Four practical and simple tips to make everyday food stand out

Plain yoghurt instead of milk for mac & cheese. Bionicgrrrl/Flickr

The stuff one finds on Reddit is amazing. Like this recent Chefs of Reddit thread in which chefs on the site were asked about simple tips that could make everyday food better. The thread generated a number of responses from people who cook for a living, and a lot of it made sense. Here are some of the best and most practical tips from the thread.

Experiment with stuff you are already good at, said a chef. “f you know how to make a dish pretty well already, consider switching out one of the ingredients with something similar to see how it affects the finished product. Here’s an example most people can use: next time you make mac & cheese out of the box, use plain yogurt instead of milk. It gives it an extra kick that’s really terrific.”

Never underestimate the importance of using the right cooking oil and smoking points. “Basically when you’re cooking at moderate to high temp you want neutral oils that have a high smoke point. This goes for things like sautéing, stir-fry and deep frying, where you want the oil to not only get to high temperature but also maintain a high temperature.”

Don’t overcook your eggs. Alpha/Flickr

If you’ve always thought the food you cook was a little too dry, here’s a suggestion from another chef on the thread. “‘Stop cooking a bit before it’s done and let it sit for a few minutes. It will finish with the stored heat and not be all dry and flavourless when you eat it.”

“Use fresh vegetables whenever possible and never (never!) use canned mushrooms. Chop meats and vegetables in uniform sizes so they all cook at the same rate.”