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36 Comments
Kevin M.
August 5, 2017
Pay attention to your food as you cook/prepare it, it's telling you how to work with it, how to treat it, and what to do with it. It may take a while to realize this but once you do, you'll really have fun in a kitchen.
ChefJune
June 17, 2016
Be fearless in the kitchen. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. You might just create a new masterpiece. Just go for it.
Oh, and don't bother with food you don't even like.
Oh, and don't bother with food you don't even like.
Donna M.
March 8, 2016
my G-ma told me long ago, " if you start with good ingredients and keep an eye n don't burn you are more than halfway there."?
Nancy
January 13, 2016
With baking, start using a scale from the get-go - your friends will wonder how you became such a better baker than they are.
Elizabeth B.
July 27, 2015
Very sound advise! I especially like the notion of committing a few outstanding recipes to heart! We are also bonkers for fresh herbs in our household. I grow a bunch in the back and pluck daily! Keep a stocked kitchen is paramount and will enable the kitchen creativity to flow!
Jane G.
July 21, 2015
Take a cooking class. (One that sounds like fun to you. If you live in NYC, look at the recreational classes at ICE.) ONE cooking class with a good chef will teach you more than you'd ever imagine.
Keep your ingredients in glass jars.
As painful as it is, dump spices more than a year old.
Freeze poppy seeds.
Keep your ingredients in glass jars.
As painful as it is, dump spices more than a year old.
Freeze poppy seeds.
Kathleen D.
July 20, 2015
Keep your pantry well stocked, create a menu of 2-3 meals you plan to cook and shop for the ingredients. Fresh herbs are best. Cook fresh and local.
JAC
July 20, 2015
Master some basic recipes & techniques, roast chicken, braised pork, beef stew, a basic omelet & so on. When you have the basics under your belt, play with your food! Experiment with spices, sauces, mix up the vegetables, make it new, make it fun, make it all your own!
Virginia M.
July 20, 2015
This is my favorite comment
Sam1148 says to follow a recipe first as written, but then after you've done so, don't be afraid to improvise.
This is great, simple advise that will teach you about the recipe and what your cooking style will brings to that recipe.
Sam1148 says to follow a recipe first as written, but then after you've done so, don't be afraid to improvise.
This is great, simple advise that will teach you about the recipe and what your cooking style will brings to that recipe.
Lani F.
July 20, 2015
Plan your week of meals ahead of time - this makes grocery shopping easier and you'll find yourself saving money too! Set aside a day to do early prep for the week!
Alexis S.
July 20, 2015
Cook most of your meals at home so that you learn how to maintain your larder. The objective is to keep your food supply in constant rotation through fresh from the market to storage to plate to repurposing leftovers. Keeping track of stocks, herbs fresh and dried, using leftovers and scraps, making the most of seasonal produce, using all the parts of the meats, experimenting with different fats and making your own condiments- all of this kind of know how comes from a regular presence in the kitchen.
Lisa M.
July 20, 2015
Also, learn about flavor, try new spices, use your favorites in unusual ways. I do not hate the Food network like the others. When I was learning, it was the only place to get wisdom. Take what is useful and ignore the rest.
Lisa M.
July 20, 2015
I am rarely 100% satisfied with what I make, but the joy is in making and sharing and I don't make inedible food anymore. Remember, those eating will appreciate what you consider simple pedestrian food.
Loredana A.
July 20, 2015
Learn the basics...stocks, sponge cake, cooking eggs properly, meringues, cookies, steaks, cooking fish and rice...and once you've found a great basic recipe, commit it to memory and go to town personalising it every time you make it.
Smaug
July 19, 2015
Others may have gained greater mastery over cooking commercially for strangers, they know nothing of your tastes, which should be guiding what you do. Commercial cooking is worlds away from home cooking- the situation is different, but more important, what you're trying to accomplish is completely different. Listening is one thing; you don't have to believe everything. You do NOT need salt in everything, more fat is NOT always better, nor is more sugar, half raw meat is not better etc.- if you like it that way, fine, but commercial cooking is far to much about making a first impression and making a profit, things you don't really need to emphasize at home.
