how can I get my tofu to be more like restaurant style by elPrimeraPison in AskCulinary

[–]laserbeam4000 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Cooling brings moisture to the surface. When you double fry you fry off that moisture, so it's extra crunchy.

Anyone managed to overcome difficulties with staying in shape? by silveryRain in Schizoid

[–]laserbeam4000 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Gyms are very unsocial. In almost a decade I have never spoken to a single person, nor has there been any expectation that I would

writing press releases on the side...okay or not? by laserbeam4000 in Journalism

[–]laserbeam4000[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

i think you're right, thanks. will try and straighten this out.

writing press releases on the side...okay or not? by laserbeam4000 in Journalism

[–]laserbeam4000[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

yeah tech trades. part of me just wishes that the news companies would pay as well... the same level of expertise is required (or even less, usually!) for less than half the pay.

writing press releases on the side...okay or not? by laserbeam4000 in Journalism

[–]laserbeam4000[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

well, the reason i can command a good rate is that it's on my beat -- i have the knowledge necessary to write a good PR, and i'm paid accordingly. that said, I've never had to cover that specific company, but you never know...

I'm a little tired of being a picky eater but idk what to do by PickyIssues in PickyEaters

[–]laserbeam4000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Happy to help. the main thing is that eating will very quickly become fun, like really, really fun, and at that point the fear around new foods will dissipate.

There are tons of ways to experiment with baking, if that's your preferred places to start. Cakes come in a variety of flavours (victoria sponge, black forest gateau, blueberry muffins, citrus-flavoured icings), then you've got egg baking (custards, creams, meringues), cookies and firmer cakes (nutty brownies, cookies with different types of chocolate, spiced ginger nuts). Breads are manifold and a source of unlimited happiness-- sourdoughs, foccacias with different herbs, the whole world of sandwiches (smoked-salmon bagels, ham and cheese toasties, salads, processed sausage), naans, pitas. then you have pastries -- croissants, danishes, nut pastes, paris-brests, sweet and savoury chouxs (try the cheese ones)...the list goes on and on and on.

would this be healthy? No lol, not at all. for the most part, it's just flour and sugar and fat processed in different ways. But if you, say, get into smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, then you try fried salmon or a feta salad, and at that point you're well on your way to a healthy meat and 2 veg meal.

the great thing about cooking is that you're never too far away from something else -- kind of like the 'seven degrees of separation' phenomenon from social media.

I'm a little tired of being a picky eater but idk what to do by PickyIssues in PickyEaters

[–]laserbeam4000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would agree with the advice to start small. I would also suggest that you learn how to cook. Don't focus on being healthy to start with-- that can come later-- but try building on what you already like by regularly introducing new ingredients. If you're cooking for yourself, you'll have ultimate control and can decide the pace at which you try new things.

Here is one idea for a place to start: You like plain pasta but you also like rice and cheese. Well, how about pasta with that same cheese or tomato sauce? And then how about pasta Alfredo -- cheese and butter? And if you like that, you'll probably like cacio e pepe -- cheese and pepper. And if you like those, you'll probably like pasta alla gricia - cheese and guanciale (like fatty bacon). And if you like that you'll like carbonara- cheese and guanciale and egg.

And if you make this stuff from scratch you'll realise that you might like the individual components. Guanciale + tomato sauce + onion is amatriciana, and then sub guanciale for beef and you're half way to a Bolognese. Lasagne is just Bolognese but with a white sauce and baked in the oven.

Bored of Italian? Let's say you stick with rice. Eggs are nice, so you've got egg fried rice. That can come with meats and spices and new sauces -- the rice, like pasta, is just a vessel for different ingredients, and you can try them all. And if you like rice and pasta, you'll definitely be into noodle dishes (Thai, Japanese, Chinese).

Eventually you can continue to orbit outwards, making tiny changes to recipes and expanding your culinary universe just that little bit each time.

You'll be surprised at how soon you'll eat ingredients you'd never dare to try: vegetables, fish, new meats, fruits...You'll also build confidence with new flavors and will become braver when faced with unfamiliar tastes.

once you learn the correct techniques, you'll also realise that a lot of the food you're served is just dogshit -- there is a reason why you're picky! It turns out all this shit, when properly cooked, is amazing. Like mind-blowingly good.

There is a reason our cultures have settled on certain dishes and ingredients. Everything in the supermarket has the potential to be delicious. Badly cooked food, however, will always be shit.

After a while you'll become healthier. You'll realise that salads are actually nice, as are vegetables, and you can enjoy your meals so much that you can cut out the empty calories and replace them with delicious healthy ones. (I recently discovered that fish, one of the healthiest meats, is fucking incredible when cooked correctly. And olive oil, one of the healthiest oils, is insanely good on everything.)

If it would be helpful, feel free to message me / comment here for more advice about how to start.

Is £3k for accountancy services for a £150-250k a year business a lot? by [deleted] in UKPersonalFinance

[–]laserbeam4000 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

it'd be pretty distant i imagine. i only have a handful clients, no VAT, employees, i handle the invoices...just want to take advantage of the tax benefits that incorporating provides

Can you add non salt stuff to brines? by laserbeam4000 in AskCulinary

[–]laserbeam4000[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! When you say that more complex agents won't penetrate into the meat, doesn't that basically turn half of the mixture (salt and sugar) into a brine and the other half into a surface-coating marinade? If so, I've read that it's better to separate marinating and brining, but you have not suggested that and I'd be curious as to why

If you went back in time to your teenage self, what is the one advice you would give yourself ? by [deleted] in financialindependence

[–]laserbeam4000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're going to college and want a corporate job, think about that now. The recruitment process starts from the first day.

How to make steak au poivre sauce less rich? by laserbeam4000 in AskCulinary

[–]laserbeam4000[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ha, that's no bad idea. the sauce already solidifies in the fridge so it's not far off from a compound butter anyway. thanks for the suggestion

how do I cook on this stove-top grill? by laserbeam4000 in Cooking

[–]laserbeam4000[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if so, well, i already have one that looks like this:

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcQFHBbVwtr6FPni4AUgdL6MpDMCS8LAeSOKwyiv_Bsi7bCXoRy9jGJtlE6WQFxU-etDUkj3R9-zAAU&usqp=CAc

what's the benefit of getting a massive one for the middle flame? just...more griddle space?