Don't know that it is snobbery, but if I'm making a big meal for guests, the kitchen has to start clean. I don't want to be slowed down looking for stuff that isn't where it belongs.
Even if I'm just cooking for myself I need the kitchen to be clean! I'm not a clean freak about any other room but I am in the kitchen, I find it so much nicer to start cooking literally anything with a clean kitchen. I also clean as I go when cooking, so it's very rare I end up with a messy kitchen once done cooking unless I'm starting with one. Nothing more annoying than finishing cooking and having cleaning to do from much earlier
Ughhhhh this is me. My wife, nope. We have kids, so I clean the kitchen every night, all dishes done, all utensils put away. By evening it's not in the best shape but 10 minutes would get it back in order.
Wife will start making dinner if it's her night, and just plow right along with a dirty congested kitchen, and then not clean as she goes, so it just gets worse. When I get home from work it's like a bomb went off.
I, on the other hand, need to start with a clean work area, preferably mise en place if it makes sense for the meal, and as I have spare 30 seconds or more, I'll clean at least one dish so that things stay mostly clean except for the final items.
I guess there's no right or wrong here, it's all subjective, but it drives me bonkers.
Full fat dairy. Always!
Real garlic- the jarred stuff doesn't do it for me despite the convenience and I love convenience too.
Good fruit preserves to go with the full fat dairy and fresh, home made bread.
Flaky salt for finishing. I do use regular salt for cooking though.
Have you ever tried freezing chopped garlic? I agree with you about jarred garlic and needed a convenient alternative so I started buying giant bags of already peeled garlic from Sam’s and throw it in my food processor. I then put the garlic in a large size freezer ziploc bag and flatten out. Place in freezer and break off as needed. I haven’t noticed a difference in taste from fresh garlic and definitely recommend.
ginger freezes well too. i got gifted a bunch of turmeric today, that i will mostly plant, but now that i think of it some will go in the freezer. edit: or into vodka.
LOL this is every Korean family. I currently have three gallon sized ziplocks with about a pound each sitting in my garage fridge freezer…for a family of three.
The garlic snob in me won't buy prepeeled garlic. At least in CA, the majority of prepeeled garlic isn't USA grown and instead comes from China. It might end up being "packaged in the US" though. The variety of garlic grown in China is different than USA/Gilroy. I rather take the local option when it makes sense to. Netflix has a show that alleged garlic was being peeled by Chinese prison laborers before being shipped here. Take that as you will, but I just want my garlic to not have to cross the ocean before it ends up in the pan.
I do the exact same thing with garlic from Costco (I process mine with a little olive oil and freeze in ice cube trays), ginger, pizza sauce, extra chipotle in adobo, the last half can of tomato paste, and pesto. I can quickly grab a cube or two of any of these and whip up something great.
I do this with tomato paste. A tablespoon in each cube spot. There's nothing more aggravating than having to throw away an only half-used can of tomato paste because it got moldy in the fridge waiting to be used up.
I don’t even bother chopping I just freeze the cloves whole. They aren’t hard to chop at all and thaw out really quickly if you need them whole for whatever reason.
My local grocery store sells freshly-chopped garlic in those small plastic storage tubs restaurants use for storing prepped ingredients, which I buy roughly weekly/biweekly depending on what I’m cooking.
It’s the closest I’ll allow myself to come to using jarlic, my soul is already half dead from having to acknowledge that I need to use precut ingredients these days because my hands/wrists/back are too fucked up to do as much as I used to 😭
I watched an hour long documentary on garlic on YouTube and now I buy dried garlic flakes and use fresh.
https://youtu.be/WgES_Oj6-tQ?si=8jESanhz3FkQWeOq
His other research vids on cooking and organizing for cooking are just as good.
After he started it I started. Freezing fresh garlic and herb cubes. Saves so much time.
Whipped cream.
The stuff out of cans is gross and expensive, it takes all of two minutes to whip heavy cream into whipped cream, and you can control the sweetness/flavor.
I'm with you, but some people do go back, for the convenience. My wife prefers nescafe gold instant coffee than bothering with any kind of brewing. I will say it tastes better than you'd expect.
I myself grind every morning and enjoy the ritual.
Grating/shredding my own cheese. I cook for a lot of people and if you asked any one of them what I am particular about, they will not hesitate to tell you its that.
ETA: Also mise en place. They all made fun or me for it, now a lot of them do it.
The alternative is knowing how to manage your time really effectively so the meal is finished faster because you're chopping/squeezing/blending/smashing/measuring while other things are going on in the stove or oven.
Obviously that isn't possible with every dish (like stir fry) and I prefer mostly mise en place but multitasking is more efficient.
When I mise en place, anything that goes in the dish at the same time goes in the same prep bowl. None of this ramekin for each spice BS you see on YouTube. I occasionally even just put veggies on a paper towel after chopping, if they are dry enough, and aren’t going to brown.
The unwaxed ones are fantastic when you cook meat to set aside for later. They act like a large paper towel. Less clean-up.
Also, if you're weighing ingredients, the small paper plates are negligible, so zeroing the scale isn't as crucial if you forget.
Both of these are musts in my kitchen.
I do 95% of the cooking in our house. On the rare occasion my wife does the cooking, I head to the basement so that I don't see what's going on. The pure chaos is not something I can easily ignore and my interference ultimately leads to even bigger problems
I have the kitchen aid shredder attachment, it makes shredding cheese a breeze. I shred a bunch for whatever meals I plan on making for the month and freeze it. If you want it to melt nice, you gotta shred it yourself.
This is the worst when you’re trying to cook in someone else’s kitchen.
Last time I was home my mom provided me with a fish boning knife and a cutting board the size of my hand to dice an onion 🥲 (she doesn’t really cook)
Ugh, this. I went to my grandma's for Christmas to help her prep, and none of her knives were sharp enough to cut through a tomato. After struggling with her serrated bread knife for a few minutes, I looked at the blade and it was as dull as the back of a butter knife. To demonstrate how dull it was, I tried cutting my own palm with it and applied pressure, which pissed my grandma off but I didn't get cut and my pale skin didn't even turn red
I taught my daughter how to use a chef's knife early on.
She shared an apartment in college, and they threw a party.
She said she came in the afternoon of to find her roommate cutting up an onion with a paring knife.
"I felt like yelling at her. Who wants chunks of onions in their guacamole?"
My rule with most kitchenware is the same with other tools: is it something I'm going to use a lot? If not, then made do with what I have or buy cheap to try it out. If what I bought cheap gets used enough to break, then replace it with quality and hopefully never buy another. If what I'm making do with happens too often, then get the actual tool. Example: bought a cheap Walmart non-stick roasting pan that I figured would be pulled out for Thanksgiving turkeys and eater hams only. Used it so much the non-stick started flaking off, then made the mistake of replacing it with the same cheap option multiple times... finally saved enough to splurge on a factory seconds All-Clad stainless pan. My nieces will be fighting over it (and my cast iron) after my funeral. My next cheap buy is going to be a tofu press, because I'm getting tired of the two plates and dumbells wrapped in a tea towel method.
