Want to become a pro chef from the comfort of your own home? Start experimenting! Even for people who don’t cook all that often, this is a great way to kickstart your passion for the culinary world. Indeed, one of the best ways to fall in love with cooking again is to try something new and exciting.
The kitchen is a place of endless wonder when it comes to making meals, and there are plenty of advanced techniques you can put to good use here. Check out some of the most important to pick up below for a quick starter course.
Buy ‘Good’ Ingredients
No matter where you shop, some ingredients are going to be better than others. It’s up to you to be able to identify them and pick them out, and it’s not all about price either! It’s about color, shape, and size, and how something feels and smells in your hand. Take your time shopping for fresh ingredients to make sure you get the best of the bunch; they’ll add so much more to your meals.
Take Your Time Practicing
Practice makes perfect, and that’s certainly true in the kitchen! The more you do something, the more you’ll figure out about what can go wrong, what warning signs to look out for, and what substitutes you can use in place of ingredients you don’t have much of. And this is especially essential when it comes to cooking methods like learning how to toss a pan without losing anything – put a small amount of an ingredient in, and then slowly build up until you’re confident in your tossing ability.
Cheat Where You Can
All the pros do this, truly! They make ahead of time, cut corners using equipment, and sometimes buy already prepared ingredients straight from the market. If the main bulk of work is done in 5 to 10 minutes, you’ll have an easy time getting through the 20 to 40 minutes actual cooking time. If you’re making kombucha, for example, you can buy a yeast starter from a store instead of trying to cultivate one yourself. That’ll save you a lot of time and effort, and make sure you and the kids have something delicious to drink sooner rather than later!
Learn How to Plate
Presentation is everything. When a plate looks good, people will want to dig in no matter what’s on there. And not only that, but when you know how to make a plate look good, you know what garnishes and side dishes to include as well. That makes more of a complete meal that features all the right nutrients, and it won’t be hard to get the kids to try something new and tasty every time you cook. Plate up right for more inviting meals, no matter what you’ve cooked.
If you’re getting sick of the basic meals you make everyday, all you need to do is practice until you’ve grasped the advanced techniques all the pros use!
