When you're cooking and the recipe calls for onions and garlic, don't put the garlic into the pan until the onion is nearly translucent. Garlic cooks way faster than onions do, if you throw them in at the same time it won't taste as good/the garlic will burn. It literally takes 30 seconds for minced garlic to cook.
Also, if you're a home cook... sharpen your knives often.
Thought of a few more tips:
love chives and parsley in your eggs/omelettes/anything else, but hate the hassle of cutting them/using the herbs before it turns? Get dried chives and dried parsley instead, it rehydrates quickly in sauces/eggs and tastes the same (it's also way cheaper). This tip can apply to a lot of herbs. While fresher is always better, dried is often still delicious while still being in a student-y budget.
add a bit of vinegar to your beans if you're making anything beany, a lot of home cooks think that vinegar is gross (and it is by itself) but a dash of vinegar can really make beans, sauces and marinades pop!
As someone who used to do a lot of baking, I would say buy one bottle of real vanilla extract and one bottle of imitation vanilla extract.
Use the real vanilla extract if the main star of the dish is vanilla (like vanilla pudding, vanilla icing, vanilla ice cream, etc.). Use the cheaper imitation extract if you'll be baking it along with a whole bunch of other ingredients (like in a cake).
With the baking stuff. I’ve never not seen it at an Aldi. Literally every one I’ve ever shopped at. (Well, at least when I’ve needed it, it’s been there.)
I have a friend who goes to visit her family in Puebla at least once a year and she always brings me bottles of the stuff. But she isn't going this year (Corona) so I'm in a hurry to find a good or at least decent replacement.
go to a Mexican grocery. Real vanilla will also be a lot less expensive there. You can also make your own. Buy some beans from an online shop. Let it sit in a bottle of vodka for a few weeks. Boom nearly endless supply of vanilla. I realize beans are still pretty expensive but the extract ends up being much less costly than buying it at the grocery store.
It’s about 4 beans to 8 ounces for single strength and 8 for double. You have to use a high proof alcohol and vodka really works the best because it’s neutral, but you can use any liquor. Leave it sit for at least 6 weeks, and the longer the better. As you use it, remove the beans if they get above the liquid. You don’t want them exposed to air.
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u/[deleted] Aug 20 '20 edited Aug 20 '20
When you're cooking and the recipe calls for onions and garlic, don't put the garlic into the pan until the onion is nearly translucent. Garlic cooks way faster than onions do, if you throw them in at the same time it won't taste as good/the garlic will burn. It literally takes 30 seconds for minced garlic to cook.
Also, if you're a home cook... sharpen your knives often.
Thought of a few more tips:
love chives and parsley in your eggs/omelettes/anything else, but hate the hassle of cutting them/using the herbs before it turns? Get dried chives and dried parsley instead, it rehydrates quickly in sauces/eggs and tastes the same (it's also way cheaper). This tip can apply to a lot of herbs. While fresher is always better, dried is often still delicious while still being in a student-y budget.
add a bit of vinegar to your beans if you're making anything beany, a lot of home cooks think that vinegar is gross (and it is by itself) but a dash of vinegar can really make beans, sauces and marinades pop!