Since the last update of my kitchen diary, it seems like more than two months have passed. In fact, I have been advancing my culinary skills. Why haven't I updated my kitchen diary? Because during the process, I realized that there are too many combinations of dishes, and it's unnecessary to write a guide for each combination. That would be a waste of effort and not very meaningful.
After much thought, I have made a decision. I will no longer update the step-by-step guides for cooking. I think there are already plenty of guides available online. Instead, I will focus on sharing some of the problems and details I encounter while cooking. This way, not only will it help me remember better, but I can also share more interesting things to make my friends happy.
Today, I made a dish, Braised Eggplant. While preparing the eggplant, I found that the skin was quite tough, and I wondered if I should peel it (don't laugh at me, because I've never cooked eggplant before). After thinking for a while, I decided to search on Baidu, "Should I peel eggplant when cooking?" The first search result said,
"No. Nutrition experts suggest that it's best not to peel eggplant when eating it, because the skin and the connection between the skin and the flesh contain a large amount of beneficial substances for human health, such as rutin, vitamin E, and vitamin P. If you remove the eggplant skin, it will reduce its nutritional value."
Well, that's good. No need to peel it. But as a seasoned user of Baidu and Google, how could I only trust the first search result? I scrolled down and found a response from a user on Zhihu who said,
Whether to peel eggplant or not depends on what dish you are making. For home-style eggplant, it's best not to peel it. If you are frying the eggplant, you don't need to peel it either because of the need to make cross cuts. But if you are making a braised eggplant dish, then peeling is necessary.
After some consideration, it seems to make some sense. I was quite pleased, so I followed their advice. Today, I made Braised Eggplant, so I didn't need to peel it. I just stir-fried it directly.
I also learned a new tip.
Closing remarks: When you're feeling down or have something on your mind, you can do something to distract yourself, like cooking. Not only can you enjoy the food and life, but you can also gain a sense of accomplishment. I feel like it's a win-win situation.