Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Cooking
You don’t have to go to cooking school to become a better cook. With these simple tips, you can make your cooking taste even better than what professional chefs serve in their restaurants. Here are our top 10 tips for improving your cooking:
1. Consider adjusting your grip on your chef’s knife.
For greater control, choke up on the handle until your thumb and index finger are touching the blade right above the grip.
Speaking of knives, invest in a good chef’s knife. This comes with a blade that is longer and wider, giving you increased speed, control, confidence.
2. The key to cooking a good dish is starting with the best ingredients.
Imported Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is vastly superior to domestic parmesan cheese; excellent quality chocolate from one of the world’s best makers makes all the difference in a bakery cake; and hand-crushed fresh breadcrumbs are worlds better than store-bought dried crumbs.
3. Pay attention to your food by using hands
Hands are a sophisticated cooking tool that’s often underestimated. By paying attention to the differences between different foods and how they feel at different degrees of doneness, you can develop this sense of touch, even as you use another device such as a thermometer or toothpick.
Meat goes from being soft when raw to firm when cooked thoroughly. You can also tell whether dough is kneaded, how ripe a pear is, and whether or not cake is baked through touch.
4. Switch to kosher sea salt, don’t be stingy with it.
The flavor of Kosher salt and sea salt is better than the taste of table salt. However, food should not have a salty taste, so going to the opposite extreme and using little or no salt in your cooking often results in food that tastes flat.
Even if a recipe suggests an amount of salt to use, your personal cooking style and ingredients may vary enough from the ones the recipe was written for in order to necessitate adjustments.
5. Make sure not to overload your pan with ingredients when sautéing.
Be sure to see the bottom of the pan when preparing food. If there is too much food in a pan it becomes difficult to brown it. The reduction of temperature will also create extra steam which can stick to your food and prevent browning altogether. Also, dry your ingredients before cooking them and make sure you’re using enough heat so that you can achieve that perfect crisp to your dish.
6. Make it lighter by reducing the amount of liquids.
If you braise meat or vegetables, take the main ingredient out when it’s done and reduce the sauce a bit more before serving. When you deglaze a pan, be sure to reduce the added liquid by boiling it over high heat. Reduce homemade stocks before using them in recipes or just enjoy as is with some bread!
7. Make sure to bake pie and tart crusts longer than you think is necessary.
Pastry doughs taste much better when simmered in the oven long enough to let the sugars caramelize. You’re going for brown, not pale blond.
8. Let your roasted meats rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
In order for your roast meat to have a tender texture, you need to rest it after cooking. The resting time allows the juices to spread evenly throughout your roast.
9. Add some acid at the end (vinegar or citrus juice)
Add the final twist of acid (vinegar or citrus juice) to any meat, vegetable or fruit dish just before serving for a clean finish and to increase the flavor.
10. Trust tests over the timer’s buzzer.
When you’re cooking a new recipe, pay attention to the descriptive words you find in it: “bake until golden brown” or “boil until reduced by half.” While this does not necessarily mean that lengthy instructions are better than shorter ones, it does help you know what to expect and use your own judgment.
Cooking for yourself is one of the most rewarding experiences that you can have.
It is possible to learn how to cook from scratch with a little time and effort.There are many benefits that come from cooking for yourself. You get to control what goes into your food, which means you know exactly what you are eating. It also means that you get to eat healthier, as well as save money in the long run by not buying takeaway or pre-prepared food every day.
Author Bio:
Hi, I’m Rana and I blog at ranasrecipe.com. My passion for food began very early in my life. And after managing a cafe, a granola business and helping other food businesses scale up, I found my true calling in creating wonderful recipes so that everyone can enjoy cooking as much as I do! Don’t forget to follow me on my social channels- instagram and pinterest.
