Culinary Debates: 16 Opinions That May Get You Ejected From the Kitchen | Wealth of Geeks

Is there an element to your cooking that is only accepted in your kitchen? Do you have a food pet peeve that everyone else seems to love? In a debate on culinary hills worth dying on, there were some varying opinions that, though they may go against everything you stand for, may be worth adopting into your kitchen.

1. Authenticity Has No Place in the Kitchen

Ever heard someone talk about how they made an authentic chili? Or that they’ve stuck to the traditional recipe for meatballs? The kitchen is a place where creativity should shine, and striving for authenticity really dilutes the culinary excitement that should unravel. Have fun. Throw out the traditional recipes your great-grandmother passed down and let your instincts take over.

2. Remove the Pickles From the Sandwich

Imagine being excited for a juicy, perfectly cooked, and well-seasoned hamburger only to bite into it and get the overpowering, vinegary taste of a pickle. Granted, there’s nothing inherently wrong with pickles, but plenty agree that they don’t belong on everything. They can make bread soggy, alter flavor profiles, and throw you for a loop if you’re not expecting them.

3. Pineapple Is Great on Pizza

This is arguably the most contentious claim of the whole debate. Does fruit belong on pizza? Many are appalled at the idea, but others suggest trying pineapple and jalapenos with ham. This creates a better balance of sweet, savory, and spicy.

4. Boxed Pasta Is Perfectly Okay

Some posters argue that boxed pasta isn’t just a time saver. It’s as good as its freshly-made counterpart. One person even claimed they’d dined around Italy, where dried pasta was used all the time.

5. Peas Don’t Belong in Fried Rice

One could make the argument that the chalkiness of peas doesn’t belong in something so buttery and flavorful. Others may argue that if the peas are chalky, they’re not being cooked properly. There’s no real right answer, but one submitted fried rice recipe on Food.com very plainly states that peas don’t belong.

6. You Can Have Too Much Garlic

Hating garlic doesn’t make you a vampire. Culinary wizards may rely on garlic to elevate a flavor, however, there is such a thing as “too much.” The overuse of garlic can absolutely ruin a dish and may even be deemed as a lazy way of masking a recipe’s less pleasant flavors.

7. Cold Ketchup Is Wrong

If you keep ketchup in the fridge, we cannot be friends. Have you ever wondered by restaurant ketchup tastes so good? It’s because it’s kept on the table and at room temperature.

8. Air Fryers Are for the Weak

They may be the hottest thing in kitchen gadgets, but many food connoisseurs are adamant that they will never purchase an air fryer. As far as they are concerned, if you can’t crisp something using a conventional oven, that’s down to your poor cookery skills.

9. You Can Have Breakfast for Dinner

A combination of bacon, eggs, and other breakfast ingredients is sometimes acceptable. Having bacon and eggs for dinner is fine, and that’s really nothing anyone should argue about.

10. Sesame Oil Is a Waste

While many would agree that the smell of hot sesame oil is divine, many feel the finished product can overpower the dish. It’s so strong, in fact, that it’s even best to avoid using it in marinades, lest you want a dish that tastes like sesame oil.

11. Keep Hamburgers Small

It’s more pleasant to try and eat a hamburger that you can fit into your mouth rather than a giant stack you have to unlock your jaw for. It’s almost as if chefs compete to reach the ceiling. A popular misconception is that snakes dislocate their jaw to consume their prey. Technically, a human jaw can dislocate, but it’s not recommended for eating hamburgers or for anything else.

12. French Fries Are Only Good for Ten Minutes

This is another suggestion sure to attract a few arguments. We agree, though, that fries must be devoured and, if you have them delivered, you must be nuts. Soggy fries? No thanks!

13. Add More Vanilla Extract Than Necessary

Who doesn’t love a little vanilla extract? It’s sweet and a great way to boost the flavor of your favorite baked goods. But is there such a thing as too much vanilla extract? Well, word on the web has it that some cooks like to add extra vanilla extract into all of their recipes. Now the question is, do they literally mean all recipes or just recipes that call for vanilla extract?

14. We Ask Too Much of Cauliflower

It’s a humble vegetable, but are we expecting cauliflower to be more versatile than it has the potential for? From cauliflower “steaks” to pizza crusts, we’re certainly expecting a lot. Maybe we need to go back to the good old days of boiling, baking, and frying it.

15. Wash Your Mushrooms

Yes, that suspicious black material clinging to the mushroom is what you think it is. Even if you’re buying mushrooms from the grocery store, you need to clean them off properly or things may taste a little earthy. All it takes is a little water, and for stubborn dirt, you can use a wet paper towel.

16. Peanut Butter Works With Yeast Extract

For years, I thought I was the only person who thought this was an acceptable combination. Friends instantly became nauseous when I told them I loved to spread peanut butter and yeast extract on toast. When a product combining the two was released, I realized I was not alone!

Source: Reddit.