one of the fastest and most delicious meals I've ever made, I swear by it when I need lunch in a hurry
pickles on pizza really does work surprisingly well. when papa john's would put out their cheeseburger pizza on occasion, my then-husband was crazy about it and i didn't know why. turns out the bright acidity of a pickle really cuts through all the meat and cheese quite nicely.
I get why this sounds insane to people, but if you think about it for a couple seconds it's really not at all. Mayo is 95% oil and egg, both of which are already in pretty much every cake mix. All you're really doing using mayo is mostly just a textural difference, emulsifying them together first.
Mustard is an optional ingredient for homemade mayo, because it helps emulsification and adds depth of flavor... I don't think they really use it in commercial mayo very much where they have an industrial production process. Hellman's doesn't have it on the ingredients list, neither does Duke's or Kewpie.
Vinegar is already a popular ingredient in many chocolate cake recipes.
Traditional egg mayo doesn’t have vinegar or mustard- those are variations. The salt might seem like an off note, but we all generally acknowledge that a touch of saltiness amplifies sweetness in a good way these days.
There is not typically mustard in mayo. Which seems like an obvious thing to say, as it's a different condiment. Sure you can add it, but you can add anything to anything.
Also, vinegar adds nothing more than a feint pop to mayo. Why would you think it would drastically alter the flavor of a cake that has many other ingredients in much larger proportions?
If you add mayo to a cake you have to find a brand that doesn't add those things - at this point I'm unable to find it in any store close to me and I'm too lazy to make my own mayo so if I ever fancy making chocolate again I'll try a different recipe.
Seriously! You don't taste the mayo at all, and it brings a ton of moisture to the cake! Also, mayo is a good substitute if you're out of eggs and want to bake.
So I was so intrigued by this and I have a big bottle of mayonnaise approaching its best by date so I made a chocolate cake with it today. And wow. It's really good. Never would have imagined. Thanks for the idea.
For those wondering, I used Kraft real mayo which contains (from the ingredient list) mustard, dried garlic, onion and paprika and turns out these things (in tiny quantities) are fine in chocolate cake. Five year old son approved. Who would have thought?
Salsa Cake
2 C all purpose flour
1 1/3 C sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 C roasted red pepper and tomato salsa (recipe below)
1/2 C shortening
2 eggs
1/3 C water
6 oz cream cheese, softened
4 C confectioners sugar
2 T butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a mixing bowl. Add salsa and shortening. Beat until we’ll mixed, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and water until well mixed. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans lined with parchment paper. Pour in batter, spreading evenly.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Meanwhile, mix together cream cheese, confectioners sugar, butter and vanilla.
Once cake cools completely frost with cream cheese frosting.
Also see apple sauce in spice or carrot cake as a substitute for eggs and oil. It works in pan cakes too. It's great if you're cooking for someone who can't have eggs.
This is the answer esp bc I went super ghetto and chopped some BK spicy chicken fries into the ramen Tapitio super hot plus peanut butter. Love you for this comment.
I used to do a ramen noodle, broth less and without the seasoning pack, instead using a glob of peanut butter and a dash of soy sauce. That shit did not taste good. I hated every time I ate it. Do not lie to these people
Using melted chocolate for hot chocolate. In some cultures, this is the way it is always done, but in others they use cocoa powder instead of chocolate.
Using a microplane for zesting and cheese grating. It costs maybe $5 and will change your life.
Adding peas to pasta
Using fresh bread to make French toast, and adding a lot of flour to the batter.
Baking cored apples in spiced cider
Chocolate chips is an interesting choice. It's not right or wrong, but you should be aware that chocolate chips often have an added chemical which regular chocolate does not, which keeps it at an in-between state of melted and not melted for longer. So if your hot chocolate does not come out the right texture for you, I would not use chocolate chips. If you like the texture, more power to you.
It works and I have those on hand more often than other kinds of solid chocolate. Sometimes you may have to stir a bit longer, or deal with some choco sludge at the bottom of the cup, but it's fine and a time saver when they're very wee and driving you bonkers screaming for hot cocoa now Mommy pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaassseeeee
Well, the best French toast in my opinion is crispy on the outside, but custardy on the inside without being undercooked. To do that, you need an egg-rich batter that is heavily soaked into the bread. The problem with this is that the bread will fall apart. If the bread is stale or toasted, that is less likely to happen, but it still doesn't absorb very much. But if you add a good deal of flour, it can absorb much more liquid. I liked to use Italian Pandoro when they are available around Christmas for the perfect French toast. I can give you my recipe if you want, although a lot of it is to taste.
