Did you know that every two in five adults have learned to cook from online videos? Cooking is a skill anyone can build over time with enough practice and training. However, it takes several trial and error sessions before one can perfect a recipe to their preferences and style. If you’re currently learning to cook, we’re sure you realize how hard it is to succeed at things like balancing the spices and tenderizing the meat. Struggling to get things right must have resulted in a few successes and many failures. Do not let these failed attempts bring your motivation down; look at all these as great learning exercises and move on. However, if you’re frustrated with your lack of success, read up on the following tips to help you cook and enjoy better food.
- The freezer is your best friend
Trying your hand at cooking every day is already challenging; you can’t complicate the process further by shopping for or preparing your ingredients on the spot. However, freezing chopped vegetables, salad dressings and dips, leftover ingredients, and more can help significantly minimize your cooking time. Visit https://youcanfreezethis.com/ to understand what you can and can’t freeze to make life in the kitchen easier.
- Begin with perfecting the basics
When starting with cooking, you shouldn’t dive headfirst into full-fledged complex recipes that your loved ones are fond of. Instead, it’s a good idea to take baby steps toward your goal and perfect your basics. For example, learn how to boil rice well, marinate chicken, tenderize meat, cut vegetables in different shapes and sizes, chop onions perfectly, and more. Once you have specialized in basic cooking skills, you’ll be better equipped to host a grand pot roast dinner for the family.
- Learn how to shop for the right ingredients
Ingredients are the most critical elements of your cooking expedition. One mistake with them can make or break your recipe. From learning how to check the quality of different fruits and vegetables to understanding the good and bad ingredients of each packed and processed food item, you should be well-versed in choosing the best ingredients to enhance the taste of your food.
- Familiarize yourself with the right tools
Your cooking knowledge should not be limited to the ideal ingredients but also the tools that turn these ingredients into a delicious experience. Research the purpose of each pot, pan, knife, spoon, and other kitchenware, so you know exactly what to use when cooking. For example, using the right blade for cutting specific meat and vegetables can significantly improve the quality of your food.
- Meal prep for the win!
According to Supermarket News, 40% of Americans feel overwhelmed with planning different family meals every day post-pandemic. Planning weekly meals can help you counter this challenge significantly. Moreover, knowing what to cook each day of the week will help you understand cooking time better and acquire required ingredients timely, so you experience minimal delays and setbacks.
- Take good care of kitchen hygiene
Cooking in an unhygienic environment will negatively impact your motivation and lower the quality of your cooking. So there’s a reason why experts recommend paying special attention to cleaning and maintaining the kitchen and pantry. Taking this advice will help you cook better as all your ingredients will be sorted, your cooking utensils will be cleansed, and your senses will be surrounded with crisp, clean freshness.
- Read your recipe in advance
Looking through the recipe you intend to follow beforehand will help you prepare it on time. For example, you might risk a late dinner if the chicken needs to be marinated for 2-3 hours or the rice needs to be submerged in water for 30 minutes. Checking all these items off your recipe to-do list will help you stay organized and avoid stress when cooking.
- Season your food
Learn how to season well. If you know how to season well, you can make the simplest homemade meals taste like posh cuisine. You don’t have to invest in unique spice blends to perfect this skill, but you know how to play around with the basic spices available in your kitchen. Even the basic combination of salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and turmeric can help you delightfully season and saute your next recipe.
- Don’t overcrowd your pots and pans
Cooking too many ingredients simultaneously won’t help speed up your cooking time. Overcrowding will result in two extremes – burnt food or raw food. Understanding how much you can fill your pots and pans to distribute the heat best for the ideal cook is essential. Cooking in small batches or using the right utensils can also help enhance your kitchenware’s life span by ensuring safer usage.
- Balance the primary flavors for every meal
Almost all different types of cuisine consumed worldwide are generally categorized into five different flavor elements: sweet, sour, spicy, salty, and savory. The best tip for becoming a better home cook is to focus on these flavours and balance them across your recipes. If you learn to incorporate all of these top flavors in every meal, you will serve your loved ones a treat every time they sit down to eat.
Conclusion
These ten cooking tips teach you how to make your meals taste delicious every time. Thinking about your end goal will overwhelm you, but if you focus on your daily targets and enjoy the process, you will find yourself energized to struggle and learn. Remember to keep motivating yourself throughout the learning process by celebrating your small wins in a way you prefer and sharing your journey with close friends and family. Every time you try your hand at a new dish, get your family and friends to taste it. Feedback from loved ones will help you improve your cooking skills, and words of affirmation will push you to do better. But most importantly, don’t forget to have fun on your cooking adventure. Good luck!