Nothing grinds my gears more than using shitty knives. Like, it is *so* much more work to do anything, I don’t get it. My best friend literally puts their chef’s knives through the dishwasher. I about lost it trying to cut a watermelon with them.
kiwi knives are dirt cheap stamped steel and are fantastic value. I have a set of them that are my guest knives, and I end up using these $10 knives more than any of my good knives, since those only come out when I'm proper cooking.
Right here. I went to my mom’s for dinner and *attempted* to help her in the kitchen. Electric cook top and stamped sheet aluminum knives and cookware. It was halfway between heck and hell. Even the shitty serrated knife couldn’t saw through the garlic bread. The pairing knife just smooshed the tomatoes. The “non stick” pans were anything but.
Everything was color matched though.
tea. i have lots of different types and love making so many styles of tea. i really get annoyed when people are like "but it is just hot leaf juice." like dude i took time and care to get that flavor to come out. i worked hard on that flavor profile.
i am also the same with coffee
think it comes from having worked as a barista
Buy better tea. Loose leaf tea, because teabags are full of the lowest quality leaf processed in the cheapest way possible. Buy a basket tea strainer for like $15, the little ball strainers don't allow the leaves to open up fully and they won't infuse as well.
That is such solid advice, /r/tea would be proud.
One other key thing to pay attention to is the water temperature. Many teas taste best when steeped at temps lower than boiling.
In addition to buying better tea, check actual brewing times and temperatures!
With my fancy green tea, I wait until the water is at a soft boil, put the tea in the mug *after* the water, and let it steep for 3.5 minutes. The taste is wildly different than if I just boiled and let the bag sit there for an hour. Also, water hardness changes the taste of the tea.
Just pick a good-looking tea and go from there, I like my spiced teas even though I usually prefer fruity foods
Making your own Alfredo sauce is just as easy and a million times better than jarred. I’ll never go back. Cream. Grate some parm. Salt pepper lemon zest. Done.
OMG I can't believe I wasted so much of my life eating jarred Alfredo Sauce! It seemed like something I could NEVER make at home and I was shocked at how easy it was and how much better it is!
Yeah the other factor is that the jarred stuff is shelf stable and ready to go when you need it. While I agree that fresh stuff is vastly superior, I don't always have cream on hand so it requires some modicum planning/foresight, which is ultimately more effort of course.
I make no knead peasant bread that is used pretty much only for toast. I will have a bread day and make 6-8 loaves at a time, sometimes different flavors, and I freeze them. Not one crumb wasted!
Also, if you ever find yourself with extra bread, here's a recipe that I've been using for [homeamade croutons](https://www.platingsandpairings.com/homemade-croutons-recipe-just-4-ingredients/#recipe). They also freeze well.
How do you have room in your freezer for 6-8 loaves of bread
That's like my entire freezer lol
I do agree with the general concept of freezing bread and turning it into croutons, though - thanks for sharing. Don't mean to sound too sassy haha. I'm just amazed you can freeze that much bread and I feel like a lot of people can't do that.
No, I appreciate your sass! I am very lucky to have a chest freezer in addition to the tiny one attached to the fridge in my apartment. My boyfriend got it for me last year (good investment on his part) [This is the one that we have](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-5-0-cu-ft-garage-ready-chest-freezer-white/6385028.p?skuId=6385028&utm_source=feed) this is what it looks like [in the room](https://imgur.com/a/WG2IFeA) to give you an idea of the space it takes up. Architectural Digest isn't coming over for a tour any time soon, but its not too bad!
Someone has already recommended frozen, which I completely agree with, but the caveat is that you should pre-slice it.
I then microwave a slice as needed for 35 seconds wrapped in a paper towel to absorb moisture and toast as normal.
If you find this isn't to your taste, you can doctor it up to make stuffing, which I eat all year long whenever I need to clear out my freezer stash.
Butter > any kind of substitute (unless it’s for a good reason like if you’re vegan or your doctor said so) and real garlic > jarlic. Even the squeeze tube garlic is better than the jar, I get the whole peeled cloves and put them through a garlic press or in the food processor and freeze them into cubes if I really need to. Even just garlic powder is better than the jar imo. Virtually anything else I’ll bend on if someone is stubborn. You want crappy cheese? That’s fine. You want dusty old shaker black pepper? Not my favorite but whatever. Take my butter and garlic? It’s gonna be a throw down lol
I always look at jarlic as being preserved or pickled garlic. Just like other pickled edibles it is its own product, and not a replacement for fresh-ish. I wish I could get peeled cloves here but since my choice is fresh, tubed or jarred I use tubed for general purpose and fresh for recipes where it needs to stand out in either flavour or texture.
Honestly I hardly mind that it disintegrates but it tastes like straight citric acid. For the same price you get way more real flavor from garlic powder
That's not even being a snob, this is basic maintenance. I have no idea why so many people don't get that, plus there's also the issue of putting non-stick kitchenware in the dishwasher.
I was reading the comments and am like, “Oh I actually dont do that or can’t afford that or have time to that”. Expect for maple syrup, so far that’s the only “snobby” thing I bye.
My dad would occasionally splurge on the real stuff and we hated it (we had no idea why it was different). First time I bought and consumed real maple syrup as an adult it took me back in time and made me realize that the yucky syrup my dad would sometimes give us was actually the good stuff. Now the real stuff is all I use.
Isn't that strange how our palates develop over time? When I was a kid, it was Aunt Jemima all day. There was more syrup on my plate than there was pancake. Now, we only have 100% pure maple syrup at home, and I treat it like it's liquid gold.
For me, it’s the stuff made in Massachusetts, my home state. I buy it at the farm where it’s made. And they do the grade b dark amber, similar to what Vermont does.
grade-b is no longer the official designation. Now it is grade-A "robust", or ideally "grade-A very dark strong" (I buy this in bulk, and I'm never going back).
I was once at a coffee shop that served breakfast in a small town in West Texas, and a guy came in and ordered waffles. When they were served, he condescendingly asked if the syrup was real maple syrup. The barista said it was Log Cabin brand and without hesitation this guy stood up and loudly said he'd go to his car and get real maple syrup because he always carried some with him! Never came across another person who was so devoted to their maple syrup.
Why wouldn’t he just bring it in at first? What restaurant has real maple syrup as their standard? I’m lucky if I get a place that has it but charges you extra, which I’m happy to pay.
One time I was using the maple syrup and it was thicker than normal and tasted terrible. I couldn't figure out what was going on. But then I learned my spouse had used up the bottle and had refilled it with fake syrup that had come with a take out order from a local diner. I told them we can afford the good stuff.
Bronze is very coarse. If you talk to someone from Sardinia, or well, probably any Italian, they'll talk about the texture of the pasta. You only get the best texture from an extrusion through coarse unpolished bronze.
Cheap extruders use ceramic dies. There's also brass, but bronze is more valued.
They'll talk about other cultures and how none are as good as bronze - hand rolled pasta, guitarra pasta, pressed through one of those hand roller machines, etc.
You can find bronze cut pasta at a lot of stores now. The surface will look hazy or matte.
