25 Cooking Rules People Break On Purpose Because They Like Their Food That Way

Reddit, a hub of diverse discussions, recently sparked culinary curiosity with a question about intentionally unconventional cooking methods. Users were asked to share their creative approaches to preparing food that might defy traditional recipes.

The responses unveiled a delightful array of cooking quirks and personal twists on beloved dishes. Here’s a flavorful glimpse into some of the intriguing answers:

#1

I don’t wash my rice. I’ve literally done it batch washed/unwashed side by side when arguing this point with my wife, she finally agreed. I must be missing something, but I can’t figure out what it is.

Yet there are so many sources that say wash your rice, and so folks even do it like half a dozen times because they want the water to perfectly clear.

#2

Bacon in carbonara. I made it with guaciale and it is good. But that sort of meat is extremely hard to find in the states and can only be ordered online. And to me the bacon is yummy. I’m not a fan of pancetta. Tbh, I don’t care for it at all.

#3

My family’s chocolate chip cookie recipe is a masterclass in what not to do. I overbeat the sugar and butter, add way too little flour, and bang the trays on the counter (mid-bake and as they come out of the oven). The entire goal is to collapse them and ruin any internal structure so they become super thin and chewy.

#4

Bacon. I like more of a chew to it than a crunch.

Intelligent_Break_12: Crispy bacon is fine for a topping but if I’m eating it as a side or even on a sandwich of some kind, I don’t want it so crispy that it falls apart. I want to chew through that fat and have a crisp edge.

#5

Chicken thighs. I know there’s an ideal temperature to cook them at but I find them rubbery when “perfectly cooked” so I overcook the s**t out of them so they may not be as juicy but they still aren’t dry and are sticky and succulent and that rubbery texture is gone.

#6

I like to slightly char some things, like veggies. I justify it by saying it’s a real cooking method, but actually I am just intentionally burning things a little bit. I like my sausages like that too.

#7

I use heavy cream in my carbonara. I’m sorry to all that might feel offended, but I just like it better that way. Just the cheese and eggs is too acidic for me.

#8

When making fried rice I take it to the point of crunchy rice.

#9

I love to make pizza at home from scratch. Make the dough, too. But I do one thing wrong intentionally. Italians, cover your ears. I use a rolling pin to roll out my pizza dough. It works, it’s fast, and I can get it to fit the pan pretty easily. I’m sorry.

#10

When I make scrambled eggs, I salt them when I beat them. The “don’t ever salt eggs before cooking” is some kind of old wives tale. A reasonable amount of salt doesn’t affect the texture or make them “tough”. If you want really fluffy eggs, use a fair amount of fat (butter, back grease) and cook them slowly over low heat.

#11

Ramen noodles. I never leave it like soup. I leave just enough water to let the seasoning be able to spread around and then say goodbye to the rest of the water.

#12

Mashed potatoes with skin on. I love potato skin and refuse to peel them and throw them away. Luckily most of time I’m making it just for myself anyway.

#13

I use salted butter for everything. It has a longer shelf life at room temperature (where butter is most useful) and the extra salt has never meaningfully changed a recipe aside from making baked goods a million times better.

#14

I cook rice the way most people cook pasta: Boil it it a big pot of salted water, and drain in a colander. I have been absolutely pilloried online for admitting this. One person actually called it “sacrilege.”

But my rice comes out perfect every time. Cooked to a turn, lovely discrete tender grains, no starchiness, no gumminess.

When I tried to cook rice the “right” way, for years, it seemed to always come out either crunchy in the center or tapioca.

Now I never worry about my rice.

#15

Eggs. I grew up eating overcooked eggs and somehow settled into that modality?

I hate hate hate eating out for breakfast because it doesn’t matter how many times I tell the staff that I want them OVERCOOKED, nor how many different ways I order them, I always get soft, somewhat liquidy eggs.

Sorry to everyone that may be offended, but there is absolutely nothing appealing about a clear snot/mucus that surrounds a barely cooked yolk. “Fluffy” scrambled eggs that still jiggle and have the texture of hot jello? Absolutely not.

Please, just please scramble the eggs until they’re browned. I want texture and no snot.

#16

I break my spaghetti and other long pasta in half before putting in boiling water. I still have no problem picking up the pasta with my fork. This “rule” about not breaking pasta is super gatekeepery and absurd. Come at me, Italians.

#17

Mashed potatoes, I don’t mash them untill they’re smooth-i like lumpy mash ?.

#18

Smoked ribs. I love it when they’re so tender they fall off the bone.

#19

Broccoli! I love steaming it until it’s very soft and tastes buttery! I don’t want my broccoli to be a lil crunchy, it needs to melt in my mouth.

#20

Burnt hot dogs. I love an over cooked grilled hot dog.

MAK3AWiiSH: The only way I can eat a hot dog is if it’s charred to a crisp as if it just ascended from the depths of hell.

#21

I put beans in my chili.

Edit so I don’t have to keep answering the same couple of things:

• I’m in Texas and beans / no beans is a very big deal among chili purists. The definitive book on chili history, by Joe E. Cooper, is even called ‘With or Without Beans’. * [This is a good all around, no-beans-included, traditional chili con carne recipe .] It’s like a spicy pot roast, usually more warm spicy, not Hot Ones Last Dab spicy. The ancho / poblano chile peppers that usually make up most of the chile flavoring are not terribly spicy though they are delicious and pungent!

(As I understand it, the chili queens – that’s what they called them! – of San Antonio served frijoles as a standard side dish with chili con carne. When cowboys and other folks were out on the trail, the chuck wagon cooks would do the same, but since the cowboys weren’t eating off of cafeteria trays, the beans and chili would just get all mixed together and lots of them learned to prefer it that way! That’s almost certainly apocryphal in whole or in part, of course, but it makes as much sense as anything.)

• Cincinatti chili is it’s own separate thing, and is just a name that an otherwise tasty meat sauce got saddled with.

#22

Spaetzle. Mine are much bigger chunks than traditional and I love it that way.

#23

I hate this new trend of serving crunchy green beans. I want mine soft, and preferably with some ham or bacon in to season them.

#24

Ratios for vinaigrettes – I’m not doing 3 to 1 oil to vinegar. Depending on other factors it could be anywhere from more vinegar than oil (in sweet dressings) to equal parts to at max 2 to 1 oil to vinegar. I also love adding a little water to vinaigrettes instead of more oil to bring out the water soluble flavors and temper acidity.

#25

Popcorn…just slightlyyyyyy burnt is the best.

Saumya Ratan

Saumya is an explorer of all things beautiful, quirky, and heartwarming. With her knack for art, design, photography, fun trivia, and internet humor, she takes you on a journey through the lighter side of pop culture.