A Girl Shared Her Boyfriend’s Mango Hack and It Went Viral

I’ve only tried to prepare mango a few times. Both times, I had to google what to do with the thing.

I guess it depends where you live, but it seems like everyone struggles just a little over what to do with a mango. That’s why a woman’s TikTok about her boyfriend’s unusual mango hack took social media by storm.

I was taught to cut a sort of grid into the mango and then peel the sin back and scrape the cubes off the skin.

But Katie Feeney’s boyfriend had a different sort of technique.

First, he sliced the mango around the middle, crosswise.

Image credit: Katie Feeney via TikTok

Next, he pried the two sides apart.

Image credit: Katie Feeney via TikTok

As Buzzfeed explained:

Then, he pops out what he calls the “lollipop” center…

Image credit: Katie Feeney via TikTok

After scooping out the inside of each half, he is left with a perfect, delicious mango, ready to eat or cook with.

Image credit: Katie Feeney via TikTok

This method totally blew my mind. Because if you’ve ever eaten a fresh mango, you know how completely frustrating the process of getting that massive seed out of the middle is.

And this guy did it like it was nothing!

A lot of viewers felt the same way.

Image credit via TikTok

They really appreciated the clever ingenuity and vowed to try it themselves.

Image credit via TikTok

Some even went so far as to describe it as life-altering.

Image credit via TikTok

Others, however, were less impressed.

Image credit via TikTok

It seems that this is a very common way of preparing a mango in Middle Eastern and Asian cultures.

Image credit via TikTok

In fact for some, it was the only way they knew how to eat a mango.

Image credit via TikTok

Isn’t it funny how something that seems completely revolutionary to one group of people can be just as mundane to the other?

Take a look at the video, and see what you think for yourself.

@katiefeeneyy

what do you guys think?? #howto

♬ original sound – ☆ katie feeney ☆

Ordinary? Or extraordinary?

Let us know in the comments!

The post A Girl Shared Her Boyfriend’s Mango Hack and It Went Viral appeared first on UberFacts.

Bad Cooks Share Some Real Bad Cooking Stories

Cooking is pretty hard.

One time I burnt Ramen noodles. I would go into the details but my insurance company has me on a gag order. They said Ramen isn’t supposed to go into a molten state like that. The authorities were called, biochemical weapon sanctions were placed. It was a weird afternoon.

These “cooks” are on much the same skill level. Read their full confessions of debauchery below.

1. Third time’s a charm.

And every time a mitt burns a shrimp a get its wings… That was funnier in my head.

2. Haircut on a budget

I used to do the same thing in college to save money. I mean the hair, not the ramen. I used a Flowbee. It was magical.

3. Nothing like a fluffy, yummy fish cake from the pan.

Syrup, please?

4. The Greening

I’ve had worse. I have had better… Would still eat. Happy Thankspatty Day

5. Thicc as a juicy ham.

Eggs and bacon served on a bun. 86 coffee, tho.

6. “Can I offer you an egg in these trying times?”

Hard as boiled.

7. The chocolate chips do bear a resemblance.

Doc told me to lay off the sodium.

8. The Gordon Bombrownie.

I made a Mighty Ducks reference because hockey. Fiskey!

9. Care for another egg…in these even more trying times?

Does water burn? Yeah?

10.   Fryin’ up a baking dish.

They don’t rewarm well.

11. Toaster>Towel

If you can’t take the heat get out the toaster.

12. Rice and water makes delicious rice

Rice and no water makes functional charcoal.

Any bad cooks gone worse reading this? Any horrible stories you want to share?

Do that in the comments, fam!

Thanks!

The post Bad Cooks Share Some Real Bad Cooking Stories appeared first on UberFacts.

Person Asks if Their Joke About Only Eating Apples Went Too Far

Apples are my favorite fruit and I really like the idea of making a joke about it, but I would never pull the kind of prank I’m about to tell you about.

Judging by the comments, a lot of other people are also not fans of what this person did to their friends, but a lot of people also found it really funny.

This person wrote about the incident in the the “Ask the ***hole” Reddit page and asked people if this prank crossed a line.

AITA for pretending to be an “Appletarian” (eating only apple derived foods/drinks) for 3 weeks as a prank, causing my friends to have an intervention for me?

I got the idea a few weeks ago to prank my friends my pretending to be an “Appletarian”, meaning somebody who only eats food products that are derived from apples and would only drink apple juice or apple cider.

I told them them all that I had read on the internet that eating only apples was the healthiest thing for you. When I first told them they thought I was joking, but they underestimated how committed I would be to a joke. So, whenever in the presence of one of my friends (or friend-of-friends/coworkers/etc who knew them) I was very careful to only be seen eating apples or drinking apple juice/cider.