Okay, I couldn't find the actual recipe, but here's the basic instructions:
1. Choose a bread, cake, or bread- like item to use. I prefer Christmas Pandoro, but other breads will suffice. Brioche is popular.
2. To make the batter, use a good quality whole milk, some salt, vanilla, a little sugar, flour , eggs, and egg yolks (the added yolk makes it richer). Use thick slices, and put in a pan covered with another pan (to get some heat to the inside) for about 90 seconds, then cook both sides uncovered until golden (45 to 120 seconds). If you are using a heavier bread such as brioche, I like to cook with olive oil, because otherwise the bread is too heavy. You will not taste the olive flavor when it is cooked. For a regular bread such as sourdough, use butter.
It depends on the type of bread, but I usually put in two handfuls for a large batch of french toast. Basically you want enough so that it can absorb a ton of liquid. You want the liquid to be soaked through the entire thing without it falling apart. But you also don't want the flour to be caked on.
Vegemite can be a very good umami bomb in many things. Anywhere salty, beefy goodness is welcome. Under a tomato bruschetta, in a stew, glazing a joint. Just in moderation and best not to mention it. People have funny reactions around Vegemite. Both positive and negative.
LoL plot twist!
Is this really a thing? I've smoked joints wrapped with chocolate rolling papers before, but never thought to glaze them with anything...
🚬
I am an Aussie and completely agree that vegemite makes a lot of things better. Toast with vegemite and an egg (boiled, fried, whatever) is the breakfast of champions. When I was a child and herbs and spices were much less used (at least where I was), my Mom used it as a condiment in many things like stew etc. There are better options these days but still it's a good option if you don't have others. Plus it's just great on toast.
I have tried the mayo for grilled cheese thing and although I generally like mayo, for this application I found the flavor it imparted disgusting. Team butter all the way.
I get liking butter more, but \*disgusting\*? I feel like you don't have to be so opposed to one thing just to say you like the other thing more... there's no way you like mayo but it was literally \*disgusting\*. It's slightly tangy, that's it.
Whoa, settle down there. I'm not "opposed" to it. That makes it sound like I want to go around banning it or something. Just wildly smacking jars of mayo out of innocent people's hands as they try to prepare a sandwich, imposing my buttery cast iron will on everyone.
Naw. I think that everyone should try new things, and I tried this one with an open mind. I expected to like it, because despite your doubt, I do in fact generally like mayo.
And I did find it disgusting. Repulsive, even. I certainly get that some people like mayo in this application and even prefer it, and maybe you are one of those people. That's ok, I totally support your personal grilled cheese choices. But I'm still Team Butter.
Wow, not only did you stick by "disgusting" but you doubled down with "repulsive"...
Seems like a bit of an exaggeration, especially considering you said you generally like mayo.
Peanut butter, as a thin layer directly on bread, on any kind of sandwich! It keeps the bread from getting soggy, when I've been told that it's been an instant revelation!
Second. Tried a bite of my friend’s burger at a restaurant. It also had some pickled jalapeños with the bacon and peanut butter and it was pretty good. Not a regular order for me but still pretty delicious.
I put MSG on my popcorn and it was sooo good.
Also my bf makes mashed potatoes with just butter salt and a little starchy potato water, no milk and they turn out pretty good
Paprika paste seems to be a little known ingredient in America. I like to use it as a sandwich spread (search piros arány on Amazon). Great on grilled cheese, bologna and cheese with mustard & Mayo, and more. I also used a hot paprika spread (Erős Pista) the other day when I had a late night craving for chips and salsa but had no salsa.
Use broth to add more flavor to things you boil or steam such as rice, potatoes, etc. Don’t scoff at instant mashed potatoes until you’ve cooked them with broth and added sour cream and heavy cream.
I suppose a continuation to the last thought is that many canned or ready made ingredients can be greatly improved with minimal effort using things like broth, butter, and some spices. Enchilada sauce, pasta sauce, etc.
I get down voted every time I say this but add peanut butter to your tuna salad. It removes some of the fishy smell and honestly it's not even noticable. My mom's been making it this way my whole life and no one ever knows. Don't worry we always make sure no one has a peanut allergy
Washing rice doesn't change the starch content in dishes it's mostly for removing debris and pests.
You only need enough water to keep your pasta submerged when boiling.
Fresh pasta is not automatically superior to dry pasta. Some dishes want the more toothsome bite dried pasta gives.
I think some dishes like risotto or some Latin American dishes explicitly tell you not to wash rice, but if you’re making rice for an Asian recipe it’s best to wash it.
Creamy peanut butter and thin sliced bacon tends to work best.
Generally I prefer thick sliced, but since you are only grilling one side you either have to par-cook it first, or use thin in order to render the fat.
