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People Are Sharing Their Best Family Cooking Tricks
Lots of families have recipes passed down through generations, cooking tips and flavor-boosting techniques that are basically sacred. So Redditor u/OoopsieWhoopsie asked, “What Are Some Of Your ‘Secret’ Family Cooking Tips?” Here’s what people say, and I’m personally looking forward to trying some of these in my own kitchen.
1.
“My family owns a catering business, which was started by my grandparents who came to the states from Portugal. One thing I’ve learned that greatly improves my meals is to add butter to your noodles when making saucy pasta like spaghetti in tomato sauce. “
2.
“My grandma would save butter wrappers in the fridge and use the left over butter on them for greasing dishes when she baked. Now I can’t help but stockpile the wrappers. It really comes in so handy.”
3.
“Mustard powder in mac ‘n’ cheese. It’s so necessary, otherwise mac tastes bland even when you use sharp cheddar.. I also put in a bit of cayenne pepper.”
4.
“Put a little fish sauce into any stew or sauce that needs an umami boost. It’s basically anchovies in liquid form.”
5.
“A tablespoon of ground coffee in brownies really kicks up the chocolate flavor a notch. The higher quality the coffee beans, the better.”
6.
“Sprinkle sea salt on cookies right before or right after baking. The extra salt brings out the flavors more and helps balance out the sweetness.”
7.
“I’m from a Midwestern Scandinavian family, and I have learned that cream of mushroom soup is kind of a universal solution for improving any dish.”
8.
“My pumpkin pies are very well-regarded in my friend’s circle, but the secret is the crust: It’s just crushed up Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger cookies and melted butter.”
9.
“Very gently fold whipped egg whites into pancake batter with a whisk. It makes the pancakes so much better, fluffier, and more decadent.”
10.
“In my family we mix a heaping scoop of mayonnaise into cake batter, whether it’s scratch or from a box.”
11.
“I use almond extract in pretty much all of my baked goods. Often, if a recipe calls for vanilla extract, I will either sub almond for all of it or use half and half.”
12.
“There is no better chocolate chip cookie recipe than the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse chocolate chip bag. Follow it to the letter. Everyone thinks I have the best of the best chocolate chip cookies.”
13.
“Add pickle juice to tuna or chicken salad. This adds just the right amount of tartness.”
14.
“Add a packet of vanilla pudding when you’re making cake. You can actually substitute any flavor of pudding. It makes the cake much more moist.”
15.
“I use vanilla or plain full fat yogurt in my bathing mixture for French toast in place of milk. It turns out perfectly every time.”
16.
“If you’re making bread bowls, don’t hollow them out. Instead, pack down the inner bread layer to create a thicker bottom. This will prevent leaks and sogginess when you serve your soup or whatever you’re making.”
17.
“When I’m cooking anything that requires breadcrumbs, I use crushed up chicken flavored Stove Top stuffing. I also use them as mini croutons in my salads.”
18.
“In my family, a decent aged balsamic vinegar adds depth to almost anything you’re making. I use aged balsamic in literally everything from chili to spaghetti. It’s a fantastic addition, and you only need a tiny bit to make the flavors pop. “
19.
“Add a pinch of nutmeg to anything with dairy in it (for example, cream sauces). You won’t taste the nutmeg but it makes the dairy richer and tastes better.”
20.
“When I make burgers I mix a packet of Lipton onion soup mix and a couple dashes of nutmeg in with the ground beef. I let it sit for at least an hour or two in the fridge before I start grilling. It gives the meat a nice little oomph over just a plain salt/pepper seasoning.”
21.
“Whenever I’m making a cheese sauce, I add a piece of processed cheese like Kraft singles. It basically turns it into Velveeta. It’s revolutionized my homemade mac ‘n’ cheese game.”
22.
“My wife was stunned to learn that after 25 years together, she only just found out that I put lemon juice in my pancake batter. It’s the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth pancake trick.”
23.
“Bacon always comes out better if you cook it in an oven, but the key is putting the bacon into the oven before turning the oven on. Preheating the oven ahead of time will make the bacon stick to the baking sheet, so putting it in as the oven preheats will mean that the fat renders out more easily (and therefore doesn’t stick).”
24.
“My
Disgraceful Fine Dining Restaurant Willows Inn Permanently Closes
More than a year after allegations of a toxic workplace culture surfaced, one of America’s (seemingly) most idyllic restaurants has closed. The Willows Inn property, one inspiration for the recent chef-y horror film The Menus, has been donated to a non-profit, The Seattle Times reported on Monday.
Since the restaurant opened on Lummi Island in 2010, a flood of diners from around the world made the two-hour drive and ferry ride from Seattle, Washington, for a taste of its rustic-chic menu and lush surroundings. But over the past five years, the Willows Inn has faced a series of lawsuits, plus an April 2021 New York Times investigation outlining accusations of wage theft, sexual harassment, and racist bullying. Despite the allegations, droves of employee resignations, and various protests by locals, the restaurant managed to stay open until November of this year, finally serving its last meal the week before Thanksgiving.