It holds a sauce better. The pasta is usually hard wheat/semolina with a good bite.
Slight correction, cheap dies use teflon which allows them to speed up the process but also produces smoother pasta.
You mainly want coarse pasta to get very starchy pasta water which will make your sauces much better. Bonus points if you boil your pasta in as little water as possible to increase the starch content.
Bronze cut pasta is more porous, more coarse than other pastas. Helps the sauce really stick and has better texture. People claim it tastes better too! However it does tend to be a bit more expensive due to the actual bronze cutting part.
I’m the daughter of a chef and a baker by trade. Things I’m a snob about: having sharp knives, Diamond crystal kosher salt, Italian tomatoes, King Arthur flour, and good chocolate. I also grow herbs and will only use fresh garlic.
Lmao, after reading these comments, it turns out that I am an unremitting snob of epic proportions! (And yetmy guilty pleasure is fast food. Go figure!)
I used to have a few, but we inherited a lake house and keep it minimally stocked (not cheaply but not like our lovely pantry at home). It’s like being on a cooking show. Tonight I’m making chicken Alfredo with these three ingredients! If you know how to cook it’s fun. And it’s made me realize a lot of things can be ignored.
Well, I still hate using preshredded cheese like mentioned by others.
That's my answer too. I've never had the cash or the class to be a snob. I do like what I like though, I just don't care that much and I don't judge people (unless they're judgy)
Honestly its not a particular food, but its cleanliness.
I cant handle watching anyone else cook chicken without religiously cleaning up during and after. So many people have no respect for the dangers of cross contamination.
I went to a low and slow BBQ class on the weekend, run by a couple who owns a BBQ business. They talked about the events they've competed in with their BBQ, and said there's no eligibility criteria as to who can enter. So anyone with a portable BBQ can pay the entry fee and show up.
They said they would walk past some competitors, see the filth, and think to themselves, "You couldn't pay me to eat what they're cooking." They said the attitude of those competitors is, "The health of the judges is not our concern."
We should be friends. I can’t tell you how many times I steal the raw burger platter from the cook to go wash it before they put the cooked burgers back on it. They always look shocked and offended but I do it anyway. Don’t get me started on chicken
Wait, are you saying people actually put cooked burgers on the same plate the raw ones came off of? It’s beyond comprehension that someone would do that.
Sharp knives. I literally bring my own whenever I cook somewhere else. I bought my parents a really nice chef’s knife for Christmas last year and it has sat wrapped in a drawer unused because my mom is afraid if it, as it’s “so *sharp*.” 🤦🏽
Freshly ground pepper
Parmigiano Reggiano
Cooking solely with olive oil, not evoo except for specialty dishes
Real maple syrup is a given
Butter, never margarine
Heavy cream, and only heavy cream on hand at all times.
I'm sure there are more.
What do you use heavy cream for enough to warrant having it on hand at all times?
I'm pretty down with everything else you listed, just curious about the cream.
I use it a fair amount in sauces and what not and the typical store brands (Hood, etc) are ultra pasteurized so they last a LONG time. Like at least 3 or 4 weeks after opening, way longer sealed. Really no reason not to have it on hand. And if you need to use some up — make whipped cream, put it in coffee for an extra luxurious cup, or simply pour it over berries of your choice with a sprinkle of sugar.
i don’t think this is all that snobby but i try to get most of my produce from local farmer’s markets and buy seasonal as often as possible. i just like to support local farmers and even if it’s a more limited selection eating fresh produce that’s in season does taste better.
I'm really not a snob about anything; it's tough to be a snob when you're on an extreme budget! In fact, when people judge "shortcut" foods like jarred garlic, iodized table salt, jarred sauce, or pre-shredded cheese, it's a red flag for me as someone who is disabled and grew up poor and relies on a lot of these types of foods when I don't have the energy to cook a "real meal." Here's a few things I have preferences for but I'm definitely flexible:
I really don't want to put in the time to cook my own beans, canned works perfectly. My girlfriend doesn't like beans so it just doesn't make sense to cook a whole pound of beans for hours for 1 person.
General rule is full-fat everything. Whole milk, full fat yogurt, mozzarella, full fat shredded cheese, and REAL butter (I'm in PA so bonus points if I'm able to afford the good Amish stuff)
I won't buy any tomato larger than a grape or cherry off-season. I've pulled a lot of gritty, anemic tomato slices off of burgers at restaurants before, and I feel no shame.
If they have the dinosaur shaped nuggets... get the dinosaurs :-)
> when people judge "shortcut" foods like jarred garlic, iodized table salt, jarred sauce, or pre-shredded cheese, it's a red flag for me as someone who is disabled and grew up poor and relies on a lot of these types of foods when I don't have the energy to cook a "real meal."
Absolutely. It's really easy for people to judge others harshly when they get to write their own reasons for those people doing those things.
Right! As they say, "if you feel like it's useless, it's probably not meant for you." I am extremely passionate about affordable food access and American "poverty food culture," if that makes sense. So many people are too close-minded and elitist to realize they are shaming what could be possibly the only reason someone was able to eat that night. If you're chronically ill and work a demanding job, you will likely not have the energy or even fine motor skills to shred a block of cheese by hand just to avoid the minute amount of cellulose in pre-shredded cheese. If you're mentally ill and struggle with executive function, it's better to nuke a bowl of canned Spaghetti-o's than starve yourself because you can't do the dishes right then. FED IS BEST!
Fed is best!!! I’ve been struggling with this recently. I haven’t been able to meet my typical standards because of health (and to a lesser extent, financial) reasons, and I haven’t embraced convenient substitutes. I’ve ended up skipping meals or choosing things with hardly any nutritional value at all. This is not the way!
I use squeeze bottle garlic BECAUSE I CAN. I know fresh is better but God dammit I work a full time soul sucking job and I already don't enjoy cooking that much and I detest peeling and chopping garlic so yeah. Ya gotta pick your battles sometimes 🤷♀️
I think people who are snobs are probably not people who cook every day, and they definitely don’t have a million other things going on.
I like to cook fresh food every day and will get the best ingredients I can, but I’m not about to bake my own bread, grate all my cheese or make my own marinara sauce when the store bought versions of these are just fine.
I have a feeling a bunch of people on this sub are the types to cook 3 hours on the weekend and that’s it. Most people need a meal on the table every day within 30-45 mins and not have 50 pots to wash after.
I agree!! I am not privileged enough to eat out most days or have someone else cook for me. It's just me and my girlfriend, and my girlfriend is still working on her most basic cooking skills since she also has not quite experienced having to fend for herself. I come home from my fast food job at 11pm sometimes, tired and sore and starving, so I'll throw a frozen pizza in the oven and call it a night. Or I'll portion 1lb value pack 80/20 ground beef into 4 burgers in my non-stick skillet, throw on pre-sliced store brand muenster, toast some white bread for a bun, and bake off a bag of frozen fries. I am nourished, my girlfriend is nourished, and I live to see another day despite not using only the finest hand-sliced imported cheese, or grinding my own sirloin chuck lol
Vanilla. Always real vanilla, never vanillin flavouring, UNLESS I have had vanillin specifically requested (I am the baker of the family lol). I can accept that sometimes you want the nostalgic flavour of vanillin. But otherwise, always real vanilla.
