How to Cook

• If you're new to cooking, avoid substituting ingredients. New ingredients might interact with other components in unexpected ways, potentially ruining the entire dish.

• Cut food into slices or pieces as specified by the recipe to ensure even cooking. Cutting techniques vary widely, including chopping, dicing, cubing, slicing, and julienning. Larger pieces require longer cooking times.

• Try sprinkling breadcrumbs over pasta or baked vegetables, such as mac and cheese or Italian-style baked eggplant.
• Similarly, adding chopped green onions or celery to mashed potatoes can enhance texture and flavor.

• If unsure about the amount or worried about over-salting, taste as you go! Add a little salt, taste, and repeat until the dish is perfectly seasoned. This is how professional chefs do it.
• Sprinkle salt on steaks or whole chickens before roasting, add broth or sauce during cooking, and remember to salt water when boiling pasta, potatoes, or rice.

It all comes down to the basics. Alex Hong, a chef with experience in Michelin-starred restaurants, says, "The two most important flavors in cooking are saltiness and acidity. For example, a salad dressing will taste bland without enough acidity, so you need to add vinegar or lemon juice. And without salt to enhance other flavors, the dressing won’t taste good."

• Butter also serves as a cooking medium, such as when pan-frying—it enhances and amplifies the natural flavors of the dish. Additionally, many chefs use butter in sauces to create a creamy, smooth texture. In baking, butter is essential for creating flaky, melt-in-your-mouth pastries.

• Béchamel Sauce: A creamy white sauce commonly used in dishes like baked vegetables, cheese soufflés, and pasta sauces.
• Velouté Sauce: Another simple sauce made by combining roux with seasoned stock. Depending on the stock, it can be adapted for chicken, fish, or veal dishes.
• Marinara Sauce: A rich tomato sauce widely used in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, made with fresh or canned tomatoes, onions, and herbs. It’s perfect for pizzas and pastas.
• Hollandaise Sauce: A buttery, lemony sauce ideal for seafood, eggs, and vegetables. It’s made with melted butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice.
• Other sauces you can try include barbecue sauce, garlic cream sauce, spicy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, cheese sauce, and chocolate sauce.

• Basil is widely used in Mediterranean cuisine and pairs perfectly with tomatoes. Combine basil with pine nuts to make pesto sauce.
• Parsley has a fresh, mild aroma and is commonly used in Western cuisine. It’s great for soups, sauces, or simply as a garnish.
• Cilantro is popular in Asian and Latin cuisines. Fresh cilantro leaves add a refreshing touch to dishes, while the roots are used in Thai curry pastes.
• Mint, with its cool flavor, is perfect for summer salads and refreshing drinks like Mojitos. It’s also used in Middle Eastern and North African dishes.
• Rosemary, with its strong, slightly bitter flavor, is ideal for roasted chicken, grilled meats, stews, and soups. Use it sparingly.

• Cinnamon is a sweet, aromatic spice used in baking, especially in apple pies and oatmeal cookies. It’s also prominent in Indian, Moroccan, and Mexican dishes.
• Paprika adds a vibrant red color and rich flavor. It’s a staple in Hungarian, Spanish, and Portuguese cuisines.
• Cumin is a popular spice used primarily to flavor and color curries. It’s widely used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Asian cuisines.
• Coriander seeds, with a hint of citrus, are often used in spicy dishes and curries. They’re essential in Latin, Middle Eastern, and Indian cuisines.
• Ginger is versatile. Fresh ginger adds sweetness and heat to stir-fries, curries, and grilled meats, while dried ginger powder is used in baked goods like gingerbread cookies.

• Poaching is a gentle cooking method using water at lower temperatures, ideal for delicate foods like eggs and fish. Poaching typically occurs between 60°C and 90°C.
• Simmering is one of the most common water-based cooking methods, often used for stews and sauces. It occurs at temperatures between 85°C and 95°C.
• Slow boiling refers to heating water just below its boiling point, around 95°C, which is slightly hotter than simmering.

• Steaming is also a healthy cooking technique because, unlike boiling or simmering, it doesn’t leach nutrients from the food.
• You can steam food using a bamboo or metal steamer placed over a pot. Steamers, which come in sizes to fit most pots, are widely available at markets and supermarkets.

• For braising, first sear the meat in a hot pan with oil. Then, transfer the meat to an oven-safe dish, clay pot, or slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with wine, broth, or water to loosen any browned bits.
• Add the deglazed liquid to the dish along with the remaining liquid (usually a mix of broth, wine, or fruit juice) until the meat is half-submerged.
• Finally, cover the dish and place it in a preheated oven (or activate the slow cooker) and braise for about six hours, depending on the type of meat.

