Cooking is such a fun experience. In fact, many have created memories while in the kitchen with their families, friends, and partners. However, it can be overwhelming if cooking is something that’s never come easy to you or something you’ve struggled with. So, if that’s you, here are some helpful tips that can help ease you into making cooking fun, enjoyable, and satisfying.
Tip 1: Invest in good knives
I never realized the meaning of “you get what you pay for” until I invested in a good set of kitchen knives. You truly don’t realize what you’ve been missing out. Dull knives from your local department store don’t make for a great chopping utensil, but a well-crafted set is a great start. Store them in a butcher block, sharpen and clean them regularly, and whatever you do, do *not* put these in the dishwasher or even let them sit wet. These babies can last you a long time when you care for them well.
Tip 2: Add to your recipe instead of taking ingredients out
Seasoning can be tricky. Some spices and herbs like tarragon, cumin, and coriander pack a strong punch, so a little goes a long way. Others can be altered by whatever they’re paired with and may require some extra. Because of that, it’s much easier to continually add seasonings instead of dumping a whole bunch at the beginning. It’s also important to remember that as things cook, flavors enhance. So while it may taste like it’s not seasoned enough at first, it may be just right an hour later. So, it’s all about experimenting.
Tip 3: Low & slow versus hot & fast
When cooking, it is always better to do so slowly to make sure you don’t burn your meal or leave it raw and uncooked. This is especially important for cooking meat. There is no shame in contacting uncle Google to decide how long you should cook something rather than guess and end up needing DoorDash.
Tip 4: Use proper measuring tools
Regular kitchen cutlery is not the same as measuring spoons. Also, wet measurements and dry measurements are done differently. Cooking is a science, so you want to make sure you’re doing everything correctly to get quality results. So, invest in some good kitchen tools. Take your time, read through recipes, and use correct measurements. It’ll be worth it in the end.
Tip 5: Perfect your pasta preparation
Everyone has opinions on how to best cook pasta. But for some delicious carb dishes, follow these three steps.
1) Salt your water. Salt enhances the flavor of the pasta and helps any sauce stick to the pasta.
2) Don’t put oil in the water. This has the opposite effect of salt and will make noodles too slick for sauces to stick to.
3) Don’t rinse your pasta. Rinsing pasta obviously makes it cold and also removes the starch that the water it was cooked in contains, which can lead to bland, boring pasta.
With these three tips, you should be able to perfect a ziti dish in no time.
These are just some beginning ideas to start your cooking journey — I hope you have fun with it. Be bold and try different cultural cuisine. Get creative and mix two ingredients that you maybe never would have. Share the fun with family and loved ones. And lastly, have a good time with it! Even if you make mistakes, which you will, take them with a grain of salt (catch that pun?) and make the most of it.
Do you have any cooking tips you’ve learned recently? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image via Jason Briscoe on Unsplash
