Old Cooks’ Tales

TastyReuben

TastyReuben

Nosh 'n' Splosh
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I think most of us are familiar with the phrase “old wives’ tales” and what it means, but I’m choosing to label my post “old cooks’ tales,” just to focus it on the culinary arts.

Anyway, if you’re not familiar with the term, an old wives’…erm, cooks’ tale is a bit of advice from time immemorial that’s been around so long, it’s just accepted…and it’s usually dubious in its accuracy.

For example, we were always told when we were young that you had to wait 1-2 hours after eating before you could swim, or you’d get cramps and drown - not really true, but many people did (and probably still do) accept it as an irrefutable fact.

Ok, today in my own kitchen, I remembered two that I got from my mom (and no doubt she from hers) - one I never believed, and one I still follow. They are:

1. Never store your knives on a magnetic strip holder, the magnet will “pull the edge off.” - never have I ever thought that was true.

2. Always remove the first three leaves from heads of cabbage and lettuce, no matter if they look perfect - any outside contaminants can penetrate those, but no further. - I admit I still do this, but I don’t really believe the reasoning behind it…but I still do it.

What about you all? Any old kitchen advice you care to share? Any you still follow? Any that make you laugh?
 
I'm same as you with cabbages leaves etc.
My nana used to tell me to leave batter for pancakes/ pikelets to leave it for a few hrs to breathe.
My mum used to say throw a few more spuds in to roast . I always have some left but we never run short.

Russ
 
While I Iike this topic, unfortunately I wasn't taught to cook by my familial elders, I picked it up along the way though adulthood. I'll have to think on it to see if I can remember anything tha was said by those who did the cooking.
 
What a cool thread!

For some reason, I needed a moment to think of the first one: my Grandma always washed and peeled the apples, that were to be eaten raw. To discard toxins/pesticides. I still do that, to this day.

Except when I am on the go or at work, then I just wash, eat with the peel on.

Oh yes, the swimming after a meal, yes.

Surely, there are many more...will post later.
 
Timenspace said:
Pour red vinegar in a small bowl, place in the room, it will drive mosquitos away.
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I would be chuffed if that was true!

No more than 3 eggs a week...
I definitely don't obey that rule

Dry beans NEED to be soaked before you can cook and eat them and you need to boil them hard for at least 10 minutes.
Now I do generally soak my beans as it shortens the cooking time, but it is not really necessary.
That hard boiling thing? Not sure. Might be true for some type of beans?
 
badjak said:
would be chuffed if that was true!
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Google translate did not help me, sorry, don't truly understand this sentence.

I use a commercial 'Raid' fluid for an electric mini lamp to drive away mosquitos...but my Grandma used vinegar when I was a kid, honestly it escapes my memory if it worked or not.

So, some tales not necessarily effective...

Beans, I soak overnight, and cook minimum90 minutes, sometimes 2 hours..sometimes shorter....it works ok for me...
 
JAS_OH1 said:
I knew someone from the UK who used that term. He said he would be chuffed if the girl he liked went on a date with him so I figured it out based on context.
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…and if she stayed over for breakfast, the phrase would be modified to “dead chuffed” - very, very happy indeed! :wink:
 
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