• When searing, ensure the pan and oil are hot before adding food. If not, the food won’t cook properly—it will absorb oil and stick to the pan. To test if the pan is hot enough, sprinkle a few drops of water; if they sizzle and evaporate quickly, the pan is ready.
• Constantly stirring the food is crucial. The French term sauté means "to jump," so keep the food moving to ensure even cooking and maintain the pan’s heat.
• Searing is ideal for small, tender cuts of meat and most vegetables.

• This method uses lower heat than searing to ensure the exterior doesn’t burn before the interior cooks through.

• This method is commonly used for dishes like fried chicken, shrimp fritters, and breaded eggplant.

• Deep-frying is ideal for making items like doughnuts, French fries, and tempura.

• The shape of the wok allows for better heat control, with the bottom being hotter than the sides, making it perfect for cooking various ingredients simultaneously.

• Use a heat-resistant roasting pan placed in the middle of the oven. Convection ovens are particularly effective for roasting, as they circulate heat evenly, ensuring consistent cooking.
• Try roasting chicken, turkey, vegetables, beef, veal, duck, potatoes, pork tenderloin, and chestnuts.

• Avoid overmixing batters and doughs. One common mistake in baking is overmixing, which activates gluten in the flour, leading to tough and dense results instead of light and fluffy textures.
• Use dry measuring cups for dry ingredients. Level off the top with a flat edge for accurate measurements.
• Try baking cookies, sponge cakes, pies, muffins, bread, potatoes, fish, pizza, and chicken breasts.

• With both broiling and grilling, food should be placed close to the heat source. This means the exterior cooks quickly, making these methods ideal for tender cuts of meat, chicken, and fish.
• Grilling over charcoal is similar to broiling, but the heat comes from burning wood or charcoal, imparting a smoky flavor to the food.

• This is one of the most basic yet essential cooking techniques you need to master to become a skilled cook.
• Boiling eggs is another essential skill.

• Rice pairs well with dishes from various cuisines, so knowing how to cook it perfectly is crucial.
• Try making pasta if you're tired of rice. It's equally simple to prepare!

• If you can roast a whole chicken, you're well-equipped to prepare meals for the entire family.

• A perfectly grilled steak is one of the simplest yet most satisfying dishes you can prepare. Pair it with a fresh salad and some fries for a complete meal!

• Steamed vegetables retain their color and nutrients, making steaming one of the healthiest cooking methods. Properly steamed veggies enhance both the visual appeal and nutritional value of any dish.

• Baking is a valuable life skill that ensures you always have delicious treats on hand!
• Try making chocolate cake, vanilla sponge cake, coffee sponge cake, lemon sponge cake, and red velvet cake.

• Whisk liquids, batters, and sauces to achieve a smooth consistency. Whipping involves vigorously stirring with a whisk or mixer to incorporate air and thicken the mixture.
• Citrus fruits have edible zest. Use a grater to remove the outer layer, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
• Kneading involves pressing and folding dough with the heel of your hand to develop gluten, making it smooth and elastic. This technique is essential for bread dough and occasionally used for scones and puff pastry.
• Folding gently combines ingredients (like cake batter) to maintain texture. Use a large bowl and a silicone spatula, rotating the bowl as you fold to ensure even mixing.
• Beating means stirring or blending ingredients with a whisk or fork. It incorporates air, making the mixture lighter and smoother, but with less intensity than whipping.
• Steeping involves soaking food in hot (not boiling) water to infuse flavor and color, such as steeping tea bags or loose tea leaves.
• Scoring creates shallow cuts on the surface of food, often in a diamond pattern, to tenderize, allow fat to render, or for decorative purposes.
• Cook pasta al dente for the perfect texture. This Italian term means "to the tooth," describing pasta that is tender yet firm when bitten.
• Reducing a sauce involves boiling it vigorously to evaporate liquid, resulting in a thicker, more concentrated flavor.
• Greasing prevents sticking by coating a pan or baking dish with butter or oil before cooking.
• Blanching involves briefly boiling fruits, vegetables, or nuts to enhance flavor and color, followed by an ice bath to stop cooking. It also helps remove skins from foods like tomatoes and almonds.
• Basting involves brushing food with oil, butter, or other liquids during cooking to add moisture and flavor. Use a brush or squeeze bottle for even application.

• If a pan overheats and catches fire, immediately turn off the heat and cover it with a metal lid, wet towel, or fire blanket (or use baking soda to extinguish the flames). Never pour water on hot oil or use a fire extinguisher—both can spread the fire. Let the area cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Always ensure meat, fish, poultry, and eggs are fully cooked. Use a food thermometer to confirm safe internal temperatures.
• Avoid splattering hot oil on your skin by handling pans carefully.
• Exercise caution when chopping food. If you accidentally cut yourself, rinse the wound under cold water and wrap it with a clean cloth.
• Protect yourself from heat. Just as heat cooks food, it can also harm you. Use heat-resistant gloves when handling hot pots and pans.
• Be aware of food allergies and inedible or toxic parts of ingredients before cooking!