Cooking can feel intimidating, especially if you’re a beginner.
Most people assume that cooking is much harder than it is, but being a confident cook doesn’t come from mastering fancy techniques and fancy French recipes – but it really just comes from a handful of simple habits and time to practice and experiment.
To become a more confident, happier cook, follow these five tips below:
- Read The Whole Recipe First
There is nothing worse than confidently charging ahead, only to realise you need to somehow find an extra four to six hours before dinner will be ready, when it is 4pm.
Reading the recipe in advance will give you a sense of control. You will know what ingredients you need to prep, what tools you’ll need, and where the recipe has any steps that might trip you up later.
- Prep
Doing your prep before you start cooking instantly makes the whole experience feel simplified and more enjoyable.
Skipping it is a sure-fire way to fast-track the chaos – suddenly you’re stirring and chopping at the same time, while something is already burning.
When everything is chopped, prepped, and ready to rock and roll, you won’t be scrambling or juggling anything. Instead, you will move at a comfortable pace and feel much more confident.
- Sharp Knives
There is nothing worse than starting your prep work only to realize you don’t have a single sharp knife in your kitchen.
A dull knife doesn’t just make cooking harder – it crushes ingredients and will leave you sawing away at an onion like your life depends on it. A sharp knife, on the other hand, makes cooking so much easier.
It provides clean cuts, even slices, and control. Invest in a good quality sharpening stone to help keep your knives sharp and ready for action. When your knife is sharp, it glides so you use less force – which means fewer accidents and way more control.
- Taste Test
When it comes to cooking, hope isn’t a strategy.
One of the simplest ways to become a more confident cook is to taste test your food as you go. As obvious as it sounds, even seasoned chefs rush past this essential step.
Tasting as you go gives you instant feedback and tells you exactly what your dish needs long before it reaches someone’s plate. It will make you a noticeably better cook.
It’s not all about the salt either – pay equal attention to acidity, sweetness, spiciness, and bitterness to help you understand what your dish is missing and how to fix it.
- Master A Few Recipes
No one expects you to be an award-winning chef at home.
All you really need are a few dishes that will never let you down. These reliable recipes become your signature dishes – the ones you pull out when you need dinner to run like clockwork or you have guests over and want to look like you actually know what you are doing.
To End
Cooking doesn’t have to be a nightmare. With these five simple tips, you can find your rhythm and turn your kitchen into a calmer, happier space.