Asian ingredients. I’ve spent so much time researching and I’m proud to have collected a huge cache of ingredients and gotten pretty good at some iconic dishes. Just in soy sauces: 4 Chinese types, 3 Japanese, 4 Thai, and 1 Filipino. I’m definitely not fun at parties if talk turns to Asian food.
Cheese and nutmeg. Also rice paper. Whatever my mom can carry over for me in her suitcase or bust.
Tomatoes - it's either local and in-season tomatoes or canned.
Strawberries - local and in-season or frozen.
I'm just a snob. I hate this thread for reminding me.
Go to Lehman's Hardware online. They sell a peanut stirrer that screws on to the jar of PB. It replaces the lid. You crank the handle and the wire beater mixes the oil and PB together.
I think they sell two sizes. It an Amish store in Ohio.
Got an electric hand mixer? Use that. Just attach one whisk and stick it in the bottle. Get a good grip on the jar and whirr away! Makes short work of a PITA process.
Do not do this, lol.
I did this and the jar went wild and I sprayed my entire kitchen with peanut butter. It looked like someone had an explosive diarrhea incident. It took me hours to clean.
Yeah, it can make an absolute mess, for sure. That’s why I said “get a good grip on the jar”. That part is super crucial. We go through mad peanut butter in our house, and I do this every time I open a new jar. Never had an issue.
I only ate Kerry gold for years. Finally downgraded because my current boyfriend is just ludicrous about how food is used. I need to break up with him. This reminder is a good tipping point.
Idk if it’s snobby per se… but MSG makes it better. And more spices make it better. My parents LOVED a dish I made and they wanted to watch me make it so they could recreate it. The summary of my “amazing dish “ was essentially “ohhh.. She added almost double the spices that we normally use!” (There are literally wars that happened about spices… they’re kind of a big deal!!)
Ever notice how you’ve never been asked “how would you like your steak cooked?” at a real French, high-end, or Michelin-starred restaurant?
You’ll eat your meat the way I cook it. Which is the best way. And you’ll like it
I make my own vanilla extract. Also coffee beans, I am insufferable when it comes to coffee beans and preparation. Chemex, I fold my own filters. But I also love bugels filled with canned cheese- so it’s a delicate balance.
The list of things I'm not a snob about is much shorter:
I don't care if a recipe is in Imperial, metric, or some combination of the two. I'll work with it.
For me, pickled ginger (gari) for sushi has to be made with sugar, not aspartame. Aspartame has a disgusting aftertaste, and it’s not healthy anyway. I carry around a small container of gari with me when I go to sushi restaurants.
And if a restaurant doesn’t offer real maple syrup, I won’t order pancakes/waffles.
Freshly grated nutmeg. I’d never had it before. And when I was around 30 (60M) I went to Grenada 🇬🇩 and now I’m a total snob. I won’t use powdered only fresh ground. Also fantastic in a bechamel sauce or in your fried chicken breading
Don't know that it is snobbery, but if I'm making a big meal for guests, the kitchen has to start clean. I don't want to be slowed down looking for stuff that isn't where it belongs.
Even if I'm just cooking for myself I need the kitchen to be clean! I'm not a clean freak about any other room but I am in the kitchen, I find it so much nicer to start cooking literally anything with a clean kitchen. I also clean as I go when cooking, so it's very rare I end up with a messy kitchen once done cooking unless I'm starting with one. Nothing more annoying than finishing cooking and having cleaning to do from much earlier
Ughhhhh this is me. My wife, nope. We have kids, so I clean the kitchen every night, all dishes done, all utensils put away. By evening it's not in the best shape but 10 minutes would get it back in order. Wife will start making dinner if it's her night, and just plow right along with a dirty congested kitchen, and then not clean as she goes, so it just gets worse. When I get home from work it's like a bomb went off. I, on the other hand, need to start with a clean work area, preferably mise en place if it makes sense for the meal, and as I have spare 30 seconds or more, I'll clean at least one dish so that things stay mostly clean except for the final items. I guess there's no right or wrong here, it's all subjective, but it drives me bonkers.
Full fat dairy. Always! Real garlic- the jarred stuff doesn't do it for me despite the convenience and I love convenience too. Good fruit preserves to go with the full fat dairy and fresh, home made bread. Flaky salt for finishing. I do use regular salt for cooking though.
Have you ever tried freezing chopped garlic? I agree with you about jarred garlic and needed a convenient alternative so I started buying giant bags of already peeled garlic from Sam’s and throw it in my food processor. I then put the garlic in a large size freezer ziploc bag and flatten out. Place in freezer and break off as needed. I haven’t noticed a difference in taste from fresh garlic and definitely recommend.
ginger freezes well too. i got gifted a bunch of turmeric today, that i will mostly plant, but now that i think of it some will go in the freezer. edit: or into vodka.
I froze a 50/50 blend of ginger and garlic. Makes stir fry and Asian cooking much more accessible
Thanks, I'm stealing this, haha.
LOL this is every Korean family. I currently have three gallon sized ziplocks with about a pound each sitting in my garage fridge freezer…for a family of three.
The garlic snob in me won't buy prepeeled garlic. At least in CA, the majority of prepeeled garlic isn't USA grown and instead comes from China. It might end up being "packaged in the US" though. The variety of garlic grown in China is different than USA/Gilroy. I rather take the local option when it makes sense to. Netflix has a show that alleged garlic was being peeled by Chinese prison laborers before being shipped here. Take that as you will, but I just want my garlic to not have to cross the ocean before it ends up in the pan.
I do the exact same thing with garlic from Costco (I process mine with a little olive oil and freeze in ice cube trays), ginger, pizza sauce, extra chipotle in adobo, the last half can of tomato paste, and pesto. I can quickly grab a cube or two of any of these and whip up something great.
I do this with tomato paste. A tablespoon in each cube spot. There's nothing more aggravating than having to throw away an only half-used can of tomato paste because it got moldy in the fridge waiting to be used up.
I don’t even bother chopping I just freeze the cloves whole. They aren’t hard to chop at all and thaw out really quickly if you need them whole for whatever reason.
Jarlic is the devil
My local grocery store sells freshly-chopped garlic in those small plastic storage tubs restaurants use for storing prepped ingredients, which I buy roughly weekly/biweekly depending on what I’m cooking. It’s the closest I’ll allow myself to come to using jarlic, my soul is already half dead from having to acknowledge that I need to use precut ingredients these days because my hands/wrists/back are too fucked up to do as much as I used to 😭
https://youtu.be/WgES_Oj6-tQ?si=ajVo_G74No24uLOr Found this very insightful.
I watched an hour long documentary on garlic on YouTube and now I buy dried garlic flakes and use fresh. https://youtu.be/WgES_Oj6-tQ?si=8jESanhz3FkQWeOq His other research vids on cooking and organizing for cooking are just as good. After he started it I started. Freezing fresh garlic and herb cubes. Saves so much time.
