We seek to better ourselves every single day. We strive to do it but often, we run into problems and challenges. It is difficult to overcome these challenges, more often than it is not. We tend to fall back into our routines, whichever they may be. Some of the routines are far from healthy, making the habits bad ones, as well.
However, some things are easy to change, if only one takes the energy and time to do a couple of things, daily. They needn’t be large and humongous efforts, but rather small and effective.
If you want to become a better cook, here are the steps that you should take.
Get a Good Knife and Learn How to Use It
A good knife should be sharp and purposeful. You shouldn’t get a good knife if you already own a sharp knife, particularly if the handle is good and not slippery. A good knife should be able to cut without too much effort or be in your way in any way.
Learning how to use the knife is one of the first things that would make a good cook, better. Spending less time on cutting and cutting more precisely is a trait of any good cook. Grab the knife further up and place the index finger over the dull edge of the blade. Work your way slowly until you become better with the knife.
Better Ingredients Make Better Meals
The cook plays a huge part in making a good meal, but the ingredients also play a large role. If the ingredients are old and stale, then there is no chance that one can make a good meal out of them, no matter how good they are as a cook.
Purchasing fresh ingredients is the way if you want to be a better cook, particularly if you want better tasting meals. Fresh meat, vegetables and fish are more expensive, but better tasting. The same goes for foods which are local versus imported.
Some ingredients taste better, though you shouldn’t judge an ingredient based on the brand, but by trying. That could save you money by not spending it on imported goods.
Hands Are Great Instruments
Temperature sensors and gauges are great, but the hands are even better. Our fingers are sensitive and can be used to measure whether something is warm.
The temperature is only part of the process, but the feel, whether something is cooked or not, hard or soft, can also tell you whether you’ve cooked something for too long or just enough, or not enough.
Use your fingers but be careful not to burn them.
Recipes Rather than Time
Recipes often tell you all that you need to know. Roast until it is a specific color or boil until it is this soft. Trust the recipes, they are there for a reason. Timers will cheat you, in the sense that not every vegetable or meat or pastry will be boiled/roasted or baked in the same way.
Becoming a better cook is hard, but with these tips it becomes easier. It only takes knowing what to focus on and some effort.
