A couple of years ago, I saw Ina Garten pour oil into water for macaroni and cheese, saying that it would keep the macaroni from sticking. So it does still happen.Same for the oil in the pasta water. Even Ray-Ray says don't do it (ok, she likely says it more cutesy like.....it's a "no-no go-go on the EVOO", or something equally as hurl-inducing), but I can't remember anyone in the last 30 years telling me to dump oil in the pasta water. Don't know where you are, and what shows you're watching, but around here, the knife thing and the oil thing don't happen and don't get promoted.
The Stupid Things Food TV Teaches You
Started by
Chris Amirault
, Nov 18 2010 06:58 AM
93 replies to this topic
#91
JAZ
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Posted 07 May 2012 - 09:17 AM
Janet A. Zimmerman, aka "JAZ"
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#92
Jane Randahl
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Posted 07 May 2012 - 09:53 PM
I'm also not saying that it happens frequently, as I'm probably not the first person to point out these little quirks. Just saying that I have seen it, and i'm sure someone somewhere will see it in the near future.
in all honesty I'm glad you don't have to see people making fools of themselves because the less facepalm moments in our daily lives, the more stress free we will be. I should hope people are catching on to the proper way to cook, but I'm pretty sure these aren't dead habits.
Suppose I am kind of out of date though. As much as I love cooking, TV chefs made me stop watching and almost want to stop cooking altogether. They're just silly.
in all honesty I'm glad you don't have to see people making fools of themselves because the less facepalm moments in our daily lives, the more stress free we will be. I should hope people are catching on to the proper way to cook, but I'm pretty sure these aren't dead habits.
Suppose I am kind of out of date though. As much as I love cooking, TV chefs made me stop watching and almost want to stop cooking altogether. They're just silly.
#93
L.sutter
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- participating member
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Posted 27 August 2012 - 09:08 AM
JAZ "Two incredibly stupid comments from TV peeps (on the same day, no less):
From Christopher Kimball (talking about brining): "Salt is made of two molecules, so it's faster at osmosis than sugar, which only has one molecule." I don't even know what this could possibly mean.
From Rick Bayliss: Having visited mussel and oyster farms in Baja Mexico and coming back to shore with a bin of each, he said they were coming back with a "big load of crustaceans." C'mon Rick! At least edit that out -- it was a voiceover. "
That is literal jargon. Also, a basic brine generally has both salt and sugar in it soooo...?
And the thing about the crustaceans is pathetic, more so because I'm sure 90% (but maybe as many as 99%) of TV viewers don't even know that he was wrong.
On the "holding the knife" bit:
I actually had a chef instructor tell me that there were several correct ways to hold a knife (the only incorrect one being to hold it on the handle and have no interaction with the blade). For awhile, I was holding my knife with my index finger on the spine. Then after being in a kitchen where I was cutting for a few hours without stopping, I was pretty sure my finger was going to fall off so I uh... stopped doing that. Not debating the correctness of holding a knife like that (the pain will let you know it is wrong), just saying it absolutely still happens.
I also had a chef instructor who insisted that if you were steaming/boiling a potato (taking it all the way, or partial cook-age) that it should ALWAYS be cooked whole with the skin on regardless of size, or variation is size among the potatoes. I know some people are die-hard about the idea that this retains flavor but IMO even cooking takes precedence.
Also, the nails. Nothing grosses me out more than that.
From Christopher Kimball (talking about brining): "Salt is made of two molecules, so it's faster at osmosis than sugar, which only has one molecule." I don't even know what this could possibly mean.
From Rick Bayliss: Having visited mussel and oyster farms in Baja Mexico and coming back to shore with a bin of each, he said they were coming back with a "big load of crustaceans." C'mon Rick! At least edit that out -- it was a voiceover. "
That is literal jargon. Also, a basic brine generally has both salt and sugar in it soooo...?
And the thing about the crustaceans is pathetic, more so because I'm sure 90% (but maybe as many as 99%) of TV viewers don't even know that he was wrong.
On the "holding the knife" bit:
I actually had a chef instructor tell me that there were several correct ways to hold a knife (the only incorrect one being to hold it on the handle and have no interaction with the blade). For awhile, I was holding my knife with my index finger on the spine. Then after being in a kitchen where I was cutting for a few hours without stopping, I was pretty sure my finger was going to fall off so I uh... stopped doing that. Not debating the correctness of holding a knife like that (the pain will let you know it is wrong), just saying it absolutely still happens.
I also had a chef instructor who insisted that if you were steaming/boiling a potato (taking it all the way, or partial cook-age) that it should ALWAYS be cooked whole with the skin on regardless of size, or variation is size among the potatoes. I know some people are die-hard about the idea that this retains flavor but IMO even cooking takes precedence.
Also, the nails. Nothing grosses me out more than that.
#94
Norm Matthews
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- participating member
- 442 posts
Posted 12 September 2012 - 10:13 AM
I am just seeing this thread for the first time even though it was started over 2 years ago. My response is to the original post. My first beef is with the Today Show never giving cooks enough time to present the recipe they were invited to show. The hosts want to chat and would talk away all the time the cook needs. So don't be surprised when cooks spill stuff or uses approximations in measurements when they don't have time to be more accurate or mix the batch thoroughly. The Today Show is going to start playing music and cut to commercial before they get finished anyway. I am quite sure Martha didn't say those things or imply that that was how it should be done, just because it happened while she was trying to get done before they went to commercial. It seems everyone loves to pick on Martha these days. And sure, lots of times someone on her staff will make a mistake in typing out a recipe of hers. I am not defending her but that circumstance is too extreme to think was SOP for her or any other cook one is watching while their child gets her teeth checked.
By the way, baking is not a science. Exact measurement is not as important as most people think. Especially flour. Baking works on chemical principals but there is a lot of room for playing around. An good baker knows full well that any home recipe for flour is an estimate and experience is what is needed for good results, not a set of scales.
Now someone who has their own show and has control over editing and does stupid things is on their own. I agree with many of the other comments I saw as I was scrolling to the end of the thread.
By the way, baking is not a science. Exact measurement is not as important as most people think. Especially flour. Baking works on chemical principals but there is a lot of room for playing around. An good baker knows full well that any home recipe for flour is an estimate and experience is what is needed for good results, not a set of scales.
Now someone who has their own show and has control over editing and does stupid things is on their own. I agree with many of the other comments I saw as I was scrolling to the end of the thread.
