5 Cooking Tips Every Home-Chef Needs to Know

Are you a great cook but you still feel you aren’t equipped enough to take over the culinary world? Home-cooking is an adventure, a relentless pursuit for excellent flavours, decadent sweets and savoury dishes. We are here to dole out a few tips that will help you cook brilliantly tasty dishes with suave and confidence. Also, know that a composed cook is a more efficient one! Firstly be prepared to fail. Why start out on a negative note, you may ask; because it is important to understand that not everything you throw into the pot is going to instill its personality into the chief ingredient, example, any cut of meat. So the unpredictability will keep you on your toes and so what if you don’t nail it the first time? Totally okay. Let’s begin.

1. Frequent markets with abundant local produce and go vegetable picking often! Stick to fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits. Get organized, study your ingredients and measure out all your herbs and spices. Prepare for the mess that is about to unfurl. It is always good to keep a scribbling pad and have a handwritten record of what goes into your dish.

2. Work on your knife skills and examine your utensils. There’s a good reason why learning basic knife techniques is absolutely essential. It can mean the difference between unevenly cooked dishes and poor flavour development, and thoroughly cooked food with lots of flavour. So if you want to speed up your food preparation and keep all your fingers intact while at it, here’s a video that demonstrates live-saving basic knife techniques.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydc_SaQ_eRQ&w=560&h=315]

3. Learn to make basic mother sauces. You can derive secondary sauces from these. If you’re serious about taking your cooking to the next level, mastering the art of sauce making is a must. In fact, one of the biggest divides between the amateur and professional chef comes from the latter’s ability to make a multitude of amazing sauces that can elevate a dish to the next level. So here’s a video that’ll help you understand the flavour structure of each of the mother sauces and how they’ll help boost the taste.

Understanding The Five French Mother Sauces – A Brief Overview

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NSrZWTY2jc&w=560&h=315]

A Technical Approach to Sauce Making

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El2Pj3lcB6g&w=560&h=315]

4. Make it a habit to taste and clean as you go. Don’t be afraid to recruit help from the ranks of those who will be eating what you cook. This simple tip makes a world of difference. Read your recipe ahead of time so you aren’t racking your brains about the next step.

5. Pay attention to visual and olfactory cues. Know when to pop in the next ingredient. Always have towels and oven mitts ready and within reach. Start with a clean kitchen and finish with a clean kitchen. We hope these tips will come in handy the next time you try to whip up something delicious for your family and friends!