Cooking is a skill that becomes better and better with practice. No one is a fantastic cook from the start. Before attending culinary school, I taught myself a lot through trial and error. I had a few successes and a lot of failures in the beginning. I don’t want you to go through the same struggles and frustrations that I had, so I’ve put together some useful hints for you.
how to become a better cook
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1 – Use herbs and spices
There is more to seasoning than salt and pepper. Embrace the power of fresh herbs and dried spices! Herbs and spices are magical and essential for adding flavor and depth to any dish. Using herbs and spices takes your taste buds on a culinary adventure. They can transform plain chicken into an Italian feast or an Indian smorgasbord. Herbs and spices are also a great way to boost the flavor of a dish without adding calories.
2 – Mise en place
No, I am not speaking English. Mise en place is a French term used in culinary circles that means “putting in place.” If you hear some fancy foodie say that they got their mise ready, it means that all ingredients have been gathered and prepped for cooking. Potatoes are peeled, onions are cut, rosemary leaves stripped from the sprig—everything is ready to go. If you wait to chop that onion while the skillet is heating up with oil, you will run the risk of smoking the oil. When it comes to cooking, timing is everything, and it’s best to have everything ready and in place before you turn on the stove.
3 – Take care of your knives
A sharp knife is everything. There is no tool more important in the kitchen than a good knife. It makes your time in the kitchen easier, more efficient, and, believe it or not, a sharp knife is safer. A dull knife is a dangerous knife, because the force needed to make a dull knife cut makes you more likely to injure yourself than if you used a sharp knife.
There are a few important tips to caring for your knives. First, do not put your knives in the dishwasher. The heat from the dishwasher will dull the knives. Hone before and after every use to keep your edge straight and sharp. Knives bang around if left loose in a drawer, dulling the knives edges. It is best if they are stored in sleeves, in a block or on a magnetic strip. Finally, use only plastic or wood cutting boards. Do not cut on glass or marble! This is guaranteed to dull, chip or break your knife, not to mention the horrible sound it makes. Whenever a knife hits a surface, microscopic burrs form on the metal, causing the edge to dull.
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4 – Harness the power of acid
Have you ever taken a bite of food and thought to yourself, “That tastes good but it’s a little blah.” Not blah in that it taste bland but blah in the sense that it lacks pizzazz. It’s almost like your food is … lethargic. It’s likely that what it needs is a touch of acid in the form of citrus or vinegar. Adding acid to a dish will instantly brighten it up, giving it life. Acids, especially citrus, are best when added at the end of cooking.
5 – Read the recipe
Reading the recipe through is especially important if you’re a new cook. Process and technique matter and to successfully execute a dish, it’s important to know what to expect and not miss a step. There is nothing more frustrating than needing a dish to be ready in 30 minutes and realizing that something has to marinate or cool for an hour. Reading a recipe first all the way through will help you avoid a lot of frustration and make cooking a positive experience.
