The Cooking Irritations thread

Sapphire

Alcoheda wrote: »

I've a friend who cooks spaghetti by first breaking the whole pack in half, then puts the bundle at the bottom of a pot of cold water and brings the lot to the boil.

I tried to stop him doing it but he flips his lid if you criticize him.

I used to do that, I was taught to cook it the Irish way like spuds. Then I went out with an Italian who set me straight on the process. A few trips to Italy honed my pasta cooking skills.

the beer revolu

Sapphire wrote: »

I used to do that, I was taught to cook it the Irish way like spuds. Then I went out with an Italian who set me straight on the process. A few trips to Italy honed my pasta cooking skills.

Italians can be a bit ridiculous when it comes to cooking pasta.

I've seen Italians give out about boiling the water in the kettle - NO! You must boil the water in the pot!

Also seen Italians claim you must let the pasta "breathe" when cooking it so will forbid a lid even partially covering the pot.

All nonsense.

livedadream

the beer revolu wrote: »

Italians can be a bit ridiculous when it comes to cooking pasta.

I've seen Italians give out about boiling the water in the kettle - NO! You must boil the water in the pot!

Also seen Italians claim you must let the pasta "breathe" when cooking it so will forbid a lid even partially covering the pot.

All nonsense.

same, i was told that all italians put salt and some oil in the pot before cooking the pasta,

eh yeah lads if your not eating its straight away to stop it sticking its an old catering trick, its not italian...

Markcheese

My wife can do pasta (lived in italy) no prob(she's a pasta nazi..). she cant do green veg.. treat it like pasta I say... dont cook it hours in advance .. dont leave it sitting in hot water... start it in boiling salted water...
But no...

souter

the beer revolu wrote: »

Italians can be a bit ridiculous when it comes to cooking pasta.

I've seen Italians give out about boiling the water in the kettle - NO! You must boil the water in the pot!

Also seen Italians claim you must let the pasta "breathe" when cooking it so will forbid a lid even partially covering the pot.

All nonsense.

The redoubtable Harold McGee questionned this very topic http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html?_r=0 and I've since followed suit using a frying pan of cold water - don't tell any Italian!

rubadub

the beer revolu wrote: »

I've been wondering about that lately!
Thing is, people seem to make a distinction between the two but I can't imagine what it is.

I guessed it was just acknowledging that people do use the term cider incorrectly/loosely.

Spanish Eyes

Hello everyone,

Got the goo for a corned beef hash today. Drooling.

Cannot open the tin of corned beef. Feck. The key broke half way round. Am spitting feathers. The can opener won't work because of the shape of the tin. I have cut myself too and there is that red stuff everywhere.

Cooking irritations? Yep.

But I will have another go a bit later with the can opener. Not looking good though.

rubadub

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

But I will have another go a bit later with the can opener. Not looking good though.

has anyone got a swiss army knife in the house? the can opener on them can do any shape of can.

I have used butchers knives too. Video here shows how
http://kitchen-utensils.wonderhowto.com/how-to/open-can-using-knife-instead-can-opener-333807/

Its quite a safe way to do it when you see it.

the beer revolu

More of a shopping/labelling irritation than a cooking one but I saw for sale in Lidl, quorn meatless chicken burgers and other bits.
Chicken ?
Meatless?
CHICKEN?

Really?
I'm genuinely surprised that that could be legal labeling.

Whispered

Is there a "style" thrown in there anywhere? Like meatless chicken style burgers?

I have a shopping one too. I got an online voucher from Tesco because it has been so long since I shopped with them, it's still in date etc. Spent ages doing my online shop only to be told the voucher isn't valid as it has already been used. I wasted all poxy evening doing it and now will have to go out and do it anyway. Yeah, great way to get customers tesco.

the beer revolu

Whispered wrote: »

Is there a "style" thrown in there anywhere? Like meatless chicken style burgers?

o.

Nope.
Quorn meat free chicken burgers
Quorn meat free chicken nuggets
Quorn meat free chicken fillets

Whispered

the beer revolu wrote: »

Nope.
Quorn meat free chicken burgers
Quorn meat free chicken nuggets
Quorn meat free chicken fillets

Ha I went in last night to get some and checked. Yep meatless chicken burger

Speedwell

Nobody seems to have a problem with soy or almond "milk". What bugs me about Quorn's claims is that it is not a (insert adult language here)ing "mushroom".

anothernight

Speedwell wrote: »

Nobody seems to have a problem with soy or almond "milk". What bugs me about Quorn's claims is that it is not a (insert adult language here)ing "mushroom".

Are Quorn still allowed to do that?

Speedwell

anothernight wrote: »

Are Quorn still allowed to do that?

I'm a bit behind on that They withdrew the claim back in 2002. Whether they would still be allowed to make it now has a lot to do with what country they're selling it in. Which, to take this back on topic, is a pet peeve of mine when cooking... different food safety and quality rules in different countries. Chicken in the US is almost a different food from chicken in Ireland. Forget the different measurements... food is just different. (That said, I have successfully made every one of Gordon Ramsay's recipes I've tried even using US ingredients.)

