🍳 Savor the Fundamentals

If your cooking skills are limited but you have always dreamed of whipping up something more interesting, it's never too late to improve your cooking skills. I have always been big on improvising & experimenting, so I typically throw together items I already have on hand. My learning curve has always been in techniques & adding spices. Because meals were often 'not by the book' things didn't always turn out as expected. I always asked my family for feedback of how it could have been better. Most times it became an often requested favorite.

Feeding ourselves is necessary but it needn't be stressful or something we dread. Let's quickly review basic cooking techniques & meal planning pointers. Go over some easy tips to get anyone slicing & dicing with ease.

Mastering Basic Cooking Techniques 

Recipes are often full of terminology that may be unfamiliar to some, yet at the heart of most recipes are some basic cooking methods. When one becomes familiar with & practices them, they realize many recipes aren't as complicated as they might appear. The key is to start smaller/easier & keep practicing. 

Boiling is heating water until it bubbles vigorously. 

Poaching is often for cooking eggs, fish or vegetables in gently simmering water (beginning to bubble but not yet boil). 

Steaming is for cooking food over, but not in, boiling or simmering water.

Sauteing refers to cooking food in a skillet or saute pan quickly over high or medium high heat, usually in heated oil or butter.

Braising is cooking food in a small amount of liquid, such as water or broth, for a long period of time. This results in particularly succulent meat.

Stewing is cooking food (usually meat & vegetables) in liquid flavored with herbs, broth & sometimes wine until it's absorbed, creating a delectable thicker than soup concoction.

Roasting involves cooking food in an uncovered pan in the oven for a long period of time. Usually used to describe cooking vegetables or large pieces of meat, such as a pot roast or turkey.

Grilling is cooking on a grate over hot charcoal, gas or electric.

 

Stock Up On These Pantry Staples

The payoff of keeping items stocked, with only enough perishables one can eat in a week, is that you can whip up satisfying meals on short notice. Below are checklists of pantry basics that can be incorporated into your meal plans.

Assorted breads or buns, assorted oils & vinegars, canned or dried beans, cold & hot cereals, garlic & onions, various pastas, potatoes, roasted peppers, spices, canned tomatoes,  dried grains, wines (dry white or red are good for adding to sauces).

Condiments: Dijon mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressing, salsa, soy sauce, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce.

Refrigerator & freezer goods: Cream cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, chicken breasts, tilapia filets, hard & semi-hard cheeses, milk, pizza dough, produce, sour cream, sweet unsalted butter.

Planning Your Menu

Having a shopping list ensures that everything needed for your meals before you start cooking. It needn't be time consuming or burdensome, especially when trying out new recipes or cooking techniques. Simply make sure you have all the necessary ingredients & equipment to finish the process. Practice mastering a Dagwood sandwich for fun maybe.. 

But choose something less complicated like a soup, appetizer or dessert. Look for copycat recipes you enjoy from well-known chain restaurants. Make something you normally eat from a box. Consider serving the proteins your family enjoys but try experimenting with different cooking techniques. 

Thinking Like a Chef

Professionals provide the best advice & they say it's not that complicated. These look like common sense & things you would actually acquire over time anyway out of habit.

Get to know herbs - both fresh & dried - so you can season without relying on a recipe.

Plan your menus in advance. Think about contrasting flavors, textures & colors. Keep courses balanced. If you serve a complex appetizer, serve a simple entree or one that only needs reheating.

Be thrifty. Avoid wasting anything usable for soups, stocks, salads, etc. Almost everything can be frozen for later use.

Know the basic techniques. Cooking is so much more fun & successful when you approach it with confidence.

Use the freshest ingredients possible & buy only in season fresh vegetables & fruit. Seasonal produce offers the highest quality & supply, at the lowest price. Let what's fresh & available at the market help you decide what to make.

Prepare ingredients before you start cooking. Get the chopping, deboning & washing chores out of the way in order to create an even, efficient flow of cooking steps.

Don't be a slave to recipes. Use a good, basic recipe that you like as a starting point, but don't consider it written in stone. With experience & good technique, & by discovering how ingredients work together, you can simply glance at a recipe & make adjustments to suit your taste.

Most importantly, have fun! Take a cooking course, buy yourself a cookbook, or make a new dish that you have always wanted to try. It's a great time to get creative, especially with friends or family helping with simple tasks.

I 💕 to play with my food. Variety is necessary. Simple is best. 

This site is now a favorite of mine. No allergies but check out the meal posts. It's so easy to pin these terrific recipes. I like to be inspired & nurtured by food. Colors, scents, tastes, & ideas.

Do you have a favorite, perhaps your own? If so, drop your 📌 Pinterest handle below for others to visit.