Tips
Seasoning
The one piece of advice I can give you is to always season
your food. 99.9% of the time, I use
kosher salt. It is milder than table
salt and has less of a metallic taste. I
keep a small, bamboo salt box full of kosher salt at all times. I also grind my own peppercorns with a mortar
and pestle and keep the fresh, crushed pepper in the bowl so it is always
readily available.
Each step of cooking allows you to deepen and enhance the
flavor. For instance, meat. I always remove my meat from the fridge at
least one hour prior to cooking and salt and pepper it. Overnight is even better. The salt tenderizes the meat and the longer
it sits, the better the flavor. As you
cook, salt and pepper each layer accordingly. There is nothing more satisfying
than a perfectly seasoned dish that needs no additions.
Knives
Invest in a good knife and take care of it. You don’t need a huge, expensive, fancy knife
block. An eight inch chef’s knife is my
best friend. I pretty much use it for
everything. A nice paring and serrated
knife are always good to have on hand as well.
Keep your knives sharp and they will return the love for a very long
time.
Organization
Mise en place. Learn it.
Live it. Love it. This French term basically means to organize
and arrange everything you will need before you even start cooking. I promise you that if you embrace this
concept, your time in the kitchen will be infinitely easier and stress
free. Read the recipe from start to
finish. Gather every ingredient, utensil, pot/pan or machine that you need to
make the recipe. Measure. Chop.
Preheat. Soak. Slice. Boil. Season. Wash.
Learn that recipe inside and out before you even begin so you are
already an expert in the subject when you decide to tackle it.
Quality
Use the best ingredients that you can afford. Some things that immediately come to mind
are vanilla, chocolate, meat, cheese, wine, olive oil, spices, bread and produce. When you use high quality ingredients, you
can effortlessly prepare a simple and elegant meal.
One of my favorites is this simple dish. Slice some good quality bakery bread, rub
with a garlic clove, drizzle with olive oil and grill. Serve some with fresh ricotta that has been
topped with some lemon zest, fresh thyme, salt pepper and a drizzle of olive
oil. Simple, high quality ingredients
can instantly turn into a lovely and elegant dish.
Scratch
I work full time so trust me, I know that time can be a
hurdle when it comes to cooking.
However, that doesn’t mean that you have to settle for heavily processed,
pre-made ingredients. Do not limit
yourself. Stocks, sauces, pesto, breads,
seasoning and condiments are all relatively easy to make.
Spend a weekend making a huge batch of stock
to keep in the freezer. Whip up a pesto
and store it in a mason jar to add to pastas and vegetables for instant
flavor. Throw some spices together to
have a homemade taco seasoning or barbeque rub on hand. It is easier than you think.
Taste
Taste your food as you cook.
There is nothing more upsetting than spending loads of money and time on
a dish to have the end result turn out unappetizing or inedible. If you taste as you go, it allows you to make
the adjustments before moving on.
One of my favorite tips is to do this for meatballs. Take a quarter size amount of the finished
mixture and fry it up in the pan before forming all of the balls. This way you can evaluate if any changes need
to be made before moving forward with the entire dish.
And the most important piece of advice; you can always add
more but you can’t take it out. When in
doubt, add a little seasoning. You can
always add more later.