6 Ways to Improve Your Cooking Skills
Cooking is a great life skill - with some practice and guidance we believe you can improve your cooking skills like our guest, Monica. Photo via Unsplash
I have a love-hate relationship with cooking. On one hand, it can be a fun and relaxing activity. I love soaking up the aromas with a glass of red wine and a good playlist. On the other hand, cooking can be a chore. I’m not the kind of person who can just take whatever’s in the fridge and turn it into something delicious (luckily, my wife can!).
Like many amateur cooks, I rely on recipes. Which is why I want to get better at cooking. I want to be able to whip together a delicious meal in twenty minutes without having to run to Longo’s for last-minute ingredients. I want to be able to create my own recipes.
So, I talked to someone who taught herself how to cook at the age of ten. For most of us, our earliest cooking experience is of learning how to make something with our parents or grandparents. This is not the case with Monica Sarkar. She stepped up as the family chef with just a handful of cookbooks, like Loony Spoons (my first cookbook as well!) and no YouTube. She’s a true Amateur hero!
Talking to Monica, I realized the error of my ways. Cooking is not a chore. Behind every dish we eat, there is history, countless multi-generational hours spent determining the right combination of ingredients and perfecting techniques so that the taste is just right.
Cooking ought to be respected. After all, food is an intimate and integral part of our lives. I’m grateful to Monica for changing my perspective and teaching me how to improve my cooking skills. Here are some of the secret ingredients she shared in our conversation:
1. Focus on getting really good at one dish: Choose a favourite meal, or one you really want to learn, and focus on perfecting it.
Monica spent hours learning how to make pasta. She found experts in pasta making and watched their videos religiously. She took time to understand the composition of the dish, ordering it at restaurants and figuring out what makes it delicious. She tried cooking it multiple times, learning from her mistakes.
After years of trial and error, like Monica, you’ll get to the point where the dish tastes just the way you want it to!
2. Preparation makes perfect: Before cooking, it is important to make sure that you understand all the steps involved.
You want to make sure you have all your ingredients chopped and ready before turning on the heat (I can’t count the number of times I’ve forgotten an ingredient because I skipped this step). That’s why having a bunch of different sized bowls is an important tool for the amateur chef’s kitchen.
I admit I was pretty surprised by this answer, but you’ll definitely notice the bowl factor if you watch enough food preparation videos on social media.
Having the right tools can significantly improve your cooking experience. Photo via Unsplash
3. The tools make the human: Speaking of the little bowls, they come in handy for other purposes, such as ladling sauces, soups, and stews for testing and tasting.
On top of the little bowls, having good kitchen tools makes cooking a lot easier. For example, having a good, sharp chef’s knife will make chopping easier. And having good pans can even make cleaning less of a chore (but whatever you do, stay away from Teflon!)
4. Taste test: Try the food as you go and make adjustments.
When Monica watched cooking shows after getting cable for the first time, she was amazed to see people cooking without recipes. It was her introduction to the importance of tasting your food and trusting your instincts. This even applies to ingredients, such as the spices in your rack, or the vegetables in your fridge (but don’t taste raw meat, eggs, or flour – obviously!). Tasting our food as we go enables us to get it just right, or if not, to think about what we can do differently the next time to bring it closer to perfection.
Even a simple pasta dish can look like a work of art. Photo via Unsplash
5. Presentation skills: I used to think food styling was silly, but now I’m wise enough (I hope!) to understand that taste isn’t the only sense that food appeals to.
Just think about how good the word sizzle makes you feel! On this episode, we also found out how to use to our sense of touch to determine whether meat is cooked right. A beautiful plate of food is a heartwarming sight, so it’s worth the extra five minutes to make your meals eye-catching, by throwing in some parsley for a pop of green or adding a smudge of sauce at the edge of the plate. This will also make your food more photogenic, which is an important consideration in the age of social media!
6. Find mentors: Easier said than done. You could say there are too many recipes out there nowadays, which is why it’s important to find the true teachers.
Cross-referencing different recipes is one way to find the indispensable ingredients in any dish. Make sure the recipes you use are “peer-reviewed”, in other words they’ve been vetted by other amateur chefs. Also, use descriptive language to find the recipes that will give you the results you want (for example, Monica limited her meatball recipes using the word “fluffy”).
On the topic of mentors, find chefs and resources that you can trust, to return to again in the future. Here are some of Monica’s biggest influences:
- Famiglia Baldassarre (for pasta making)
- Sorted Food (bonus cut from the episode)
Like any skill, it is important to remember that there will always be room for improvement. Understanding this helps us embrace the learning journey. If your latest version of pad thai was slightly better than the last, then that’s a major victory! And if it’s worse, then consider it an opportunity to think about what will make it more delicious next time.
Feel free to comment if you feel like I missed anything or if you’d like to add something from your own experience. And be sure to check out some of Monica’s food creations on Instagram (@tmsarkar). Follow us to see how our cooking skills improve as well (@amateurpod)!
