" I was a professional bread maker for years , but seeing this still convinced me to modify my proficiency . "

You never know where you might pick up an unexpected cooking trick. In fact, one source of inspiration that might come as a surprise to home cooks is TV shows and movies. So Redditoru/boujeenenasked, “What is acooking tipyou picked up from a show or movie?” Here’s what people said.

1.“I learned to add sour cream while scrambling eggs from Ralphie Cifaretto’s character on a very special episode ofThe Sopranos. My eggs come out light and fluffy every time.”

2.“I started using baked potatoes to make mashed potatoes (instead of boiling the potatoes first) fromThe Bear.”

3.“I started sprinkling dill in my ham and cheese sandwiches after Al Borland said he does it on an episode ofHome Improvement.”

4.“Josh Brolin’s character inLabor Dayuses coffee in his chili. I don’t do it all the time, but adding a bit of it definitely gives chili a different flavor profile.”

5.“I started putting mustard on my hard-boiled eggs after I saw Nancy Botwin do it onWeeds. It’s a game changer.”

6.“Tina Feyin30 Rocktaught me to never forget to put chips on a sandwich! Life changing.”

7.“I learned to use a ‘choke grip’ for better knife control by watchingFood Wars. I watched this after being a professional baker for years, but this still changed my technique.”

8.“Thanks toReba, I make my grilled cheese by using mayo on the outside instead of butter. It makes all the difference.”

9.“I learned to use water instead of milk tip to make omelets from LL Cool J inDeep Blue Seaand have been making them this way ever since.”

10.“I started grilling sliced bread separately while making grilled cheese because of the scene inChef. It definitely results in a more pleasingly gooey sandwich.”

11.InWar Gameswith Matthew Broderick, there is a scene where the family sits down to dinner. They butter their bread and then roll ears of corn on the bread to butter it. My brain sort of slipped a cog, and I was like,why didn’t I think of that?!?!"

12.“I started making pizza eggs after watching a character make this inWeeds. Just slice up leftover pizza and toss it in a pan with eggs.”

13.“Manny, the boy fromModern Family, tells Gloria that he adds the tiniest pinch of salt to his hot cocoa, and damn if it isn’t delicious.”

14.“I learned to make butter rice from the Japanese seriesMidnight Diner. I heat rice until it’s very hot, add cold butter and a few drops of soy sauce, and stir gently. It’s wonderful.”

15.“I started putting paprika or chili pepper in my omelets after seeing this technique in the movieThe Hundred Foot Journey.”

16.“I learned how to fry eggs from Kelis’Milkshakevideo. You know that bit where the chef spoons some grease over the eggs. Whaaaaaaat? But it works!”

17.“I was watching the Prime TV showMr. and Mrs Smith. In one scene, Donald Glover’s character was talking to his mom about making soup, and she said always to make the stock with chicken feet. That weekend, I made a large pot of chicken stock using chicken feet, and boy, does it taste better with the extra collagen.”

18.“After watching an episode ofThe Bear, I now whisk my eggs through a mesh strainer. My omelets and scrambled eggs are now a perfect, uniform yellow, with no white bits to be found.”

Amy Adams and Ron Livingston cooking together, laughing while she mixes batter in a bowl. Ron holds a drink, enjoying the moment in a kitchen setting

Scrambled eggs cooking in a nonstick skillet, being stirred with a blue spatula

A bowl of creamy mashed potatoes with a spoon resting in the mixture

Open sandwich with a single slice of ham and cheese on white bread, placed on a plate with a green leaf pattern

A pot filled with thick, chunky chili sitting on a stovetop

Hand holding a peeled hard-boiled egg above a white bowl containing several other peeled hard-boiled eggs

Two halves of a sandwich on white bread with potato chips and ketchup stacked between the slices. Chips scattered around the plate

Close-up of a person slicing a tomato on a wooden cutting board, with sliced red onions and more tomatoes nearby in a kitchen setting

Close-up of a grilled cheese sandwich being cooked in a frying pan. The bread is toasted with visible grill marks

Person whisking eggs in a bowl, surrounded by bowls containing eggshells, flour, and a blue measuring cup on a kitchen countertop

Person holding a grilled cheese sandwich with melted cheese stretching between two halves, over a wooden table with another sandwich on a black plate

Grilled corn on the cob served in a blue bowl. No people are present in the image

A close-up of a partially eaten pizza slice with toppings including olives, mushrooms, ham, and cheese, displayed on a piece of parchment paper

A ceramic mug filled with hot chocolate topped with marshmallows sits on a wooden surface, with additional marshmallows scattered around it

Cooked white rice topped with a melting pat of butter

Top view of a freshly cooked frittata in a skillet on a wooden table with a bowl of cherry tomatoes, a spring onion, and a colorful ceramic plate

A raw egg is cracking into a buttered frying pan on a stove, ready to be cooked. The stove dials are partially visible

A pot filled with boiling soup, containing large chunks of potatoes, celery sticks, carrots, and pieces of chicken, with a wooden spoon

Bowl with several cracked eggs next to chopped mushrooms on a wooden cutting board