1. Don’t be afraid!
For some people, cooking can be intimidating. If it is the fear of getting injured or the fear of failure. Those are valid fears. This article is here to help you overcome this. So… don’t be afraid, and dive in!
2. Stay safe.
We've written a specific article regarding tips for this, and we encourage you to read it as well. The most important thing in the kitchen is to stay safe. Yes, injuries would happen, but it is better to prevent them if possible. Again, please read our article about this. Just press on this link.
3. Read and read again.
You've decided what you want to cook and have no clue what to do. So, you open your browser, or browse your cooking books, and find your heart's desire. You read and start cooking. STOP! I'm sorry to say but that’s not a good idea. You have
most likely skipped something or got it wrong. Always read through a recipe twice before cooking. It is a few more minutes to stall, but in most cases, it's worth it. This brings me to number 4.
4. Make sure you understood what to do.
Chefs like to use professional language and don’t always explain or don’t explain well. If there is a technique or phrase you are not familiar with, look it up. This would make your life much easier.
5. Sharpen your knife.
Make sure your knife is as sharp as can be. This is both a safety and a pro tip. We've covered this subject in a bit more depth in our safety article, but here is the gist: a sharp knife cuts better and is safer. Make sure it's sharp.
6. Prepare correctly
Make sure you have everything. You don’t want to get halfway through a recipe just to find out that a key ingredient is missing. It helps to take everything out before you start cooking and use it when necessary.
7. Mise en place.
"put in place" in French. This relates to the previous tip. After taking everything out, perform all the stages leading up to any mixing or cooking. This means peel, cut, wash, dry, coat, marinade, dry spice, etc. This is a tip implemented in restaurants and other professional kitchens to make the work go easily and fast. This will also allow you to focus on frying or cooking, without having to worry about burning or running out of liquid.
8. Do not chop herbs more than once.
Herbs and all veggies use water like we use blood. That’s why when you chop or cut them water comes out. But beware! The more water, the faster they will darken and wilt. A good way to prevent this is not to chop more than once! For fine chopping try to get a really good job the first time. Do not try to chop fast. You'll probably get big chunks and it's not that safe. Leave that for the professionals.
9. VERY IMPORTANT! Say "no" to contamination!
Cutting raw meat, chicken, fish, or dairy products on the same board as veggies is a sure recipe for contamination. This is a big, very big, "no-no". I'm sure I don’t need to explain why germs can be harmful to you (i.e. those that are harmful). Moreover, DO NOT use the same cutting board for different types of products. Cut meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products on separate cutting boards. Along with keeping Kashrut laws, you can use the same board for different purposes if you wash it with dish detergent in between one and another.
10. Try to cut onions and garlic separately
This isn’t a must but would be very helpful. Both garlic and onions have a distinguishable and strong taste. Since anything that gets cut leaves a "taste mark" on the cutting board, this will help you not get an oniony taste when not desired. If your dish has onions or garlic, no need to implement this. But, if it doesn’t, and you've used one – either get another board or give the one you are using a nice wash.
11. Manage your time
Cooking could take time and a lot of it. But we can learn how to save it. Try getting all dishes that take more than half an hour of cooking on the gas before everything else. In most cases, these recipes only require keeping an eye on them after putting them up. Additionally, while you are waiting for one thing, you can prepare for something else.
12. Go ahead but still look back
It's Friday at noon and you've already got soup and stew on the burners, and your chicken just went into the oven. This is a good time to check on everything. When cooking a few dishes at a time, it is easy to forget to check on them. The number one reason for burning a dish is forgetting about it. Every now and then look to see what is happening with your food, see if it's done or if it needs. Once your dish has been cooking for a significant amount of time, this is the time to taste it if possible, and add whatever it needs.
13. Research
You were sitting at a restaurant with a friend and had a meal that got you to say: "I wonder if I could make this at home". Google brings up a recipe that sounds nice and you are ready to get started. Do yourself a favor and read another one or two. Even if you choose to follow a recipe (recommended for the first time. See below), you'll be able to spot the key ingredients and instructions for this dish. You'll thank us later.
14. Let it brown
When a recipe asks for the meat, or any product, to brown, make sure to let it get a nice rich brown color. This will ensure a richer taste and an amazing deeper color. Moreover, don’t be afraid of the brown spots on the bottom of your pot or pan. Relax, you didn’t burn anything yet 😊. These are packed with flavor as they are caramelized sugars that got stuck. Release this into your dish with a bit of hot water (and a spatula), or wine if the recipe requires it.
15. Generally – your meet doesn’t need a lot of seasoning
When talking about seasoning meat – generally you'll need just salt and pepper. This is mostly true for grilling or pan grilling. Some additional spices may work, especially blends intended for meat, but they aren’t always necessary. When it comes to a hamburger or a piece of steak, salt and pepper will do an amazing job (you'll be surprised how well!)
16. At least once – follow a recipe.
I find that people that cook can be divided into two groups: the first one being those who don't follow recipes, and the second being those who must. This one is for the first group (the second group is coming right up). So, you've done your research (see above) and found a new and exciting recipe. Try it. See what it's supposed to taste like. After that, you'll have a better understanding of if you like this dish and what twist you'd give to it.
17. Try getting creative.
This is for the second group I talked about. Try to use recipes as guidelines of dos and don'ts. If you find cooking something that constrains you, and you find it hard to enjoy it – that is understandable. But a lot of our life surrounds the kitchen and even if you don't cook a lot, you'll find yourself in the kitchen. It might be a bit hard at first, but allowing yourself to be creative, and not adhere to a strict recipe, might help your feeling. Plus, if you're concerned about making culinary mistakes so you could relax because in most cases no one will know.
