Some people are gifted when it comes to cooking. They never need a recipe, and simply follow their gut when it comes to making culinary masterpieces. However, it could always be better with that one perfect tip- something that many cooks don't learn until later in life.
u/WaffleStomperGirl asked: What is a cooking tip you wish you had learned much younger?
Simple, but important.
Adding salt and pepper to food during the cooking process, adds much deeper flavor than adding it afterwards on your dish.
A richer flavor.
If your cooking tastes like it's "missing something" no matter how well you have pepper and salted it, chances are that you are missing acidity.
Try to give it a little vinegar, tomatoes, etc. and see how it tastes.
Interesting.
Deglazing. It cleans the pan and adds delicious flavor to the dish. The stuff that sticks to the pan, you don't want to throw that out. When you're done sauteeing whatever it is you're cooking just add a few teaspoons of wine, vinegar, beer or even water to the pan and pour it over your food.
Never too much salt.
Salt Steak like you're salting your driveway. Most foods are ruined by too much salt. Steak is different. When it comes to seasoning your meat (before you cook it), more is more. Use a generous amount of coarse Kosher salt—more than you think you need.
Also, let the meat rest, at least five minutes, before cutting into it.
Smart idea.
If you're learning to cook meat, get a good digital thermometer. You'll be able to check for that just-done temperature. It feels like cheating!
A useful tip.
Take your time when sautéing onions, it will make the end product much tastier.
Good idea.
Meal prepping actually helps a lot, especially if you're trying to eat healthier.
All the seasoning.
Season every part of the meal. When you make spaghetti sauce? Season the meat as you brown it. Season the sauce while it's cooking. Season the pasta water. Season it all.
People Confess Which Things They Should Have Grown Out Of By Now But Totally Haven't
You can pry my Pokemon games out of my cold, dead hands. Can't help it, guys––I love them. I love the games. I even check out the show from time to time (if you've never watched Twilight Wings, you're missing out). I'm not a competitive player, by the way. I don't really care about training an unstoppable team. I just enjoy a fun and engaging story. (I feel the same way about the Final Fantasy games. Perhaps I should have grown out of it, according to the people out there who can't let other people just enjoy things.
After Redditor Rare_Dragonfruit1885 asked the online community, "Be honest, what's something you should have grown out of by this age, but haven't?" people told us what things and habits they still love.
"I can't sleep soundly..."
Sleeping with my favorite stuffed animal. I can't sleep soundly without my little guy.
I still have my favorite stuffed animal, personally.
And while I don't sleep with it (all the time), it's nice to have it there.
"No."
Whenever I get asked what my hobbies or interest are. I always say video games and always get the typical "Aren't you a little too old to be playing them?"
No. No, I am not. It's my way of winding down after a busy and often stressful day at work. Why is it any different from binging an entire series on Netflix or reading an entire book in a day? I hate the fact that it's 2021 and there are people out there that still portray video games as a childish hobby.
Video games are art!
If you've never played Final Fantasy VII or Chrono Trigger (I realize I've naming some older stuff here) and you still think video games are just for children, then you're missing out.
"I'm 28..."
I'm 28 and love finding painted rocks. I say we go rock hunting and paint rocks for my kids but I definitely get the most enjoyment from it.
"I collect a variety of plushie brands..."
Plushies, I collect a variety of plushie brands, and my boyfriend, who works in a toy store, indulges me. I'd never owned a Squishmallow until I met him but now I have a small horde and every time he gets a batch at work I get first dibs.
"My boyfriend got me a bear..."
Teddy bears. My boyfriend got me a bear for Valentine's Day and I sleep with it every night I'm not with him and sometimes I just have it with me while watching a movie. I'm 21 this year.
"I'll admit..."
Ghosts and the paranormal. I'll admit even at age 26, I still find it so utterly fascinating.
Utterly fascinating, indeed.
Do I believe in it? Nah, not really. Do I love reading about it? Of course. I also won't turn down a good supernatural horror film.
