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Ask HN: got any food hacks?

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121–130 of 170 posts

Re: Ask HN: got any food hacks?

#122

You need the Julia Child Omlette! All you need are eggs, water, butter and a hot pan and it takes 3 minutes and tastes awesome! The water is the trick. When you whisk water and eggs together, as they hit the hot pan the water turns to steam and fluffs the eggs up. I've made this many times and once you get the pan shaking and timing right, you will impress the hell out of your friends every time. http://www.youtube.c…

I once made scrambled eggs just of curiosity, the recipe has deciliter of milk against every egg you put in. It takes long time to cook, but beats any omelet. Because I usually don't have the patience to do scrambled eggs, I just do an omelet with approximately ass much milk than eggs. Paprika is my favorite add on, and pretty much any meat is fine.

Re: Ask HN: got any food hacks?

#123
post #32
post #27

Rice cooker. Rice-to-water ratio 1:1.5 for white and 1:2 for brown. 15-20 minutes for white and 30-40 minutes for brown. Throw in vegetables and/or fish for the last 7-10 minutes to steam. Season to taste. I like teriyaki sauce (with tons of garlic and ginger) on it. Corn starch is the key to a thick, shiny sauce.

There are rice cookers you can purchase which will finish the rice according to a schedule. They're more expensive than the the average, but if you're going to use it frequently and you want rice ready when you get home, it's top notch. Essentially, you measure you rice, clean it (as always) then add the water, leave it in the cooker, the the timer you want it to finished, and the cooker does the rest. Edit: A though…

Tip: Don't put vinegar in your rice cooker if it's got a metal pot. The vinegar will take the metal off the pot and into your rice and make it taste metallic.

Re: Ask HN: got any food hacks?

#124
post #67

My mom would cry if she could read english... Cheap and fast: PASTA Base for the pasta: - boil the water and salt it - add pasta (but please, don't overcook it, just stick to the box instruction. Barilla is an excellent brand and decently priced) Sauces for the pasta Tuna Pasta - In a small pot add a spoon of olive oil and diced onion, crushed red pepper, and stir-fry it. - When the onion looks "gold" add a can of tu…

I don't want to get too pendantic, but the main thing I developed while living in Italy is a carbonara fetish. What you describe is most definitely not Carbonara... Carbonara: 4 eggs 1 lb spaghetti 1/2 lb Pancetta 1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano (although I often use asiago as it's far cheaper) 1 onion chopped Combine the eggs and 1/2 of the cheese in a large bowl, stirring to break the egg yolks. Cook the pasta. Cook the…

I actually don't use cream, but I noticed american people like it better. I usually do one yolk per person plus a full egg.

Re: Ask HN: got any food hacks?

#125
post #87

You need the Julia Child Omlette! All you need are eggs, water, butter and a hot pan and it takes 3 minutes and tastes awesome! The water is the trick. When you whisk water and eggs together, as they hit the hot pan the water turns to steam and fluffs the eggs up. I've made this many times and once you get the pan shaking and timing right, you will impress the hell out of your friends every time. http://www.youtube.c…

Wow, I just made the best omelette of my life. Thanks!

Man, I came here to post the same thing. So delicious.

Re: Ask HN: got any food hacks?

#126
Make things like stew, soup or chilli in large quantities and freeze individual portions for later.

For a quick meal, try stir fry: quick, tasty and nutritious: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/oriental-por...

More importantly, learn to embrace/enjoy cooking. I love taking half an hour to unwind and cook something really fresh and tasty (and I'm a student). I'd recommend Jamie Oliver's website for recipe inspiration...

Cooking with fresh ingredients ticks all the priorities and doesn't need to be slow, there are plenty of "20/30 minute meal" type books, might I suggest something by Nigel Slater: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Fast-Food-Nigel-Slater/dp/01410...

Re: Ask HN: got any food hacks?

#127
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amen. Cooking is an investment. The more you cook, the better you get at it; the faster and tastier the results. And the more you cook, the healthier you will eat overall (at least if you're living in North America). As for hacks, here's one. Take semi-prepared food, like macaroni & cheese in-the-box-with-the-faux-cheese-powder-in-the-paper-pouch, and augment it. The basic recipe is written on the box and fool-proof.…

Isn't it strange to talk about cooking being an investment, and healthier eating in one sentence, and then recommend a way to prepare mac & cheese in the next?

I'm suggesting to start small. Hello World small. It's easier to build on successes than failures.

Re: Ask HN: got any food hacks?

#128
I like making pots of rice and beans. It's really cheap and you can add just about anything. A pot should last a few days and supply good nutrition. I like to start with a good rice, add some veggies, a fat source, and a salt source. Fish sauce is nice. Cheese works well. Crack an egg or two for variety. If you use canned beans, rinse them well and add at the end. Water should be 2.5 the volume of the rice. You get one pot for several days of food and don't even need dishes. No need for anything but a $0.33 can of beans and part of a $2 box of rice and a pan.

It is a bit extreme, but I lived on $12/week when I started my company and just ate beans and rice.

Re: Ask HN: got any food hacks?

#129
I just bought a 55 pound bag of dextrose. I mix it with mineral water so I can drink a solution containing it (the carbonation inhibits fermentation, too). It's not very labor intensive, very healthy, and it tastes like what it is: rocket fuel. It is very, very good for your brain.

I have yet to ask a doctor about this though. And it's bad for teeth, like normal soda.

Re: Ask HN: got any food hacks?

#130
I use Niçoise salad as a starting point for many salads: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ni%C3%A7oise_salad

I don't bother with aesthetics and just mix everything. A usually add a boiled potato, chopped bacon along with the egg to make the salad more consistent. This makes the salad a main dish of its own. I use other ingredients like beans, peas, spinach, boiled beet, salmon, tuna, cheese, avocado, various herbs etc. Quite often I put a shredded carrot in the mix.

The salad is pretty quick to make. I cook an egg and a potato in the same pot. I take the egg out after 5 minutes of boiling and leave the potato a bit more. Meantime I wash and chop the greens, tomatoes any other ingredients that I have. I add the egg and the potato, put some balsamic vinegar and olive oil and it's good to go.

I make a point to buy the best vegetables and greens I can. This means that I always try to get them from the market, directly from people that produce them. It's not always easy when you are living in a big city.

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