Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Cooking Mistakes...oh boy!

It seems that fixing some simple misunderstandings in the kitchen can turn a flop into a chef. I can’t guarantee that will happen but I assure people that it will help them feel more confident when trying new recipes and recreating familiar ones.

However, instead of dumping all the tips I have to share, I will tell you a few at a time. That way, you can start learning to break old ones and build these new habits. So let’s get started…


Rule number one, read a recipe and understand what it is asking you to do in each step before committing to the stove.
         Translation: Don’t start a recipe before you have read what it is requiring you to do. Because once you start and it asks you to cook the pasta until it is Al Dente (and you wonder why it is asking about cement), it is hard to stop and grab a dictionary without overcooking, even burning, the pasta.


Rule dos, is always do the prep work before starting to cook: chop them veggies, get the lids off the cans and preheat that oven.
Translation: So when you get to the first step or the last, your prepared and not running around the kitchen stressed out because you have one minute to chop a pound of celery.  


For rule three, if you are the hosts of the party know your clock.
Translation: If your guests are going to be at your door at 4pm, do not start cooking at 5pm. Make sure that you are at least 90% done cooking before they arrive. You want to spend time with the people you invited not stressing in the kitchen over a stove.


I don’t think three rules are hard to follow. And if the descriptions are too much just think UPT: Understand, Prepare and Time.
Talking about time, in the meantime, why don’t you share some stories about cooking disasters you have experienced or seen. Have you gotten a call from a friend who wanted to know what blanching was? Or was it you that had ruined a meal accidently because the prep work grew in an instant? And please tell me someone has a good story about showing up to a house with no food to eat. Ouch.
Until next time, (promise it won’t be months later)

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