# Kitchen lessons learned by trial and error... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328 "2012-11-08T04:14:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/21 "2012-11-08T18:43:37Z")
Sweetened condensed milk is _not_ the same thing as evaporated milk. What resulted was long referred to as boo-boo fudge. ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/22 "2012-11-08T19:04:23Z")
When your mother warns you that the edges of an opened tin can are SHARP and to exercise EXTREME caution when dealing with them? Listen to her. Cut the tendon of my left index finger just below the knuckle about a year ago and still don’t have full mobility back. Laid me OPEN. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/23 "2012-11-08T19:39:24Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Antigen–you need more oil. Just a few drops won’t do it; somewhere between a teaspoon and tablespoon works. For me, anyway. What he said. When I say a few drops, I just mean “just a little bit”. At a guess, I throw in about a tablespoon, like Sattua does. And it does work. But, to be fair, it is a trick, really. The best way to prevent boil-overs is just to use a larger-than-you’d-think vessel. If you’re making two cups of rice, use a two quart vessel. Or two cups of pasta, a gallon sized vessel. And then it’s all easy-peasy. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/24 "2012-11-08T19:41:59Z")
These are all true, and interesting, but the Cool Whip one really got me. Who thinks it’s a good idea to defrost Cool Whip in the microwave? And why would you need to? It melts too darn quickly as it is! Sorry, Hypno-Toad. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/25 "2012-11-08T20:00:41Z")
See, I thought it was funny because the last time I was at my grandpa’s house, he got the cool whip out of the freezer and when it didn’t soften quickly enough, he ruminated out loud about the possible effects if he nuked it for 15 seconds or less. I think the decision as a group was to stick with ice cream for our pie and leave the cool whip alone. So, Hypno just needs to think out loud more. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/26 "2012-11-08T20:16:44Z")
As I’ve posted in a previous Thanksgiving disasters thread, if your roasting pecans in the oven for your stuffing, keep a close eye on them. It doesn’t take long to burn your nuts! ---
**Author:** ![Bass\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Bass\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bass_Chick)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/27 "2012-11-08T20:18:15Z")
If you don’t mash the potatoes immediately after they’re cooked and leave them in the water too long, plan for potato soup. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/28 "2012-11-08T20:43:45Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > These are all true, and interesting, but the Cool Whip one really got me. Who thinks it’s a good idea to defrost Cool Whip in the microwave? And why would you need to? It melts too darn quickly as it is! > > Sorry, Hypno-Toad. 🙂 That’s fine. It was my mom’s mistake, not mine. And she was just going to waste it on some nasty-ass pumpkin pie anyway. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/29 "2012-11-08T20:59:41Z")
The mandolin comes with a feeder tool for a reason. That last bit of potato/cheese/whatever really doesn’t need to be grated unless you like skin and fingernail in your food. A potato peeler works in both directions. The baking pan you just took out of the oven is still hot, even if there is no food sitting on it. Wet utensils + hot oil = pain ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/30 "2012-11-08T21:18:07Z")
Don’t store anything in an oven that doesn’t belong in an oven. Ceramic plates, cookie sheets, etc are okay. The big pile of mail on the counter which you need to hide when guests come over is not a good idea. You’ll forget about it being there when you turn the oven on next week. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/31 "2012-11-08T21:48:16Z")
> [@slightly\_askew](#): > > Not quite as dramatic, but baking soda and baking powder are NOT interchangeable. They aren’t? I thought they were ! ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/32 "2012-11-08T22:08:12Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Oh my sister once assumed hey since you can put a pyrex into the oven, it should be ok to use as a put on the stove top right? Wrong, boiling water and shattered pyrex everywhere. To be fair, it does tell you right on there not to do that. At least it does on the Pyrex bowls I have. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/33 "2012-11-08T22:46:31Z")
I’ve learned that you shouldn’t fry bacon whilst naked. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/34 "2012-11-08T22:58:28Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > This is the first one I’ve never heard before. Why not? It’s been a very long time since I did it, but as I recall the result was rather small and dense muffins that tasted a bit odd. Not necessarily horrible, but definitely not the same. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/35 "2012-11-08T23:14:40Z")
Substituting corn oil when a (baking) recipe calls for vegetable oil is perfectly fine. I suspect something else was the culprit. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/36 "2012-11-08T23:41:01Z")
A meat thermometer is just as hot the second time that you pull it out of the oven as it is the first time, when you burned your fingers on it. ---
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/37 "2012-11-09T01:20:15Z")
When making something that requires savory sausage, make sure that you don’t pull the maple sausage out of the freezer. Leave the pot holder on the handle of the cast iron skillet when you take it our of the oven, lest you forget how durn hot it is when you go to move it. ---
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/38 "2012-11-09T01:26:45Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > They aren’t? I thought they were ! Well, you can make baking powder by combining one part baking soda with two parts cream of tartar, but they are not interchangeable is the sense that you can substitue one for the other. For a more indepth answer: [http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/bakingdesserts/a/Baking-Soda-And-Baking-Powder.htm](http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/bakingdesserts/a/Baking-Soda-And-Baking-Powder.htm). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/39 "2012-11-09T01:34:49Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > They aren’t? I thought they were ! If I’m not being whooshed, baking soda is just a base. Baking powder is a base and acid that react when wet to form carbon dioxide (and, thus, leavening) in your recipe. Recipes that call for baking soda only have an acidic ingredient in them to create this reaction. (If you did vinegar and baking soda science experiments as a kid, you know what I mean.) Recipes with a neutral or basic pH will call for baking powder in their ingredients (or a mix of powder and a dry powdered acid like cream of tartar.) ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328/40 "2012-11-09T01:35:01Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > A meat thermometer is just as hot the second time that you pull it out of the oven as it is the first time, when you burned your fingers on it. This is very, very true. And something I try to remind my husband of every darn time he does it. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-lessons-learned-by-trial-and-error/640328.md?page=3)