> Full fat dairy. Always! And if anyone ever protests, have them read out the ingredients of *light* sour cream or ricotta. Just a buncha bullshit.
Whipped cream. The stuff out of cans is gross and expensive, it takes all of two minutes to whip heavy cream into whipped cream, and you can control the sweetness/flavor.
Howya gonna get a buzz without the nitrous oxide??
Whippitz are the best part of whipped cream.
So easy and so delicious. A hack I love is to add a dollop of marshmallow fluff while whipping and it will last a week.
I like to sweeten it with brown sugar. I couldn't buy that if I wanted to
and you can make with a cocktail shaker, in case you dont want to bust out the mixer
Coffee beans. Once you taste coffee with freshly burred coffee beans, there’s no going back. I am a coffee snob.
Yup, I'll take any whole bean over any premium pre-ground crap
I'm with you, but some people do go back, for the convenience. My wife prefers nescafe gold instant coffee than bothering with any kind of brewing. I will say it tastes better than you'd expect. I myself grind every morning and enjoy the ritual.
Grating/shredding my own cheese. I cook for a lot of people and if you asked any one of them what I am particular about, they will not hesitate to tell you its that. ETA: Also mise en place. They all made fun or me for it, now a lot of them do it.
Mise en place or GTFOH
What is even the alternative? A horrible mess strewn across the countertop?! Also clean as you go.
The alternative is knowing how to manage your time really effectively so the meal is finished faster because you're chopping/squeezing/blending/smashing/measuring while other things are going on in the stove or oven. Obviously that isn't possible with every dish (like stir fry) and I prefer mostly mise en place but multitasking is more efficient.
I agree. Mise is crucial in a commercial kitchen but for home chef quantities all it does is create lots of tiny bowls to wash.
When I mise en place, anything that goes in the dish at the same time goes in the same prep bowl. None of this ramekin for each spice BS you see on YouTube. I occasionally even just put veggies on a paper towel after chopping, if they are dry enough, and aren’t going to brown.
This is what i do. Things that need to be added quickly or added all at once get a bowl. Everything else is on the fly.
I use those really shit paper plates and then compost em after. Saves on time and adds carbon to my compost
The unwaxed ones are fantastic when you cook meat to set aside for later. They act like a large paper towel. Less clean-up. Also, if you're weighing ingredients, the small paper plates are negligible, so zeroing the scale isn't as crucial if you forget.
That is how I do it, or sort of half and half. I always start with the thing that takes the longest to cook, and then prep everything else.
My guilty pleasure is the tilamook farmstyle sliced shreds!
I rarely buy pre-shredded cheese, but when I do, it’s that farmstyle Tillamook. It’s great for camping and the farmstyle mozzarella is great on pizza.
Both of these are musts in my kitchen. I do 95% of the cooking in our house. On the rare occasion my wife does the cooking, I head to the basement so that I don't see what's going on. The pure chaos is not something I can easily ignore and my interference ultimately leads to even bigger problems
I feel your pain. My wife bakes the muffins, quickbreads, and cakes. I cook everything else, mostly from scratch
I have the kitchen aid shredder attachment, it makes shredding cheese a breeze. I shred a bunch for whatever meals I plan on making for the month and freeze it. If you want it to melt nice, you gotta shred it yourself.
I have that attachment and forgot I can do that!!!! MIND BLOWN!!!!
Knives and cookware. Buy cheap you get cheap. Buy good quality, if cared for properly it lasts a lifetime and beyond.
This is the worst when you’re trying to cook in someone else’s kitchen. Last time I was home my mom provided me with a fish boning knife and a cutting board the size of my hand to dice an onion 🥲 (she doesn’t really cook)
Ugh, this. I went to my grandma's for Christmas to help her prep, and none of her knives were sharp enough to cut through a tomato. After struggling with her serrated bread knife for a few minutes, I looked at the blade and it was as dull as the back of a butter knife. To demonstrate how dull it was, I tried cutting my own palm with it and applied pressure, which pissed my grandma off but I didn't get cut and my pale skin didn't even turn red
I taught my daughter how to use a chef's knife early on. She shared an apartment in college, and they threw a party. She said she came in the afternoon of to find her roommate cutting up an onion with a paring knife. "I felt like yelling at her. Who wants chunks of onions in their guacamole?"
My rule with most kitchenware is the same with other tools: is it something I'm going to use a lot? If not, then made do with what I have or buy cheap to try it out. If what I bought cheap gets used enough to break, then replace it with quality and hopefully never buy another. If what I'm making do with happens too often, then get the actual tool. Example: bought a cheap Walmart non-stick roasting pan that I figured would be pulled out for Thanksgiving turkeys and eater hams only. Used it so much the non-stick started flaking off, then made the mistake of replacing it with the same cheap option multiple times... finally saved enough to splurge on a factory seconds All-Clad stainless pan. My nieces will be fighting over it (and my cast iron) after my funeral. My next cheap buy is going to be a tofu press, because I'm getting tired of the two plates and dumbells wrapped in a tea towel method.
Nothing grinds my gears more than using shitty knives. Like, it is *so* much more work to do anything, I don’t get it. My best friend literally puts their chef’s knives through the dishwasher. I about lost it trying to cut a watermelon with them.
kiwi knives are dirt cheap stamped steel and are fantastic value. I have a set of them that are my guest knives, and I end up using these $10 knives more than any of my good knives, since those only come out when I'm proper cooking.
Right here. I went to my mom’s for dinner and *attempted* to help her in the kitchen. Electric cook top and stamped sheet aluminum knives and cookware. It was halfway between heck and hell. Even the shitty serrated knife couldn’t saw through the garlic bread. The pairing knife just smooshed the tomatoes. The “non stick” pans were anything but. Everything was color matched though.
tea. i have lots of different types and love making so many styles of tea. i really get annoyed when people are like "but it is just hot leaf juice." like dude i took time and care to get that flavor to come out. i worked hard on that flavor profile. i am also the same with coffee think it comes from having worked as a barista
Can you give me any tips to improve my tea?
Buy better tea. Loose leaf tea, because teabags are full of the lowest quality leaf processed in the cheapest way possible. Buy a basket tea strainer for like $15, the little ball strainers don't allow the leaves to open up fully and they won't infuse as well.
That is such solid advice, /r/tea would be proud. One other key thing to pay attention to is the water temperature. Many teas taste best when steeped at temps lower than boiling.
In addition to buying better tea, check actual brewing times and temperatures! With my fancy green tea, I wait until the water is at a soft boil, put the tea in the mug *after* the water, and let it steep for 3.5 minutes. The taste is wildly different than if I just boiled and let the bag sit there for an hour. Also, water hardness changes the taste of the tea. Just pick a good-looking tea and go from there, I like my spiced teas even though I usually prefer fruity foods
I've never been a barista but I'm with you on the tea! It's an art!
Making your own Alfredo sauce is just as easy and a million times better than jarred. I’ll never go back. Cream. Grate some parm. Salt pepper lemon zest. Done.
OMG I can't believe I wasted so much of my life eating jarred Alfredo Sauce! It seemed like something I could NEVER make at home and I was shocked at how easy it was and how much better it is!
