# Really quick 1-2 cooking rules of thumb **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 24, 2020, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777 "2020-12-24T00:02:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/61 "2020-12-26T21:03:00Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I’m going to make a note of your method, for nights when I decide at the last minute that I want rice. I adore my rice cooker, but its sole disadvantage is that it takes a good 30-40 minutes. Your method is faster! As I say, I have a rice cooker which I love and my method is just a way of approximating the result with minimum of fuss and equipment and yes,when you need it a bit quicker. For sure to get _perfect_ results there are loads of variables that one can mess with manually or use the longer time of a rice cooker but I have to say that as long as you aren’t trying to cook a speciality type of rice then it is close enough and it won’t come out either too dry or too soggy. The one thing that _sometimes_ happens is that the inabilty of the cooker ring to simmer at a very low level means you get a caked-on layer of rice on the bottom of the pan but even then the 95% of the rice unaffected by this is fine. You spoon off the top layers and bung the pan in the sink to soak. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2020, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/62 "2020-12-26T21:35:45Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > you get a caked-on layer of rice on the bottom of the pan [That’s not necessarily a bad thing!](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/tahdig-recipe-crispy-persian-rice/) (In my view, about the only time rice is unappetizing is if it is noticeably undercooked; even very soggy/sticky rice can be delicious.) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/63 "2020-12-26T23:03:04Z")
At some point in learning how to grill stuff, when you ask yourself the question of “Is it done?”, the answer is “YES!”, as you’ll have come to the point where your experience and intuition are telling you that it’s done, but your conscious mind interprets that as a question to ask yourself. If nothing else, take out your handy Thermapen (what? you don’t have one? Fix that!) and see what the temp is when you ask yourself if it’s done. Too many people dramatically over grill their hamburgers, chicken, sausage, etc… in the interest of making sure that it’s done. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/64 "2020-12-27T00:58:33Z")
My rule for rice is: Throw it in the Aroma rice cooker I got at the thrift store for 2 bucks, hit the lever and turn my back on it. Always comes out perfect! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/65 "2020-12-27T05:53:16Z")
Slight Hijack: I was really looking forward to seeing who was the first to bring a gun to the knife fight. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/66 "2020-12-27T07:05:18Z")
Using an Instant Pot? Cook rice at pressure for half the usual time, and as for pasta, cook it at pressure for 1 minute (that’s right, one minute) then let the pressure naturally release for the length of time you would have boiled it. And you will need more liquid to cook that pasta than you think you will, but it will still taste good. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/67 "2020-12-27T08:22:30Z")
After chopping/slicing/mincing fresh garlic, let it sit for ten minutes before cooking. The _allicin_ in the garlic needs to be exposed to air to activate. Then it remains active while cooking. ---
**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:** [December 27, 2020, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/68 "2020-12-27T08:52:55Z")
It’s called “browning” ground beef, not “greying” ground beef: once you evenly spread out ground beef in your largest skillet over medium-high heat, _leave it alone_! Resist the strong urge you will have to stir it around or break it up or otherwise mess with it for at least a few minutes. Don’t worry, it will break up just fine later. Once you can see it’s actually brown around the edges, turn it over as evenly as you can, then walk away again for another couple of minutes. _Now_ you can break it up and do whatever else you want to it. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/69 "2020-12-27T11:51:22Z")
Prep every component you can before you start cooking. Dice your onions, grate your cheese, measure out your vinegar, etc, etc. When you start cooking, you should have a range of bowls and measuring vessels with all your ingredients ready to go. This saves stress during the cooking process, and also serves as a double check to ensure you aren’t missing something. (Make exceptions where appropriate. If your recipe calls for separating an egg, _and_ salting and resting meat for several hours before cooking, obviously you don’t want the raw egg sitting around all that time.) This sounds like a beginner’s tip, but I’ve been cooking for almost forty years, and I still swear by it. ---
**Author:** ![cincinnatus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cincinnatus/32/7990_2.png) [@cincinnatus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cincinnatus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/70 "2020-12-27T14:10:37Z")
Did you ever see a video clip of two antlered animals going at each other? Pushing, entangling horns, feet scraping, grunting, snorting? That’s what came to my mind back there a ways during the dull knife-sharp knife thing. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/71 "2020-12-27T14:26:13Z")
Vegies for dinner can be cooked ahead of time, and then just reheated for a minute with a pat of butter when it’s time to serve. This way you’re not trying to coordinate their cooking so that they’re done at the same time as the meat and other dishes. When you make a pilaf, make two or three times more than you need for one meal. Pilaf freezes really, really well, and it’s a boon to have some on hand in the freezer for some subsequent meal. It thaws/heats up in the microwave right in its ziploc freezer bag, too. When you buy a cutting board, get a lightweight plastic one. Those big teak ones are handsome, but they weigh a ton. Maneuvering one over to the sink multiple times a day to wash it is way more work than I want to add to the chore of cooking. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/72 "2020-12-27T14:29:42Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > My rule for rice is: Throw it in the Aroma rice cooker I got at the thrift store for 2 bucks, hit the lever and turn my back on it. Always comes out perfect! Mine was IIRC $15 at Target eons ago. The totally no-frills model. Best $15 I ever spent on cooking tools. As you say, totally ~~distraction~~ idiot proof. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/73 "2020-12-27T17:06:50Z")
