Legend no. 1: you have to add salt to whip egg whites
We start with the classic just to get into shape. We were always told to add salt to whip egg whites. Spoiler alert: it serves no purpose other than to add flavor. But experience being the best way to be convinced (Saint Thomas all that, all that), try whipping whites with and without salt, you will see, they are identical! Obviously, this tip, as useless as it may be, is neither time-consuming, nor expensive, nor difficult to achieve. So if it reassures you to wear it, no one will judge you.
Legend #2: Add oil to pasta water to prevent sticking
For this one, it seems that we are dealing more with a territorial legend which raises the hackles of the Italians who only see it as a way of wasting oil, especially if it is a local oil. quality olive. Don’t want your pasta to stick together? No problem, just stir them during cooking, drain them then add after cooking only oil, a knob of butter, as well as a little cooking water.
Legend no. 3: sausages must be pricked before cooking
It is not uncommon to see sausages savagely stabbed with a fork before being cooked in the oven or on the barbecue to let the fat escape. Unfortunate mistake. If the product comes from a good butcher, the sausage does not contain that much fat, and it is also the latter which, mixed with water, adds softness to the product and that famous juiciness that is so sought after. It’s as if we pierced a chicken right through before cooking it to let all the juices escape and only leave the meat dry… Both the juice and the fat contribute to the softness of a meat, and that would be It’s just a shame not to take advantage of it.
Legend #4: You have to add water to make caramel easily
Less “mythical” than its counterparts, adding water to the caramel is a basic – even compulsory – gesture for any novice taking part in the exercise for the first time. Let’s explain. The caramel can be made either dry – the classic technique – or by adding a little water. In reality, the presence of water only slows down the appearance of the divine caramel, since in any case, the latter will evaporate during cooking. Let’s say that instead of waiting 5 minutes to obtain caramel, we will wait 5 minutes 30… Nothing to do with ease then. Finally, the uselessness of water is easily verified since you can absolutely make caramel without it! On the chemistry side, it seems slightly more complex and water seems to have its role to play in the story, but on our side, our main character is sugar, and he does not intend to share the poster!
Legend no. 5: cut your onion underwater to avoid crying
We’re giving you this one because it also has an impact on the planet, but there are plenty of tips to avoid crying while cutting onions. Apart from wasting water unnecessarily, cutting your onion by drowning it in water is above all impractical, in addition to being useless. Wet or dry onion, same fight, tears rain! The only real trick seems to be wearing special goggles, which look like swimming goggles, and protect the eyes from the organosulfur compounds in the onion that cause our crying spells. We shouldn’t say “cry like a madeleine” which didn’t do anything to us, poor thing, but rather “like an onion”!
Legend no. 6: eggs can be stored in the fridge
This has a particular origin, and is half true, but not in France! You’re a little lost ? In fact, this way of storing eggs immediately after purchase comes from the egg compartment present in the refrigerator when you buy it. If it’s there, we have to use it, right? Well, it all depends on the country you live in. For example, in the United States, eggs are washed before sale which removes the protective film around the egg, and they must therefore be kept cool to avoid any contamination. In France, eggs are not washed, so there is no reason to keep them refrigerated. Even in large areas, they are at room temperature. So why innovate?
Legend no. 7: you have to put the mixer beaters in the freezer to make whipped cream
Although this action may help slightly in making whipped cream, we nevertheless do not recommend it. Indeed, the temperature shock can ultimately damage the mixer. The only real tip for making whipped cream successfully is to keep your cream in the fridge for long hours and above all to use a cream with at least 35% fat otherwise it will never rise. The addition of mascarpone can also help to obtain a whipped cream that has more “body”.
Legend #8: Prick your potatoes to prevent them from exploding
On this one, it was our colleagues at Slate who delved into the heart of the matter. Prick your potatoes to prevent them from exploding in the oven? It would seem that all this is just puree – if not custard – and we admit that it has been a long time since we stopped picking on our divine potatoes, noting once again that the action was quite useless.
Legend no. 9: you can’t make mayonnaise when you have your period
We could not ignore this legend, as outdated as it is false. Spoiler alert: you can make mayonnaise when you are unwell. If it is a failure, it comes more from a very fresh egg or the addition of too much oil, than from our simple feminine condition. Associating the success of a recipe with menstruation, you had to dare! And yet, this fake news has been spreading like wildfire for generations.
What if we stopped believing in it?
