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A new cook asked me why we weigh everything and it made me stop and think
I was showing a new guy the prep list yesterday and he saw me weighing salt for a brine. He just looked confused and said, 'Can't you just pour it in? It's just salt.' For a second I almost gave my usual line about consistency, but then I really thought about it. I told him that six years ago, I didn't weigh anything either. I'd just grab a handful of this, a pinch of that. Then I had to cover a station at a place in Chicago for a week, and their recipes were all in grams. I felt slow and clumsy at first, but by day three, my mise was perfect every single time. It wasn't about being fancy, it was about knowing my food would taste the exact same way every time I made it, no matter how busy or tired I got. That simple question from a new cook made me remember why I started doing it in the first place. Do you have a small habit you picked up from another kitchen that just stuck with you?
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the_shane4d ago
Weighing salt feels like overkill to me. Most of the time you can get close enough by feel, and the food still turns out fine. That extra step just slows down the rush when you really need it.
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dakotal164d ago
Honestly, "close enough by feel" is how you end up with a bad batch when it really counts.
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