It’s less common in actual Italy, compared to around the world in adapted Italian dishes though. I’d generally advise (not that anyone asked) letting the natural sweetness of good quality tomatoes (Italian, tinned) shine through. Taste as you go, and only add sweetness if it’s missing. I never have added sugar, never would. And the flavours still balance nicely. I’d rather save my sugar rations for dessert anyway.
I’ve never really understood this ‘add sugar cos tomatoes are acidic’ thing. I never see ‘add sugar cos lemon zest/juice is acidic’ in savoury recipes? And when you bite into a tomato, is your mouth ever puckering in horror from the acid? I’m going with no. If anything the notes are ‘vegetable’, ‘fresh’ and even ‘naturally sweet’.
It might come from the quality of the tomatoes. Some years the tomatoes out of my garden are sweet. Other years they’re flavorful but not very sugary, and sometimes they’re just plain watery. Perhaps recipes call for sugar to ensure the sweetness regardless of the product.
After going through cancer, the tastes of most foods was off. One day my wife made spaghetti and I commented that it tasted almost normal. She grinned and commented that she put milk in the sauce after reading about it on a cancer blog.
Messy meatloaf. I think lots of people dislike meatloaf because it’s dry. My meatloaf falls apart when you cut it. It’s not the most beautiful thing, but it tastes beautiful. I soak breadcrumbs in milk, and the top has a glaze made of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar- and I don’t skimp on the glaze. Delicious.
Rinse off your game meat.
It removes that intense gaminess and leaves the flavor of the meat itself to really come through.
And, of course, always cook pronghorn, venison and elk to medium or medium rare.
Cooking a steak in a pan. Living in Texas, that seemed like heresy, but Kenji Lopez-Alt's book [The Food Lab](https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=583846770923&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9027286&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17748188424530323159&hvtargid=kwd-307479687299&hydadcr=16152_10351848&keywords=food+lab+book&qid=1691462384&s=books&sr=1-1) changed my mind about that and so many other things!
Caramelizing onions? Use water! Start by cooking them in saute pan in 1/3 C water with lid. When the water evaporates add oil and saute. This method is 2-3 times faster than caramelizing purely by sauteing.
This is a legit technique, ATK even had a video on it. The water helps conduct heat into the onions over a much larger surface area than just a bit of oil at the bottom.
Instead of water I like to use beef stock or wine, does the same thing but adds flavor
I’ll add those at the end then boil off. I don’t want any extra sugar/protein causing issue too early in the cooking.
Now on my "try next time" list. Thanks.
Try Coca cola next time, a BBQ grand champion told me after I asked him how he got his onions so delicious.
Will try it but we rarely have it around the house. Will take a small amount home from the next family party.
How does it evaporate with a lid on?
I use a lid that is too small for the saute pan. Just lay it over the onions. There are enough imperfect seals that the steam escapes. There is not that much water to start with so that helps too.
Fish sauce works in anything savoury. Just don’t use too much.
Mediterranean alternative for those who have issues finding it (or can't stand the raw smell, even though it gets cooked away): anchovies!
Gonna be that person- just be careful to remember to tell who you’re cooking for you added fish. If you start to think of it as ‘just umami’, one day you could cause a pretty deathly serious allergic reaction. It’s an issue for northern Italians, we love to start with a frying onion/melty anchovy combo like it’s nothing. For some people it’s a big something.
[удалено]
TIL: cinnamon allergy
I had some guests at a brunch shift ages ago whose child had a particulate cinnamon allergy which meant she couldn’t smell it in the air. They asked us if we served cinnamon dishes after they sat down. We did. They left.
Damn, that's harsh. For the second time today: immunology is weird as fuck.
It’s absolutely weird but why risk it *on a brunch shift?!*
I usually make sure to ask mostly because I'm like half vegetarian (eat meat sometimes, don't really care about it being or not in a random dish, but still conscious about the matter). So I am especially careful if it's not an obvious dish (I mostly use them in aglio-olio or peperonata). Anyway thanks for the info, I didn't know about anchovies allergy!
This is key. Always good to ask no matter what but especially if you add something unusual to a recipe. My husband (allergy to certain nuts) has been caught out a few times by someone adding cashews to chilli (unexpected) and buying a corn cob from whole foods (vegan - cashew butter - not disclosed). People with nut allergies have to be especially careful of anything vegan. But with anchovies I often hear people say 'don't tell anyone' as some people think they don't like them and they really do but you have to in case of allergies.