Apples whole, apples diced, apple sauce, the inside of an apple pie, baked apples, candy apples with the chocolate shaved off, etc.

Finally after about a week they bought that I had become an Appletarian. They started giving me information about how unhealthy it was to only eat apples, and growing increasingly exasperated by it. Some of them even got angry.

But I wanted to stick with the joke. Finally, after the end of 3 weeks, I walked into what I was told was a movie night but was actually an intervention for me.

They were all super concerned about my well being and had all sorts of information or whatever. Finally I started laughing hysterically. They were confused as hell so I told them I had been faking it the whole time and had been eating real meals outside their knowledge. I even took out some beef jerky from my pant pocket to prove it and munched it.

I thought they’d appreciate the joke but they were actually really annoyed. My girlfriend even broke up with me over this because a few days ago I had ruined our date night when I told the waiter I only wanted apples because I was an Appletarian and had “embarrassed her for a dumb joke”.

In my opinion the joke was solid and they should appreciate my commitment to the prank.

But, did I go too far?

This person didn’t feel he went too far at all.

Image Credit: Reddit

This Reddit user understands the value of pranks, but is not happy with the pain the OP caused.

Image Credit: Reddit

Read your audience — that’s this user’s message.

Image Credit: Reddit

This person tells the OP to think about how worried his loved ones must have been for his mental health.

Image Credit: Reddit

However, at least one more person didn’t think this guy was an a-hole.

Image Credit: Reddit

It was nice to see so many people in the comments advocating sympathy for friends instead of disregard for their feelings. I would have liked to see ideas in the comments for harmless alternative pranks.

Share a time with us when you pulled a prank and it failed.

The post Person Asks if Their Joke About Only Eating Apples Went Too Far appeared first on UberFacts.

People Debate an Incredibly Bold Statement: “I Absolutely Believe Cheese Ruins a Good Hamburger”

I think this hot take is really going to upset some folks.

As for me, I honestly can go both ways on the pressing issue of whether you need cheese or not to make a burger complete and delicious.

Sometimes I love cheese on my burger, sometimes I go without it…I like to be unpredictable, okay?

AskReddit users shared their opinions about a very divisive topic:

I absolutely believe cheese ruins a good hamburger. from unpopularopinion

Let’s take a look at what they had to say…

1. Against the essence of the meat…

“Every time I’ve ate a cheeseburger I found myself highly disappointed and always regret it. Every bite into a cheesburger I feel a horrible clash of flavors and tastes that just go against the essence of the meat.

I believe Burgers are much better suited with on your fresh veggies like lettuce, pickles, red onion, and possibly tomatoes (depending on what you like), and either simply just some ketchup, or a more interesting sauce if it’s available to you, but not anything that will overpower the meat, like cheese does.”

2. Agreed!

“This is less about cheese as a standalone and more so about cheese not quite fitting in with the rest if the layers in the burger.

I agree.

No cheese please.”

3. Depends on the cheese.

“It could be the type of cheese as well.

American cheese is more likely to overwhelm than other types. I prefer provolone cheese on mine.

But most people I know personally only use American cheese.”

4. Gotta get the good stuff.

“I used to not like cheeseburgers as well.

Turns out, I didn’t like burgers with crappy cheese.

I’ll usually get a hamburger from most fast food/chain restaurants, but will get a cheeseburger from local places because they usually use better cheese.”

5. Mixed emotions.

“I actually think tomatoes ruin burgers, and I like tomatoes.

But to the cheese part, to me, it depends on the quality of the meat.

A great beef burger, cooked just right, needs no cheese.”

6. Adds texture.

“Cheese adds a nice texture to the burger, and a good flavor that, in my opinion, brings all the flavors together with a good flavor.

Also, tomatoes are the devil a deserve to be eradicated.”

7. No hot cheese, please.

“I do not enjoy hot cheese at all.

If it’s on my burger and it’s not melting, that means I have a cold burger, which is an entirely different problem.

Therefore I’m in this camp. Do we get hats or t shirts?”

8. We can’t be friends.

“I can’t think of a single burger combination that doesn’t benefit from cheese.

I disagree with you and actually kind of dislike you despite knowing nothing about you.”

9. Something to think about…

“What if you add a really good cheese though?

Not that sliced plastic crap, I’m talking a smoked German cheese with bacon, a rich creamy brie or aged mature cheddar?”

10. Too rich for my blood.

“I’ve always been called crazy for thinking this exact thing.

