Kitchen hack

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Kitchen hack for separating an egg using a water bottle

A kitchen hack, also known as a food hack, is a technique used by home cooks and professionals to make food preparation tasks easier, faster, or more efficient. It may also be called a food hack, and is a type of life hack, although the concept of a kitchen hack predates the coinage of either term. Multiple kitchen hacks posted to social media have become popular, and some have been shown not to work, not to be worth the effort, or to be dangerous.

Contents

History

Kitchen or food hacks are techniques used by some home cooks and culinary professionals to make food preparation tasks easier, faster, or more efficient. [1] The idea of a kitchen hack is not new. [2] Kitchen hacks have been used throughout history to adapt to lack of equipment by those living in prisons, dorms, and under conditions of poverty or scarcity. [2] NPR called Robinson Crusoe the "patron saint of the kitchen hack", because he managed to produce bread with none of the normally required tools, such as a plow, scythe, mill, or oven. [2] Gourds were used by enslaved people in the American South to replace dippers and other cooking utensils. [2] During World War I, Salvation Army cooks in France used shell casings as rolling pins and helmets as deep fryers. [2] Edna Lewis recalled her family used coins to measure baking powder. [2] Mahatma Gandhi used a glass bottle to roll out rotis while imprisoned in the 1930s. [2] Ruth Reichl jokingly claims she invented the microplane when, as a young impoverished new cook, she used a rasp to grate Parmesan. [2]

The term kitchen hack is an offshoot of life hack, a term coined in 2003 by technology journalist Danny O'Brien. [3] Like life hacks, which O'Brien characterizes as "a way of cutting through an apparently complex system with a really simple, non-obvious fix", [3] kitchen hacks solve a commonly encountered kitchen problem.

Eater said kitchen hacks represent "our hope that, one day, we won’t have to put in the work" in the kitchen and promote the idea that anyone can become an expert at a kitchen task immediately. [4] Food52 said kitchen hacks "should solve (or purport to solve) a tangible problem, to make the task at hand either possible or easier" and "are creative for the purpose of utility and resourcefulness." [3] They noted that Google searches for food and drink hacks increased 300% between 2011 and 2016. [3]

Notable hacks

Some kitchen hacks become popular on social media and YouTube, either when someone posts a hack or posts about trying and failing to replicate the hack. [1] [4] Alice Zaslavsky, an Australian food commentator, attributes the popularity of food hacks on social media to them being "educational and inspiring", and because there is a "novelty factor." [1]

A video showing how to use a water bottle to separate eggs became popular in August 2012. [5] [6] In 2016 Food52 called it a hack that works. [7] Scientific American used the method in 2017 as one of their Bring Science Home series. [8]

In March 2019 a hack showing how to eat a pineapple without first peeling or coring it was popular. [1] [9] In October a video showing how to seed a pomegranate was popular. [10]

There are multiple hacks for peeling garlic. [4] One method involves shaking garlic between two metal bowls or in a mason jar. [4] Good Housekeeping called the method "not a win." [11] In June 2019 a video of a method whereby cloves are 'plucked' with the tip of a knife from a whole head of garlic and come away peeled was popular. [12] Mashable reported that a crucial preparatory step had been omitted. [13] Eater's Jaya Saxena said the popularity of garlic hacks was due to garlic being integral to multiple cuisines and to the fact preparing garlic is an especially tedious task. [4]

Hoaxes and dangerous hacks

Food52 in 2016 called the term "out of control", noting that media companies, trying to benefit from the increase in Google searches for the term, had titled increasing numbers of posts as hacks, even when the content of the post did not qualify as ways to make kitchen tasks faster, easier, or more efficient but were instead simply recipes or gadgets. [3] That same year Food52 investigated multiple popular kitchen hacks and found that some simply did not work at all, many did not work well, and of those that worked, some did not improve speed, ease, or efficiency. [7] The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019 on multiple kitchen hacks that were either scientifically impossible, such as using warm milk to repair broken china, or were dangerous, such as cooking foil-wrapped bacon in an upright toaster, which toaster manufacturers said could cause fires or electrical shock. [14] In 2019 Today investigated multiple popular cooking hacks and declared some of them dangerous. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garlic</span> Species of edible plant

Garlic is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeastern Iran and has long been used as a seasoning worldwide, with a history of several thousand years of human consumption and use. It was known to ancient Egyptians and has been used as both a food flavoring and a traditional medicine. China produced 73% of the world's supply of garlic in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pesto</span> Sauce made from basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil

Pesto is a paste that traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, and hard cheese such as Parmesan or pecorino sardo, all blended with olive oil. It originated in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fried egg</span> Cooked dish made from one or more eggs

A fried egg is a cooked dish made from one or more eggs which are removed from their shells and placed into a frying pan and fried. They are traditionally eaten for breakfast in many countries but may also be served at other times of the day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garlic press</span>

A garlic press, also known as a garlic crusher, is a kitchen utensil to crush garlic cloves efficiently by forcing them through a grid of small holes, usually with some type of piston. Many garlic presses also have a device with a matching grid of blunt pins to clean out the holes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scrambled eggs</span> Culinary egg dish

Scrambled eggs is a dish made from eggs stirred, whipped, or beaten together typically with salt, butter, oil, and sometimes other ingredients, and heated so that they form into curds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fried bread</span> Slice of bread that has been fried

Fried bread is a slice of bread that has been fried. It is used as a substitute for toast in various dishes or meals. Various oils, butter, lard, bacon drippings, or ghee can be used. Some cooks may choose to fry rather than toast to avoid having to give counter or storage space to or spend money on a toaster. Proponents of frying rather than toasting call out the extra flavor and crispiness that can be achieved by frying in fat rather than dry-toasting.

<i>Churrasco</i> Portuguese and Spanish name for beef or grilled meat

Churrasco is the Portuguese and Spanish name for grilled beef prominent in the cuisines of Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, and Argentina. The term is used in other Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries for a variety of different meat products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aspic</span> Savoury jelly dish

Aspic or meat jelly is a savory gelatin made with a meat stock or broth, set in a mold to encase other ingredients. These often include pieces of meat, seafood, vegetable, or eggs. Aspic is also sometimes referred to as aspic gelée or aspic jelly. In its simplest form, aspic is essentially a gelatinous version of conventional soup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wat (food)</span> Ethiopian and Eritrean stew

Wat or wet or tsebhi is an Ethiopian and Eritrean stew that may be prepared with chicken, beef, lamb, a variety of vegetables, spice mixtures such as berbere , and niter kibbeh, a seasoned clarified butter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boiled egg</span> Egg dish

Boiled eggs are eggs, typically from a chicken, cooked with their shells unbroken, usually by immersion in boiling water. Hard-boiled eggs are cooked so that the egg white and egg yolk both solidify, while soft-boiled eggs may leave the yolk, and sometimes the white, at least partially liquid and raw. Boiled eggs are a popular breakfast food around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poached egg</span> Egg cooked in relatively low-heat water

A poached egg is an egg that has been cooked, outside the shell, by poaching, as opposed to simmering or boiling. This method of preparation can yield more delicately cooked eggs than cooking at higher temperatures such as with boiling water. Poached eggs can be served in several dishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Afghanistan

Afghan cuisine is influenced to a certain extent by Persian, Central Asian and Indian cuisines due to Afghanistan's close proximity and cultural ties. The cuisine is halal and mainly based on mutton, beef, poultry and fish with rice and Afghan bread. Accompanying these are common vegetables and dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and whey, and fresh and dried fruits such as apples, apricots, grapes, bananas, oranges, plums, pomegranates, sweet melons, and raisins. The diet of most Afghans revolves around rice-based dishes, while various forms of naan are consumed with most meals. Tea is generally consumed daily in large quantities, and is a major part of hospitality. The culinary specialties reflect the nation's ethnic and geographic diversity. The national dish of Afghanistan is Kabuli palaw, a rice dish cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts, and lamb or beef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean barbecue</span> Regional style of food preparation

Korean barbecue is a popular method in Korean cuisine of grilling meat, typically beef, pork or chicken. Such dishes are often prepared on gas or charcoal grills built into the dining table itself. Some Korean restaurants that do not have built-in grills provide customers with portable stoves for diners to use at their tables. Alternatively, a chef uses a centrally displayed grill to prepare dishes that are made to order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tostones</span> Fried plantain found in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine

Tostones are twice-fried plantain slices commonly found in Latin American cuisine and Caribbean cuisine. Most commonly known as tostones in Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras and Venezuela, they are also known as tachinos or chatinos (Cuba), bannann peze (Haiti), patacones and, sometimes, patacón pisao in Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrimp and prawn as food</span> Crustaceans used for culinary purposes