"It's sometimes nice..."
I like to read my old childhood books sometimes.
Babysitters Club, Goosebumps, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Fudge. It's sometimes nice to go through a story that's not traumatic and full of death and sadness.
I also still like building with LEGO. It's therapeutic and relaxing.
"Most people I interact with..."
​Writing and reading fanfiction. Most people I interact with within the fandom are much younger so I just keep to myself.
"At 57..."
As a never-married, childfree old crone, it'd have to be doing whatever I want to whenever I want. "You'll get bored of life without having children!" REALLY?!? At 57 I'm still finding new, fun, interesting things to see/experience/learn and I'm well satisfied.
Amen to that.
There's a lot of freedom in not having children, not to disparage people who choose not to have them at all.
"I'm also just a creature of habit..."
Chocolate milk. I'm 30, and I just enjoy having a nice cup of chocolate milk with or after dinner. My wife used to give me sh!t about it, but now I think she finds it kinda cute. I'm also just a creature of habit, so my daily things are predictable.
The lesson to be learned here is quite simple.
Let people enjoy things! This shouldn't be so difficult. "Professionalism" is a mask we put on during the work week. Let people be happy doing and exploring what they love.
Have some of your own contributions? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments below!
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There's a show on Hulu called A Teacher that made me think about the repercussions of a teacher having an illicit affair with a seventeen-year-old student.
While the controversial topic is justifiably subject to condemnation, the show delicately depicted each characters' emotional turmoil and their families in the aftermath.
While many in these types of forbidden relationships don't end well, Redditor Sadebiru was curious to hear from those familiar with the situation and asked:
"[Serious] Redditors who slept with their teachers, what was the fallout after it happened?"

Consequences
These Redditors faced immediate disciplinary consequences for their involvement in their respective intimacies, but one suffered emotional trauma for years.
The Trauma Of Being Used
"My English teacher used me as a sperm donor. She slept with me until she got pregnant and then stopped. She didn't even bother to switch schools so I wouldn't know. This was about 50 years ago and it still crosses my mind and bothers me. So the fallout on my side was being mentally messed up for about 4 years and not being able to have a normal sexual relationship for a long time."
– readit2U
Predatory Soccer Coach
"I had a very inappropriate relationship with the assistant soccer coach. His contract was not renewed the next year and I was the subject of gossip, obviously, and labeled the school sl*t by my classmates. It was a very small private school so there was literally no way to keep anything secret. It was only later on I realized he'd taken advantage of me and was, obviously, a sicko who knew I'd fall for the flattery of an older guy the rest of the girls on the team thought was cute."
– gambitgrl
Sleeping With The P.E. Teacher
"My cousin Adrian slept with the physical education teacher. It was in the mid 1980s, and it right near the end of the school year. She was immediately transferred and he lost his school reference and was suspended for the remainder of the year, which was like four weeks from memory."
"he was no angel. He was an absolute player and he said he has no ill feelings about the whole thing at all. It didn't affect his schooling any further after that and he said he absolutely seduced her, it wasn't the other way around."
– Dirty_Rachael
Left "Morally Conflicted" About Taking Action
"It was horrible. I was groomed by my English teacher. He said all the right things and I thought I was emotionally mature enough to handle it. I was not."
"I realized when I was 19 how messed up it was and very quietly told the bishop and the Victims of Sexual Misconduct Councilor (catholic school). My worst fear was that it was going to be a big public scandal and I didn't want my family's name dragged through the mud. So he permanently lost his teaching license."
"He is now dating a woman and I want to reach out to her so bad to her to ask if she knows, but at the same time I want that chapter of my life to end. I'm very morally conflicted."
– DeezMags
No Fallout
Instead of suffering a fallout per se, the following Redditors reflected fondly back on their romantic affairs.
Consenting Adults
"Nothing since I was 6 years out of high school by that point."
