My buddy kept pushing his air fryer for months and I kept rolling my eyes. Figured it was just a tiny convection oven that would dry everything out. Then I grabbed a pack of drumsticks on sale at Aldi for like $6, tossed them in some random seasoning mix I had, and cooked them at 400 for 25 minutes. They came out crispy on the outside and juicy inside, no oil mess or deep frying hassle. Now I'm mad I didn't get one sooner. Anyone else have a kitchen tool they slept on and then changed their mind about?
Last Tuesday I tried a sheet pan salmon and broccoli thing from a recipe I found online. The salmon came out dry as a bone and the broccoli was burnt on one side, raw on the other. I ended up tossing the whole thing and making a grilled cheese at 9 PM. Anyone else have a "simple" dinner recipe turn into a total disaster?
So I've been making chili for like 20 years (since I was in college, honestly). And everyone always talks about adding coffee or chocolate or whatever. But the real secret nobody mentions? A pinch of baking soda right when you brown the meat. It raises the pH so the meat stays tender instead of getting that tough, weird texture. I noticed it after my buddy's mom made chili for a potluck last fall in Portland and hers was way better than mine. I asked her and she just shrugged and said "baking soda." Ever since then, I add maybe 1/2 teaspoon per pound of beef. Has anyone else tried this or am I just late to the party here?
I keep seeing people throw away day old rice like it's garbage. That stuff is gold for fried rice. Fresh rice gets mushy and clumps up, but day old rice is dry and separates perfectly. I learned this after ruining three batches in a row trying to use fresh rice straight from the pot. Now I always cook extra rice on purpose just to let it sit overnight in the fridge. My go to is adding some scrambled egg, frozen peas, and a splash of soy sauce. Has anyone else figured this out or am I just weird for planning my rice a day ahead?
I was staring at the freezer for 5 minutes trying to decide. Frozen pizza is easy but I had some bell peppers and snap peas about to go bad. Went with the stir fry. Threw it all in a hot pan with some soy sauce and garlic. Took maybe 15 minutes total. Anyone else have a hard time picking between the quick option versus using up what's in the fridge?
I made it to 100 meals straight without buying fresh groceries, just pulling cans and spices from the back of my cabinet, and honestly it felt like leveling up in a video game for real. Has anyone else tracked their dinners to a random number and felt weirdly proud of it?
Mrs. Gunderson from three doors down said it would brighten up any veggie stir fry because of the vinegar and salt. I tried it on Tuesday with some old broccoli and bell peppers, and honestly, it gave the whole dish a kick I wasn't expecting. Not sure it works for every recipe, but it saved me from throwing out sad produce. Has anyone else tried something weird from a neighbor that actually panned out?