Cooking Tips 101

Acid in Cooking

Have you experienced that?  Can’t put your finger on what’s missing from a dish no matter how many seasonings you added, it’s probably acid.  So adding a little splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice Will make such a huge difference in flavour,  salt is also the most important cooking ingredient for seasoning food. Salt alone is better than 100 spices and no salt.”

Mise en place

 Mise en place, which is the French term for having all of your ingredients and supplies ready to go before one start with the cooking process. Meaning veggies cut, spices measured, pans and utensils laid out and ready this will assist so much making cooking super fun and just a breeze.

Beginner Cook

As a beginner cook always Look for simple recipes to start with and embrace that recipes are just guidelines you can always make it your own by adding or removing some ingredients.

When Cooking a Steak /red meat

Please remember that Meat will continue to cook when you remove it from the heat.  A great cooked steak should be a little pink inside so remember to take it out before it hits the temp you want. And let it stand a couple of minutes 10-15 depending on the portion size, cutting it up right away the meat will lose juices and become dry, no one likes a dry steak.

Cooking Meat

Always pat dry your meat off before frying, grilling, or roasting. This will prevent it from steaming and releasing moisture and start stewing instead of frying.

Knife Skills

Invest in decent quality, sharp knives; you are far more likely to cut yourself using dull ones.  A great quality knife set can easily last you a lifetime.

Stock or broth

If a meat dish calls for water, rather use the same amount of unsalted stock on the meat you’re cooking. For Chicken use chicken stock. Beef stew use beef stock. This will give body and elevate the flavour to a whole new level. You can also add vegetable or chicken stock to rice dishes, soups.

Potato hacks

If you are frying potatoes into chips or whatever, soak them first in water for sometime this will help remove some of the starch. Makes them less mushy but soft inside and extra crispy on the outside

No to Boiled vegetables

Rather blanch vegetables in salted water for just a couple of minutes than Sautéed vegetables in a little butter olive oil and salt.

To the beginners

Throwing in whatever one can grab in a pot does not always mean delicious and tasty. Leave the spice rack alone.

Don’t add random ingredients from the fridge and pantry.  Always Keep it simple. Follow simple recipes and don’t complicate things. Simply using one or two single spices and one or two herbs or aromas can give amazing taste results.

Don’t complicate things and don’t be afraid to go store-bought with some ingredients until you feel comfortable with learning to cook.

Grating Cheese

Always make sure cheese is cold when you grate it. Don’t let it sit out too long, or else it will fall apart in your hands and grating will just be a mushy cheese.

Chopping Board

Put a damp towel under your cutting board so it stays put when chopping so you don’t risk cutting your fingers. Cut veggies and fruits first then meat; otherwise you risk getting salmonella (bacteria). Once done wash roughly with warm soapy water.

Cooking Oil

Extra virgin olive oil it has a low smoke point meaning it burns quickly so if you are going to be cooking at a very high heat a good quality sunflower oil is your best bet or grapeseed oil instead. It has way higher smoke point and a nice neutral taste.