In my opinion cheese just makes the burger too rich, like I’m going to have a heart attack or throw up if I try to eat the whole thing.

I love cheese and I love burgers, but those two things do not belong together.”

11. A bold stand.

“Cheese ruins almost everything except pizza.

I will die on that hill.”

12. Maybe you’re doing it wrong?

“I think you havent had a good cheeseburger.

It highly depends on the cheese used and the amount used. Cheese goes well with a fatty hamburger. If you’re using 80/20 meat then cheese flows with the fat and enhances the flavor.

If you use cheddar cheese it should be a single slice per 1/2 lb which is a lot less than most people use on a burger. For more lean meats you want less cheese. The fat from fattier burgers actually melds with the cheese and makes it spread into the burger.

Now if you have veggies you want even less cheese.”

Oh, boy…

Now we want to hear from all of you out there.

In the comments, let us know how you feel about this controversial topic.

Thanks in advance!

The post People Debate an Incredibly Bold Statement: “I Absolutely Believe Cheese Ruins a Good Hamburger” appeared first on UberFacts.

Do You Think Fish is Meat? People Debated This Big Question.

I have a friend who told me that he was going vegetarian for a while to see how he liked it.

We were chatting a little while after he started his new diet and I asked him what he was making for dinner that night. His answer: salmon.

I was a bit confused and I asked him why he wasn’t a vegetarian anymore. He replied, “fish isn’t meat.”

Hmmmm…I’m pretty sure that it is…but maybe I’ve been wrong on this one the whole time?

So what do you think? If fish meat?

AskReddit users weighed in with their opinions.

1. I don’t get it…

“I don’t understand why people say that fish is not meat.

Meat is defined as “the flesh of an animal as food.” Why isn’t fish considered a meat then?! Why do religions act like it is not meat? Why is the flesh of a fish not considered meat?

It literally makes no sense to me. I understand it is food from the sea, hence seafood, but seafood is just meat from the “sea.””

2. It stuck.

““Fish is not meat” comes from the Catholic/Christian tradition of fasting (not eating) meat during Friday’s and during Lent. Depriving oneself of a luxury to remind yourself of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Fish was a common and inexpensive food in the area earlier christians lived. Hence it was not a luxury and didn’t need to be avoided while fasting.

That turned into “fish doesn’t count as meat” because it wasn’t part of the fast.

Of course fish is animal flesh, but that wasn’t the point. It’s kind of stuck since.”

3. It’s a mindset.

“In the modern day English speaking world, eg the US because it’s so large, a culture filled with “red meat”, fish is often perceived as less hearty, lighter.

In other words “meat” is often synonymous with “red meat”(primarily beef in an array of cuts and preparations(roast, steak, ribs, hamburger, etc), with most other animal flesh less common, many falling either into delicacies or inedible. Pork, fish, and poultry are more common than, say, shrimp or venison but are still less proliferate than beef for much of the nation.

It may have started with religion, but it continues in the US heavily because that’s what’s readily available and/or what the culture focuses on.”

4. It’s an animal.

“I have to say this to everyone who says, “can you eat fish” when I say I’m a vegetarian.

My mother in law does this all the time. No. Fish is meat. It’s an animal. It’s flesh.

I don’t understand how a fish can be considered not meat.”

5. Blame it on them.

“I think that’s more because over the years so many pescatarians said they were vegetarian.

And because no one knew what a pescatarian was and it was just easier to tell people you were vegetarian, but ate fish.”

6. LOL.

“This reminds me of one of the three jokes that I think of when someone says “tell a joke”.

What do you call a vegetarian who eats fish?

A liar.

It’s not a good joke, and the one time I posted it on Facebook 10 years ago someone pointed out that they’re pescatarian and just don’t know that word.”

7. No doubt about it.

“It’s meat.

It’s an animal that was living and breathing.

Therefore, it’s meat.”

8. It’s clean.

“It’s because we are not supposed to eat blood, and red meats are considered to be a lot closer to that and hence considered less “clean”.

Fish is “white meat” (despite some fish such as the salminidaes being orange and such), along with poultry. I also don’t think fish ISN’T considered meat, it’s just not improper to eat under different circumstances.

Another important thing too is that Fish is considered to be a much lower quality/cheaper item that is “easily replenishable without having to farm them”. On the other hand red meat is more of a luxury item (especially beef and lamb).

Fish IS considered meat by literally everyone. It’s just considered edible and pure to eat while the other meats aren’t across different religions.”

9. Good comparison.

“Same reason alcohol is usually considered separate from other drugs, I assume.

