TV chef Adam Seger was talking the other day about the reasons why more people should get into cooking as a hobby. He was discussing the health benefits and the fun which can be had in the kitchen, and I got to thinking why more people don’t already do this. I started thinking about some of my friends and family and I think I have a few ideas as to where people are going wrong with their culinary skills.
Having since spoken to those friends and family, I do think that there is much to learn from those mistakes. Have a check and see if you are falling into these traps.
Making it Once
Repetition is the father of learning and that is the same no matter what it is that you are trying to learn. Unfortunately however, especially when it comes to food, so many people will make a dish once and then not make it again for a very long time. The only way that you are able to get this right and to perfect a dish is if you keep on practicing, if you don’t then you are never going to be able to improve.
Seasoning Failures
Something else which so many of us get wrong is a failure to really season what you are cooking. Generous amounts of salt and pepper always help to bring a meal to life, yet some are too shy when it comes to adding in the seasoning. There are always ways to make things less salty if you go too heavy, but if you don’t go in hard enough, you are going to find that you make something which just lacks the punch that is required.
Not Tasting
Even the world’s very best chefs taste their food as they go, which is why all of us home cooks should do too. When you are making a sauce or any kind of dish, you have to be sure that you are always tasting it to see what it lacks, in doing this we can get the perfect flavor profile for your dish. If you don’t taste as you go then you could easily make the dish too sweet, too salty or too bitter, all takes is a little try and you’ll know how it should taste.
Not Being Lazy
If you are cooking for yourself or your family at home then you can be a little bit lazy with some things. Remember that you are not in a gourmet restaurant where you need to make everything from scratch. Using precut garlic or sauces straight from the can doesn’t make you a bad cook, not by any stretch of the imagination. The only thing which you do have to bear in mind is to use high quality ingredients, as long as you do this, there is nothing at all wrong with cheating a little to make cooking easier and quicker.
Follow these tips and you will become a better cook.
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