Ten Ways to Be a Better Cook

I stood at the doorway watching my friend’s mom cook tacos. She rolled up plain hamburger in her hands and then folded a tortilla around that. She laid this in a large pan of cold oil. She then proceeded to make more until the pan was full. Then, she turned on the heat. She invited us to stay for dinner. Thank you, but, “Heck No!!!” I had already eaten her brown spaghetti sauce once before. Yuck.

Everyone should learn how to cook a little, but it always helps to be better. No one wants to eat burned food, bland food, or anything that makes them retch.

I decided to limit my advice to things that I know well. Cooking is a hobby of mine which helps, because so is eating. As a guy, I can say that cooking a fancy meal is a great way to impress a potential lady friend. It worked so well for me, that Becky married me.

1. Knife Safety – Based on recent experience, I had to include this one. Watch this brief 40 second Knife Safety Video to see what I did wrong and learn how to do it right. For the record, I knew how to do this, but I was chiffonading celery leaves and I have yet to figure out how to chiffonade with my fingers tucked under. In any case, Remember the Claw and you won’t cut yourself. Also, please sharpen your knife every time you use it. Dull knives are more dangerous.
2. Follow the Recipe the First Time – When cooking any dish for the first time, follow a trusted recipe. Then, once you know that it works, then you can start to change it up and add different ingredients to make the recipe your own.
3. Try New Spices – Go to the store and check out the spices and herbs. Pick one that looks interesting and then find a recipe that uses it online. Smell the spice and taste a bit of it. Wait till you get home to do this as the store personnel will frown upon you doing it there. If you have a local herb shop, stop in there and find one you like to try. They don’t mind you smelling the herbs there.
4. Share Recipes – If you are at a party or a restaurant where you like a specific dish, ask for the recipe. Some people don’t like to share ,but many are flattered and will gladly share. I love to share my recipes, so don’t be afraid to ask if you like something of mine.
5. Taste it, Taste it, Taste it – Flavor is important. Taste your food throughout the cooking process to be sure that the flavor and texture are right. Adjust as you go. A warning here, don’t taste raw meat, raw eggs, or cayenne pepper. Another note, if you are using cayenne peppers, be sure to wash your hands before going to the bathroom. I won’t tell you how I know this, but trust me.
6. Season It – Add seasonings to your water, to your flour, to your eggs. Get the herbs and seasonings inside the food and not just sprinkled on top. To quote Emerile Legasse, “I don’t know where you’re getting your water from, but mine don’t come seasoned.” Of course, if you drink well water in West Virginia, there is already flavor in there. No me gusta.
7. Get Fresh – Use fresh ingredients whenever possible. This is especially true of herbs and seasonings. If you must use dried, buy your spices in small amounts and use them up quickly. They lose their flavor after awhile. Fish is another thing that I must be fresh. Buy your salmon or tilapia the day you are going to cook it. A side note, this applies to milk too. If you pour your milk out and it has chunks….It’s probably not fresh. ewwww.
8. Vary Textures – Dice things small or chop them larger. Try julienne. Use different pastas like orecciette or orzo. Change up the usual textures to bring new interest to your food. Colors and flavors can be varied too, such as mango salsa, or confetti rice.
9. Start With What You Know Then Get Creative – Practice some favorite dishes. Get to know mashed potatoes, pancakes, and casseroles. Then, when you are comfortable with these, begin to get creative. Try celery root, lychee fruit, kiwiano, roquefort, uni, mollejas, bhut jolokia or really gross stuff like broccoli.
10. Have a Signature – Pick a dish and be the best at making it. For example, I have the best Chili recipe that exists in the Northern Hemisphere. I also have a great recipe for Baked Beans and Chicken Cordon Bleu. I know that I can make these and they will be a hit. Other people ask me to make them for events. That is a signature dish. A piece of advice – your signature dish shouldn’t be anything too weird. You can bring that Gizzards Fried in Kidney Fat with Okra and Melted Limburger Flambe, but nobody’s going to eat it.

Cooking is a fun pastime and you get to eat your mistakes. What a gig. Let me know if you have a favorite cooking tip or recipe. Have fun and cook safely.

This post is number 8 in a series of 10 Top Ten Lists on improving yourself. This series will be posted daily.

Tomorrow: Ten Ways to Be a Better Shooter.