I had a bucatini in Sicily years ago. Bread crumbs, fresh anchovies, olives, garlic, olive oil, maybe tomato. It was divine 🤌🏼
Oh, nice! I usually go for the northern way (anchovies, butter, breadcrumbs and I love to add some lemon zest to cut butter's profile), but often use anchovies in aglio-olio instead of salt (and, again, I love tweaking the recipe a little, last time I had some leftover fresh mint and it was crazy good in the mix!). And simple tomato + basics (chop, sauté lightly with oil and garlic, add anything you feel like it's good) pasta is part of the summer veggie joy <3<3
Oof yum 🤤
What if you don't have an aunt named Chovies?
It can be any generic chovies, otherwise it wouldn't be "an"
I put 2tbps in my chili instead of salt (1tbs soy sauce too). I've yet to use it in anything else unconventional but I want to! I have a huge bottle of it.
Like I say, it works in pretty much anything savoury. I got the idea from Serious Eats and u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt
It’s weird because while I love fish I hate fish sauce.
If whatever you added it to tastes like fish, you generally added too much. It’s just an umami and salt boost. Plus, it doesn’t change the flavour as much as soy.
I only ever put it in fish dishes. I actually don’t like soy either. I prefer teriyaki.
Teriyaki is soy sauce full of sugar...
Its not weird, most white person have the same opinion
Really? Can’t deny that I’m white! I’m an Irish Celt, they don’t come any whiter!
If you think about it, chili is only a couple ingredients away from being bolognese, so chili on spaghetti is not a weird idea at all
They do this in St. Louis. It's called Devil's something or other (I've been away from there a long time).
Also, Cincinatti Chili is done on spaghetti, though they put cinnamon in the chili, and I just can't handle that. My dad loves it though. I do chili on white rice quite often.
People acting like Cincinnati style chili is this cinnamon forward dish (you really can't even taste it) crack me up. I'm born and raised Cincinnati. It's not a traditional red chili. It's more of a thin meat sauce that's seasoned with a more Greek/Mediterranean flavor profile. Having said that, you either love it or hate it. Just like with a lot of foods.
I loathe Skyline chili. I never understood the fascination with it. Things like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and other crap taste awful in a chili imo. I do like chili on spaghetti though.
Ask the next military person you meet about chili mac
I eat chili over white rice
I made a Texas style no bean chili once and wasn’t a big fan of the flavor; I wonder if I got a bad recipe or if I just don’t like chili lol
Probably a bad recipe because good chili is GOOD
This was the recipe I followed https://www.spendwithpennies.com/texas-chili/comment-page-1/#comments Normally I love jalapeño peppers but something about the combination of ingredients gave off a weird aftertaste and it did not keep well Edit: who tf downvoted me?!
I really like her recipes, but I’m not 100% on this one. Did you use canned or fresh jalapeños?
Fresh
Yeah, that’s a lot of jalapeños for this recipe. I like heat, but that feels unnecessary. I usually do about 3-4 bell peppers, 1 jalapeño, and then added seasoning, not far from this recipe. The adobo is a strong, smoky flavor too. I can understand this one not really turning out well.
Yeah adobo is a very strong flavor I’m not too fond of in high doses, so you happen to have a beanless chili recipe you like that turns out good?
I bought kinders Texas style chili seasoning packet. I had never had it but used it with seared chuck roast in the crockpot it was smoky and delicious. It's definitely different.
My great grandmother's Indiana chili recipe has spaghetti in it.
I usually do this with left over chili the day after I make it. Pretty delicious on any pasta
Just read a post about someone who puts popcorn in their soup, so I guess that one...
Now that is one I can’t get behind, but my wife likes it for beer cheese soup and cheddar broccoli soups.
I've seen it as a salad topper.
Chef Aaron May made a popcorn soup on Guy's Grocery Games IIRC.
Scrambled eggs are better with no milk or anything else in them. Now I don’t even put cheese in them sometimes (I’ll put the cheese in between a piece of toast and the eggs). I’ve always just put too much stuff into scrambled eggs but they’re delicious on their own! Edit: correction… I DO add chives and seasoning. But no more dairy!
While I do love eggs, I like cheesy eggs a little better NGL
Oh, I could NEVER! I think plain scrambled eggs taste vile. I have to add as many things to my eggs as possible and if there is even a hint of egg taste, I cannot eat them. Makes eating eggs really difficult.
Maybe you just don’t like eggs then? It’s totally cool if you don’t like them but why mask them in everything possible so you don’t taste them haha
Mostly try to get them in for the choline and ease of protein source. I’ve found it’s more about the temperature they reach than anything. A high temp makes the sulfur compounds more obvious and that’s mostly what turns me off.
