Peter Aitken wrote:

> There are many "kitchen myths" that you hear regularly - ideas about cooking
> and food that are known to be false but seem to have a life of their own.
> For example, "searing meat seals in the juices." I thought it would be fun
> and perhaps useful to create a web page that debunks these myths. If you
> have any favorites I'd love to hear them. If possible, please include some
> information or references to back up your "myth-busting" opinion. I want
> this web page to be objective with research and citations backing it up.

You mentioned my all time fave, "Searing seals in juices". Here's
a few quick ones that come to mind.

------------------------------------------------------
This applies to amoking foods:

"Meat no longer takes up smoke flavor above an internal temp of 140 F"

This is a confusion between smoke flavor and formation of smoke ring.
It's the smoke ring formation that ceases at 140 F. Although
the law of diminishing return applies, meat continues to take
up smoke flavor as long as it's in the presence of smoke.
------------------------------------------------------
Substituting salt types:

"When substituting kosher salt for table salt, use twice as much"

This was covered in a thread yesterday. It's closer to an extra
20%, not an extra 100%.
------------------------------------------------------
Applies to goofy nutritional dogmas, depending food religion:

"Fat is harmful" "Carbs are harmful" "Sugar is poisonous"

No single nutient is evil in and of itself.


Hey this is fun!

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com