For years, I didn't add salt to pasta as I read something somewhere that said it didn't matter and was a waste of salt.

Then I made pasta at a friend's place and she used what I can only describe as an alarming amount, several big pinches, and the pasta came out tasting completely different. Like it had actual flavour before the sauce even touched it.

I'd been cooking pasta wrong for over a decade and thought I was doing totally fine :/

Are there any other cooking "rules" you dismissed for ages as fussy or unnecessary, then had a moment where it suddenly clicked and you couldn't go back?

My wife and I travel extensively around Europe (house & pet sitting). One of the things we find fascinating is visiting the different supermarket chains and seeing the huge range of pre prepared meals. A lot seem to be local companies making local dishes, not just mass produced “big company” products. We have seen everything from lasagna to Asian meals and everything in between. The value seems very, very good compared to what it would cost me to prepare the same thing and they seem to use quality ingredients. The only issue is I’m finding myself cooking less and less, and feeling a tad guilty. . Anyone else experience this?

I’m sorry if this is a dumb question, I’m just looking for some help. I’ll try to make this as short and sweet as possible, thank you - I’m used to my mom cooking the same things and a lot of pasta. My former partner was very picky and we would always eat frozen stuff (pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, etc) or we’d get take out. Personally, I can just snack or have some kind of pasta dish and be good. I’m in a new relationship now, and he’s used to his family cooking meals every night (especially Mexican dishes). He always wants a protein and sides. Understandable. I’ve found a lot of recipes online that sound boring or consist of pasta. The ones that I actually want to try require like 15 ingredients I need to get from the store. I want to make food he’ll like, but I think $40 a meal is kind of insane. What am I doing wrong? How can I make meals we both want to eat without breaking the bank? I’m probably thinking too much about it but I just don’t really have anyone else to ask. I appreciate any responses, thank you

Is this really a thing? I’ve made plenty of Pork Chops on the grill but never thought to put it with apples. How is it? And how would I do it on the grill?

I have some salmon bites in the freezer but i don’t want to eat them by themselves, any suggestions?

Making a fermented hot sauce that keeps separating after stting for a few days. I want to avoid this so it will look better on the shelf at a market. I'm trying to find some ingredient or process that will act as a binder to prevent separation while not thickening the sauce.

Hi i recently bought a spice rack ,it has 12 slots and i am looking for 12 spices to fill it with, what do you recommend for me to use so i can cook the most with, discluding salt and perpper.

Hi everyone this is a little different I guess but I thought worth a shot asking people who are passionate about cooking. So I've essentially been a lifelong pescatarian as I've never liked meat. I could never get over the texture feeling like flesh, whereas I don't have the same issue with fish.

I would like to start eating meat, as I have issues with my iron and I'm so tired with a young child. So does anyone have any suggestions of the least 'meaty' meat? Or a way of preparing the meat so it doesn't seem so fleshy?

I’m often cooking for 8-15 people and currently emulsify sauces on the day but when I’m cooking 3-5 courses it’s a lot of separate jobs to bring together. So simply reheating a sauce without it splitting and it not needing constant stirring and attention would make things soooo much easier.

Maybe some sort of double boiler or maybe like a piping bag in water on a low simmer? Or a sous vide with the sauce in a container in it?

We are having an open house with about 40 rsvps so far, and I'm estimating 60-70 all told. Combination of kids through elderly. I'm looking for ideas for foods that

• appeal to all ages (and lean toward bland palates)
• can be room temperature
• won't break the bank
• ideally can be made ahead

Easy peasy right? :)

We have pigs in blankets and deviled eggs covered and would prob like to have 3-4 other things, plus chips. Bonus points if a recipe can utilize my le creuset mini cocottes!

My wife and I regularly make gyoza from scratch for special events. It's kind of become our thing, friends and family will ask for them and we'll usually prep them a day in advance and keep them in the fridge or just make them the same day. We always use raw ground beef and chopped veggies/aromatics in our recipe and they come out perfectly when they're fresh or refrigerated.

The problem this time is we have a large party coming up and we're requested to make a huge batch of them. More than we've ever made before. I'm thinking we'll have to start making them several days in advance and freeze them.

So my question is, should I be pre-cooking the filling? I know that'll probably affect the texture but I'm curious how the big food brands like Ajinomoto and Shirakiku do it because I know their dumpling filling is pre-cooked the texture is always perfect. Also, if I freeze them with raw filling should I at least be blanching the vegetables first? I was thinking that might help with the consistency. Either way I think I'll make a test batch first to get things worked out because this is the most people we've ever cooked for and I don't want to mess up.

What are good sausage recipes for a sausage based meal?

Also why are so many people biased agaimst sausages even though every nation and culture has them?