Maybe not in a literal sense, but the constant distinction of “Drugs and alcohol” always annoys me.

Kind of implies alcohol isn’t a drug…Yeah it is.”

10. Where’s the line?

“”I’m a vegetarian, but I eat fish.”

This has always upset me. Like. Fish are animals, why would you consider them differently? Honestly fish are dope. They’re super pretty, have homes where they spawn for generations, they can jump up waterfalls and grow swords out of their faces.

Fish are truly incredible and someone out there is like nah, f*ck them fish. They’re not animals. They’re just an addition to my veggies.

I just don’t understand where the line is drawn.”

11. Here’s another view.

“The reason Catholics are permitted to eat fish on what Catholics call “days of abstinence” is not because fish are not meat, but because fish are cold blooded. (so this means alligator would be fine as well).

This originated from a Jewish tradition where any cold blooded animal was associated with death, ex, snakes, lizards and so on. (hence the devil being referred to as a “serpent”).

On the other hand. Warm blooded animals were associated with life, ex lamb, goats, and cattle. In remembrance of Jesus being crucified as a “sacrificial lamb” Catholics are asked to observe days of abstinence on certain days.

Fish are indeed meat and the Catholic Church doesn’t actually claim that they aren’t.”

What do you think about this?

Is fish meat?

Sound off in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!

The post Do You Think Fish is Meat? People Debated This Big Question. appeared first on UberFacts.

This is How Long Your Fresh Produce Will Reliably Last

One of the worst things about being an adult and buying your own food and stuff is having to figure out what to buy when, how long something will reliably last, and having to throw things in the trash that cost you some of your hard-earned money.

Fresh produce is the most likely culprit here, because we forget about it, we don’t use as much as we think we will, or we change our mind about what’s for dinner (usually trading the good-for-us stuff for ordering pizza or Chipotle).

So, how long will that lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, or melon last in your fridge? On the counter?

If you’re curious, don’t worry – we’ve got your back.

#20. Onions

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 2-3 months at room temperature

When to toss them: Moisture and soft spots can be a sign it’s gone bad.

#19. Apples

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 4-8 weeks in the fridge

When to toss them: If it looks wrinkled or feels mushy, it’s time to toss.

#18. Oranges

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 3-4 weeks in the fridge

When to toss them: Check to see that there are no soft spots – they’ll also be dry on the inside instead of juicy.

#17. Avocado

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 4-7 days at room temperature

When to toss them: If it’s brown and reduced to mush, you’ve missed your window.

#16. Peaches

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 1-3 days at room temperature

When to toss them:  If they’re very wrinkly or start to smell boozy, it’s time to let them go.

#15. Bananas

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 2-5 days at room temperature

When to toss them: If they’re tough to peel, give under your fingers, or are brown all over, you can lie to yourself about how they’re going to be banana bread.

#14. Potatoes

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 3-5 weeks in the pantry

When to toss them: It’s OK if it has small sprouts, but if the sprouts are longer than a few centimeters, your potato may have gone bad. If it’s gone VERY bad, there will be no mistaking it.

#13. Blueberries

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 1-2 weeks in the fridge

When to toss them: If they start to feel moist or look moldy, it’s time to toss.

#12. Strawberries

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last:  3-7 days in the fridge

When to toss them: If they are too soft, have dark spots, or are showing mold, show them the trash.

#11. Broccoli

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 7-14 days in the fridge

When to toss them: Once it starts to go limp, all is lost.

#10. String Beans

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 3-5 days in the fridge

When to toss them: You’ll know they’ve gone bad if they’ve turned limp or moist.

#9. Carrots

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 3-4 weeks in the fridge

When to toss them: Carrots are past their prime when they feel limp or have developed a white, grainy look.

#8. Tomatoes

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 1 week at room temperature

When to toss them: Bad tomatoes will have rotten spots, and they’ll be mushy rather than firm.

#7. Cucumbers

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 1 week in the fridge

When to toss them: Discard if it has any sunken areas, is yellow or has wrinkly skin.

#6. Watermelon

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 7 to 10 days at room temperature

When to toss them: Melons have a peculiar, too-sweet smell that’s sickly rather than enticing.

#5. Garlic

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 3-6 months at room temperature

When to toss them: If it’s grown any sprouts, peel them away before cooking. Pass up garlic that has turned tan or looks wrinkly.

#4. Mushrooms

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 7-10 days in the fridge

When to toss them: If the mushroom feels sticky or slimy, it’s bad. Whole mushrooms will keep longer than sliced mushrooms.