Challenge the Amateur Chef Within: 9 accessible recipes from top chefs around the world!
By Mariana O’Connor
Chefs around the world are sharing their recipes: we created a list of the best, most accessible ones for the amateur chef in you!
During these unusual times, people around the world from yoga teachers to chefs are sharing their knowledge with the world. Cooking and baking have become more popular pastimes during the COVID crises. As we stay home and have less access to the restaurants, cafés and pastry shops we frequented in our daily lives, many of us have become amateur chefs. While supporting local businesses with take-out and delivery services is a great way to contribute to the local economy, cooking at home is more cost-efficient amid mass layoffs and employment uncertainty.
Chefs, cooks, restaurants, and destinations from around the world have risen to the challenge and shared recipes publicly, showcasing their flavours and cultures for you to enjoy at home. As an amateur cook, I am both thrilled and terrified of trying these new recipes. As I scrolled through various dishes, I was intimidated by the obscure processes and ingredients. Especially, since most of the ingredients are quite expensive and/or difficult to find, and frankly I will probably never use them again.
To make the selection process easier, we made a list of the most accessible, rated by theme. We would like to engage the amateur chef in you to challenge yourself and make something delicious!
1. The Raw Amateur cook recipes
The Raw Amateur Cooks may not feel confident in the kitchen yet, however we see a potential chef in everyone. Photo via Unsplash.
These recipes are ideal for the first-time cook and the ramen-loving students missing a home-cooked meal. The ingredients are inexpensive, easy to find and easy to re-use.
Chicken and vegetables
Chef Jose Andres – Founder of World Central Kitchen and co-owner at minibar, é, and many others.
In case you haven’t heard about Chef Jose Andres, he is a gem of a man. Aside from being a celebrity chef and owner of a string of successful restaurants, he also founded World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit organization that provides meals to communities impacted by environmental or other disasters. Today, Chef Jose Andres has been posting his recipes over his Instagram account, featuring his family. This chicken and vegetables recipe is easy, tasty and adaptable to whatever you have in your pantry. After you conquer this recipe, you’ll feel more confident to try other things in the kitchen.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Julien Dugourd – Pastry Chef at La Chèvre D’or
Julien Dugourd is renowned for his creativity in using local ingredients and flavours to create artful masterpieces. That said, these chocolate chip cookies are unpretentious, accessible and mouth-watering. There is nothing as satisfying and heart-warming as homemade chocolate chip cookies!
Arabic Lentil Soup
Said El Alam – Chef at Emirates Airline
The luxury airline Emirates is well known for its culinary in-flight experiences, changing our perceptions about airline food, one mouth-watering dish at a time. They have recently launched a food channel, where their chefs show you how to make their famous dishes at home. This is a great recipe to try if you want something healthy, delicious and vegan that does not require any cooking experience. The 3-minute video makes the process simple and straight-forward. This recipe gets extra points for easiness, and making the kitchen smell glorious.
2. The medium-rare amateur chef recipes
Medium-Rare Amateur Chefs are those who might not feel as confident in the kitchen but I’m sure there are a couple of dishes they can make to perfection - learn how to make Hong Kong-style Beef Noodles. Photo via Unsplash
These recipes are for those cooks that have ventured into the kitchen and gained some confidence (but also lost it in a few failed experiments). They are willing to accept new culinary challenges. These recipes have more complex processes. However, the ingredients are accessible and likely to be reused.
Tuscan Gnocchi
Alessandro Manfredini – Chef at Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort and Spa
Italians have some of the best-known high-end dishes around the world. Gnocchi is flavourful, hearty and best of all easier to make than other pastas. This tuscan gnocchi recipe only requires 4 ingredients that you can probably find in your pantry, and it does not require any special kitchen equipment. If you are not sure what sauce would go well with your gnocchi, try this very easy pesto sauce or this easy tomato sauce, and pronto!
Pork Belly Udon or Buttermilk Scones
Maddy Goldberg – Cook at Aloette
Maddy Goldberg’s Instagram is amateur cooking gold! In her highlights she gives out her full recipes accompanied by gorgeous pictures. The pork belly udon and the buttermilk scones look slightly challenging but definitely doable. Most importantly, the ingredients will be easy to find and reuse.
Hong Kong Style Stir Fried Beef Noodles
Dan Hong – Chef at Lotus, El Loco, Ms. G’s, etc.
Dan Hong has acquired celebrity status in Australia. Aside from his successful restaurants, the Vietnamese-Australian chef’s charisma can be seen in television shows. His Instagram page displays quick videos on how to make different dishes, with some guest appearances by his adorable daughter. The stir-fried beef noodles definitely stood out, since it has easy to find ingredients and his manner of explaining his process inspires confidence in the kitchen.
3. Seasoned Amateur Chefs recipes
Seasoned Amateur Chefs know their spices, flavours and techniques - with practice, we can all get there. Image via Unsplash
These recipes are for those that know their way around the kitchen with confidence and are looking to up their technique and their cooking game.