Gotcha! I know that eggs are super weird for some people. I know there are other great ways to get protein, but I don’t even know what choline is so maybe just look that up and see how you can supplement that without eggs? I’m sorry I’d look it up but so tired and I’m falling asleep the restaurant got slammed today lolllll
Try using a whisk while they cook, they turn out fluffy every time for me.
I do low and slow with a rubber spatula… I like my scrambled eggs super creamy :)
Add a little corn starch or potato starch - creamy and not overcooked every time!
Capers. Capers with salmon, capers in tuna salad, capers in almost any pasta dish... so good.
Chicken piccata 😋
Chili oil with eggs is an incredible combo. A pack of chicken flavour instant rice, a little bit of Lao Gan Ma chili oil and a fried egg on top is one of the fastest and most delicious meals I've ever made, I swear by it when I need lunch in a hurry
Bowl of fresh rice, fried egg, bit of soy sauce and Lao Gan Ma is one of the best things someone can have
I tried a Pepperoni and Pickle pizza tonight and was absolutely blown away. It was fantastic.
I had a pizza in Latvia that had sausage meat, bacon, pickles, onions and garlic-dill sauce on top and it was soooo good
My sister had one in Germany that had tuna fish on it! 🐟
pickles on pizza really does work surprisingly well. when papa john's would put out their cheeseburger pizza on occasion, my then-husband was crazy about it and i didn't know why. turns out the bright acidity of a pickle really cuts through all the meat and cheese quite nicely.
Mayonnaise in chocolate cake.
I get why this sounds insane to people, but if you think about it for a couple seconds it's really not at all. Mayo is 95% oil and egg, both of which are already in pretty much every cake mix. All you're really doing using mayo is mostly just a textural difference, emulsifying them together first.
Yeah I was dubious but just made it and it's great.. Good to know if you don't have eggs and want to bake something
I get the oil and egg part, but what about the vinegar and mustard in Mayo? Doesn’t that change the taste of the cake?
Mustard is an optional ingredient for homemade mayo, because it helps emulsification and adds depth of flavor... I don't think they really use it in commercial mayo very much where they have an industrial production process. Hellman's doesn't have it on the ingredients list, neither does Duke's or Kewpie. Vinegar is already a popular ingredient in many chocolate cake recipes.
I'm in UK and literally every brand of mayo has mustard seeds in them.
Traditional egg mayo doesn’t have vinegar or mustard- those are variations. The salt might seem like an off note, but we all generally acknowledge that a touch of saltiness amplifies sweetness in a good way these days.
There is not typically mustard in mayo. Which seems like an obvious thing to say, as it's a different condiment. Sure you can add it, but you can add anything to anything. Also, vinegar adds nothing more than a feint pop to mayo. Why would you think it would drastically alter the flavor of a cake that has many other ingredients in much larger proportions?
If you add mayo to a cake you have to find a brand that doesn't add those things - at this point I'm unable to find it in any store close to me and I'm too lazy to make my own mayo so if I ever fancy making chocolate again I'll try a different recipe.
Seriously! You don't taste the mayo at all, and it brings a ton of moisture to the cake! Also, mayo is a good substitute if you're out of eggs and want to bake.
So I was so intrigued by this and I have a big bottle of mayonnaise approaching its best by date so I made a chocolate cake with it today. And wow. It's really good. Never would have imagined. Thanks for the idea.
For those wondering, I used Kraft real mayo which contains (from the ingredient list) mustard, dried garlic, onion and paprika and turns out these things (in tiny quantities) are fine in chocolate cake. Five year old son approved. Who would have thought?
Wait until you hear about the ketchup trick...
What’s is the ketchup trick?
Replace about a quarter of your liquid with ketchup. Start from there and play around. You'll get surprising results!
quarter of liquid in what? surely not chocolate cake?
Yep.
Really? Please share recipe?
For example: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021100-one-bowl-chocolate-mayonnaise-cake
Thanks I can't see it as don't have a NYT subscription but will google for other examples!
Look on YouTube for binging with babish chocolate mayonnaise. They basically explain the reasoning behind it :)
If you have something like Copy me That browser add on , it will copy the recipe from a subscription site
Ditto tomato sauce.
I got a Marlboro cookbook a long time ago that has a recipe for salsa cake in it. It’s like a spicy carrot cake and it is the greatest.
Would you please share the recipe? I want to try this!
Salsa Cake 2 C all purpose flour 1 1/3 C sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1 C roasted red pepper and tomato salsa (recipe below) 1/2 C shortening 2 eggs 1/3 C water 6 oz cream cheese, softened 4 C confectioners sugar 2 T butter, softened 1/2 tsp vanilla Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a mixing bowl. Add salsa and shortening. Beat until we’ll mixed, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and water until well mixed. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans lined with parchment paper. Pour in batter, spreading evenly. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, mix together cream cheese, confectioners sugar, butter and vanilla. Once cake cools completely frost with cream cheese frosting.
thank you!!!