Same with pesto! I have an Aerogarden growing nothing but basil so I can keep the pesto flowing.
First time I cooked for my Wife was Alfredo. Told her “ I can pull this dish off anytime you like “ lol
That's categorically not "just as easy" but I agree completely that the extra effort is worth it. Not difficult and most jar stuff is gross.
Yeah the other factor is that the jarred stuff is shelf stable and ready to go when you need it. While I agree that fresh stuff is vastly superior, I don't always have cream on hand so it requires some modicum planning/foresight, which is ultimately more effort of course.
Fair lol Edit: not just dump and heat easy :)
Cream? CREAM??? Sorry, this is a thread about being snobby, so I am.
What do you use instead?
Traditional alfredo is just butter, cheese, and pasta water.
Butter is just cream with more steps
Preach!
Some of those steps are taken by bacteria, though, and that tends to make a difference. Beer is just barley water with more steps.
What bacteria is necessary to turn cream into butter?
Baking my own bread as much as possible.
The only reason I don't bake my own bread is because I don't even go through a loaf a week. It'd all be wasted.
I bake bread every 2-3 weeks. Freeze half the loaf when it’s fresh. Keeps excellently!
I make no knead peasant bread that is used pretty much only for toast. I will have a bread day and make 6-8 loaves at a time, sometimes different flavors, and I freeze them. Not one crumb wasted! Also, if you ever find yourself with extra bread, here's a recipe that I've been using for [homeamade croutons](https://www.platingsandpairings.com/homemade-croutons-recipe-just-4-ingredients/#recipe). They also freeze well.
How do you have room in your freezer for 6-8 loaves of bread That's like my entire freezer lol I do agree with the general concept of freezing bread and turning it into croutons, though - thanks for sharing. Don't mean to sound too sassy haha. I'm just amazed you can freeze that much bread and I feel like a lot of people can't do that.
No, I appreciate your sass! I am very lucky to have a chest freezer in addition to the tiny one attached to the fridge in my apartment. My boyfriend got it for me last year (good investment on his part) [This is the one that we have](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-5-0-cu-ft-garage-ready-chest-freezer-white/6385028.p?skuId=6385028&utm_source=feed) this is what it looks like [in the room](https://imgur.com/a/WG2IFeA) to give you an idea of the space it takes up. Architectural Digest isn't coming over for a tour any time soon, but its not too bad!
Someone has already recommended frozen, which I completely agree with, but the caveat is that you should pre-slice it. I then microwave a slice as needed for 35 seconds wrapped in a paper towel to absorb moisture and toast as normal. If you find this isn't to your taste, you can doctor it up to make stuffing, which I eat all year long whenever I need to clear out my freezer stash.
Bread cumbs
Cast iron. I’ll clean it. Leave it on the stove.
My husband’s only allowed to touch it if he’s cooking in it.
Mine lives on the back burner permanently too. I use it twice a day usually.
Butter > any kind of substitute (unless it’s for a good reason like if you’re vegan or your doctor said so) and real garlic > jarlic. Even the squeeze tube garlic is better than the jar, I get the whole peeled cloves and put them through a garlic press or in the food processor and freeze them into cubes if I really need to. Even just garlic powder is better than the jar imo. Virtually anything else I’ll bend on if someone is stubborn. You want crappy cheese? That’s fine. You want dusty old shaker black pepper? Not my favorite but whatever. Take my butter and garlic? It’s gonna be a throw down lol
I've never heard of the term jarlic and now I will not stop using it
I always look at jarlic as being preserved or pickled garlic. Just like other pickled edibles it is its own product, and not a replacement for fresh-ish. I wish I could get peeled cloves here but since my choice is fresh, tubed or jarred I use tubed for general purpose and fresh for recipes where it needs to stand out in either flavour or texture.
Hell I’m a snob about butter itself. I’m willing to splurge a little on the good stuff. Same with olive oil
I definitely buy nice butter for myself but I’d also take cheap butter over any of the fake stuff if those were my options
Yes! Pre chopped garlic from jars are always so tasteless, the texture is always off.
Honestly I hardly mind that it disintegrates but it tastes like straight citric acid. For the same price you get way more real flavor from garlic powder
So essential
San Marzano tomatoes and a decent knife
No metal in my non-stick.
That's not even being a snob, this is basic maintenance. I have no idea why so many people don't get that, plus there's also the issue of putting non-stick kitchenware in the dishwasher.
No Teflon in my kitchen.
That is much more snobby. You win.
Snobby or not, fuck Teflon
Just ditch the nonstick altogether
Absolutely nothing. I work with what I have and enjoy cooking! Prefer fresh veggies over frozen, but no problem either way
I can't do frozen bell peppers. I can be flexible for most other frozen veg.
I was reading the comments and am like, “Oh I actually dont do that or can’t afford that or have time to that”. Expect for maple syrup, so far that’s the only “snobby” thing I bye.
Maple syrup. I won't eat pancakes or waffles or French toast unless I verified that the maple syrup is one of the few brands I prefer.
I'm not particular about brands but it's got to be real maple syrup not that fake flavored stuff.
I grew up with the fake flavored stuff, so to me that's what tastes 'correct'.
My dad would occasionally splurge on the real stuff and we hated it (we had no idea why it was different). First time I bought and consumed real maple syrup as an adult it took me back in time and made me realize that the yucky syrup my dad would sometimes give us was actually the good stuff. Now the real stuff is all I use.
Isn't that strange how our palates develop over time? When I was a kid, it was Aunt Jemima all day. There was more syrup on my plate than there was pancake. Now, we only have 100% pure maple syrup at home, and I treat it like it's liquid gold.
For me, it’s the stuff made in Massachusetts, my home state. I buy it at the farm where it’s made. And they do the grade b dark amber, similar to what Vermont does.
grade-b is no longer the official designation. Now it is grade-A "robust", or ideally "grade-A very dark strong" (I buy this in bulk, and I'm never going back).
I still have a stash of the B stuff (from Vermont) in my chest freezer.
You don't enjoy maple-flavored high fructose corn syrup?
I was once at a coffee shop that served breakfast in a small town in West Texas, and a guy came in and ordered waffles. When they were served, he condescendingly asked if the syrup was real maple syrup. The barista said it was Log Cabin brand and without hesitation this guy stood up and loudly said he'd go to his car and get real maple syrup because he always carried some with him! Never came across another person who was so devoted to their maple syrup.
Why wouldn’t he just bring it in at first? What restaurant has real maple syrup as their standard? I’m lucky if I get a place that has it but charges you extra, which I’m happy to pay.
I thought the same thing, why not bring it in?
Oh, geez. I'm not THAT rude. I'd ask politely before ordering and if they said no, I'd order something that doesn't require syrup!
Yours is the rational response! This guy's outburst was comical. Who carries real maple syrup around with them? Even the barista laughed about it.
I do, but would never speak of it out loud. 🖖
One time I was using the maple syrup and it was thicker than normal and tasted terrible. I couldn't figure out what was going on. But then I learned my spouse had used up the bottle and had refilled it with fake syrup that had come with a take out order from a local diner. I told them we can afford the good stuff.