Chicken Biryani
Sapna Anand – Chef Blue Elephant
Chef Sapna Anand shared her recipe for Biryani chicken in her Instagram highlights, and frankly, it’s impossible not to drool over how amazing it looks. The ingredients are easy to find and if you have the time and determination, you too could make this fabulous dish! Make sure you look through her other recipes; there is love in her cooking and maybe you can bring some of that love to your own cooking.
Piri Piri Chicken
Telmo Faria – Chef at Uma Casa
Piri Piri sauce is one of the most delicious sauces in the world, and now you can learn to make it from Chef Telmo Faria. Released as a segment for an episode of Good Morning America, the chef shares his initiatives to feed frontline workers and his famous Piri Piri chicken recipe. While the ingredients are easy to find, the process seems a little more complicated, so this is a great challenge for those with some cooking experience.
Amalfi Lemon Tart
Theo Randall – Chef at the InterContinental London – Park Lane
While this Amalfi Lemon Tart recipe requires some expertise, it is bound to awe you and your quarantine roomies. The recipe requires many ingredients that you probably have at home, such as butter, sugar and lemons. Meant for the seasoned amateur looking to perfect their baking skills and produce a 5-star dessert.
There you have it fellow amateur chefs! Whichever challenge you chose to take on, we hope that you rise to the occasion to create something delicious this week! Stay tuned for our upcoming episode on cooking (out next Tuesday!), and be sure to comment, like, or share!
Seven Reasons Why You Should Start a Vegetable Garden (Right Meow!)
This post is going to be short and sweet (and savoury!). Hopefully, it will encourage you to listen to the latest episode (if you haven’t already). If you’ve already listened, keep reading too: More motivation is never a bad thing! I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Maybe it’s the dawn of Spring (of course no one told the weather in the GTA). Maybe’s it’s waiting in line to buy groceries. Or maybe it’s a desire to rediscover some long-lost ancestral root. Whatever it is, I now have a ton of reasons why you should start your own vegetable garden:
1. Food Security: Let’s get the worst one out of the way. If COVID-19 didn’t make you realize how much your subsistence depends on a complex supply chain that is completely out of your control, then you’re forever condemned to the 2010’s, like Bieber and the Kardashians (I hope!) You also depend on grocery retailers and within this system, a number of underpaid workers (all the way from migrant farm labour to your friendly neighbourhood cashier). Growing your own produce is one way you can limit (at least slightly) your reliance on a system that you had no idea was fragile until recently.
2. Health: Gardening gets you outside in the fresh air. It involves physical labour, such as digging, squatting, and puttering around the yard. It improves your mental health. And it provides you with a steady supply of nutritious food, which will encourage you to include more vegetables in your diet (bonus reason: You won’t have to listen to your mom reminding you to “eat your vegetables!”)
3. Giving: On that note, why not flip it around on your mom. Pack her up a nice basket of fresh vegetables from your garden for Mothers’ Day. Who says ‘no’ to free food? Your garden provides a way to make nice with the neighbours or impress a dinner party host (one day). If you have kids, it’s a great hobby to pass on; one that will keep giving throughout the rest of their lives.
4. Aesthetics: Walking through a garden can be a transcendent experience. The colours, the aromas, the warmth, the sound of birds and bees! And vegetables that come in all sizes and shapes, resembling the more intriguing parts of our anatomy. What better way to annoy your Instagram followers than with pictures of your homegrown eggplants!
5. Nature: Not only is a lawn full of grass boring (so 20th century!), it is also a dessert for pollinators. Your garden will provide nourishment for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial wildlife. Some you won’t want (listen to the episode for tips on keeping away the unwelcome guests), but the bottom line is that your garden will be a net positive for mother nature.
6. Ease: I’ll admit that I’m not at the point where I can guarantee this one yet, but according to gardening pro Camille, gardening is not that difficult once you get over the initial intimidation. It takes a bit of planning (finding a good spot, getting the right soil, and choosing the right crops for the right season), but once you’ve got that down, mother nature does most of the work! You don’t even need a yard: Most veggies can be grown in pots too! If you need extra help, pick up a copy of The Year Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour; this is Camille’s vegetable gardening “bible”.
7. Flavour: This is another one that I cannot attest to yet, so for now we are going to have to take Camille’s word for it. I have eaten home grown herbs and aside from the flavour enhancement, I can say that there is something so heartwarming about being able to able to go into your backyard for a fresh handful of basil or rosemary. You’ll find yourself adding herbs to almost every dish you make, which will up your flavour game even more! On that note, some of us could use a cooking lesson (coming soon!)
So, there you have it. If I haven’t convinced you yet, then let me know and I’ll send you some fresh tomatoes (or something – I hope) at the end of the summer. Maybe then, you’ll come around. If you are convinced, then go and give the latest episode a listen. And please don’t hesitate to comment, like, or share!
Camille happens to be a talented photographer as well!