How to Cook Good Food
Focus, at first, on the 1-2 types of cuisine you want to cook the most., Know what is in season to find the best vegetables available., Read recipes, and then actually make them according to the instructions., Dig into the "how" and "why" of...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: at first
The world of food is wide, diverse, and exciting, but you can't tackle it all at once.
Think about what you really want to cook, and make an effort to "master" a certain type of food
-- Italian, Indian, brunch, soups, etc.
The good news is that most kitchen techniques are universal, and will translate to any type of food.
Focusing on similar dishes now, however, lets you master the flavorings, techniques, and workflow without worrying if it will taste good.
You'll improve cooking stills while mastering 4-5 recipes you'll have for the rest of your life.
Then you can expand.
Buy 1-2 cookbooks in a cuisine you love, then commit to working through them.
Each recipe will teach you a little more about your chosen foods and ingredients, even if it is just a novel way to eat them. -
Step 2: on the 1-2 types of cuisine you want to cook the most.
In-season means that the vegetable is naturally harvested at the time you're shopping, meaning it is the freshest it can get.
Better ingredients lead to better dishes, and in-season vegetables are the best way to get surprisingly great flavor out of even the simplest meals.
Going to your local farmer's market can help, as they only carry things in season, but you can do a little research before hitting the supermarket, too.Check out this handy "Seasonal Veggie Chart" for help shopping.
Join your local CSA, a vegetable sharing group, to get in-season vegetables delivered right to your door. , Many home cooks want to just experiment, putting together ingredients based on intuition.
This is a great way to get used to cooking and learn how ingredients are used, but it won't turn you into a good cook.
Think about it
-- would you rather make poached eggs 5 times on your own, hoping to learn the secret to a good batch, or learn from cooks who have already done all the work for you? When reading recipes, write in the margins! Give yourself tips and notes as you work to make the next cook even better.Experiment! Make yourself try 1-2 new recipes a week to expand your horizons.
As you get better, try recipes that require new techniques, like braising, deglazing, spatchcocking, etc. , The best way to cook good food, anytime, is to understand the principles of cooking, not the basic steps.
For example, you don't need a chemistry degree to make sense of the Maillard Reaction (the golden-brown, sweet flavored crust that forms at high temperatures), but knowing that water gets in the way of it teaches you to pat your foods dry before grilling them.
Reading through a cookbook, all of it, is a great way to pick up useful bits of information.
Be curious
-- do you know why milk curdles when mixed with acids? Why do you need to proof the yeast before baking? Let Google be your culinary school and you'll be a pro in no time.
Check out food blogs, like America's Test Kitchen or Serious Eats, that focus on the art and science of cooking, not just the ingredients and recipe. -
Step 3: Know what is in season to find the best vegetables available.
-
Step 4: Read recipes
-
Step 5: and then actually make them according to the instructions.
-
Step 6: Dig into the "how" and "why" of cooking
-
Step 7: not just the recipe
-
Step 8: when reading cookbooks.
Detailed Guide
The world of food is wide, diverse, and exciting, but you can't tackle it all at once.
Think about what you really want to cook, and make an effort to "master" a certain type of food
-- Italian, Indian, brunch, soups, etc.
The good news is that most kitchen techniques are universal, and will translate to any type of food.
Focusing on similar dishes now, however, lets you master the flavorings, techniques, and workflow without worrying if it will taste good.
You'll improve cooking stills while mastering 4-5 recipes you'll have for the rest of your life.
Then you can expand.
Buy 1-2 cookbooks in a cuisine you love, then commit to working through them.
Each recipe will teach you a little more about your chosen foods and ingredients, even if it is just a novel way to eat them.
In-season means that the vegetable is naturally harvested at the time you're shopping, meaning it is the freshest it can get.
Better ingredients lead to better dishes, and in-season vegetables are the best way to get surprisingly great flavor out of even the simplest meals.
Going to your local farmer's market can help, as they only carry things in season, but you can do a little research before hitting the supermarket, too.Check out this handy "Seasonal Veggie Chart" for help shopping.
Join your local CSA, a vegetable sharing group, to get in-season vegetables delivered right to your door. , Many home cooks want to just experiment, putting together ingredients based on intuition.
This is a great way to get used to cooking and learn how ingredients are used, but it won't turn you into a good cook.
Think about it
-- would you rather make poached eggs 5 times on your own, hoping to learn the secret to a good batch, or learn from cooks who have already done all the work for you? When reading recipes, write in the margins! Give yourself tips and notes as you work to make the next cook even better.Experiment! Make yourself try 1-2 new recipes a week to expand your horizons.
As you get better, try recipes that require new techniques, like braising, deglazing, spatchcocking, etc. , The best way to cook good food, anytime, is to understand the principles of cooking, not the basic steps.
For example, you don't need a chemistry degree to make sense of the Maillard Reaction (the golden-brown, sweet flavored crust that forms at high temperatures), but knowing that water gets in the way of it teaches you to pat your foods dry before grilling them.
Reading through a cookbook, all of it, is a great way to pick up useful bits of information.
Be curious
-- do you know why milk curdles when mixed with acids? Why do you need to proof the yeast before baking? Let Google be your culinary school and you'll be a pro in no time.
Check out food blogs, like America's Test Kitchen or Serious Eats, that focus on the art and science of cooking, not just the ingredients and recipe.
About the Author
Doris Sanchez
Enthusiastic about teaching cooking techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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