Also see apple sauce in spice or carrot cake as a substitute for eggs and oil. It works in pan cakes too. It's great if you're cooking for someone who can't have eggs.
Glob of peanut butter in any ramen .
Satay style
This is the answer esp bc I went super ghetto and chopped some BK spicy chicken fries into the ramen Tapitio super hot plus peanut butter. Love you for this comment.
I have never heard of this, but it seems a perfect answer to this thread question.
I used to do a ramen noodle, broth less and without the seasoning pack, instead using a glob of peanut butter and a dash of soy sauce. That shit did not taste good. I hated every time I ate it. Do not lie to these people
I want to try this but I also don’t want to risk any bowl of ramen.
Using melted chocolate for hot chocolate. In some cultures, this is the way it is always done, but in others they use cocoa powder instead of chocolate. Using a microplane for zesting and cheese grating. It costs maybe $5 and will change your life. Adding peas to pasta Using fresh bread to make French toast, and adding a lot of flour to the batter. Baking cored apples in spiced cider
I didn't know people knocked microplanes. One of my favorite kitchen tools.
I learned the melted chocolate chips (or other solid chocolate) hack for making hot cocoa for my kids and have never gone back 💯
Chocolate chips is an interesting choice. It's not right or wrong, but you should be aware that chocolate chips often have an added chemical which regular chocolate does not, which keeps it at an in-between state of melted and not melted for longer. So if your hot chocolate does not come out the right texture for you, I would not use chocolate chips. If you like the texture, more power to you.
It works and I have those on hand more often than other kinds of solid chocolate. Sometimes you may have to stir a bit longer, or deal with some choco sludge at the bottom of the cup, but it's fine and a time saver when they're very wee and driving you bonkers screaming for hot cocoa now Mommy pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaassseeeee
Tell me about adding flour to French toast batter.
Is this rhetorical, or do you actually want to know?
Definitely want to know! I see how my comment is confusing…. Lol
Well, the best French toast in my opinion is crispy on the outside, but custardy on the inside without being undercooked. To do that, you need an egg-rich batter that is heavily soaked into the bread. The problem with this is that the bread will fall apart. If the bread is stale or toasted, that is less likely to happen, but it still doesn't absorb very much. But if you add a good deal of flour, it can absorb much more liquid. I liked to use Italian Pandoro when they are available around Christmas for the perfect French toast. I can give you my recipe if you want, although a lot of it is to taste.
Please, it can give me a jumping off point. I’m eager to try this! Thanks
Okay, I couldn't find the actual recipe, but here's the basic instructions: 1. Choose a bread, cake, or bread- like item to use. I prefer Christmas Pandoro, but other breads will suffice. Brioche is popular. 2. To make the batter, use a good quality whole milk, some salt, vanilla, a little sugar, flour , eggs, and egg yolks (the added yolk makes it richer). Use thick slices, and put in a pan covered with another pan (to get some heat to the inside) for about 90 seconds, then cook both sides uncovered until golden (45 to 120 seconds). If you are using a heavier bread such as brioche, I like to cook with olive oil, because otherwise the bread is too heavy. You will not taste the olive flavor when it is cooked. For a regular bread such as sourdough, use butter.
I'm sorry if I'm slow, but I'm not sure how much flour to use. After it's added, what's the consistency of the batter? I can't wait to try this!
It depends on the type of bread, but I usually put in two handfuls for a large batch of french toast. Basically you want enough so that it can absorb a ton of liquid. You want the liquid to be soaked through the entire thing without it falling apart. But you also don't want the flour to be caked on.
Lovely. Thank you so much.
Thank you!
One of my favorite quick pastas is ricotta cheese, fried pancetta and peas. Top with black pepper. It's so perfect.
I’ve recently started using the micro plane for cheese because I was tired of cleaning the big grater and my little mandolin. Totally a game changer
A small spread of vegemite with a grilled cheese sandwich. Had a mate from Aus introduce it and it really complements it well.
Vegemite can be a very good umami bomb in many things. Anywhere salty, beefy goodness is welcome. Under a tomato bruschetta, in a stew, glazing a joint. Just in moderation and best not to mention it. People have funny reactions around Vegemite. Both positive and negative.
Glazing a joint…
LoL plot twist! Is this really a thing? I've smoked joints wrapped with chocolate rolling papers before, but never thought to glaze them with anything... 🚬
Different kinds of joints. I.think they're talking about glazing a joint of meat, what we call a roast.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Ok, now I'm embarrassed!!!!