Whispered

Its my guilty pleasure. Love it occasionally. I generally stick to food which is as unprocessed as possible. We don't even buy low fat products for example so I allow myself a quorn dinner every now and again.

Actually just had a thought, which do you reckon is worse, quorn or standard chicken burgers when you take into account feed, hormones etc.

I can stick up a pic of the label is anyone is interested. Went to lidl last night for some not-really-chicken nuggets.

Space Dog

Speedwell wrote: »

Nobody seems to have a problem with soy or almond "milk".

Well they're labelled as soy/almond/rice etc. "drinks" these days, they don't claim to be milk, it's just that everyone calls them milk. Not really the manufacturers' fault...

rubadub

Whispered wrote: »

Yep meatless chicken burger

I saw them too, the "meat free" bit was all wavy like it was some unimportant marketing crap like "crispy & tasty".



It could easily have been mistaken for chicken burgers if someone did not know the quorn brand, if I squint I cannot make out the meat free bit. I was wondering if they think they can get away with it saying "sure everyone knows quorn is veggie". And checking complaints it seems they do.

https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2014/5/Marlow-Foods-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_259076.aspx#.V6IXG_krKUk

Eleven viewers, one of whom was a farmer who produced beef and lamb, challenged whether the ad and specifically the use of the term "chicken" was misleading, because they considered it implied the product contained chicken.

Response
Marlow Foods said the only use of the word "chicken" occurred directly underneath the words "meat free." They believed that, together, the words "meat free chicken pieces" would be understood by the consumer and did not suggest that the product contained chicken. They supplied brand awareness data which showed a 95% recognition rate among respondents that Quorn was a meat-free or meat-alternative brand.

https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2012/10/Marlow-Foods-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_201100.aspx#.V6IXGvkrKUk

Issue
Four viewers objected that the ads were misleading, because they compared Quorn products to meat but did not make clear that Quorn was a meat-free product.

Response
Marlow Foods Ltd (Marlow Foods) said their products had been on sale in the UK for over 25 years and Quorn had become widely recognised as a provider of vegetarian foods. They said their current brand awareness was 92%, and provided survey data to support this. They said that taking into account the age of the brand and the market in which it operated, the average consumer would recognise an ad for Quorn products to be for meat-free food. They did not consider the fact that Quorn products were meat-free to be material information that needed to be included in the ads. They said they had run a number of TV ads before that did not state Quorn was meat-free, and had not received any complaints.

MissFlitworth

I hate eating off chipped plates. And it seems like we must wash our plates using hammers and hot water because, somehow, they all are

Tree

It's the plates and mugs that become suddenly susceptible to the microwave that break my heart (and look identical to their still microwave friendly neighbours )

MissFlitworth

Oh yes The plate/bowl that starts turning to lava in the microwave and you burn your poor, unsuspecting lamhín off it. I have a theory that it's related to hairline type cracks in plates but that is not yet proven.

Dizzyblonde

My favourite mug got a chip on the rim and had to be thrown out the other day. There were originally four of them, and Himself hated them. They went one by one and I'm thinking there could be a link...

MissFlitworth

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

My favourite mug got a chip on the rim and had to be thrown out the other day. There were originally four of them, and Himself hated them. They went one by one and I'm thinking there could be a link...

Alun

I think what happens is that if there are hairline cracks in the glaze that water gets into the cracks when washed, and it's that heating up in the microwave that hastens their demise.

Speedwell

Alun wrote: »

I think what happens is that if there are hairline cracks in the glaze that water gets into the cracks when washed, and it's that heating up in the microwave that hastens their demise.

I think that heating food in the microwave on a glazed plate actually causes the formation of those cracks, too. I have several extra dessert plates in my "everyday" set of ceramic dishes that are used in the microwave a lot, and a few of them are showing "spiderwebbing" under the glaze.

SB_Part2

MissFlitworth wrote: »

I hate eating off chipped plates. And it seems like we must wash our plates using hammers and hot water because, somehow, they all are

This is why I gave up buying expensive plates. I treated myself to a set of Denby plates but after numerous chips I replaced plain white ikea stuff because I don't care when they chip and they are cheap to replace.

tringle

Gone very quiet here, has everyone had a perfect 2 weeks in the kitchen?

tringle

We have regular tea and lots of jars of herbal tea, someone put herbal tea in the regular tea jar and we are all very irritated by that. We cant even identify what herbal tea it is.

Cakerbaker

I've just started my 6 month old on solids. I know it's necessary at the moment but it's killing me having to boil veg to soggyness. It took me years to convince my mam that you didn't have to put the broccoli on to boil at the same time as the spuds and now I'm doing it!!!

Whispered

Cakerbaker wrote: »

I've just started my 6 month old on solids. I know it's necessary at the moment but it's killing me having to boil veg to soggyness. It took me years to convince my mam that you didn't have to put the broccoli on to boil at the same time as the spuds and now I'm doing it!!!

I thought so too but just before weaning I found out about "baby led weaning" it's absolutely fantastic. Here's some more info http://www.babyledweaning.com/ and there is a very active Irish forum too with loads of ideas, support and messy pics.