Culinary Tip 4

Cooking Tip: Never Underestimate Hot Oil (or the Smoke Point of Chaos)

My son came home from school one day with a recipe he was so excited for me to try. They were learning about foods from different countries, and knowing how much I love England, he brought me a classic British dish — some sort of glorious baked puff thing that required a generous amount of oil.

I wasn’t much of a baker at the time, so I didn’t think to slide a sheet pan under the baking dish. Big mistake. Huge.

Halfway through baking, oil started bubbling over the edges like an erupting volcano. It oozed down to the bottom of the oven and hit that magic moment — the smoke point. Suddenly, the kitchen filled with thick, burning fumes that clawed at our throats. The smoke alarm joined the party. And that smell? It lingered for weeks.

👉Tip: When baking with oil, always place a rimmed baking sheet or tray beneath your dish to catch any overflow. It prevents drips, burning, and a full-blown kitchen crisis. Also — different oils have different smoke points, so choose wisely. (Olive oil, for example, burns faster than something like avocado or grapeseed oil.)

A little pan underneath can save your oven—and your lungs—from weeks of regret. ✨

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