"We became friends a couple years after I graduated, eventually I told her I had something of a crush on her, she thought it was cute and flattering and sat on it for a while. One day she invites me out and we meet up, have a good time, we leave. Later that night she texts me when I'm work says she's got feelings too and wants to pursue it."
"We go on a couple more dates, see a movie (The Watch for those wondering), make out in her car afterwards like a couple horny teenagers. We do the deed that night, good times."
"Anyway, the age gap was something she couldn't get over, I was 25 and she was 48, different places in our lives with different goals. We still chat though."
– Guvnuh_T_Boggs
The Chinese Teacher
"She was my Chinese teacher at a Confucius Institute, and is almost 10 years older than me, but I always had a minor crush on her."
"When her contract was about to expire and had to leave my country, we went out to dinner. She was leaving for one last trip before returning to China, so this would be the last time I would see her. I decided to take a shot and told her about my crush. We slept together that night."
"There wasn't really a fallout. We are still in contact, but don't really talk about that night."
– ThePeasantKingM
Good Memory
The following academic flings were either highly erotic or wound up being blissful.
"Too Riskey To Continue"
"A few people found out and gave me sh*t about it, but really not a big deal for me personally. It was obviously more difficult for her. Rumours got back to other teachers who were not cool with it and she had some awkward conversations to navigate with the headteacher. She admitted we saw each other outside of school but denied anything sexual, which they did not seem to believe. She was told never to be alone with me and had restrictions placed on her ability to act as a chaperone on school trips etc."
"It didn't last as it was obvious it was too risky to continue but there was no bad feeling between us."
– MorphZootSuit
The French Teacher
"I slept with my French teacher about 5 years after leaving school, she was just as as I'd always imagined."
– bigdave2465
"Afternoon Office Nookie"
"It was in college, we slept together before we knew I was in her class. It was one of those lecture only classes with like 200 students in it so it wasn't a big deal."
"No fallout beyond some late afternoon office nookie now and then."
"She would text me pictures of what she was wearing under her outfit that day. I miss being young."
– BrainKatana
"The Best Thing That Ever Happened"
"I started dating the grad student that was teaching one of my undergrad classes, although because I took time off before going to uni and he started early I was actually older than him."
"The uni had rules against the sort of thing, of course. We weren't found out until the spring quarter, at which time we were told to cease and desist, but by the time this happened we were engaged."
"The administration were happy for us (and we were all friends there, the department was like one big family), so instead they told us that for the rest of the year my exams and juries would have to be handled by another professor and that our class sessions would be recorded to be sure there was no funny business or nepotism."
"20 years on, we're still married - it was the best thing that ever happened to either of us!"
In rare cases, some students have glorified their dalliances with teachers and bragged about their conquests among their peers.
Some – as those participating in this thread – expressed the absence of fallout or lack of emotional trauma.
But let's make one thing clear: a teacher having sexual relations with a minor student is considered illegal by the law and court opinion in most states, and children under the age of 18 cannot give consent to sexual conduct.
An improper relationship with a student can lead to a criminal conviction and imprisonment.
I'm all for people wearing their hearts on their sleeves and crying from watching emotional movies.
I was never that person. Maybe for the longest time, I thought crying was a sign of weakness and I didn't give in.
That is until I watched The Color Purple and sobbed after witnessing Nettie and Celie reuniting after 30 years.
Still gets me every time.
Curious to hear from strangers online and of their most vulnerable moments, Redditor CSCW asked:
"What never fails to make you tear up or cry?"

Death
Whether it's a family member or a hospital staff, witnessing a person's last breath is something that can stay with you forever.
The Note
"My late partner passed away from leukemia at 38 years old. He hid a letter for me in our room in case he didn't make it. It's the most beautiful and eloquent thing I've ever read."
"He talks about regretting not being able to see my hair turn Grey, or seeing me accomplish my dreams. He gives me permission to fall in love again, be messy, and move forward. The level of support is so encouraging. It's also a heartbreaking read and I've only read it 3 times. I will read it again on the 2 year date of his passing at the end of this month."
