# Cooking. I admit it, I use \ **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 8, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072 "2010-09-08T17:12:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/1 "2010-09-08T17:12:44Z")
Pre-chopped garlic in a bottle. I’m guilty. I’ve tried to use the real stuff, and I will if I’m being super picky, but day-to-day, I just go for the easy way. Open lid, spoon it into pan, you’re good to go! No peeling, dicing, and garlicky smelling hands. But I don’t let the bottle sit in the fridge for more than a couple weeks. The bottle has to be at least sort-of fresh! What’s your dirty little secret in the kitchen? ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/2 "2010-09-08T17:17:23Z")
Hmm. I saw the thread title and came in to post this exact thing. My wife claims she hates the stuff and can taste the difference. Yet, whenever she doesn’t _ **see** _ me use it, she never mentions it… ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/3 "2010-09-08T17:18:10Z")
Small jars of minced and crushed garlic. Using the Braun hand mixer in the skillet when making gravy to avoid lumps from poor whisking skills. My Caesar salad dressing is made in a blender from a Sunset recipe, and uses Worcestershire sauce instead of real anchovies. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/4 "2010-09-08T17:19:00Z")
I have one of those apple lathes – that peels and cores and spiral slices apples, for when I make apple pies, which is very rare – not even every Thanksgiving, only every other Thanaksgiving, or maybe 3 years apart sometimes. It’s dumb, but I like the even cooking that you get from an even slicing of apples. There are even colonial examples, so I’m not actually using modern technology. But why don’t I just peel and slice 3 apples to make one pie? I dunno, Mom, just … jus… get off my back, kay? [http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=apple%20lathe&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=apple%20lathe&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/5 "2010-09-08T17:21:43Z")
My aunt uses baby food carrots for carrot cake. She says it’s worth the extra money not to have to shred the carrots. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/6 "2010-09-08T17:22:59Z")
Anchovy paste. The perfect condiment for sautéed vegetables and into soups and sauces. I never tell people I’m using it until they beg me for what the secret ingredient is in my vegetables. In lieu of salt, it is the perfect flavor component with a pat of butter and a small handful of pinenuts for pan-sautéed veggies! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/7 "2010-09-08T17:36:31Z")
I use Bisquick to make pancakes sometimes. I’m so ashamed. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/8 "2010-09-08T18:01:52Z")
Don’t be. I’m quite a good baker, and I use Bisquick all the time for day to day stuff. Count me in on the jarred garlic, too. Anchovy paste as well, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![cgg419](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cgg419/32/2847_2.png) [@cgg419](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgg419)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/9 "2010-09-08T18:16:32Z")
I just used Patak’s Vindaloo paste for the first time, and it was awesome ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/10 "2010-09-08T18:21:42Z")
I keep the jar of chopped garlic around in case there is no fresh or the fresh has dried to dust. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/11 "2010-09-08T18:27:06Z")
> [@Algher](#): > > My Caesar salad dressing is made in a blender from a Sunset recipe, **and uses Worcestershire sauce instead of real anchovies**. (Bolding mine) That’s actually the more authentic way to do it. Aunt Jemima pancake mix. Yep. My mince meat pie recipe is fairly complex. It involves a jar of mince meat and frozen pie crusts. But other than that, I make almost everything from scratch, and the most labor intensive way. I don’t even own a microwave. ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/12 "2010-09-08T18:32:59Z")
I buy canned gravy and pour some of the pan juices into it. I know it’s awful, but it works pretty well. I don’t make gravy very often. I started out just having the canned version available in case mine failed. (I know how to make gravy: cold water, cornstarch, shake, pour, stir etc) ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/13 "2010-09-08T18:33:31Z")
Chopped garlic as well here. I wish regular supermarkets would carry (at an affordable price) the tubes of garlic puree and tomato puree I used to have in the fridge back in the UK at all times. Thai curry pastes are another. It means I can have a good quality thai curry prepared in 30 minutes with only the wok and rice cooker to clean up. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/14 "2010-09-08T18:38:56Z")
We buy raw pizza dough. I’m sure it’s no trouble to make, I just haven’t gotten around to doing so yet… ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/15 "2010-09-08T18:42:35Z")
Curry paste, mole paste, other spice-mixes-from-a-jar; I basically never mince up fresh ginger, using ginger paste instead; I also sometimes use garlic paste when I don’t feel link mincing up garlic. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/16 "2010-09-08T18:54:45Z")
Yeah, jarred chopped garlic. I mean, I use the real stuff too, but damn, I hate cleaning the press or getting it on my hands or it has to go in the pan _right now_, so when I don’t think it’s a big hairy deal in the flavor of the dish I go jarred. ---
**Author:** ![TheFifthYear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@TheFifthYear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFifthYear)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/17 "2010-09-08T18:58:04Z")
I make chicken stock a lot, but still end up using canned stock (chicken and beef) pretty often. It’s not as good as the real stuff, but stock makes everything better, so I end up using way more than I make. I also use pre-mixed spice/herb blends a lot as a shortcut (curry powder, Herbs de Provence, and Italian seasoning, mostly). ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/18 "2010-09-08T18:59:08Z")
I dump copious amounts of onion powder on virtually everything. Saves the time and trouble of chopping up real ones, and it makes everything taste better. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/19 "2010-09-08T19:03:29Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Pre-chopped garlic in a bottle. “Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screw-top jars. Too lazy to peel fresh? You don’t deserve to eat garlic.” —Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly I love Bourdain, but I use jarred garlic all the time. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072/20 "2010-09-08T19:10:57Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > > [@John\_Mace](#): > > > > Pre-chopped garlic in a bottle. > > “Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screw-top jars. Too lazy to peel fresh? You don’t deserve to eat garlic.” > > —Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly > I love Bourdain, but I use jarred garlic all the time. He can get his celebrity ass over to my house and clean it, help the kids with their homework, fix whatever’s broken, then peel the garlic! There’s cooking and there’s Cooking. Garlic in a jar (or Jarlic as I put on our grocery lists). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-i-admit-it-i-use-this-short-cut/553072.md?page=2)