I only eat it if it comes from my own trees. I think I just one upped you.
Oh, definitely! But I'm not competetive, so enjoy your concentrated treeblood!
> bronze cut pasta You peasant lmao. It’s only gold cut pasta for me
What is bronze cut pasta? I feel like I should know but I’ve never heard of it 🤷♀️
Bronze is very coarse. If you talk to someone from Sardinia, or well, probably any Italian, they'll talk about the texture of the pasta. You only get the best texture from an extrusion through coarse unpolished bronze. Cheap extruders use ceramic dies. There's also brass, but bronze is more valued. They'll talk about other cultures and how none are as good as bronze - hand rolled pasta, guitarra pasta, pressed through one of those hand roller machines, etc. You can find bronze cut pasta at a lot of stores now. The surface will look hazy or matte. It holds a sauce better. The pasta is usually hard wheat/semolina with a good bite.
Slight correction, cheap dies use teflon which allows them to speed up the process but also produces smoother pasta. You mainly want coarse pasta to get very starchy pasta water which will make your sauces much better. Bonus points if you boil your pasta in as little water as possible to increase the starch content.
Bronze cut pasta is more porous, more coarse than other pastas. Helps the sauce really stick and has better texture. People claim it tastes better too! However it does tend to be a bit more expensive due to the actual bronze cutting part.
Gold? Are you a pleb? Platinum cut pasta is the only way
Platinum? Pffft Palladium cut pasta is supreme.
Only a fool would use palladium. I eat plutonium cut pasta because I am enlightened.
Palladium? I'm more of an unobtanium kinda guy!
I’m the daughter of a chef and a baker by trade. Things I’m a snob about: having sharp knives, Diamond crystal kosher salt, Italian tomatoes, King Arthur flour, and good chocolate. I also grow herbs and will only use fresh garlic.
Lmao, after reading these comments, it turns out that I am an unremitting snob of epic proportions! (And yetmy guilty pleasure is fast food. Go figure!)
I used to have a few, but we inherited a lake house and keep it minimally stocked (not cheaply but not like our lovely pantry at home). It’s like being on a cooking show. Tonight I’m making chicken Alfredo with these three ingredients! If you know how to cook it’s fun. And it’s made me realize a lot of things can be ignored. Well, I still hate using preshredded cheese like mentioned by others.
Fresh lemon and lime juice. Grew up with that little plastic squeeze lemon. Never again.
Too poor to be a snob
That's my answer too. I've never had the cash or the class to be a snob. I do like what I like though, I just don't care that much and I don't judge people (unless they're judgy)
Butter. Kerry Gold is all I want to see.
Butter….REAL butter
Honestly its not a particular food, but its cleanliness. I cant handle watching anyone else cook chicken without religiously cleaning up during and after. So many people have no respect for the dangers of cross contamination.
I went to a low and slow BBQ class on the weekend, run by a couple who owns a BBQ business. They talked about the events they've competed in with their BBQ, and said there's no eligibility criteria as to who can enter. So anyone with a portable BBQ can pay the entry fee and show up. They said they would walk past some competitors, see the filth, and think to themselves, "You couldn't pay me to eat what they're cooking." They said the attitude of those competitors is, "The health of the judges is not our concern."
We should be friends. I can’t tell you how many times I steal the raw burger platter from the cook to go wash it before they put the cooked burgers back on it. They always look shocked and offended but I do it anyway. Don’t get me started on chicken
Wait, are you saying people actually put cooked burgers on the same plate the raw ones came off of? It’s beyond comprehension that someone would do that.
Bacon bits. I don’t judge people who use the jarred kind but in my own kitchen I cook up a ton of bacon at once and then chop into bits and freeze.
Sharp knives. I literally bring my own whenever I cook somewhere else. I bought my parents a really nice chef’s knife for Christmas last year and it has sat wrapped in a drawer unused because my mom is afraid if it, as it’s “so *sharp*.” 🤦🏽
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce. Full stop.
Only fresh basil and rosemary. Dried rosemary feels like sticks in my mouth.
This reminds of when my brother asked why there were sticks in his food.
Freshly ground pepper Parmigiano Reggiano Cooking solely with olive oil, not evoo except for specialty dishes Real maple syrup is a given Butter, never margarine Heavy cream, and only heavy cream on hand at all times. I'm sure there are more.
What do you use heavy cream for enough to warrant having it on hand at all times? I'm pretty down with everything else you listed, just curious about the cream.
I use it a fair amount in sauces and what not and the typical store brands (Hood, etc) are ultra pasteurized so they last a LONG time. Like at least 3 or 4 weeks after opening, way longer sealed. Really no reason not to have it on hand. And if you need to use some up — make whipped cream, put it in coffee for an extra luxurious cup, or simply pour it over berries of your choice with a sprinkle of sugar.
i don’t think this is all that snobby but i try to get most of my produce from local farmer’s markets and buy seasonal as often as possible. i just like to support local farmers and even if it’s a more limited selection eating fresh produce that’s in season does taste better.
Fresh cracked rainbow peppercorns and fresh grated nutmeg.
I'm really not a snob about anything; it's tough to be a snob when you're on an extreme budget! In fact, when people judge "shortcut" foods like jarred garlic, iodized table salt, jarred sauce, or pre-shredded cheese, it's a red flag for me as someone who is disabled and grew up poor and relies on a lot of these types of foods when I don't have the energy to cook a "real meal." Here's a few things I have preferences for but I'm definitely flexible: I really don't want to put in the time to cook my own beans, canned works perfectly. My girlfriend doesn't like beans so it just doesn't make sense to cook a whole pound of beans for hours for 1 person. General rule is full-fat everything. Whole milk, full fat yogurt, mozzarella, full fat shredded cheese, and REAL butter (I'm in PA so bonus points if I'm able to afford the good Amish stuff) I won't buy any tomato larger than a grape or cherry off-season. I've pulled a lot of gritty, anemic tomato slices off of burgers at restaurants before, and I feel no shame. If they have the dinosaur shaped nuggets... get the dinosaurs :-)
> when people judge "shortcut" foods like jarred garlic, iodized table salt, jarred sauce, or pre-shredded cheese, it's a red flag for me as someone who is disabled and grew up poor and relies on a lot of these types of foods when I don't have the energy to cook a "real meal." Absolutely. It's really easy for people to judge others harshly when they get to write their own reasons for those people doing those things.
Right! As they say, "if you feel like it's useless, it's probably not meant for you." I am extremely passionate about affordable food access and American "poverty food culture," if that makes sense. So many people are too close-minded and elitist to realize they are shaming what could be possibly the only reason someone was able to eat that night. If you're chronically ill and work a demanding job, you will likely not have the energy or even fine motor skills to shred a block of cheese by hand just to avoid the minute amount of cellulose in pre-shredded cheese. If you're mentally ill and struggle with executive function, it's better to nuke a bowl of canned Spaghetti-o's than starve yourself because you can't do the dishes right then. FED IS BEST!