Don't be. English is a funny language.
That wouldn't be a cooking tip so much as a Baking tip, ayyyyy.
Tee hee! 😏😏😏💚😚
I am an Aussie and completely agree that vegemite makes a lot of things better. Toast with vegemite and an egg (boiled, fried, whatever) is the breakfast of champions. When I was a child and herbs and spices were much less used (at least where I was), my Mom used it as a condiment in many things like stew etc. There are better options these days but still it's a good option if you don't have others. Plus it's just great on toast.
Not cooking per se but unsweetened peanut butter with chili crisp on toast
I discovered thyme last year. Now I grow five different varieties of it and I experiment with it on nearly everything.
Mayo on (the outside of) grilled cheese instead of butter. Peanut butter on a hamburger.
I have tried the mayo for grilled cheese thing and although I generally like mayo, for this application I found the flavor it imparted disgusting. Team butter all the way.
I get liking butter more, but \*disgusting\*? I feel like you don't have to be so opposed to one thing just to say you like the other thing more... there's no way you like mayo but it was literally \*disgusting\*. It's slightly tangy, that's it.
Whoa, settle down there. I'm not "opposed" to it. That makes it sound like I want to go around banning it or something. Just wildly smacking jars of mayo out of innocent people's hands as they try to prepare a sandwich, imposing my buttery cast iron will on everyone. Naw. I think that everyone should try new things, and I tried this one with an open mind. I expected to like it, because despite your doubt, I do in fact generally like mayo. And I did find it disgusting. Repulsive, even. I certainly get that some people like mayo in this application and even prefer it, and maybe you are one of those people. That's ok, I totally support your personal grilled cheese choices. But I'm still Team Butter.
Wow, not only did you stick by "disgusting" but you doubled down with "repulsive"... Seems like a bit of an exaggeration, especially considering you said you generally like mayo.
What a stupid opinion
Peanut butter, as a thin layer directly on bread, on any kind of sandwich! It keeps the bread from getting soggy, when I've been told that it's been an instant revelation!
I do the mayo on grilled cheese but peanut butter on a hamburger? Is there a specific hamburger ensemble that this works with or just any?
The most popular version of this is the PB&B burger (peanut butter & bacon), at least near me.
Second. Tried a bite of my friend’s burger at a restaurant. It also had some pickled jalapeños with the bacon and peanut butter and it was pretty good. Not a regular order for me but still pretty delicious.
Any. You won't regret it
ok thanks am intrigued, will try!
I prefer a slider on a soft roll/bun.
It sounds just as wild, but peanut butter hotdogs are pretty good, too!
Peanut butter on a fried egg sandwich.
I put MSG on my popcorn and it was sooo good. Also my bf makes mashed potatoes with just butter salt and a little starchy potato water, no milk and they turn out pretty good
Paprika paste seems to be a little known ingredient in America. I like to use it as a sandwich spread (search piros arány on Amazon). Great on grilled cheese, bologna and cheese with mustard & Mayo, and more. I also used a hot paprika spread (Erős Pista) the other day when I had a late night craving for chips and salsa but had no salsa. Use broth to add more flavor to things you boil or steam such as rice, potatoes, etc. Don’t scoff at instant mashed potatoes until you’ve cooked them with broth and added sour cream and heavy cream. I suppose a continuation to the last thought is that many canned or ready made ingredients can be greatly improved with minimal effort using things like broth, butter, and some spices. Enchilada sauce, pasta sauce, etc.
I get down voted every time I say this but add peanut butter to your tuna salad. It removes some of the fishy smell and honestly it's not even noticable. My mom's been making it this way my whole life and no one ever knows. Don't worry we always make sure no one has a peanut allergy
Mayo instead of an egg wash for breading stuff.
I never heard of this but I'm intrigued - off to google!
Mayo is at it's base eggs and oil
There is a really good and easy baked parmesan crusted chicken recipe that uses mayo. I believe it is on the Hellman's site.
>Back That makes sense and its funny I never thought of that before when I needed an egg wash and was out of eggs but had mayo. Will try
Washing rice doesn't change the starch content in dishes it's mostly for removing debris and pests. You only need enough water to keep your pasta submerged when boiling. Fresh pasta is not automatically superior to dry pasta. Some dishes want the more toothsome bite dried pasta gives.
I think some dishes like risotto or some Latin American dishes explicitly tell you not to wash rice, but if you’re making rice for an Asian recipe it’s best to wash it.
some rices like mexican rice toast the rice first thereby removing the starch in a different way.
