Things I found out... the hard way!
Posted by wayneshep! on Feb 08, 2010 · Member since Nov 2008 · 379 posts
So we've all made mistakes. Whether it was the first time making something or just an experiment somethings do go wrong. Post what you learned while cooking (of course the hard way).
I learned that Yams DO NOT get baked as long as russet potatoes. I bake my normal (russet) potatoes for about an 1 1/2 hours b/c I like the skin kind of crispy. I bought a Yam and not thinking it would be different especially b/c I was HUGE thats how long I baked it for. Well it leaked and made a bit of a mess in my toaster oven. Also the texture of a yam is soft when it is baked that long instead of the firm texture of a russet.
when making seitan DO NOT let the water boil for more than like 1 minute....in fact the last couple times I made it I only let it get up to a very low, gentle, almost-simmer boil and it came out great....The longer the seitan boils the more chewy and goobley it becomes! also, this was mentioned in a previous post...gluten flour from bulk bins is not the same as vital heat gluten flour. the just "gluten flour" doesn't work for making seitan.
When roasting chestnuts, make sure there is a LARGE X in the bottom of each chestnut. Cuz if not, they will explode like little bombs in your oven and make a gigantic mess.
Better yet - don't bother roasting them at all. Buy them preroasted and save yourself the trouble! ;D
When using an electric mixer, hold the beaters straight down into the bowl. Turn the wretched thing off before lifting them out of the batter...unless you actually enjoy cleaning batter off the walls.
Oh, and baking soda and baking powder are not the same thing. That's why they have different names.
And I tried turning on both elements (top and bottom) of my oven to quickly reheat a dish. Of course, it wasn't meant to be broiled, which means I pulled a blackened, top-charred dish out of the oven when the guests arrived.
Okay, babiesgotsauce, that is a pretty good one, I did not know about the wheat gluten vs. vital wheat gluten not being the same, I haven't made that mistake yet, but it is becuase I have never seen "wheat gluten" before but now that I know, I won't be buying it!
And Yabbitgirl, the thing about the mixer, that was a lesson I learned the hard way myself! I laughed when I read that because I did it!
My tip: do not screw the cap for the container the sour dough starter is kept in tightly. Not unless you like to hear an explosion at 2AM and walk out to the kitchen to find out who shot a gun and see sourdough starter all over the walls, floor, cabnets, the container knocked over and the lid laying lazily about 10 ft away on the floor. That was not a fun mess to clean up at 2AM, and then of course I found more later after it had already dried up and turned to cement.
Yeah, I learned the gluten flour thing the hard way. :(
Also, I've been learning the hard way which veggies come out ok after being accidentally frozen, since both mine and my roommate's fridge freeze everything. So far, it seems that mushrooms and carrots are the leaders in being ok, while celery, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce do not fare so well.
My fridge in hawaii would freeze everything too....it was super annoying when it was lettuce/greens for salad!
yes SQ, it the gluten four was gross in seitan.....I've only seen it at a bigger chain grocery store, not at the usual co-op bulk bins, I thought it was the same thing...I was sooo wrong! Not really sure what it is intended for?!
Keep your grains in the freezer lest the little critters find them and move in causing you to express decidedly less than veg*n tendencies.
do not add thick sauce to a really hot pan it will spatter all over! do not cook garlic in a really hot pan in oil it will also spatter all over... i continue to do this... still
do not add thick sauce to a really hot pan it will spatter all over! do not cook garlic in a really hot pan in oil it will also spatter all over... i continue to do this... still
to add to this: do not do the above or add anything to hot oil while talking to your grandmother on the phone. It causes you to shout words that your g'ma hoped you didn't know.
Never ever ever ever ever try to make caramel for the first time without a candy thermometer. Ever.
These are pretty obvious, but I did make these mistakes early in my vegan career:
1. Do not try to fry the type of tofu that comes in cardboard (shelf stable type). That should only be used in dips, dressings, and pudding type things.
2. This was Dh's mistake: Do not try to make egg type things (such as fritters or crepes) using EnerG egg Replacer. It really only works in baked things to help them rise, and sometime that doesn't even work! In from scratch recipes, yes, but not in boxed things like cakes. Most of us don't use those anyway.
Lets see here
Do not put coconut milk in a crockpot thinking you will come hope to fabulous curry. You will come home to a kind of sour stench of curdled coconut milk.
Hubby did this: Do not rip open a pouch of instant microwave Indian food unless you want to clean it off of walls... the ceiling....out of all the fruit baskets...off of all the fruit... off the floor...etc. Gently cut it open with scissors instead.
Make sure your lasagna noodles have been patted dry before making lasagna unless you want lasagna soup.
Make sure you skillet is completely dry before adding oil to heat. otherwise the water will make it pop all over you.
Do not over heat oil used for deep frying unless you want the first item dropped into the oil to become a smoke bomb.
I am sure that I have more...lol.
I have one from DH:
Don't roast a leek and blend it to make soup without chopping it up first. The long strings will wrap around the blades of your fancy new blender and blow it up.
oh, the fridge freezing veggie things - UGH! so aggrevating! i agree with carrots, not sure about mushrooms though. potatoes, only if you're mashing them or something. otherwise, its like they're a foreign entity from another planet.
1. do not EVER trust the box instructions when it comes to rice noodles. practice makes perfect here people. when you have delicious thai workings in a fry pan and you over boil/under boil your noodles, you will be pretty upset with yourself when you're starving and ready to start gulping the peanut sauce.
2. when roasting garlic, make sure to chop a good bit of the top off. cloves DO explode!
good topic!
Hubby did this: Do not rip open a pouch of instant microwave Indian food unless you want to clean it off of walls... the ceiling....out of all the fruit baskets...off of all the fruit... off the floor...etc. Gently cut it open with scissors instead.
FUf, this made me LOL
and great to know about the coconut milk crock...i can totally see me doing that!
Keep small glass jars with good lids to store your herbs and spices in. That way if you get a contaminated batch from the bulk bin or Asian market, the critters don't overrun everything.
STIR Patak's curry sauces when you open the jar. Every time. Otherwise you get mostly oil the first times and then stiff, sticky sludge the last. That's why it says "stir contents before using" on the label!! They mean it!
Oh, and if you forget to put the garlic in hummus of any kind, all you will have is legume puree. It's really not that interesting without it.
Learned this when I was twelve...
Do not try to microwave your breakfast in the morning with your retainer still sitting on your plate. It has metal parts.
Retainer + microwave = Flying sparks and flaming dental hardware
Needless to say, my mother was very unhappy with me. You should have seen the orthodontist's face when I handed him the disfigured retainer and explained how I'd accidentally set it on fire. :P
:-D ;)b
Thank you for the LOL!
No, I never had a retainer. Yes, I wanted one. Heck I wanted transcontinental because all my friends had it.
Yup, I'm insane. You knew that already.
Learned this when I was twelve...
Do not try to microwave your breakfast in the morning with your retainer still sitting on your plate. It has metal parts.
Retainer + microwave = Flying sparks and flaming dental hardware
Needless to say, my mother was very unhappy with me. You should have seen the orthodontist's face when I handed him the disfigured retainer and explained how I'd accidentally set it on fire. :P
winner
:-D ;)b
Thank you for the LOL!
No, I never had a retainer. Yes, I wanted one. Heck I wanted transcontinental because all my friends had it.
Yup, I'm insane. You knew that already.
That's why we love you, Yabbit! We're all a bit mad here at VW. Might as well embrace it. :D
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