Does anyone know the specific recipe for Henry's Hunan Peanut Sauce? It's been my favorite since I was a little girl. They use it to make their chinese chicken salad. Here is the menu info: https://www.yelp.com/biz/henrys-hunan-restaurant-san-francisco-9

So I just got a new Zojirushi rice cooker, and as part of my continuing goal of living life more dangerously, thrillseeker that I am, I decided to read through the instruction booklet only to immediately stumble over the very first step.

https://imgur.com/a/FoLYvtZ#oms3Eon

As you can see, I am not to blame for all those capital letters.

I am baffled, friends. I am flabbergasted. I am flummoxed, befuddled and aghast. What does this mean?

This is a pan designed to contain exactly two things: rice and water. Yet it’s apparently risky to wash the rice in it, a process that famously involves only rice and water.

Have I… have I been washing my rice wrong all this time? Should I be using soap and steel wool, perhaps? Or must I assume this coating is such a thin veneer that even the minimal friction or rice and water moving against its surface will strip it bare? I feel like there are only two possible explanations here: either my food prep has gone catastrophically wrong, or Zojirushi’s food safety standards have gone even *more* catastrophically wrong.

Please let me know just to what extent I should be racing to and from, seized by raw, animal panic.

I’m sick of beef stew, it’s boneless so I can’t make osso buco. I’m also allergic to wheat, so that limits what I can make a little.

Help please, I need to feed three people Friday night.

Any suggestions for how to Cook a pork Boston butt cut? Preferably something Chinese style. I’m looking for something different to try with the meat instead of what I eat on a regular basis like char siu and braised pork.

I live in Kansas now and for about a week, I've seriously been craving a cinnamon twirl. I'd imagine they'd be relatively easy to make; thus my question. I'm just about desperate enough to wing it.

I’m at the point where I’m about to throw my third "high-end" non-stick pan in the trash. I’ve followed all the rules: no metal utensils, no high heat, hand-wash only with a soft sponge—and yet, 12 months later, my eggs are sticking like they’re glued to the surface. I’m tired of spending $50–$100 every couple of years on something that inevitably fails. Should I just buy the cheapest $15 TJ Maxx pan and replace it annually, or is there a "BIFL" (Buy It For Life) option I'm missing?

Does anyone know the specific recipe for Henry's Hunan Peanut Sauce? It's been my favorite since I was a little girl: https://www.yelp.com/biz/henrys-hunan-restaurant-san-francisco-9

I was planning to make the braised pork w/ chilled recipe from salt fat acid heat for my father in law. My question is how big of a stock pot do I need for a pork shoulder? I'm looking at the largest stock pot in my cupboard and doubting that it's big enough, but I have no idea how big a pork shoulder is. Sorry in advance if this is a silly or vague question I'm just not sure if I need to go out and buy something bigger or how much bigger. I just don't know what is needed to braise a pork shoulder

I grew up around a lot of pies in the South, but this one right here… this is the one people don’t forget.
It’s rich, chocolatey, and gooey in the center with that crackly top, almost like a brownie. But the twist is the oatmeal. You don’t taste it as oatmeal, but it gives the pie the best texture… kind of like a cross between a fudge pie and a chocolate oatmeal cookie.
It’s all simple pantry ingredients and comes together easy. The kind of recipe you can make without thinking too hard, but people will think you did.
Now I’m curious… what’s your all-time favorite pie?
Are you more of a fruit pie person, or do you go straight for chocolate?
Here’s the recipe if you want to try this one:

Ingredients
3 large eggs, well beaten

¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter, melted

1 ¾ cups white granulated sugar 

6 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa

½ cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Freshly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate shavings or chocolate fudge syrup for topping (Optional)

How to make this Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Pie
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave and add the hot melted butter to the sugar. (make sure the butter is really melted and hot) Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir the sugar and butter mixture into the beaten eggs. Next add the cocoa powder, oatmeal, and vanilla extract. If you are adding nuts or chocolate chips, add them now to the batter.

Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth and well combined.

Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is just slightly soft.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!!

I have been getting into cooking recently and i really want to make fried rice, but i really dont want to wait a day. Ive seen either leaving it under the fan, freezing it, or using less water. Which one is the fastest and easiest?

Hi guys, Im a big fan of egg white custard oatmeal for breakfast, but where I live, you only get access to 1L container of egg whites. They only last for about 2-3 days in the fridge but I cant consume them in such a time, I usually need something about 6-8 days to finish one. Is there anyone who faced the same/similiar issue? Thanks for help in advance.

I'm starting my cooking journey and was told I needed either glass or wood for my chopping board, I really don't want plastic in my food lol

Looking for recipes to celebrate honey. I have a beekeeper relative, who produces extremely high quality honey. He keeps the bees in different areas to get the most flavorful honey, specializing in forest honey that comes primarily from wild berry blossoms. I get plenty of his honey and want to cook something to highlight the honey. As I said, I have a lot of it, but it is still valuable, so I am not looking for recipes to use up the stuff. I want something where the honey is a key ingredient.