Cooking is one of the skills you do not need formal training to acquire. You might not need to attend a culinary school to learn how to cook your favourite meals. In fact, cooking is an art that you can keep reinventing. After all, there are many ways to prepare the same meal. It is a fun adventure you can enjoy at home with your loved ones. It is also good for your own health. So, what do you need to know to get better at cooking? To answer this, here are some tips that will come in handy to help improve your cooking skills.
Collect and prepare ingredients before cooking
Well, preparing all the ingredients you will use and putting them in one place is the right way to begin. Foodies call it mise en place or “putting in place.” For example, you will have peeled the potatoes, onions, and chopped tomatoes before adding oil to the pan. You will certainly be organised and far more efficient.
You will even cook better when all the items you need are well prepared and near for pick-up and use. You will also avoid running the risk of smoking the oil on a skillet, as you will have all your ingredients ready.
Assemble your cooking tools and appliances
Again, to make your time easier and be more efficient in the kitchen, you must have all the tools work-ready. For example, make sure your skillet is clean and ready for use. A sharp knife is also quite useful in the kitchen and will give you a better experience. Similarly, a wooden chopping board to help prepare tomatoes, onions, and vegetables will be useful in the cooking process.
Just like a soldier who goes to war with every necessary tool, you need to gather all the tools necessary for use in the kitchen. You will be faster and a better cook!
Start with easy recipes
A recipe is like a roadmap in the kitchen. You know the destination and can see the way; all you need to do is follow it diligently. Now, the easier way to get the art of cooking right is by using a familiar recipe, such as this fish batter recipe. You do not have to burden yourself with preparing foods you probably saw on a cooking reality show.
Just get the ingredients you are familiar with and prepare a meal you have eaten before. You can make a few tweaks, of course. You are unlikely to get it wrong with a familiar meal. For example, roasting a chicken, cooking some Alaskan cod fish or even sautéing vegetables. These are fairly easy foods to make as a beginner. You will enjoy taking your skills to the next level, one day at a time.
You can always assemble your own recipes and pick others from the Internet. You can use a recipe binder from Heart & Berry to help organise your own recipes. It is a fun way to keep a family tradition and the love for cooking intact! You can create your cookbook as you mix and match recipes.
Use salt
Salt always improves taste. You can use salt as a seasoning ingredient, albeit sparingly, and there are some hacks around it. For example, you can add salt to meat before cooking. It is known as pre-salting or brining.
Use herbs and ready-made spices
Cooking becomes even tastier when you realise that there is more to spicing food than just salt and pepper! Yes, some fresh herbs and dried spices will come in handy when making tasty food. They add flavour and taste to any dish that you may be preparing. You can easily transform simple meals to chef-level standards. The beauty is that there are many natural herbs you can use to improve tastes.
Tip: You can even grow some spicing herbs in your own garden.
Start using acid sparingly
After adding salt, the next thing you can add is some acid. It can elevate the taste and balance the flavour. Squeezing in a lemon that has tasty citric acid or even plain white vinegar will change your cooking experience.
Vinegar is crucial in your cooking as it will counterbalance any unlikely food flavours. Knowing what foods to use the vinegar for will require considering a few factors, including whoever will be part of that sumptuous meal.
Taste your food!
Well, tasting as you go is a great way of getting the right flavour and ensuring that you do not overcook your food. Remember, some foods change in flavour and develop as they get more cooked.
For example, your food may turn out to be saltier as the moisture in the skillet evaporates. Tasting your food on the go is crucial in determining how you want your meal to turn out. After all, you deserve the best. So, cook it the best way.
Serve your food like a pro!
While you are cooking all on your own, it does not mean that you can only prepare food for one person. In fact, it is always great and should be a pleasure to receive honest feedback from your loved ones. In fact, it is always best to factor in the people who will eat even before you start cooking. You will be able to pick the right ingredients for your meals.
Keep on practising
Last but not least, practise always makes perfect. It is common knowledge that doing one thing over and over again is the secret to mastering it and eventually becoming better at it. This, too, applies to cooking. You might look at the food you buy from the restaurant and not believe how good someone can cook. Yes, you, too, can get better and prepare even more delicious meals at home. You should learn how to become a better cook and then invest time in doing it more often. You will end up being good!
Wrapping up
Again, getting better at cooking does not require attending culinary school. You can teach yourself in many areas of cooking and become a pro. We hope some of our tips will help you scale the learning curve and enjoy cooking more!