Shrimp and prawn are types of sea animals that are consumed worldwide. Although shrimp and prawns belong to different suborders of Decapoda, they are very similar in appearance and the terms are often used interchangeably in commercial farming and wild fisheries. A distinction is drawn in recent aquaculture literature, which increasingly uses the term "prawn" only for the SALT WATER forms of palaemonids and "shrimp" for the marine penaeids. They are the animals most commonly used and killed for food production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How to Cook That</span> Australian website and YouTube channel

How To Cook That is an Australian website and YouTube baking channel that provides video recipes on baking and decorating themed cakes, desserts, chocolate creations and other confectionery. Launched as a website in 2011 by founder Ann Reardon, it later gained more than 4 million followers on YouTube, surpassing more than 15.3 million video views per month. The channel has been featured in major publications, including Forbes, The Huffington Post, and The Sydney Morning Herald.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qalayet bandora</span>

Qalayet bandora is a simple Jordanian dish of tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, olive oil, and salt. It is popular across the Levant, but especially in Jordan and Palestine on account of its easy preparation and healthy ingredients. To make the dish, the olive oil is heated in a large frying pan. The onions and peppers are diced and the tomatoes are cubed and optionally peeled. The onions are then added and cooked until translucent, at which point the rest of the ingredients are added and the mixture is sautéed until it is thick but not dry. Qalayet bandora is usually eaten with warm pita bread, which is used to scoop it up, though qalayet bandora can also be served over rice and eaten with utensils. When served in a restaurant or at a formal event, it is often garnished with toasted pine nuts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chili crisp</span> Spicy condiment made of chili peppers and garlic

Chili crisp, chile crisp or chili crunch is a type of hot sauce, originating from Chinese cuisine, made with fried chili pepper and other aromatics infused in oil, sometimes with other ingredients. Multiple regional, homemade, and restaurant-original versions exist across China. The best-known commercial brand is Lao Gan Ma, which is based on the chili crisps of Guizhou province. The chili crisp is closely related to Chinese chili oil, and sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably, the difference being that the crisp contains edible chunks of food in the chili oil.

TikTok food trends are specific food recipes and food-related fads on the social media platform TikTok. This content amassed popularity in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many people cooked and ate at home and more people turned to social media for entertainment. While some TikTok users share their diets and recipes, others expand their brand or image on TikTok through step-by-step videos of easy and popular recipes. Users often refer to food-related content as "FoodTok."

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Black, Zona (28 September 2019). "Food hacks: Why we're obsessed with kitchen tricks". The New Daily. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Martyris, Nina (17 September 2019). "The Spirit Of Innovation Still Thrives In The Good Old Kitchen Hack". NPR.org. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jampel, Sarah (26 September 2016). "How the Term "Food Hack" Went Completely Out of Control". Food52. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Saxena, Jaya (18 June 2019). "No Matter the Hack, Some Kitchen Tasks Will Always Be a Pain in the Ass". Eater. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  5. ↑ Chou, Jessica (26 March 2013). "François Payard Tests the Egg Separating Water Bottle Trick". The Daily Meal. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  6. ↑ Shreeves, Robin (18 September 2012). "The 'very cool way to separate yolk from egg white' method is put to the test". MNN - Mother Nature Network. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  7. 1 2 Jampel, Sarah (27 September 2016). "We Tested 21 Viral Internet Food Hacks—& Some Really Do Work!". Food52. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  8. ↑ Arnett, Megan (21 December 2017). "Separation Science: Suck up an Egg Yolk". Scientific American. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  9. ↑ Lo, Karen (12 March 2019). "The Pineapple Hack That's Taking Over the Internet Right Now". Food52. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  10. ↑ Greenspan, Rachel (21 October 2019). "The Latest Food Hack to Grace Your Eyeballs Is This Mesmerizing Pomegranate Slicing Method". Time. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  11. ↑ "We Tested Viral Food Hacks to See If They Really Work". Good Housekeeping. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  12. ↑ "Garlic peeling hack: four techniques put to the test after Twitter melts down over viral video". The Guardian. 19 June 2019. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  13. ↑ Anderson, Sage (21 June 2019). "Chef demonstrates exactly how to pull off that viral garlic peeling hack". Mashable. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  14. ↑ Horwitz, Jeff (9 October 2019). "Why Life Hack Videos Seem Too Good to Be True. (They Are)". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  15. ↑ "5 viral kitchen hacks that are actually dangerous". TODAY.com. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
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