How to take my cooking to next level/improve?

[Anonymous]

I’m not aiming to be a cook who makes a huge variety of things like some of the posters here. I’d like to make enough things very well and with relative ease. So far, I just practice and try different NYT recipes. I have some food issues so generally interested in ‘healthy’ nutritious meals blah blah. There are a lot of tricks that I feel like could help me just little things that make a big difference like even how to slice an onion or toasting spices.

I’ve never watched any cooking shows or taken any lessons. I looked at some of the MasterClass options and from
reviews seems like I can get a lot of the content for free on YouTube.

Open to any and all suggestions! I’m so impressed and very much appreciate the people who share here some of you have an amazing repertoire of offerings—lucky for all your friend and family and yourself!

[Anonymous]

Read technique books:

-- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Samin Nosrat)
--The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (Kenji Lopez-Alt
--How to Cook Everything the Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food (Mark Bittman)
--Chez Panisse Vegetables (Alice Waters)

Start there, you will learn a lot.

[Anonymous]

THANK YOU! This is exactly what I was looking for I even have Salt Fat Acid Heat so I can start there. If you’re in the mood, what kind of stuff do you feel like you learned and did you become a much better cook?

Anonymous wrote:Read technique books:

-- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Samin Nosrat)
--The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (Kenji Lopez-Alt
--How to Cook Everything the Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food (Mark Bittman)
--Chez Panisse Vegetables (Alice Waters)

Start there, you will learn a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
THANK YOU! This is exactly what I was looking for I even have Salt Fat Acid Heat so I can start there. If you’re in the mood, what kind of stuff do you feel like you learned and did you become a much better cook?

Anonymous wrote:Read technique books:

-- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Samin Nosrat)
--The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (Kenji Lopez-Alt
--How to Cook Everything the Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food (Mark Bittman)
--Chez Panisse Vegetables (Alice Waters)

Start there, you will learn a lot.

I did become a better cook. I basically read these books, and picked some staple meals that I wanted to improve (like that chicken) and practiced. The quality of the food you start with counts for something too, but technique is key.

SFAH really taught me how to use salt - it's an amazing tool in cooking. When to use it and how, what kind depending on the food you are cooking, etc. Her buttermilk roast chicken recipe is fantastic. I make it at least once and month and now from memory. How to cook vegetables in salt water (blanching in salt water is amazing for veggies), etc.

Bittman is a bit of generalist, but his recipes are usually easy. IE, how to use the broiler. Getting familiar with how to use all of the settings on your oven & which pans (cast iron, dutch ovens, etc). What items you need in your pantry. Stuff like that.

Food Lab is really interesting - really gets into the nitty gritty behind basic foods - like a boiled egg. There is actually a lot of technique in boiling an egg, depending on the outcome you want. Pages and pages about boiled eggs, lol. But now I make a perfect poached egg, which is harder than it sounds.

One more resource: Cooks Illustrated. Their recipes yield results. Although - warning - they are fussy, complicated and not usually quick -- however, you learn a lot in the process for things like how to brown, saute, broil, etc. They cover much more baking too, which is a whole different animal.

I still want to take a knife skills class, as that is the one thing I am still lacking in the kitchen. I think that really needs to be done in person.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My family is quirky about food (esp my husband) so I don’t have a lot to share that I think would be helpful BUT one trick is that if you pound / meat tenderizing hammer chicken breasts really thin, salt and pepper, cook on skillet, they are delicious. You can marinade in any sauce or dry brine you like. Or, cook plain and drizzle a sauce on top. You can also cook them this way and cut into small pieces with side of spatula for a stir fry. So much easier and tastier than cubing the chicken and then cooking. The tenderizing really transforms chicken breasts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
THANK YOU! This is exactly what I was looking for I even have Salt Fat Acid Heat so I can start there. If you’re in the mood, what kind of stuff do you feel like you learned and did you become a much better cook?

Anonymous wrote:Read technique books:

-- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Samin Nosrat)
--The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (Kenji Lopez-Alt
--How to Cook Everything the Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food (Mark Bittman)
--Chez Panisse Vegetables (Alice Waters)

Start there, you will learn a lot.

I did become a better cook. I basically read these books, and picked some staple meals that I wanted to improve (like that chicken) and practiced. The quality of the food you start with counts for something too, but technique is key.

SFAH really taught me how to use salt - it's an amazing tool in cooking. When to use it and how, what kind depending on the food you are cooking, etc. Her buttermilk roast chicken recipe is fantastic. I make it at least once and month and now from memory. How to cook vegetables in salt water (blanching in salt water is amazing for veggies), etc.

Bittman is a bit of generalist, but his recipes are usually easy. IE, how to use the broiler. Getting familiar with how to use all of the settings on your oven & which pans (cast iron, dutch ovens, etc). What items you need in your pantry. Stuff like that.

Food Lab is really interesting - really gets into the nitty gritty behind basic foods - like a boiled egg. There is actually a lot of technique in boiling an egg, depending on the outcome you want. Pages and pages about boiled eggs, lol. But now I make a perfect poached egg, which is harder than it sounds.

One more resource: Cooks Illustrated. Their recipes yield results. Although - warning - they are fussy, complicated and not usually quick -- however, you learn a lot in the process for things like how to brown, saute, broil, etc. They cover much more baking too, which is a whole different animal.

I still want to take a knife skills class, as that is the one thing I am still lacking in the kitchen. I think that really needs to be done in person.

Good luck!

