There is nothing I enjoy more than a gourmet meal, a good bottle of wine, and great company to share it with. I whole-heartedly agree with Virginia Woolfe who said, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well”. Eating well for me is a pleasure that I have always enjoyed and something that I never take for grated. Less is more. It’s about the quality of the food, not the quantity. It’s the proper combination of ingredients and the delicate play of texture that makes food so exciting to me.
Eating is so important and not just for survival, it’s a time for socialization with friends and family. A time to connect with each other at the end of a long workday, celebrate special occasions, or even negotiate business deals . All too often, we settle for ‘junk food’ and buy cheap, nutritionally lacking, fast food as an excuse for a meal. We certainly don’t need to. If you just take the time to learn a few basic cooking tips and tricks, before long you will see that learning how to cook and cook well is not only fun but it’s cheaper too.
Now for the basics; the following are just a few tips to get the novice started in order to make your kitchen a place of artistry. I truly do believe that if you take pride in your work, have the focus, time and proper ingredients and correct techniques, then you are well on your way to making your very own first gourmet meal to share with your friends and family – and impress them!
Get Some Basic Cooking Utensils
Such as knives (for chopping and carving), pans for frying and sautéing, pots for boiling stews and vegetables, wooden spoons for stirring, measuring cups, etc. Visit your local department store or mall and get started on a collection. You don’t have to buy everything at once, a few items to get you started but the rest can be purchased on an ‘as needed’ basis.
Learn How to Use Your Knife!
There is nothing more frustrating than not knowing how to wield your knife. If you have taken then time and invested the money to purchase a good quality knife, then learn how to use it properly. Look it up on the Internet and watch a video or two and then practice, practice, practice!
Stock Your Pantry With The Basics
Learn to make it a habit to keep your pantry shelf stocked with some basic food ingredients so that you can whip up a meal in no time at all and don’t have to be inconvenienced with the time or expense with purchasing everything at once. The goal is to have everything in your pantry at hand save for the fresh and main ingredients called for in your recipe (which should be purchased the day before or on the same day) such as fresh fish, meat, poultry or game; fruits and vegetables.
Know What It Means To Stir-fry, Poach, Sautee, Fry, Broil, Grill…
There are lots of methods on how to cook food, just become familiar with their terms so that you will know how to prepare the food when they call for a specific technique in any given recipe. Read a cookbook or watch cooking shows on TV and stay tuned for more articles I will be writing on cooking techniques.
Finally, don’t try to do too much at once. Look over a recipe and first see if the ingredients are readily available (and you can afford them!) then look at the method of cooking. Do you have the proper utensils, pots and pans? No? Then are you willing to borrow or purchase them? If not, then move onto another recipe until you find a recipe that you like and is at your level of expertise.
Before long, your kitchen pantry will be well stocked, filled with kitchen gadgets and laughable culinary ‘mistakes’, and you will begin to enjoy what has long been a favorite pastime for centuries – the art of cooking.
Bon appetit!