The new owner of the property, which is valued at an estimated $2 million, is the Christian nonprofit Lighthouse Mission Ministries, located in the nearby city of Bellingham. Previous owners Tim and Marcia McEvoy donated the sprawling hotel, farm, and dining room to the social services organization, which primarily seeks to end homelessness, according to The Seattle Times. It’s still unclear if and when the Mission will seek a new owner for the property, but the sale could theoretically raise a lot of money for its work. “It’s too early to know if a potential new owner would want to operate the restaurant and hotel rooms in a similar manner,” the organization said in a statement.
The restaurant gained esteem in its early years, mostly for its hyperlocal menu from former Noma chef Blaine Wetzel, which earned rave reviews on virtually every national best-of restaurant list (including a 2013 mention by Bon Apétit). Yet the Willows Inn has been clouded in controversy for the past half-decade. Here are some of the reasons why:
- In 2017, the restaurant was ordered to pay $149,000 in damages and unpaid wages to kitchen employees. According to a 2017 Eater report, the Inn required its entry-level employees to work a one-month long unpaid trial. Once hired, they were allegedly paid daily rates as low as $50 with no overtime and 14-hour shifts.
- In early 2021, the restaurant paid $600,000 to settle a class action lawsuit riddled with similar accusations. At the time, Wetzel denied any wrongdoing.
- Later that same year, a New York Times investigation uncovered allegations from 35 employees of verbal and sexual harassment, brutal 16- to 18-hour days, and sexist and racist bullying by Wetzel and manager Reid Johnson. According to the Times, workers accused Wetzel of pressuring young female employees “to drink alcohol, use illegal drugs and have sex with male kitchen staff members and visiting chefs.” The piece also alleged that the restaurant was passing off store-bought ingredients as being island-harvested. The owners denied the accusations then; the resulting class-action lawsuit, featuring 137 former employees, was settled this year for $1.37 million.
- According to The Seattle Times, the Willows Inn also faced three other individual civil cases of over wage theft and wrongful termination this year. the New York Times reports that those have since been resolved.
Capital One Venture X to lose Priority Pass restaurants and spa services as of Jan. 1, 2023
If you have the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, we have some bad news for you. While the Venture X card continues to provide fantastic lounge benefits, its Priority Pass benefits are being reduced next year. As of Jan. 1, 2023, Venture X cardholders will no longer have access to participating restaurants, spa services and shopping benefits across the Priority Pass network.
Here’s what cardholders need to know about these modifications.
Priority Pass: More than just lounges
When you think of Priority Pass, you likely think of its network of more than 1,300 airport lounges. That’s a core part of what Priority Pass is, but there are other uses of Priority Pass memberships. These include select airport restaurants (where you can enjoy $25-$30 per person in complimentary food, depending on the location), spa experiences, sleep rooms and more.
Related: The $112 secret Priority Pass restaurants don’t want you to know
Venture X Priority Pass changes
As of Jan. 1, 2023, Venture X cardholders will no longer have access to non-lounge Priority Pass benefits. This means those who get their Priority Pass membership through this card will continue to have access to the range of Priority Pass lounges but will not be able to use the non-lounge benefits, such as restaurants, spas and suites. This mirrors the 2019 removal of non-lounge elements from Priority Pass access through American Express cards.
At the time of writing, this update isn’t prominently visible on the issuer’s main lounge access page. There’s even conflicting language in the Frequently Asked Questions section of that page. One of them includes this note:
What is Priority Pass and how do Venture X cardholders enroll in it?
Priority Pass is a program that provides access to airport lounges worldwide. Effective January 1, 2023, Priority Pass non-lounge airport experiences (such as dining, retail shopping and spa discounts) are not part of the Visa Infinite® benefit program for Venture X cardholders.
However, a later question includes the following:
As a Venture X cardholder, how do I access Priority Pass benefits, such as exclusive discounts on in-airport dining, retail and spas?
Once you’ve enrolled for your complimentary Priority Pass membership, you’ll get access to more than 800 exclusive discounts on in-airport dining, retail shopping and spas.
Unfortunately, a spokesperson for Capital One has confirmed these changes.
“We are currently notifying Venture X customers that as of Jan. 1, 2023, access to Priority Pass non-lounge airport experiences will no longer be part of their membership program benefits.”
However, it should be noted that other Venture X lounge privileges are not changing at this time. That includes access to Capital One lounges and Plaza Premium lounges, in addition to continued access to Priority Pass lounges. The only update is related to non-lounge elements of Priority Pass.
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It’s also worth noting here that the Venture X card launched in Nov. 2021, so this change comes at a time when many are paying the annual fee for year two. If your renewal is coming up, be sure to consider how frequently you used these non-lounge Priority Pass locations over the last year to consider whether the $395 annual fee is worth it.
Related: The 10 best Priority Pass lounges around the world
Bottom line
Starting Jan. 1, Capital One Venture X cardholders will lose access to non-lounge benefits through Priority Pass — including participating airport restaurants and spa services. This is similar to the restrictions on Priority Pass memberships included on select American Express cards.
The other interesting piece of this news is that the removal of the benefits is announced as a change related to Visa Infinite benefits — which is the same card type as the Chase Sapphire Reserve. We have reached out to Chase to ask if this change will affect Priority Pass memberships through the Sapphire Reserve and will provide updates as needed.