I love to be in the kitchen! I love to make food for myself and for the people I love. Whether cooking or baking, if it involves being in the kitchen and creating something new, it’s exciting for me. It has been said that cooking is an art, and baking is a science. That is so true. You can add or change things when you cook to make the food taste better. In baking, however, you have to be precise. I use my food scale for baking to make sure I am exactly correct. I rarely, if ever, use it for cooking.

Because of that, I want to use today’s post as a chance to provide practical advice for people who don’t know where to start in the kitchen. In the Disney movie Ratatouille, a popular theme is the idea that “Anyone can cook!” I believe that’s true. And hopefully I can help you get more confident in the kitchen as you work to expand your cooking abilities. Here are my ten practical tips for cooking:

1. Salt is not an enemy- So often, I see people avoid salt or use minimal salt in recipes. Salt is not an enemy. Salt, like any other seasoning, has its place in the kitchen. I have three different things of salt in my kitchen- table salt (which I rarely use), sea salt, and kosher salt. It has its place. Salt brings out flavors that you want to highlight. If your food tastes salty, you used too much salt. Salt works to highlight both sweet and savory flavors. I know people that will put just a little bit of salt on a watermelon slice to emphasize the sweetness. Get comfortable with using salt in your kitchen. Speaking of salt…
2. Salt your meat and pasta water- With the exception of some fish, most meats can be salted at least 24 hours before cooking. I know sometimes I forget to do this. It’s not a requirement, but it definitely helps with both flavor and moisture. I notice a difference when I salt my meat as opposed to when I don’t. On the other hand, I’ve gotten really good at salting my pasta water. When I put the water on the stove even before it starts boiling, I reach for the box of kosher salt. I pour a generous amount into the pasta water. This changes for everyone, but the ultimate goal should be that your pasta water tastes like the ocean. I try to do enough to cover half the bottom of the pot I’m using. I have one more salt-related tip:
3. Save some of that salted pasta water for use in sauce- Usually if you’re making pasta, there’s usually a sauce to go with it. Before you drain your pasta, take a heat-proof container (I have small glass measuring cups) and take up to a cup of pasta water. The water has the salt in it to add to your sauce, and it also has some starchiness from the pasta. Using pasta water can elevate even a jar of sauce and make it taste richer and fuller.
4. Know your appliances- Moving on from salt and into a few knowledge tips. Most appliances run similar but there are differences as well. Your burners may get really hot. Your oven temperature may be off. You need to know how your kitchen runs so that you can make the adjustments accordingly. Time in recipes is often just a guideline.
5. Know what your ingredients do- Every ingredient in a recipe has a purpose. Some may just be for flavor, and others may have an integral purpose. Let me give you a few examples. Often, recipes like meatloaf or other tightly packed meat often call for an egg. That egg serves as a binder or an adhesive. It keeps the whole thing together. In general, dairy products add creaminess and richness to recipes. Butter and cheese can also help thicken up dishes. Flour and cornstarch will also help to create thickness. Gravies are made with flour to make them thicker. It is important to know what the ingredients are used for. Then, you can branch out on your own easier. If you run into problems, you can fix them easier once you know how the basic ingredients react.
6. Know what your spices taste like- I have a LOT of spices in my spice cabinet. And I like to use them. I can create a good spice mixture just because I know what spices taste like. I strongly recommend that you take some time to thoroughly smell and taste each and every spice you use. Just use a little bit because some of them can burn. Knowing what the spices taste like and what they add to the dish will really help elevate the dish. I can usually figure out when something is missing because of how it tastes or how it should taste. Speaking of spices…
7. Highlight a flavor profile- There are so many spices and seasonings in the world. And many of them are great flavors. In addition to knowing what your spices taste like, you also need to know which ones you want to emphasize as opposed to what you want to blend. For example, last night, I made ahi tuna steaks. I knew I wanted a more tropical and citrus taste for the fish. I combined a tangerine hibiscus blend, orange pepper, sea salt, roasted garlic, paprika, and a French seasoning. The result was just a hint of the citrus to make them full of flavor without being sweet. The paprika and French seasoning helped to add a savory flavor to blend with the citrus. In truth, it was probably one of the best blends I’ve ever created.
8. Focus on learning skills rather than learning recipes- I have a few easy recipes I can pull out in my repertoire. I can make a delicious stir-fry. I excel at pasta and rice. I know how to steam and roast vegetables. I can cook eggs in a few different styles. I can make meat on the stove, in the air fryer, or in the oven. Being able to focus on those skills and those recipes makes me a better cook. Going back to my example of last night’s dinner (the tuna steaks), I had never cooked them before. It was something new for me. I only had to look up a little bit. There’s multiple ways to do it, but most people recommend pan-searing. The seasoning makes a nice crust on the fish. From there, I knew what to do. And they turned out well. I steamed some vegetables and then seasoned them after they were done cooking. Once you master techniques, you can master any recipe and make anything.
9. Taste along the way- I think this one may be the most important piece of advice I can offer. With the exception of raw meat, almost anything can be tasted along the way. Make sure it has enough seasoning, not too salty, etc. I’ve watched a good amount of cooking shows. Sometimes when the food is being judged, the judges ask if the dish was tasted during the process. Many times, the contestants say no. You need to know how things taste. Cooking does different things to spices and seasonings. Some spices will get highlighted and others could be muted. In addition to knowing how things taste individually, you need to know how things taste together. You may have great individual components, but if you put them together, it’s too disjointed. One thing I like to do is use similar spices in the different components. I steamed vegetables to go with the fish last night. After the vegetables were done cooking, I used some of the same French seasoning that I had used for the fish. This way, even though the flavors were different, they were complementary to each other. It created more of a harmonious dish.
10. Don’t be afraid to experiment- Once you have basic techniques down, try new things. Use some unconventional ingredients. See how roasted garlic compares to fresh garlic compares to minced garlic compares to garlic powder. Add things that may be weird. I’ve read that chicken noodle soup does well with a little bit of nutmeg in it. I tried it with some canned chicken noodle soup, and it was genuinely one of the best chicken noodle soups I’ve ever had. I add mustard powder to cheesy dishes. Paprika is really good with scrambled eggs. Try new ideas. Branch out. Create new flavors and combinations.

In my opinion, cooking is so much fun. There are always new things to create and new flavors to explore. I love becoming a better cook and understanding how science affects food. I hope you have a wonderful time cooking and creating!