#3. Lettuce

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 7-10 days in the fridge

When to toss them: If your greens look discolored, feel soggy or have a rotten smell, it’s time to discard.

#2. Zucchini

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 4-5 days in the fridge

When to toss them: If the zucchini looks gray, or the skin is dull rather than shiny, it may be overly ripe.

#1. Lemons

Image Credit: Pexels

How long they last: 3-4 weeks in the fridge

When to toss them: It’s overripe if it has soft spots, dark blotches or is oozing juice.

This is super helpful information, though I usually just figure mine has gone bad once it’s reduced to wet mush in the bottom of my vegetable drawer.

Don’t judge. You know exactly what I’m talking about.

Cheers to healthier eating in the future!

The post This is How Long Your Fresh Produce Will Reliably Last appeared first on UberFacts.

A Dad Asked if He’s Wrong to Still Cook Bacon in the House With His Vegan Daughter

More and more people are making different dietary choices lately – whether it’s for health reasons, because of a concern for the environment, or over moral objections – and many of those changes mean no longer eating meat (or any animal byproducts, in the case of vegans).

If you know a passionate vegan, there’s a good chance you also know many of them are not quiet about their choices, or about trying to convince you to make the same ones. Everyone has to decide for themselves, though, and what’s the best course of action when people who take different paths still live together under one roof?

That’s the question this bacon-loving father is asking now that his daughter is a practicing vegan.

Dad here, old fart, loves his daughter to pieces but I’m struggling to see eye to eye with my teenager and wife on this one.

As a Midwestern family, their meals have always revolved around meat and potatoes, but when his daughter decided to become a vegan, he jumped on board to help her make the switch.

We’ve always been a meat eating family, we live in the rural Midwest and bacon for breakfast is pretty much a given. This year my 14 y/o daughter decided to go vegan, and I jumped onto her support team with enthusiasm. We learned how to substitute ingredients, cook new things, try new things, I adjusted our budget to include more expensive vegan substitutes for her, etc.

Then, there was an incident with a pan.

None of this has been a problem for me until recently. She saw me cook bacon in a pan, and then I rinsed it out to load in the dishwasher. She exploded in anger (teen years, I’m not too fussed about the anger explosion, I know she doesn’t mean it) and said that that was HER pan for vegan food. I was completely floored and said, kiddo this here is a family pan, older than you, it’s not YOUR pan.

She asked for pans to be specifically designated for cooking vegan, and he agreed.

She asked me to purchase her a pan that she can solely use for vegan food. I didn’t want her to feel weird about food, so I said sure, and ordered her a few colored ones that are only for her. The reason they’re colored is so it helps me remember that I’m not to touch them unless I’m cooking vegan.

That wasn’t enough, though, and then she asked that they all stop eating meat at home to stop the cross-contamination.

That wasn’t good enough. Now apparently the dishwasher is ‘contaminated’ with animal product, and the fridge has ‘bacon grease fingers’ on it (because I eat bacon and then touch the fridge) and she’s asked me and her mom to completely stop eating meat at home. I don’t mean I literally touch the fridge with greasy bacon hands, because I wash my hands, but it’s clearly enough that it upsets my daughter.

He and his wife disagree on how to handle it – she thinks that they should make their daughter comfortable in her own kitchen while he says he’s not going to stop enjoying the things he loves in his own house.

frankly I’m on team hell no, her mom is much more amenable and strongly wants me to consider taking our daughter up on the request. My wife’s reasoning is that both our parents live close so we can eat meat products there, and that she doesn’t want our daughter to feel uncomfortable in the kitchen.

My daughter says she is fine with cheese and butter in the fridge, but it’s specifically meat products that make her feel sick. Now I’m sorry for her, but I feel like she just needs to adapt and live side by side, because I’m not going to stop eating bacon in my own house.

Look out, folks – here come the comments.

Mostly, people believe more compromises can be made so that everyone can continue to eat what they want.

image Credit: Reddit

Others suggested the daughter needs a (kind) reality check about all of the ways the world is not going to change to accommodate her.

Image Credit: Reddit

And yeah, learning to cohabitate with people who don’t share each and every one of your beliefs is one of life’s necessary lessons.

Image Credit: Reddit

Other vegans weighed in, and they were surprisingly on the father’s side on this one.

Image Credit: Reddit

“Feeling sick” is something she’s definitely just going to have to get over.

Image Credit: Reddit

I’m definitely with the dad here – it’s his house, he pays the bills, he eats what he likes. Sure, it’s great that he’s willing to support his daughter, but he also needs to teach her that living with other people will always involve compromise.

What do you think? Let’s hash it out in the comments!