18. Don’t overdo
This one is long so hang in there.
Yes, homemade food could taste better. Yes, it's impressive when the table is full of food. But is it really worth it? Let's break this down into two pieces: cooking too much food, and everything homemade.
When it comes to cooking too much – most people don't take from everything on the table. If your having over 10 people, the overall amount of food should be enough for 10 or 11 people to eat and be full. That doesn't mean that you should make a brisket for all 10 people if there are going to be other things on the table. Try to aim for about 6-7 people.
Now, about homemade. It could be a total success or a huge failure. Plus, there are products that it's not worth time or money (or both) to make. Bear in mind that anything in the supermarket that needs preservatives – would not last too much time when it's homemade. Like hummus spread or mayonnaise. Try and see if it's really worth it. If you're making food for a large group – it might be worth it. If not – you might find yourself throwing money and time down the drain. BTW baked goods are usually cheaper when homemade and when done well are remarkably better than store-bought.
19. Taste your food.
This is a common mistake, especially when you're just getting started. The best way to know if your food will be good is by tasting it. Try and taste everything. In fact do this at least twice. Once you've added all the ingredients and let your food cook for a few minutes, and a second time a few minutes before it's done. Even if you don't add anything after the first time, you'll see at the second time that the flavor changed a bit. This is because it had time to develop and enrich. Moreover, tasting right before it's done will give you time to correct it if needed without compromising how done your dish is. It'll also let you know roughly when it's done.
20. Don't put it all in at once
DO NOT put all the ingredients at the same time. This is true mainly for food cooked on the stove, but in some cases should be applied for food in the oven. Every ingredient has its own water and sugar content. When it meets a heating source the water starts to evaporate. In the absence of water – the sugars start to caramelize. Too much time with heat and your food is burnt. Sometimes we want a caramelization and sometimes we don't, but we never want burnt food. Food burns from over caramelization. Always put the ingredients that have a high water percentage. Usually defined by the harder the vegetable the more water. And always start with your onion.
21. Imagine your dish
Let's say you want to play around with the recipe you have and give your final product a different taste. Bravo! That’s how the greatest chefs started. Before cooking try to imagine what you want it to taste like. Having this in mind will help you determine what you want to put in or take out, what your method will be, and what needs to be done.
22. Don’t let yourself down
Let me tell you something: no successful chef hasn't faced failure with food. Some will admit that they still don't create a masterpiece every single time. The fact that your food did not come out well or as expected does not mean you can't cook. I suggest looking at this as a learning experience. Every dish you taste. That did not come out well, tells you what needs to be improved. This leads me to or next tip.
23. Practice makes perfect
Although it could happen, the first time making something usually isn't amazing. Once you make something, no matter how it came out, you can see what your stronger and weaker points in this dish are. Try making it again sometime by noticing what was not so well last time and trying to fix it. Over time, you'll get to the perfect dish that you can make.
24. Imagine how it'll taste
Ok, you don't need to literally imagine this. But when you're making up your dish, try and determine what you want it to taste like and what would the texture to be. This will help you figure out what to put in and how much. It'll also determine what cooking method to imply.
25. Clear your inventory
A packed pantry gives us the impression that we have a lot. It also gives our wallets a headache. When you plan out your meals – take a look at your inventory and see what you have and what you need. Sometimes, this will also give you an idea of what to cook with existing ingredients. Implying this will save you time, money, and the struggle of finding a place for everything.
26. Get rid of perishables
I know this seems obvious, but how many times have you pulled out milk just to find out it expired a week ago? If you are using something on its last day or there are 1-2 days left and there is not a whole lot inside, let it meet the garbage can. Always use what is closer to the expiration date. Restaurants use a method called FIFO: First In – First Out. It is a good practice to imply at home.
27. Save your food.
So, you like to cook. The feeling of homemade food and of creation is irreplaceable and believe me that I get that. But you're not always in the mood or just hungry. Let me tell you a secret: last night's dinner is most likely still good! We live in an era where it's easy to get fresh products for the most part, but there isn’t always a reason to waste them. If you have cooked food in the fridge, that isn’t spoiled – why not use it? You can either use it as is or make a new dish with it. Leftovers is not a bad word.
28. Don't be afraid #2
Don't be afraid to try new stuff. It is easy to fall into a pattern of cooking only the dishes we know well. As much as it's fun and easy to cook what you know you can do, it can also get boring. Did you ever want to know how to make a certain dish? Do you have your go-to order at a restaurant that you never make at home? This is your time to learn. You'll be surprised at how many dishes are relatively easy to make once you look around.
29. Try to keep a clean working space.
Surprisingly, this really helps. Having a clean workspace sends your mind a message of everything is in order. This will give you a much better grasp at multitasking in the kitchen, letting you focus on a few things at once. Messy workspace – messy mind, clear workspace – clear mind.
30. Get a dishcloth on hand
This probably sounds stupid but it's important. From wiping down the counter or drying a dish – having a dishcloth
on hand can help. You can also use a paper towel instead. You might see some chefs use a dish cloth as an oven mitt, and that works well, but do this ONLY with a dry cloth. The water in a wet one will transfer the heat and possibly give you a burn.
31. Put on your favorite music.
Come on, I'm sure you know why 😊.