Dorcas@feelgoodfoodblog
July 19, 2015
To optimize your cooking experience, always get your mise en place (measured out ingredients in ramekins) ready before starting to cook. This creates cooking efficiency, less distractions and makes you a rock star in the kitchen!
Joanne C.
July 18, 2015
Knife skills is a big must. Some professional education goes a long way, not only to speed you up, but also to make you more safe. The biggest take-away though? Sharp is safe.
boulangere
July 18, 2015
Read a lot. Your public library is an excellent resource. Read about cuisines you know nothing about. Explore widely. And stay away from the Food Network.
Steve
July 18, 2015
I would agree with everything you said, including the part about staying away from the Food Network, except for Alton Brown's "Good Eats" (and ONLY "Good Eats"). Despite the theatricality of that ONE show, Alton Brown teaches useful things on THAT SHOW- technique, the science of cooking, and cleanliness (next to godliness in the kitchen, and ignored too often elsewhere). Some of the programs during the day also teach, at least somewhat, but the evening and nighttime lineup is really a waste of time.
Steve
July 18, 2015
Are us older foodies permitted to partake of this wisdom?
S
July 18, 2015
Of course, if it helps put better quality food on the table.
This site focuses on the advertiser-friendly 25-39 year old audience, but anyone can read the words on this site and assess them accordingly for usefulness.
This site focuses on the advertiser-friendly 25-39 year old audience, but anyone can read the words on this site and assess them accordingly for usefulness.
AntoniaJames
July 18, 2015
Fear is not an option - in the kitchen or in life. (Reject even the suggestion that any cooking or baking skill, or recipe, is "intimidating" or "daunting".) ;o)
Nancy
January 13, 2016
I wholeheartedly agree! Be brave and never, never be afraid of failing - you learn from every one.
henandchicks
July 18, 2015
Keep your fridge clean, your counters clean, your hands cleaner than all those things, and when in doubt, throw it out- there is no food at any cost that is worth getting sick. Also ,try making grits with milk, and use more salt and butter than you think prudent.
Ellen
July 18, 2015
Always put in at least one more clove of garlic than what's listed in the recipe.
Smaug
July 18, 2015
Always keep in mind that YOU are the only expert on what you like.
S
July 18, 2015
Always keep in mind that despite whatever expertise you've attained, there is probably someone else who has been around longer than you and has attained greater mastery.
This goes back to Rule #1.
This goes back to Rule #1.
Smaug
July 19, 2015
Being around longer won't make them an expert on what you like. Unless maybe they're your mother.
702551
August 1, 2015
@oldunc:
Correct, but people's likes/dislikes change over time. In the long run, working with more experienced cooks will give you insight into new dishes, techniques, etc. and may change the way you perceive something you didn't like before.
This is one of the main reasons why foodies go to restaurants or travel the world. You already know what you like, what you don't know are things that what you haven't tried that you might like.
I think that it is very important to keep an open mind about trying new things, but to use my judgment on where/when/whom I try these. That's where the concept of an experienced mentor comes into play.
It's no different for a musician, golfer, or magician.
Seek out people who have experienced more.
Correct, but people's likes/dislikes change over time. In the long run, working with more experienced cooks will give you insight into new dishes, techniques, etc. and may change the way you perceive something you didn't like before.
This is one of the main reasons why foodies go to restaurants or travel the world. You already know what you like, what you don't know are things that what you haven't tried that you might like.
I think that it is very important to keep an open mind about trying new things, but to use my judgment on where/when/whom I try these. That's where the concept of an experienced mentor comes into play.
It's no different for a musician, golfer, or magician.
Seek out people who have experienced more.
S
July 18, 2015
Rule #1: Cook with experienced cooks. That means working in the same room, not just reading blogs, cookbooks, watching YouTube videos.
This technique is as old as mankind and taught billions of cooks how to do things correctly. Sure, the Internet is cool and fun, but people have learned how to cook well long before there YouTube, Food52, blogs, whatever.
This technique is as old as mankind and taught billions of cooks how to do things correctly. Sure, the Internet is cool and fun, but people have learned how to cook well long before there YouTube, Food52, blogs, whatever.
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