The post A Dad Asked if He’s Wrong to Still Cook Bacon in the House With His Vegan Daughter appeared first on UberFacts.

What Cooking Tips Should We All Know? Chefs Were Nice Enough to Offer Their Advice.

No matter how much experience you have working in restaurants or even just in your home kitchen, you can always learn new tips about how to make food and make the process smoother.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to dive into today!

Let’s check out some awesome cooking tips from folks on AskReddit!

1. For beginners.

“Two things for beginners:

First, taste as you cook. At various stages of cooking, while safe (not raw meat) taste your food as you cook it. This lets you know if you have too much of something or too little. It also helps you develop your palette for what different seasonings do.

Second, if you’re just starting out and don’t know which spices to buy. Pick a specific cuisine you like. Are you a fan of Italian food? Focus only on Italian recipes for a while. Most use similar herbs and spices because the cuisine of the area used what they had available to them.

This will let you learn several recipes without having to buy massive amounts of spices to make it work. Eventually you will build up a good stock and be set to handle most things.”

2. Yummy.

“Soy sauce goes on more than Asian foods.

Try a dash in scrambled eggs or towards the end of your caramelized onions.

It is a savory salt flavor that compliments many dishes.”

3. Some tips.

“The spice measurements in most online recipes are way too small. I usually double them.

Cinnamon isn’t just for sweet foods. It can be really really good in savory foods.

Don’t forget the acid. A bit of citrus juice or vinegar can really make a dish pop and bring out the other flavors.

Don’t be afraid to deviate from a recipe, but be careful with baked goods. If you make big changes in baked goods you might get a dud unless you know how it will effect the baking process.”

4. Spice it up.

“Salt is seasoning. It makes food taste more like itself.

Acids, like citrus or vinegar can also do this. If your food tastes flat, or like it is missing something, try some salt or acid. Acid is also critical for balancing very rich fatty foods.

The reason Americans love tomato ketchup so much is the fact that it adds acid and salt to their food. Adding a bit of “heat” like a pinch of cayenne can also accentuate a the flavor of a dish. Spices are something else. They bring a new and different flavor to the dish.

In sweets, sugar often takes the place of salt and is usually balanced by acid – see passionfruit, raspberry, citrus, etc. But salt plays an important role in sweets as well – often in unexpected ways. Try putting a pinch of kosher salt into your next batch of whipped cream.

I could keep going but I’ll leave it there. If you can master these concepts you will have a big advantage over most home cooks.”

5. Nice and easy.

“If you’re getting annoyed because it’s taking you too long to peel garlic, place an unpeeled garlic clove under the flat side of your kitchen knife and press on it with your hand.

The garlic peel will separate easily and your garlic will be crushed.”

6. Ouch!

“A falling knife has no handle.

The worst cut I’ve ever had was from trying catch one on reflex.

I got sliced across all my fingers, great tip to internalize.”

7. Good advice.

“Everything in it’s place. Have everything cut, seasonings and ingredients measured before you start cooking. This way you can focus on cooking.

Brown meats in small batches, do not overcrowd the pan. It will cause meat to sweat and will not brown properly.”

8. Keep it simple.

“Learn basic cutting techniques for cutting vegetables.

Keep it simple. The number ingredients doesn’t say anything about the taste of a dish. Go for dishes you can make in 30 to 40 minutes with 6 to 8 ingredients.

Keep a notebook. Gather a list recipes and dishes you do regularly. Expand gradually with new stuff. Don’t just buy cookbooks you never really use.

Adding is easy, removing is hard. People here argue to liberally add butter and seasoning. Tastes differ, though. It’s totally fine to put in less if that’s what you fancy.

You don’t need a gazillion utensils. In your daily cooking, a basic kitchen knife already does a lot of the heavy lifting. Learn to use that properly.

Observe. How do ingredients act when you combine them? What happens when your put them in a pan or pot and apply heat?

Always be cleaning. You have idle time? Clean the sink.

Don’t be afraid to fail. Learn from your mistakes. Also, don’t pretend you know better then the recipe. Especially if you never made a recipe before.”

9. All about timing.

“The amount of garlic flavor is dependent on WHEN you add the garlic.

Add it early for light flavor, add it late for bold flavor.”

10. Fond.

“Massively improve the quality of your proteins with fond. Doesn’t matter the protein. Bird, beef, pork, tofu. Fond is the dark brown stuff that sticks to your pan when you’re cooking.

Its not burnt unless is actually black. To get it off the pan on on the food, pour in either an alcohol or acid to dissolve it and get the now brown liquid to coat your protein. Different proteins work best with different alcohols.