– saudadedabahia
The Son
"Thinking about how poorly I treated my dad when he was still alive. He was always trying to find things in common with me to connect with me. When I found out he liked something I also liked, I just changed my mind and found it uncool. I looked down on the tv shows he liked and didn't realize until later that he had an awesome taste for quality campy television like The Adventures of Brisco County Junior and other classics from that era of 90s syndicated television. If I knew him now he'd be my best friend. I did try to connect with him in the last few years of his life but he had dementia by then and couldn't follow things I knew he would have found interesting before."
"His last words to me were 'It hurts' while I held his hand during catheterization on his last trip to the hospital. I was too embarrassed from seeing his penis to offer any true comfort."
– MarkHirsbrunner
The Patient
"One particular patient I had working in a trauma center. 19 year old girl I'd never seen before, and didn't know at all. She was ejected from a vehicle and then crushed because her boyfriend was trying to show off. I was training new staff, and they were at the end of their training so I was only in the room to provide supervision and step in if necessary and I spent the entire trauma holding her hand (on her request) and trying to comfort her and keep her mind off of the injuries to both of her legs."
"Her last words were spoken directly to me: 'this really hurts. Can I go to sleep?'"
"I cried for days after. I've never had a patient's death hit me as hard before or after."
– MiniMitsu
Pets
Losing a pet can cause as much grief as losing a family member.
Dog's Last Day
"Thinking about my dogs last day. She was 17 years old and her organs were shutting down. Before we took her to get put down she was in the backyard eating her food. She walked slowly to us while wagging her tail and we took her. When we got home to bury her I looked over at her dog bowl and there was still a bit of food in it. Kills me every time I think of it."
– Fatal-Symbiote
Irreplaceable
"When my dog died I thought of taking her to get put down but she was so scared of the vet that I couldn't let her last moments be full of fear. I sat with her all night, she stopped eating, she couldn't move much, she couldn't control her bladder, but I still sat with her. I kissed her on the head and told her I'd be okay and not too lonely, it was ok for her to go when she was ready. A few minutes later she let out a little yelp and that was it. That was 5 years ago and I haven't been able to get another pet since because I don't know if I can go through that again."
– I_PEE_WITH_THAT
Goodbye, Mortimer
"Thinking of that abandoned little kitten I found. I called him Mortimer. Tried to keep him alive. Bottle feeding him. Keeping him warm, skin to skin. Staying awake through most of the night. Calling in sick day after day to stay with kitty. Emergency vet scheduling with them saying he probably won't make it."
"Kitty didn't make it. It's when my oldest cat slowly stalked up to the cat, nudging her nose against Mortimer's head. Mortimer didn't move. Didn't react. I put him in a shoebox with his blanket... So he would not be cold."
"Buried him and left a little pebble for a tombstone."
"That was twenty years ago."
"I'm sorry, Mortimer. I couldn't save you."
– aGiantmutantcrab
Movies And Music
People connect to songs and films because it resonates on a certain level.
"Cant help falling in love - elvis"
"Was supposed to be the song my sister and her fiancee danced to at her wedding. Instead it was played walking into the church, at his funeral, after he took his own life."
"My poor sis was so strong that day, but that song still gets us both."
Moving Monologue
"The ending monologue of movie The Shawshank Redemption. 'I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.'"
Emotional Ending
"The end of Homeward Bound."
"Especially when Shadow says 'Peter! You're ok!'"
"Like, they went through all of that and almost died multiple times and Shadow was just glad to know Peter was ok."
"Get's me every time."
– IM_THE_DECOY
"I Could Have Got More..." – Schindler's List
"As a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, I'm fairly desensitized to the more graphic imagery, but that is absolutely the toughest part to watch. What is the value of a human life? A ring, a watch, a meager everyday object is all that the life of a family member may be worth."
– codisinc
Effects Of Aging
"Strategically placed albums from my youth."
