There’s really no better way to learn something than from people who have years and years of experience doing it. That’s why home cooks love to watch cooking shows on TV, read cooking magazines, and source cooking tips from professional chefs posting on Reddit.
Wait, what? You’ve never done that last one before? Well, one recent thread asked the following question: “Chefs of Reddit, what’s one rule of cooking amateurs need to know?”
The result was a lot of insight from real chefs on Reddit that you can implement at home. Here are some of the most-upvoted tips.
How to Make a Dish Pop
“A lot of the time when people add salt to a dish because they think it tastes flat, what it really needs is an acid like lemon juice or vinegar,” said Reddit user Vexvertigo.
Predicting How Spices Will Taste Together
“Smell is very similar to taste, and if you’re not sure about combining various spices, open the bottles and smell them all together,” said Reddit user SuddenSenseOfSonder.
Having a Sense of Restraint
“You can always add, but you cannot take away,” said Reddit user El_Duende666.
Making Things Brighter
“Salt, pepper and acid will brighten up almost any dish. If an otherwise wonderful dish is just… missing something, add salt, pepper and lemon juice, then reassess,” said Reddit user LymphomaThr0waway.