Good rule of thumb, dry white for chicken or any lighter meat. Red for beef. Lemon juice works great for almost everything.”

11. Brine is good.

“Brine your dang birds.

Like salt, sugar and water makes a basic brine; let it sit in there overnight.

Juicy bird guaranteed.”

12. Good stuff here.

“Your pan does not need to be on maximum heat.

You have to cook meat to a specific internal temperature to kill bacteria, anything more is just trying it out (generalized).

Lemon zest and garlic with a cream sauce makes anything delicious.

Wash your hands, tools, and area after dealing with raw meats. Watch the water splatter from the sink when washing aswell.

When a recipe calls for you to let something ‘sit’ or ‘rest’, do not rush this step. Good things happen to the food in that time.

You are less likely to cut your self with a sharp knife, compared to a dull one.

Sifting flour, when adding it to baking recipes, can improve the results.

Test your yeast before committing to using it.

When cooking for a group, season lightly, and use hot spices sparingly; they can both be done after its served.

Puree or fine grate veggies such as carrots or zucchini into sauces, or even peanut butter, to get kids to get some nutrients.

Buy a rice cooker. Uncle Roger said so.

Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize.

Wet hand / dry hand while breading or coating food.

Never pry anything out of an electrical appliance. No metal in toasters or microwaves.

Dishwashers have a ‘gunk trap’ or general area where stuff collects. Clean this. Also check the water outlets as lemon seeds and other things can clog them.

Herbs and spices can be annoying to eat, such as twiggy pieces of rosemary or peppercorns. Put them in a cheese cloth, or emptied out tea bag, draped in the liquid, to give their flavours but not the textures.

Dont pan fry bacon in the morning with no shirt on.

Buy local as often as you can.”

How about you?

What cooking tips would you like to share with the world?

Do it in the comments, please!

The post What Cooking Tips Should We All Know? Chefs Were Nice Enough to Offer Their Advice. appeared first on UberFacts.

People Share the Food Nobody Can Make Better Than Their Mom

Even if your mom isn’t the greatest cook ever, I have no doubt in my mind that there is at least one thing she makes that, if nothing else, reminds you of growing up.

For me, it’s my mother’s meatloaf. The smell of it baking in the oven on a chilly winter evening is like being transported back to my youth, and no matter how many times I try making it myself, it’s never quite the same.

These 20 people are sharing the dishes that their mom just knocks out of the park, and I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy inside about it!

20. I’m drooling a little bit.

Leche flan. Even the stuff from the local Filipino bakery is spongey scrambled eggs compared to my mom’s. Thick, smooth custard. No bubbles.

Her secret ingredient is the tiniest splash of lemon extract. Sometimes she’ll put a layer of flan on top of cassava cake (shredded cassava cooked with macapuno coconut). Lord, so good.

19. There’s no such thing as too much butter.

Sticky toffee pudding.

Could be something to do with the full pound of butter she uses, but who can say.

18. At least you know why she married you.

My mother is from the Philippines. Her adobo is something magical and out of this world. When my wife is mad at me she says the only reason she married into the family was so that she could eat my mom’s adobo.

I somehow forgot to mention her lumpia. Oh lord, her lumpia is something I could eat several times my own bodyweight in.

17. Ooh, please tell me more.

My mom makes the best carrot cake in the universe. Hands down. It’s her own recipe, hybridized from two different recipes she had long ago. It’s like no other carrot cake I’ve ever had. I have it every year for my birthday, she has even shipped it to me unassembled (icing in a jar, cake layers wrapped in wax paper and foil) when I lived far away. I estimate I’ve eaten this cake at least 50 -60 times in my 43 years on the planet, sometimes we make it for her birthday too it’s so good.

Editing to add that she cooked and baked a ton all throughout my childhood, and still does a fair amount. Many other things she makes are great too (her meatloaf and her chicken & dumplings are on point… pumpkin pie is amazeballs…) but if I had to pick one stellar winner it is the cake of carrots.

16. I’m willing to adopt it.

My mom’s lumpia shanghai is literally Filipino crack and no one can convince me otherwise. She has a few secret ingredients and no one else’s recipe comes close

Another note: It’s wild to me that Pinoy food isn’t as widely popular in the States. I’ve made that argument before, but if Filipinos are the third fastest growing Asian group in the States (behind Chinese and Indian) why isn’t Filipino restaurants as widely available / popular as say Thai restaurants.

It’s criminal to me since Pinoy food is so good too.

15. This is quite an endorsement.

I married into a Ukrainian family and my mother in law and wife make potato/cheese perogies for christmas and thanksgiving each year from scratch and there’s nothing like them.