"If I am half drunk and someone begins to play the album 'Four Cornered Night' by Jets to Brazil, I will become uncharacteristically nostalgic, and then openly sob at the idea of how good I was at being 18 years old, vs how sh**ty I am at being 38 years old."
"Getting old is weird."
– BodePlotHole
Reading about pet-owners losing their beloved furry companion is exactly the reason why I have never owned a cat or a dog.
I'm afraid of getting too emotionally attached to them to the point where I suffer a grief comparable to losing family or a close friend.
But then I think about how much I'm missing out on the rewards and constant love that comes with being a pet owner.
Maybe it's worth making a trip to the local shelter.
There are few things more annoying than when you are seeking advice and someone responds with a boring platitude that helps no one. Believe it or not, if you choose to provide advice, it needs to be specific to the situation and shouldn't be dressed up in trite phrasing. Does saying, "Keep your head up" actually contribute anything if that's all you have to say when someone comes to you in search of a listening ear?
But this goes deeper than just advice, to be fair. Some of us are sick of greedy corporations that stress the importance of being a "family" while refusing to pay proper wages. Still more of us are tired of people using certain language when other language can suffice.
After Redditor BensReddits asked the online community, "What is a phrase you absolutely hate hearing?" people shared their stories.
"At any sort of conference..."
At any sort of conference/gathering/presentation:
"How're you all doing today?!? C'mon, I know you can answer louder than that! HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING TODAY?!"
Instant resentment every time.
I second that resentment.
I attended a conference once where the main speaker did this several times in the span of thirty minutes as he announced different initiatives.
Such a headache.
"At my work..."
At my work upper management has started using the word "activate" a lot. As in, "We are working on plans to activate underutilized spaces." And, "Let's activate a few other teams on this." It just sounds silly to me and like they are trying too hard to avoid using simple, perfectly adequate language.
I'll take your "activate" and give you...
..."utilize." WHY?
What is wrong with the word "use"?
"I was born in Australia..."
"Your English is so good!"
Thank you, I was born in Australia and English is literally my first language. My standard response these days is, "Oh thank you, yours too!"
This one is especially annoying...
...if you're not alabaster white.
I repeat:
Also annoying if you're not alabaster white.
"Someone saying to a teenager..."
Someone saying to a teenager, "These are the best years of your life!" I am in my mid-40s now and most people my age remember high school as horrible and awkward. The more appropriate thing to say is, "Hang in there kid! I promise life gets better. Just get through adolescence the best you can."
High school sucked.
My life vastly improved in my 20s. Let's not convince teenagers that they have nothing to look forward to after high school's over and done with.
"That's nothing..."
"That's nothing... " when I tell them something only for them to turn it onto a competition and say something worse that happened to them.
Ah, yes.
The chronic one-upper.
Loathe them.
"I've heard it from people..."
"When you have your own children you'll understand."
I've heard it from people who don't understand that I want nothing more than my own family but being pregnant will kill me, and when I bring up adoption as a valid way of having children they'll buckle down on that phrase as to say adopted kids are not the same. It's disheartening to hear as a formal foster child and has reinforced my beliefs that no one really saw me as enough. Why would you say that to someone? All kids are the same and those without kids shouldn't be dismissed.
"I lost my daughter..."
"God has a plan" or "It happened for a reason."
I lost my daughter when I was 36 weeks in because of a sudden placental abruption followed by a uterine rupture, lost 2.2 litres of blood. I can't carry again without risking the child or myself. And I had to listen to a variety of phrases that made me want to hit those people. Those two were the worst. Followed by "You can try again" or "Did you get the child baptized?" (got this one only once though).
"Who on earth..."
"When are you going to have kids?"
Who on earth are you to not only insist I should stop and redirect my whole life for kids, but then put me on the spot and make up a timetable to change my whole life? Not everyone wants kids.
Now that you've learned a thing or two...
...you could say that all of the responses here are an exceptional opportunity to improve your social skills.
Have some of your own stories to share? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments below!
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