Some people are so good at certain things, it might look like they were born knowing how to do them. But more times than not, it’s a result of hard work, countless instances of trial and error, and maybe using a few tips they’ve picked up somewhere or from someone.
Cooking is no exception. Avid users of pots, pans, and saucers know that it takes hours to master certain recipes or techniques, but certain tips and tricks can boost the process of taking one’s kitchen game to the next level. And while some of them browse recipe books or blogs to look for information, others pick them up by accident; for instance, while watching TV.
Members of the ‘Cooking’ subreddit recently discussed learning things from shows or movies after one of them started a thread about it. So, if you’re curious about where exactly they got the tips from, or what the tips themselves were, scroll down to find their answers on the list below, and get cooking!
Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with the mastermind behind the documentary food podcast ‘Lecker’, Lucy Dearlove, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions regarding all things food.
#1
In War Games (Matthew Broderick, 1983) there is a scene where the family is sitting down to dinner. They butter their bread and then roll the ear of corn on the bread to butter it. My brain sort of slipped a cog and I was like why didn’t I think of that?!?!?!
Image source: Hoodwink_Iris, Kayode Balogun
#2
I was watching a documentary many years ago, and they were interviewing a sister(?) of a murderer/criminal/missing person -I forget. While being interviewed, she was making little turnover things. Half of a peeled peach with a little brown sugar and spices where the pit used to be. Plopped onto a bit of pie pastry, cut out larger than the peach, gathered together like a beggars purse, brushed with butter or egg wash and baked.
I’ve made these for decades, my kids, and then grandkids love them. I’m sure there is a name and actual written recipe for them, but I just make them as described whenever circumstances allow.
Image source: Griplocker, Adrian Frentescu
#3
Not so much a cooking tip, but the boy from Modern Family said to Gloria that he adds the tiniest pinch of salt to his hot cocoa, and damn if it isn’t delicious.
Image source: eirinite, cottonbro studio
#4
Season your vegetables – it’s a game changer for sandwiches!
Like I would often slice tomatoes and put them in my sandwich, but I’d never thought to sliced them, add some flaky sea salt, leave them for a few mins and then add to the sandwich, it adds so much for such a simple step!
Similarly, “lubrication” is important with sandwiches and is a game changer!
Something fatty like butter or mayo on your roll, toss your shredded lettuce in a vinaigrette, or even one I’ve tried is to toss it in a little pickle juice or jalapeño juice.
And also texture differences, you don’t want a pile of slop, so you need texture variations.
Turned out that “simple” sandwiches that taste amazing are more complicated than I realised.
Image source: LongrodVonHugedong86, Nicola Barts
#5
Thanks to Alton Brown, I now roll my sugar cookie and gingerbread man dough out using powdered sugar instead of flour on the counter and rolling pin. It makes a HUGE difference as it keeps the dough from becoming tougher and dryer with each re-roll of the scraps.
Thanks to a show from the 1990s, I now add a little water to my scrambled eggs when beating them instead of using milk as I was taught to use. The program was one where the presenters prepared a dish in the various accepted ways (in this case, with milk, with water, and by breaking the eggs into the pan and scrambling them around as they cooked) and gave it to a large room full of random volunteers who tried each version and rated it. In this case, the water version won in tenderness, fluffiness, and even taste. Turns out that a protein in milk interacts with a component in the eggs to form a bond that makes the eggs tougher. It also prevents the eggs from becoming as fluffy as the water version. Some people rated the pan scramble good, but in general the comments were that they tasted and looked like a hard-fried egg gone wrong
Thanks to a mukbang video (Heungsam’s Family) on YouTube, I learned that making kimchi is not as difficult as the recipe appears. I now make their recipe several times per year and even bought a 1/2 gallon kimchi container that I keep in my fridge at all times.
Image source: Superb_Yak7074, Nati
#6
Butter rice from Midnight Diner. Heat rice very hot, add cold butter and a very few drops of soy sauce. Stir gently. Wonderful.
Image source: Painthoss, Pille R. Priske
#7
Using baked potatoes as mashed potatoes (instead of boiling!) from The Bear.
Image source: EverythingB4gel, Gio Bartlett
#8
I don’t really watch cooking shows but I have seen segments. One thing I have copied is prep: I get all the ingredients out and measure spices and flour, eggs, and so forth and place them in small bowls. I also absolutely love my scraper, food mover tool and think everyone should have one or two.
Image source: LanceFree, Maarten van den Heuvel
#9
Learned how to fry eggs from Kelis’ Milkshake video. That bit where the chef spoons some grease OVER the eggs. Whaaaaaaat? But it works!
Image source: hopfl27, Mikhail Nilov
#10
In the speedracer live action movie, the mom says she adds a dash of cinnamon to her pancakes, and I thought that was genious. Now I also do that, lol.