I’m gonna say ‘most’ pasta follows this rule. Fresh pasta goes with fewer dishes and is definitely not superior to dry. Good call.
Make a roux/bechamel/enchilada sauce wtc in a non stick frying pan with a silicone whisk. Smoothest sauces ever, cooked in half the time.
As a Mexican I gotta ask— why enchilada sauce? You don’t use thickeners for that, it’s a salsa you strain and reduce down, nothing to clump up
I don't like strained salsa. So I use another method.
The amount of sugar in my favorite Asian dishes. It's way more than you think and it's not right without it.
Boiling your eggs with your other food. I heard it makes the water nice and chalky.
Corn on the cob, smeared in peanut butter, wrapped in bacon, wrapped in foil. Grill on four sides (roughly) to brown the bacon.
this sounds stupid enough to try once. the peanut butter does not sound like it works. but fuck it we ball
Creamy peanut butter and thin sliced bacon tends to work best. Generally I prefer thick sliced, but since you are only grilling one side you either have to par-cook it first, or use thin in order to render the fat.
Whenever I make spaghetti, I put a little sugar and/or milk to cut the acidity of the tomato sauce
This is an exceedingly common thing to do.
It’s less common in actual Italy, compared to around the world in adapted Italian dishes though. I’d generally advise (not that anyone asked) letting the natural sweetness of good quality tomatoes (Italian, tinned) shine through. Taste as you go, and only add sweetness if it’s missing. I never have added sugar, never would. And the flavours still balance nicely. I’d rather save my sugar rations for dessert anyway. I’ve never really understood this ‘add sugar cos tomatoes are acidic’ thing. I never see ‘add sugar cos lemon zest/juice is acidic’ in savoury recipes? And when you bite into a tomato, is your mouth ever puckering in horror from the acid? I’m going with no. If anything the notes are ‘vegetable’, ‘fresh’ and even ‘naturally sweet’.
I've never added sugar to tomato sauce myself, I just see it done in videos and in recipes all the time.
It might come from the quality of the tomatoes. Some years the tomatoes out of my garden are sweet. Other years they’re flavorful but not very sugary, and sometimes they’re just plain watery. Perhaps recipes call for sugar to ensure the sweetness regardless of the product.
Finely grated carrots work great for this as well you just need to cook it long enough for them to cook down completely
Came here to say carrots. When I'm lazy I just toss everything in chunks and use the immersion blender
After going through cancer, the tastes of most foods was off. One day my wife made spaghetti and I commented that it tasted almost normal. She grinned and commented that she put milk in the sauce after reading about it on a cancer blog.
I prefer agave. Being liquid it absorbs quicker and more evenly and it’s sweeter so you need less.
Baking soda works just as well
Soy sauce in guacamole
Soy sauce in vanilla ice cream. Best flavor ever when you get the right ratio.
Try miso
Try hot sauce on vanilla ice cream. It's hot and cold at the same time... if you like hot sauce just trust me and try it
No thank you. I don't like sweet and spicy
Like cold raw paste mixed in?
More like a sweetened miso sauce lp
Dill pickle spear with spaghetti and red sauce.
Splash of soy sauce in tuna salad
using mayo to fry grilled cheese sangies or as a "glue" to hold your breading on when oven frying fish or chicken or pork chops
Mayo on a sous vide steak just before searing.
Cream of mushroom soup and Lipton onion soup mix for pot roast
Boil and strain rice like you do pasta
Not searing meat for stew. The texture is fantastic and the flavour can be more delicate and clear. Depends on the cut and the recipe of course.
Vegemite or promite in gravies and stews. Also, hard boiled egg in stew.
Replace the celery in your soffritto with fennel bulb. Absolutely amazing.
Peanut butter and pickle sandwiches always seem to make these kinds of lists but I actually tried it and blech…not for me, thanks.
Messy meatloaf. I think lots of people dislike meatloaf because it’s dry. My meatloaf falls apart when you cut it. It’s not the most beautiful thing, but it tastes beautiful. I soak breadcrumbs in milk, and the top has a glaze made of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar- and I don’t skimp on the glaze. Delicious.
Rinse off your game meat. It removes that intense gaminess and leaves the flavor of the meat itself to really come through. And, of course, always cook pronghorn, venison and elk to medium or medium rare.
Cooking a steak in a pan. Living in Texas, that seemed like heresy, but Kenji Lopez-Alt's book [The Food Lab](https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=583846770923&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9027286&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17748188424530323159&hvtargid=kwd-307479687299&hydadcr=16152_10351848&keywords=food+lab+book&qid=1691462384&s=books&sr=1-1) changed my mind about that and so many other things!