You think you like perogies and then you have a homemade one and suddenly you can hear colours.

14. Tell me more.

Pupusas. A Salvadoran dish.

Absolutely delish. It’s like a flat tamale.

13. Insult to injury.

Gumbo.

My mom made the absolute best gumbo and I’ve spent the last 10 years trying to get it right because she never wrote down the recipe for me before she died despite me practically begging her to do so.

God I miss her (and her gumbo!)

12. I like all kinds.

Chocolate chip cookies!

From a recipe passed down from HER mom. So many happy memories of three of us generations making those cookies all together ; )

Always baked perfectly medium rare. She had a specific cookie scooper that she always used. After she died, my dad rested her beloved cookie scooper on top of her urn.

11. That’s just petty.

My great grandma was a renowned candy maker and wouldn’t write down any of her recipes either. “My recipes will die with me.”

I don’t understand why people do that? Let us remember you and carry on your legacy ?

10. A labor of love.

Not my mom, but my grandma makes the best fried chicken EVER.

I won’t eat any other fried chicken except for hers bc all the others just disappoint me.

9. I don’t know why I love this story but I do.

So my great-grandmother never wrote down her recipes either and her big thing was always banana nut bread. It’s a staple in my family. Like, every holiday, there’s at least a half a dozen loaves laying around to get munched on.

Memaw DID end up writing her banana bread recipe down before she passed and gave a copy to her daughter and DIL and each of her granddaughters.

But she wrote a different version for each person. Which like, okay weird, but she was old and never measured anything and just eyeballed it. So.. alright.

The kicker is she told each person she gave a recipe to that “Now, I gave you the REAL one because you were always my favorite. Don’t tell anyone else.”

And then she DIED and all the granddaughters compared notes on their recipes one Christmas and figured out she told them all the same thing about being the favorite and we still don’t know which recipe is the a real one or if there even is a real one or which one is closest.

8. Oooh I need that second recipe like yesterday.

My mom makes hands down the absolute best lasagna ever, and she can almost perfectly recreate the rice, noodles, and steak from hibachi restaurants.

7. When you just can’t choose.

Honestly…everything.

That woman’s like a mad scientist in the kitchen. She’ll f*ck around and experiment, turn out some really weird/gross/downright obscene stuff from time to time, and just figure out what works.

And the process ends with something that you imagine the gods would eat on Olympus.

6. It’s the homemade sauce that does it.

My mom’s lasagna was the best too! She would make homemade spaghetti sauce, from fresh tomatoes + cans of tomato paste, then cook the meatballs in the sauce, scooping the grease off the top over the course of the day.

She would also parboil italian sausage. When the sausage and meatballs were cooked she would slice them into 1/2 inch pieces. Then she would make the lasagna with alternating layers of sausage, meatballs and ricotta cheese.

All of us kids always requested this for our birthday dinner!

5. Wow, so can mine!

My Mum can make the single best roast potatoes I’ve ever had.

4. Can’t beat a good soup.

Vegetable soup with small meatballs. Was a recipe from my grandmother who learned it from her mother who again learned it from her mother (the meatballs came later it used to just be vegetable soup). Its good in all seasons and when smelling it it instantly transports my mind to when I was a small kid going to grandma for the weekend.

I have learned how to do it but my mother says it will taste better once you pour some extra love for your kids and grandkids into the soup. Don’t have kids so I’ll have to wait to find out.

3. A sweet legacy.

My late mother was a fantastic cook–which I didn’t realize or appreciate until I grew up and left home. She didn’t like baking very much and rarely did it, but she was a great cook.

But the one thing she had been making for 60 years and could do it blindfolded & in her sleep was Chocolate Roll–a mixture of egg whites & egg yolks beaten & mixed with cocoa & powdered sugar, then baked in a jelly roll pan, spread with sweetened whipped cream when cool, rolled up & frosted w/a light chocolate frosting. It resembles a large Hostess Ho-Ho.

Most delicious treat in the world. I try to make one every other week to put a smile on my dad’s face, but mine will never come out looking as good as my mom’s (but it still tastes great).

2. Or the not having to do it yourself.

Literally everything.

Even toast.

I think it’s the love.

1. I guess it’s the love that’s missing.

Banana bread.

I use the same recipe and it just isn’t the same.

Miss you Mum x

Now I’m hungry!

What’s the dish you ask your mom to make every time you go home? Let’s keep taking yummy stuff in the comments.

The post People Share the Food Nobody Can Make Better Than Their Mom appeared first on UberFacts.