This Is the Stupidest Mistake You Can Make While Cooking
Listen up, individuals who like to prepare dinner. You’re about to learn a quick cautionary story about why you need to at all times measure components and by no means shake the salt or dried herbs over the pot. The different night time, I used to be making a sauce for my spaghetti squash whereas I waited for it to roast within the oven. “I am going to simply add a pinch of crimson pepper flakes to spice it up,” I assumed as I used to be contemplating how unenthused I used to be to eat this “pasta” with out the carbs. I grabbed the crimson pepper flakes from my spice cupboard – my jumbo jar, I ought to add – then opened it and added a robust “faucet” into the pan to go along with the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, spinach, and white beans that have been simmering. To my horror, an infinite quantity of flakes, near half a cup, got here spilling out of the container.
I spotted I had opened the flawed aspect of the lid: the open aspect reasonably than the perforated aspect, that means there was nothing controlling the speedy stream of spiciness. I scraped a lot of the pile into the trash can, however since dried herbs and chiles launch taste when heated in a skillet, the harm was already finished. Not solely would I be consuming a tragic excuse for spaghetti, however I might be consuming a tragic excuse for spaghetti with means an excessive amount of warmth for my liking.
I used to be reminded of considered one of many cooking tips from Ina Garten: measure all the pieces to a T. “I measure all the pieces. To the half teaspoon. Because I at all times suppose that if I’ve spent a lot time ensuring this recipe was precisely the way in which I need it, why would I wish to throw issues right into a pot? I am actually a scientist,” she has mentioned of her philosophy. As traditional, Ina speaks the reality. Even in the event you’re not following a recipe and you make it up as you go, it is good to measure the seasoning, whether or not that is in your hand or with measuring spoons. Far too typically individuals oversalt or undersalt their dishes as a result of they’re blindly shaking the container above the range. The similar goes for black pepper, crimson pepper flakes, or any variety of dried spices; the correct quantity elevates the dish and the wrong quantity can damage the flavour profile totally. So take it from me – however, extra importantly, from Ina – and take note of measurements to keep away from struggling the Series of Unfortunate Events: Red Pepper Flake Edition.
