We admit it - we love lists. But we do try to stick to lists that make us think. So we couldn't resist this one from Cooking Light: The Most Common Cooking Mistakes. They list 57 common mistakes; here are the 10 we think are the most common (some are slightly reworded to make them more understandable), and cause the most problems:
- Not tasting as you go
- Not reading the entire recipe before you start cooking
- Overcrowding the pan
- Not using a meat thermometer
- Not resting the meat after cooking
- Limp salad
- Using cheaper ingredients, when it really does matter
- Not getting the pan hot enough before adding the food
- Not starting over when an ingredient really can't be rescued (burnt garlic, nuts, etc.)
- Having all the extras (berries, nuts, etc.) sink to the bottom in a baked good.
The article includes remedies to all of these problems - so if any of them hit home, we won't tell while you look.
Photo of Blueberry-Banana Muffins by Serious Eats