Learning to cook is a long process. For many, it takes months to master the art of making a few good meals, and being able to make good meals every day for the rest of your life is an even more daunting thing to learn. However, there are many crucial tips that beginner cooks can learn to apply to make the whole process go more smoothly. If you follow this advice, you'll find yourself feeling more in control and confident in the kitchen, and you'll be more likely to keep at it until you feel like a pro.
Use a Microplane to grate garlic and ginger. This will cut your prep time way down, says Belle Cushing of Bon Appetit, and it and will encourage you to use lots more garlic and ginger in everything, which is a great time.
Put a damp towel under your cutting board. This tip is used in restaurants everywhere but hasn't stuck in home kitchens. This needs to change. You'll be amazed at how much more inclined you are to prep ingredients for a great meal when nothing is sliding around.
Double-batch grains. This genius little hack is from Epicurious. Whenever you make rice, barley, quinoa, or any other grain, double or triple the batch and keep leftovers in the fridge. It'll make dinners much easier to put together for the rest of the week.
Parchment paper. This saintly paper will keep anything from sticking to anything, and makes cleaning big, clunky cookie sheets a breeze. Whether you're roasting or baking, always parchment-paper your cookie sheets.
Keep knives sharp. Get them professionally sharpened every once in awhile, says Epicurious. It'll make prep a breeze and much safer. People who dislike cooking often have the worst knives, and that's a catch-22 that's easily remedied.
Salt. Don't be afraid of it. Add it little by little as you cook, but do it many times, after each taste. If you're making pasta, salt the water with way more than you think you need. If you don't salt your water heavily, the cooked pasta will taste bland and thus dilute the flavor of whatever sauce you're using, says Albert Burneko of Foodspin. Also, "The more fat a dish has in it, the more salt you need to make the flavors really shine (think a burger or rich, cream-based sauce)," says Amiel Spanek of Bon Appetit.
Dry your meat before your fry it. As Julia Child taught the world, it's important to get rid of the moisture on meat before you fry it because any moisture will steam the meat and prevent a nice crust from forming.
Get an immersion blender. You'll be able to blend sauces and soups in to creamy perfection without having to dirty, and then wash, a whole blender. Plus, they're a ton of fun to use.
Don't crowd the pan. This advice applies to anything you intend to fry, saute or roast. If the food is too squished together, its moisture will release and steam the contents of the pan, preventing deliciousness. Another Julia Child nugget of wisdom, it'll bring your food to the next level.
Bring scissors into the kitchen. Not everything needs a big knife, says Alex Pollack of Bon Appetit. Bringing a clean pair of scissors into the kitchen can help you cut foods like asparagus, green beans, sprouts and anything you want to serve the kids, like hot dogs or noodles.
