Recipes

None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.

How this was put together

If you only read a few

Brew coffee longer to extract more sugar and reduce sourness, such as four minutes in a French press.
Longer brew times extract more sugar from the grounds.
- Brewing too long will make the coffee very bitter.
one person who lived it
Let leftover spaghetti sit out for 30 minutes to cool slightly.
One person finds it tastes better when not warm.
- Based on one person's preference.
one person who lived it
Cook lasagna the day before, freeze it, and reheat in the oven before the meal.
It won't fall apart.
one person who lived it
Pre-boil water and freeze it in batches to have hot water ready instantly when returning from work.
It is a huge time saver.
one person who lived it
Buy quality dry storage bins that last for decades.
Buying items usable for a decade is part of being frugal.
one person who lived it

chocolate, strawberries, salt, minutes15

Sprinkle salt on fruits like watermelon, pineapple, apples, mangos, or tomatoes.

Lightly coat bacon with brown sugar before baking to create a sweet glaze.
It creates a glaze; avoid overcooking.
- Do not overcook.
2 people, independently
Sprinkle salt on fruits like watermelon, pineapple, apples, mangos, or tomatoes.
It brings out their natural sweetness.
- Using too much salt ruins the flavor.
4 people, independently
Melt half the chocolate in the microwave, then stir in the remaining unmelted chocolate until smooth.
One person reported great success with this method learned from a chef.
one person who lived it
Cook frozen chicken straight from the freezer in an air fryer at 400°F for 15 minutes.
Described as producing perfect chicken.
one person who lived it

11 more on this

Temper the chocolate to get a shiny finish that snaps rather than bends.
Untempered chocolate is dull and bends.
one person who lived it
Turn down the heat to keep a gentle boil and stir occasionally.
This prevents sticking and boiling over.
one person who lived it
Read white chocolate chip packages carefully to check if they are actually white chocolate.
Most products sold as white chips are not white chocolate.
one person who lived it
Add garlic to pickling brine to improve flavor.
More garlic improves things.
one person who lived it
Season ingredients individually as you add them to the pot rather than all at once.
This provides better control over seasoning levels and creates more depth of flavor.
one person who lived it
Buy pink Himalayan salt in a grinder to obtain a better quality grinder, then refill it with cheaper white salt for long-term use.
Thanks to specialty marketing, pink salt comes in better grinders.
one person who lived it
Soak apple slices in salt water briefly before serving.
One person reported this makes the apples taste sweeter.
one person who lived it
Add sprinkles, nuts, or coconut to chocolate-covered strawberries while they are drying.
It adds texture.
one person who lived it
Place dipped strawberries on parchment-lined pans and freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate until the chocolate hardens.
Parchment paper prevents sticking.
2 people, independently
Use a smaller amount of regular table salt than kosher salt when substituting in recipes.
Regular salt is denser than kosher salt.
one person who lived it
Wash and dry strawberries thoroughly before dipping so the chocolate adheres properly.
Water causes melted chocolate to seize into a mess.
2 people, independently

pasta, sauce, add, rice35

Use leftover pickle juice to flavor sandwiches by dipping fingers in it.

Start with only 1 teaspoon of curry paste if you are not used to spicy food.
These sauces are naturally hot.
one person who lived it
Seal the container and shake it while the saucy rice or pasta is still warm.
This allows the sauce to coat the ingredients evenly before it congeals.
one person who lived it
Avoid adding oil to pasta water or sauce.
It makes the sauce watery.
one person who lived it
Add cut red onions and/or jalapenos to leftover pickle juice in the jar and let sit for three weeks to create a condiment for tacos or sandwiches.
It provides a sweet/sour flavor that livens up dishes.
one person who lived it
- Use leftover pickle juice to flavor sandwiches by dipping fingers in it.4

29 more on this

Include a large amount of sauce when storing leftovers.
Since the rice or pasta absorbs the liquid, having extra sauce prevents it from drying out when reheated.
one person who lived it
Eat salty dishes with a large portion of rice.
The rice dilutes the salt intake per bite, which is how such flavorful food is meant to be eaten.
one person who lived it
Use an Instant Pot to make sticky rice.
It makes decent sticky rice.
one person who lived it
Cook jerk chicken wings in an air fryer.
It results in delicious food.
one person who lived it
Cook roast potatoes in an air fryer.
They come out perfect.
one person who lived it
Cook lasagna noodles directly in the sauce without boiling them first.
They fare better than no-boil varieties.
one person who lived it
Simmer chicken leg quarter bones and skin overnight in a crockpot to make stock, then cook lentils in that stock.
So many good nutrients.
one person who lived it
Add a little water or pasta water to a jar with trapped sauce remnants and shake to loosen them.
Pasta water contains starch that makes the sauce creamier.
one person who lived it
- Boil pasta in the minimum amount of water to get the most from starch concentration in the reserved water.1
Toast the circle of bread removed from the center of the slice for an 'egg in a basket'.
Not doing so is considered sacrilegious by some; it provides extra toast.
one person who lived it
Buy frozen minced lemongrass and frozen lime leaves from an Asian market.
They come from Thailand and make such a difference.
one person who lived it
Take notes on cooking combinations to keep winning recipes.
Cooking is science.
one person who lived it
Add a small amount of pickle juice to tuna salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, egg salad, or deviled eggs.
It gives the dish a tiny tang.
2 people, independently
Add diced onions and shallots with the garlic.
It adds extra flavor and goes with anything savory.
one person who lived it
Reheat leftover pasta in a frying pan to get crispiness.
The crispness improves the dish.
one person who lived it
Chop spinach into sprinkle-sized pieces and mix it into pasta sauce.
It helps children eat more vegetables by disguising them as seasoning.
one person who lived it
Use unpopped popcorn kernels instead of rice in salt shakers.
Rice cracks and breaks apart, potentially clogging holes or ending up in food; popcorn kernels provide physical agitation without breaking down.
- Ensure the shaker has decent sized holes.
one person who lived it
Add smoked paprika to the sauce.
It elevates the flavor.
one person who lived it
Stir noodles occasionally while cooking to prevent sticking instead of adding oil.
Achieves the same effect as adding oil.
2 people, independently
Dice Japanese or Chinese eggplant, sauté it in olive oil with seasoned salt, and add it to pasta dishes.
One person described this combination as amazing.
one person who lived it
Sauté mushrooms until almost complete before adding garlic.
Mushrooms take longer to sauté properly than garlic, and this adds more deliciousness.
one person who lived it
Coat tofu in cornstarch and deep-fry it before adding to coconut curry.
one person considers this the best way for coconut curry
one person who lived it
Remove pasta from heat one minute early and add sauce immediately after straining.
Prevents overcooking.
one person who lived it
Make breakfast burritos with tofu scramble and nutritional yeast.
it is very filling
one person who lived it
Try adding anchovies to pasta dishes as a regional variant.
is delicious as well
one person who lived it
Add chopped peanuts to edamame and cucumber salads for extra texture, protein, and fullness.
One person found this addition made the salad pleasantly filling.
one person who lived it
Mix pasta and sauce only if eating immediately to prevent separation upon reheating.
Reheating mixed leftovers can cause the sauce to separate.
- Some disagree, stating that mixed spaghetti keeps well as leftovers.
one person who lived it
Make kimchi jjigae using tofu, canned tuna, gochugaru, and kimchi.
it is filling
one person who lived it
Add a horseradish leaf to dill pickles to help maintain crispness.
one person who lived it
Store tomato-based pasta in glass or ceramic containers to prevent staining.
Tomato stains plastic containers.
one person who lived it