If the life of a cooking enthusiast seems almost too good to be true, you may be surprised to learn that not all culinary individuals are born equal. Even the world’s most famous and celebrated chefs have struggled to make it through the kitchen with their sanity and health intact. Thankfully, many have shared their top cooking tips and advice with the rest of us before they were household names.
Here are the top 5 tips to in the world of cooking:
1. Use the Best Quality Produce You Can Find
Now, is it necessarily important that a cook use only the world’s best and most expensive produce? No. Is ease of access a definite necessity? Also a no. Is it important that cooks use the freshest produce possible? Definitely. If you use rice, is your rice gluten-free? Always. Even if only one out of ten, the freshest produce will definitely stand out. If it can’t be fresh, be sure it’s thoroughly washed and thoroughly dried. You don’t want to bring any extra moisture into your recipe. You don’t want your recipe exposed to any more moisture than is absolutely necessary. This is one of the most useful cooking tips.
2. Taste (and Season) as You Go:
This is difficult to keep up with. Consequently, many cooks have a habit of tasting only at the last minute. This is a very difficult tip to follow in most unautomated kitchens, but just take a little taste during the entire process! Not only will doing so save you from cooking disasters, but it will also save you from disappointment in your outcome. If something tastes boring and flat, make sure it’s seasoned properly. If it’s not seasoned properly, add a little extra of whatever you think it needs. If you’re not sure what it needs, take a sample in at the last moment, and season it appropriately. You’ll be so glad you did!
3. Trust Your Intuition:
Most good cooks will tell you that they rely on intuition more than anything else. Sure, a cook might take the recipe to the ends of the Earth, but there will be something missing from the dish. Cooking is about following your heart more than following the recipe. Cooking is art and art is a lot about passion. If you don’t put your heart into it, your recipe will come out tasting very similar to whatever you had for dinner last night. Don’t be afraid to add a little extra, ‘special’ something to your recipe.
4. Clean as You Go:
Believe it or not, this is one of the best tips! It will have your kitchen tidier (which some cooks find to be a health hazardous). It will make your recipe easier (you won’t have to dig in a messy pile to find something you set aside). It’ll also help your cooking time decrease overall. For instance, if you were to make a roast, place potatoes in the same pot an hour before you prep your roast. Once it’s done and in the oven, wash the potatoes. How much time you just saved.
5. Save Bacon Fat:
Bacon fat is a wonderful thing. It is delicious, it can be used to fry your foods, and best of all, it freezes very well. Make sure to save your bacon fat to make your roux, fry your veggies, or sauté your meats. Remember, don’t waste any precious bacon fat. It takes a lot of bacon fat to make 5-8 meals. Just because one meal doesn’t use it, doesn’t mean you should toss it.
If nothing else, find a way to make these tips a part of your daily routine. They will help you get to where you want to be. Just remember, cooking is an art. The journey is the reward.