DP - thank you! So helpful. Completely random question -- do you read cookbooks/theory books in paper or electronic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My family is quirky about food (esp my husband) so I don’t have a lot to share that I think would be helpful BUT one trick is that if you pound / meat tenderizing hammer chicken breasts really thin, salt and pepper, cook on skillet, they are delicious. You can marinade in any sauce or dry brine you like. Or, cook plain and drizzle a sauce on top. You can also cook them this way and cut into small pieces with side of spatula for a stir fry. So much easier and tastier than cubing the chicken and then cooking. The tenderizing really transforms chicken breasts.

Do you know what is happening? Is it just getting even and that helps the cooking process? Something else I'm not thinking of?

[Anonymous]

ITA about salt and knife skills.

Been cooking & baking since I was in 3rd grade, so it’s hard to remember when/how I learned things, but more and better salt (and knowing when and how to use it) has been a game-changer. And wrt knife skills, while mine still aren’t great, what a time-saver it is to know efficient ways to cut an onion. And keeping your knives sharp makes chopping safer/quicker/easier.

I’ve also found that, in some cases, the right pan really matters — e.g. a cast iron skillet or a good non-stick bistro pan (shape is sort of a cross between frying pan and wok). But what works depends on how you cook and for how many.

And, along the lines of salt, freshly ground pepper, fresh herbs, citrus (inc zest), and good mustard or the right vinegar can really make the difference between blah and tasty. I think Batali’s Molto Gusto is one place I learned some of this (but SFAH should get you there).

Part of the reason I mention Molto Gusto is that if there is a cuisine you particularly like, finding a good starter book focussed on that cuisine will give you practice with its techniques and expand your knowledge of ingredients and dishes. If there’s a cuisine you want to focus on, let us know and you’ll probably get more book (or author) recommendations.

[Anonymous]

I was a good cook — I had a weeknight repertoire of tasty, healthy and quick meals, a few go-to potluck dishes that always got scarfed up, and several reliable dinner party menus that worked quite nicely. I also had a NYT cooking subscription and a shelf full of beautiful cookbooks that I dipped into from time to time. I wanted to improve my cooking skills with the goal of being able to improvise with more confidence. I didn’t want to spend the money or the time on cooking classes and I don’t like to watch cooking shows. I wanted to volunteer in some way, so I signed up to help cook with a non-profit that serves lunch to people who are hungry and in need. The team leaders were amazing cooks who taught me so much. The people we served also taught me a great deal about many things, including community, gratitude and connecting.

[Anonymous]

Buy spices and learn how to use them.

[Anonymous]

Jamie Oliver has some excellent YouTube videos on cooking techniques, including a great one on knife skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My family is quirky about food (esp my husband) so I don’t have a lot to share that I think would be helpful BUT one trick is that if you pound / meat tenderizing hammer chicken breasts really thin, salt and pepper, cook on skillet, they are delicious. You can marinade in any sauce or dry brine you like. Or, cook plain and drizzle a sauce on top. You can also cook them this way and cut into small pieces with side of spatula for a stir fry. So much easier and tastier than cubing the chicken and then cooking. The tenderizing really transforms chicken breasts.

I would love to get chicken breasts pounded like they are served at restaurants but it never seems to work out for me. I can never get them evenly, thinly pounded--any tips?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a good cook — I had a weeknight repertoire of tasty, healthy and quick meals, a few go-to potluck dishes that always got scarfed up, and several reliable dinner party menus that worked quite nicely. I also had a NYT cooking subscription and a shelf full of beautiful cookbooks that I dipped into from time to time. I wanted to improve my cooking skills with the goal of being able to improvise with more confidence. I didn’t want to spend the money or the time on cooking classes and I don’t like to watch cooking shows. I wanted to volunteer in some way, so I signed up to help cook with a non-profit that serves lunch to people who are hungry and in need. The team leaders were amazing cooks who taught me so much. The people we served also taught me a great deal about many things, including community, gratitude and connecting.

Why all the past tense? Did you give up cooking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family is quirky about food (esp my husband) so I don’t have a lot to share that I think would be helpful BUT one trick is that if you pound / meat tenderizing hammer chicken breasts really thin, salt and pepper, cook on skillet, they are delicious. You can marinade in any sauce or dry brine you like. Or, cook plain and drizzle a sauce on top. You can also cook them this way and cut into small pieces with side of spatula for a stir fry. So much easier and tastier than cubing the chicken and then cooking. The tenderizing really transforms chicken breasts.

I would love to get chicken breasts pounded like they are served at restaurants but it never seems to work out for me. I can never get them evenly, thinly pounded--any tips?

For very thick chicken breasts, I actually slice them in half horizontally when they’re half frozen. Then, if still needed, I place them in a gallon ziploc bag and pound them with the side of a knife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family is quirky about food (esp my husband) so I don’t have a lot to share that I think would be helpful BUT one trick is that if you pound / meat tenderizing hammer chicken breasts really thin, salt and pepper, cook on skillet, they are delicious. You can marinade in any sauce or dry brine you like. Or, cook plain and drizzle a sauce on top. You can also cook them this way and cut into small pieces with side of spatula for a stir fry. So much easier and tastier than cubing the chicken and then cooking. The tenderizing really transforms chicken breasts.

I would love to get chicken breasts pounded like they are served at restaurants but it never seems to work out for me. I can never get them evenly, thinly pounded--any tips?

https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Grip-EZ-Stainless-Steel-Pounder/dp/B00004UE7C/ref=sr_1_5?crid=18DFESC36JN8L&keywords=meat+pounder+flattener&qid=1647023113&sprefix=Meat+pounder%2Caps%2C64&sr=8-5

Large surface and no spiky things