Yeah? _Rrrrrreally?_ :arms crossed, sternly, in doubt:: Well, I’ll give this manouvre a go, then, _but if it doesn’t work out_, though…::fist impotently shaken:: ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ukulele_ike1/32/4613_2.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike1)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/74 "2020-12-27T17:46:00Z")
Good rule, and even more important during baking. You don’t want to be beating an egg or whisking sour cream into milk (or turning on the oven!) when your hands are all caked with flour. Stress-free fried egg(s): Break egg(s) into bubbling hot butter or grease. Salt and pepper. Splash less than a teaspoon of water into the pan, and COVER IT TIGHT. In exactly one minute, slide out the eggs, perfectly crispy on the edges, yolk just runny enough, and the tops nicely cooked by the steam. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/75 "2020-12-27T18:18:11Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Prep every component you can before you start cooking. > > Dice your onions, grate your cheese, measure out your vinegar, etc, etc. When you start cooking, you should have a range of bowls and measuring vessels with all your ingredients ready to go. > > This saves stress during the cooking process, and also serves as a double check to ensure you aren’t missing something. > > Make exceptions where appropriate. This is called _mise en place_ and it’s absolutely critical in wok cooking (especially stir-frying) because, when your wok is at a proper 800 degrees Fahrenheit, you don’t have time to be fumbling around with ‘oops, I forgot to velvet the beef!’ * * * **Opening jars & bottles safely:** This is more important when opening the container. Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey is about more than the twist direction\*\* – otherwise we’d just talk about clockwise/counter-clockwise. 1. Hold the base with the right hand and the lid with the left hand. That way the LEFT is on top. 2. Align your knuckles – or at least your proximal phalanges (the first bones past the knuckles you punch with), squeeze with your fingers, and extend your hands away from you with the goal of vertically aligning the 16 bones in your two wrists. This way, rather than using your biceps to do all the work, you’re leveraging your triceps and pectorals. Both are much larger than biceps and, in combination, apply much greater force. Furthermore, friction between your fingers and the container/lid will cause your grip to tighten rather than loosen. More importantly, you are moving the container away from your body. If/when the seal on the lid gives way, a sudden shift caused by that release of friction will result in contained liquid (e.g. in a jar of pickles) splashing away from you, rather than on your chest. –G! \*\* This was the mechanics’ rule I learned – and, in fact, there are special mechanical cases in which it doesn’t work. Point your thumb in the direction you want the fastener to go and curl your fingers into a fist. Your fingers will indicate which way to twist that fastener. If you’re pointing & curling with your left hand, you’re loosening the part; if your pointing & curling with the right hand, you’re tightening the part. * * * I can do some amazing things with a blade. I can even cook! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/76 "2020-12-27T18:25:46Z")
> [@teelabrown](#): > > Vegies for dinner can be cooked ahead of time, and then just reheated for a minute with a pat of butter when it’s time to serve. This way you’re not trying to coordinate their cooking so that they’re done at the same time as the meat and other dishes. Alternatively, I prep the veggies early, but I don’t start cooking them until the meat is resting. That’s enough time to cook the veg, and it will be nice and hot when the meat is ready to serve. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/77 "2020-12-27T19:17:13Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > Opening jars & bottles safely: Tap the rim of a metal lid with a butter knife handle on a stuck glass jar. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/78 "2020-12-27T19:20:50Z")
If that doesn’t do it stick the flat end of a butter knife between the rim of the top and the jar and twist. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2020, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/79 "2020-12-28T07:54:05Z")
It may amuse some to see my slightly modified version of this method - I wanted to try it last night but my phone battery had run out so I went by memory. 1. Put a splash of cold water into 3 ramekins. 2. Crack an egg into each. 3. Microwave on full power for 1 minute. 4. Take a look, not done yet - give them another minute. 5. Hmm, still a bit watery - let’s try another 30 seconds. 6. Towards the end of the cooking time, jump in shock when 2 of the 3 eggs explode all over the microwave. 7. Switch off the microwave and scrape its contents on to toast. 8. Place a small bowl of water in the microwave and run it on 50% power for 5 minutes while eating the eggs and toast. 9. Scrub the inside of the microwave to remove egg splatter. It just goes to show that even if you make something big and bold, some idiot will still contrive to ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2020, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777/80 "2020-12-28T07:56:52Z")
Oh, and that reminds me of a quick and obvious cooking tip, which I failed to follow on this occasion: always use a cover when microwaving, that way if you have an unexpected explosion, it’s much easier to clean up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-quick-1-2-cooking-rules-of-thumb/928777.md?page=5)