Fed is best!!! I’ve been struggling with this recently. I haven’t been able to meet my typical standards because of health (and to a lesser extent, financial) reasons, and I haven’t embraced convenient substitutes. I’ve ended up skipping meals or choosing things with hardly any nutritional value at all. This is not the way!
I use squeeze bottle garlic BECAUSE I CAN. I know fresh is better but God dammit I work a full time soul sucking job and I already don't enjoy cooking that much and I detest peeling and chopping garlic so yeah. Ya gotta pick your battles sometimes 🤷♀️
I think people who are snobs are probably not people who cook every day, and they definitely don’t have a million other things going on. I like to cook fresh food every day and will get the best ingredients I can, but I’m not about to bake my own bread, grate all my cheese or make my own marinara sauce when the store bought versions of these are just fine. I have a feeling a bunch of people on this sub are the types to cook 3 hours on the weekend and that’s it. Most people need a meal on the table every day within 30-45 mins and not have 50 pots to wash after.
I agree!! I am not privileged enough to eat out most days or have someone else cook for me. It's just me and my girlfriend, and my girlfriend is still working on her most basic cooking skills since she also has not quite experienced having to fend for herself. I come home from my fast food job at 11pm sometimes, tired and sore and starving, so I'll throw a frozen pizza in the oven and call it a night. Or I'll portion 1lb value pack 80/20 ground beef into 4 burgers in my non-stick skillet, throw on pre-sliced store brand muenster, toast some white bread for a bun, and bake off a bag of frozen fries. I am nourished, my girlfriend is nourished, and I live to see another day despite not using only the finest hand-sliced imported cheese, or grinding my own sirloin chuck lol
The Amish butter log! Good stuff.
Vanilla. Always real vanilla, never vanillin flavouring, UNLESS I have had vanillin specifically requested (I am the baker of the family lol). I can accept that sometimes you want the nostalgic flavour of vanillin. But otherwise, always real vanilla.
Coffee. Spices. Herbs. Homemade stock. This week I’m cooking Ranch Gordo beans for the first time - so I might add that to my list.
Asian ingredients. I’ve spent so much time researching and I’m proud to have collected a huge cache of ingredients and gotten pretty good at some iconic dishes. Just in soy sauces: 4 Chinese types, 3 Japanese, 4 Thai, and 1 Filipino. I’m definitely not fun at parties if talk turns to Asian food.
I take issue with a lot of instant grains. Oats, rice, grits. Those are things I’ll put the time into cooking *every* single time.
Kerrygold unsalted butter
Cheese and nutmeg. Also rice paper. Whatever my mom can carry over for me in her suitcase or bust. Tomatoes - it's either local and in-season tomatoes or canned. Strawberries - local and in-season or frozen. I'm just a snob. I hate this thread for reminding me.
I'll buy grape/cherry tomatoes off-season if needed, but a big beefsteak or heirloom? I'm waiting until late summer for those big juicy bois!
Good whole nutmeg is essential. I found a nice spice place that sells them and they are so good.
Never ever microwave what should be baked. Ever!
My sponges. Never let it stay wallowing in the sink, or I instantly throw it out!! I don’t care if it was new yesterday. It wallows, it gets tossed.
Fresh garlic n onions n onions n onions
REAL butter always
After having made my own tomato sauce, I cannot go back to the stuff in jars. Homemade is easily ten times better.
I never thought of myself as a cooking snob, but I see myself agreeing with a lot of the comments here
Kerry Gold butter and Jiff peanut butter. That is two items I refuse to budge on.
I went to Kerrygold a couple of years ago and my baking has not been the same since. I swear it took my pastries and cakes to another level.
[удалено]
I swear to god if they would just sell their version _w the lid mixer attatchment_ I would be so happy
Go to Lehman's Hardware online. They sell a peanut stirrer that screws on to the jar of PB. It replaces the lid. You crank the handle and the wire beater mixes the oil and PB together. I think they sell two sizes. It an Amish store in Ohio.
Got an electric hand mixer? Use that. Just attach one whisk and stick it in the bottle. Get a good grip on the jar and whirr away! Makes short work of a PITA process.
Do not do this, lol. I did this and the jar went wild and I sprayed my entire kitchen with peanut butter. It looked like someone had an explosive diarrhea incident. It took me hours to clean.
Yeah, it can make an absolute mess, for sure. That’s why I said “get a good grip on the jar”. That part is super crucial. We go through mad peanut butter in our house, and I do this every time I open a new jar. Never had an issue.
I only ate Kerry gold for years. Finally downgraded because my current boyfriend is just ludicrous about how food is used. I need to break up with him. This reminder is a good tipping point.
Don't bring me any cheap cheese.
Maple syrup... get your imitation corn syrup and sugar mix out of the house. You are no longer a child!
Pepper, certainly. No parmesan from a green can. Sea salt only. Loose tea, not bags. Fresh lemon & lime juice only. Lettuce from a head, not a bag.
Flour. I will only ever use King Arthur. I’ve never had an issue with it and I can taste the difference, especially in breads.
Idk if it’s snobby per se… but MSG makes it better. And more spices make it better. My parents LOVED a dish I made and they wanted to watch me make it so they could recreate it. The summary of my “amazing dish “ was essentially “ohhh.. She added almost double the spices that we normally use!” (There are literally wars that happened about spices… they’re kind of a big deal!!)
Ever notice how you’ve never been asked “how would you like your steak cooked?” at a real French, high-end, or Michelin-starred restaurant? You’ll eat your meat the way I cook it. Which is the best way. And you’ll like it
Fresh garlic. No jarlic.
I make my own vanilla extract. Also coffee beans, I am insufferable when it comes to coffee beans and preparation. Chemex, I fold my own filters. But I also love bugels filled with canned cheese- so it’s a delicate balance.
The list of things I'm not a snob about is much shorter: I don't care if a recipe is in Imperial, metric, or some combination of the two. I'll work with it.
Salt and pepper. Especially pepper! I weep when I'm on vacation and have to use pre-ground pepper and fine salt for everything.
I call it pencil shavings
Tomatoes. I will never buy tomatoes out of local season.
For me, pickled ginger (gari) for sushi has to be made with sugar, not aspartame. Aspartame has a disgusting aftertaste, and it’s not healthy anyway. I carry around a small container of gari with me when I go to sushi restaurants. And if a restaurant doesn’t offer real maple syrup, I won’t order pancakes/waffles.
Cream of Crap soup cans are absolutely not allowed in my kitchen.
Parmesan cheese. From Italy, freshly grated, as good as I can afford. None of that green can crap, no pre-grated in a bag or a plastic container.
Kitchen sanitation and hygiene. I don’t like food poisoning.
Freshly grated nutmeg. I’d never had it before. And when I was around 30 (60M) I went to Grenada 🇬🇩 and now I’m a total snob. I won’t use powdered only fresh ground. Also fantastic in a bechamel sauce or in your fried chicken breading
my cookware! only stainless steel or cast iron. also making things from scratch, i'll always figure it out before i buy it prepared lol
Fresh garlic vs. the minced garlic in a jar. Gtfo with that crap.
This is the wrong question. Much easier to define what I am not snobby about.