Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to go to culinary school to know the craft of cooking. While many of us learn from our parents or grandparents, with the growth in popularity of the Food Network, many people are learning by watching on TV. Unfortunately, all of us home cooks run into little issues here and there, and some are easier to avoid than others. Here are the top six most common cooking mistakes that we all make and how to avoid them.
You don’t taste as you go
For a lot of cooks, tasting is almost automatic, but if you’re not an every day chef, you might forget to taste when you’re making something. Recipes don’t always have the best measurements for spices and seasonings, which is why it’s so crucial to taste when you’re making a sauce or dressing. Additionally, cooking times may vary from the actual recipe and if you’re not tasting what you’re making, it could end up being undercooked or overcooked.
You don’t read the entire recipe before you start cooking
Just like in school when you’re taught to read all of the directions before starting an exam, the same goes for cooking. By reading the entire recipe before starting, it eliminates any mistakes that might be made with ingredients and prepping. A wise cook will approach the recipe with a critical eye and will read it thoroughly before turning on the oven or mixing together the ingredients.
Making substitutions
Whether you’re trying to be healthier, don’t have the right ingredients, or whatever the issue may be, making substitutions is something you should be very careful doing. When it comes to baking especially, substitutions are bigger than just using applesauce instead of oil. Because baking is a science, it’s important to understand the right substitutions and to do your research before using them.
Boiling instead of simmering
Another extremely common kitchen error is boiling something as opposed to simmering. When directions say to simmer, this means you should see a bubble breaking the surface of the liquid every second or two. When there’s more vigorous bubbling, this means the liquid is boiling. The result of this mistake is a hurried up dish that tends to be cloudy, tough or dry.
Overheating chocolate
Chocolate is a delicate thing to heat up, and if you overdo it, it can become grainy, separated or even scorched. The best way to go about melting chocolate is to be slow and steady and stir until smooth. If you’re using the microwave to melt the chocolate, be cautious and stop the microwave every 20 to 30 seconds to stir. If you’re using a double boiler on the stove, make sure that the water is simmering rather than boiling to avoid ruining the chocolate.
Over-softening butter
Everyone’s guilty of this one. You see in the recipe that you need a stick of “room temperature butter” but all you have is a cold stick. You stick it in the microwave and it comes out partially melted. By using butter that’s too soft, your cookie dough will be like batter and will spread too much when it bakes. Rather than putting it in the microwave, cut the butter into little pieces. This will help the butter come to room temperature much faster!
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Jackie Ryan is a freelance writer and lover of cooking. She’s never attended culinary school and has basically taught herself everything she knows about cooking. By using oven thermometers, she’s been able to try new and different recipes and has been successful in her attempts!
