Be Prepared! Kitchen Lessons from a Culinary Instructor

The kitchen has become the most popular space in the home during these pandemic times. And yet, you may find yourself resisting this trend. Perhaps you are overwhelmed by the idea of cooking or baking? The recipe seems complicated or the list of ingredients too long? The whole endeavor appears time consuming and laborious? I am here to change your mind and I will ask you first to consider the benefit of cooking for yourself. There are many!

Mastering a few favorite recipes offers you ta sense of accomplishment, a self-reliance that is doubly beneficial since you will know what is in your food and what you are placing in your body. It is also an opportunity to plan ahead and provide yourself with more than one meal, based on 1 or 2 recipes. But, let’s break it down, following the scouts’ motto: BE PREPARED!

After close to 20 years of teaching cooking classes, I have learned a few basics. Here are some strategies to help you conquer your fears.

Think of this as setting the scene for a fun time; pour yourself a glass of wine, set a bouquet of flowers on your counter or a fragrant candle and arrange for your favorite music to play. I like Pandora’s Golden Oldies for my relaxed cooking and Best Walk Ever for more upbeat rhythm.

Now pull up your sleeves and dive in!

Setting a beautiful spread is often in its simplicity

1. If you are a beginner, choose a simple recipe with no more than 5-6 ingredients, of a dish you are familiar with and actually like. How about Stove Top Mac & Cheese? Read the recipe to the end and make sure you understand the instructions.

2. Have your work surface cleaned, dishes put away and room available for dirty dishes to land in the sink or the dishwasher. It will make cleanup faster and more pleasant.

3. Lay out your ingredients and equipment. You’ll want to make sure that as the cooking chugs along, you are prepared for each stage. For example: you’ll want your colander ready at the sink to collect the cooked pasta as you drain the pot. Whenever possible, I like to create a large tray with my ingredients, so they are easily accessible. I can also enjoy the beauty of the herbs, vegetables and citrus as they create a fragrant and colorful artistic mosaic for me to enjoy.

Beautiful spread as I prep for a colorful and flavorful Asian salad

4. Some recipes call for cold ingredients and others for them to be at room temperature. Allow yourself enough time to have your ingredients at the right temperature. This is especially important for baked items!

5. Make sure you have enough of all the ingredients by measuring them before you start cooking. You really don’t want to end up with an anemic cheese sauce because you did not have enough cheese…

6. If your recipe calls for baking or roasting at a certain temperature, make sure to heat your oven, so it reaches that temperature at least 10 minutes before you place your dish in it.

7. Timing is everything! Always set your timer to cook/bake/roast initially 5-10 minutes under the suggested time in the recipe and start checking for doneness. Your oven heats a little differently, you may have added more or less water to the pasta, or used a different shape that cooks faster… Which leads me to the next point…

8. This is perhaps the most important one and I’ll try not to get on my soapbox!

ALWAYS TASTE your food as you are cooking! Recipes (especially for cooking) are more guidelines than laws engraved in stone. The products you use may differ from what the recipe author used, so a tomato sauce might be saltier with this brand or another. Your palate is your own and will dictate how food will taste to you; for example, my spice level might be off the chart for you, so you’ll have to adjust that. This is YOUR food in YOUR kitchen so MAKE IT YOURS!

9. Last one, I promise! Please remember to have fun and forgive yourself for any mistake you have made or for the mess you created. Bear in mind that humanity has cooked for itself FOREVER and you are just reclaiming it for your own benefit.

Hope this is helpful, stay healthy and please, get in the kitchen and COOK!

Even cookies deserve some flowers!