Image source: catieebug, Nicole Michalou
#11
I started sprinkling some dill in my ham and cheese sandwiches after Al Bourland said he did it on an episode of Home Improvement.
Image source: EricRShelton, Nadin Sh
#12
I was watching the Prime TV show Mr. and Mrs Smith. In one scene, Donald Glover’s character was talking to his mom about making soup, and she said always to make the stock with chicken feet. That weekend, I made a large pot of chicken stock using chicken feet, and boy, does it taste better with the extra collagen.
Image source: boujeenen, NGUYEN Nguyen
#13
Josh Brolin’s character in Labor Day uses coffee in his chili. I don’t do it all the time, but adding a bit of it definitely gives it a different flavor profile.
Image source: BallZach77, American Heritage Chocolate
#14
“Salty like the ocean” Gordon Ramsey.
From one of his tv shows…. He was yelling at a chef that their water for boiling their pasta should “smell salty like the ocean.” I. Never really knew how much to use but this is how I always do it now and it makes a big difference.
Edit for the “well, actually!” Folks – the steam should smell salty like the ocean. Not, the boiling water should taste salty like the ocean. But here we are. 🤷🏻♂️.
Image source: Battlecat74, Anna Shvets
#15
Alan Alda in Sweet Liberty. You can core a head of iceberg lettuce by slamming the core onto the counter/cutting board.
Image source: D_Mom, Victoria Emerson
#16
Learned the “choke grip” for better knife control by watching Food Wars. Which is kinda crazy, considering I watched it after being a professional baker for years…
Image source: TalynRahl, Kampus Production
#17
Tina Fey in 30 Rock taught me, “Don’t forget to put chips on a sandwich!” Lifechanging.
Image source: DoctorHubris, Jun Acullador
#18
I learned the water instead of milk tip for omelets from LL Cool J in Deep Blue Sea and have been doing it ever since.
Image source: el50000, Eva Bronzini
#19
Paprika in omelettes from the movie The Hundred Foot Journey (although now that I’m rewatching I think it was chili pepper 🤣).
Image source: sasnowy, Klaus Nielsen
#20
Use a serrated knife to cut tomatoes (The Hunt, 2020).
Image source: RevolutionaryBuy5282, Arina Krasnikova
#21
I learned to add sour cream to my prescrambled eggs from Ralphie Cifaretto’s character on a very special episode of The Sopranos. The eggs come out light and fluffy every time.
Image source: MrsPancakesSister, Brian Sanders
#22
Thanks to Reba, I make my grilled cheese by using mayo on the outside instead of butter. A huge game changer.
Image source: babyduck21, MikeGz
#23
Not really cooking but I started putting mustard on my hard boiled eggs after I saw Nancy Botwin do it on Weeds. Game changer.
Image source: brown_bear_e, Marlene Leppänen
#24
Pinch of nutmeg in white sauces , acid and salt in desserts.
Image source: DesignerBalance2316, Miguel Á. Padriñán
#25
After watching an episode of The Bear, I now whisk my eggs through a mesh strainer. My omelettes and scrambled eggs are now a perfect, uniform yellow, with no white bits anywhere.
Image source: Electric-Sheepskin, Katerina Holmes
#26
Cooking fajitas and bacon (not together) in the oven on cookie sheets.
Life changing.
Image source: teamdogemama, alleksana
#27
Scrape out cucumber and tomato guts so salads don’t get soggy.
Image source: DesignerBalance2316, Jill Wellington
#28
Fried bread olive oil and garlic – Julia and Julia.
Image source: mprieur
#29
I learned almost everything I know from the Food Network, both good and bad. I learned how to use a knife from chefs such as Bobby Flay. I learned how not to use a knife from not-really-chefs like Trisha Yearwood.
Image source: Icy_Profession7396, Amina Filkins
#30
Pizza eggs from the show weeds. Chop up leftover pizza slices and just toss them up in a pan with some eggs.
Image source: zensnapple, Nataliya Vaitkevich
#31
I didn’t know about Toad In A Hole ( that English breakfast where you cook an egg in a hole cut out of a slice of bread) until I watched V for Vendetta. It’s my favorite breakfast now.
Image source: CarmakazieCthulhu
#32
Watched an episode of master chef once where a contestant said that in order to get a perfectly poached egg, you have to sing amazing grace twice while it’s in the water. I always think of this technique when I do it lol.
Image source: sadgurlsonly
#33
Watching Paul Giamatti cook an omelette on Billions. Really was a breakthrough for me.
Image source: MVHood, Klaus Nielsen
#34
I learned to make tanmen from the Netflix show Midnight Diner. I’m sure I’m screwing it up, but it’s really good the way I make it.
Image source: RazorEE
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