Some people cook really well; others are okay. Then there are those who should rather stay as far away from the kitchen as possible. Making good food is a skill you can learn, even without going for formal training. Why then do so many people fail so dismally?
Foodie and ghostwriter Mike Towler believes it always comes down to five things: cleanliness in the kitchen, mise en place, ingredient selection, temperature control, and sauce-making. Towler, who has worked in kitchens with Michelin chefs, says good food begins long before the ingredients start being prepared.
"Watch any chef worth their weight in salt; the first thing they’ll do when they walk into a kitchen, especially one they don’t know, is clean," he writes.
Apart from ensuring no germs contaminate your food, a clean kitchen also enhances food quality and prevents unwanted flavor transfer during cooking.
"A clean kitchen allows for better culinary practices, as it frees up space and ensures that appliances and utensils are in optimal condition for use," explain the cleaning experts over at Two Gals & A Broom. "Regular cleaning prevents the build-up of flavors and odors that can unintentionally transfer to your cooking, ensuring that the taste of your dishes remains unaltered and true to your intentions."
Towler mentioned "mise en place" as one of the reasons some people are terrible at cooking. It's a French culinary phrase that translates to "putting in place" and refers to organizing and arranging your ingredients before you begin to cook. Most experts agree that mise en place is a vital part of successful cooking.
"By making sure ingredients are prepped and workstations are organized before you begin assembling a dish, you’ll save time," explains the August Escoffier School of Culinary Arts' site. "And not only will you waste fewer precious minutes completing prep work, but you’ll also eliminate unnecessary steps or duplicate work in the kitchen."
Sohla El-Waylly, a chef and cookbook author believes the biggest mistake that new (or bad) cooks make is forgetting to taste their food.
"You have to season in stages, throughout the cooking process, and remember to sample along the way. Sometimes, this means tasting things you might not want to, like briny pasta water, slick vinaigrettes and chalky spices, but it is the only way to ensure that your food is seasoned to the core, rather than superficially," says El-Waylly. "It’ll also allow you to identify any flavors that could be going off the rails and get them in check before it’s too late."
#14 Chickpeas, Corn, Apple, Banana, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper. All Cold
Samin Nosrat says great cooking comes down to four things. In her book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, Nosrat breaks down the elements she believes are the foundation of any kitchen.
The Iranian-American chef, TV host, food writer and podcaster explains that salt enhances flavor and brings out the natural taste of ingredients, while fat carries flavor and creates richness. Acid (like lemon juice or vinegar), says Nosrat, brightens dishes and balances richness. Finally, heat transforms ingredients through different cooking methods.
Great cooking isn't always about the main dish...
"You can tell a good cook from a bad cook by the way they assemble a salad," say the experts at Leiths Online Cookery School. "A punchy green salad is the perfect foil to rich roast chicken, baked pasta, or steak frites. Choose salad leaves that are fresh and crisp, not limp or discoloured. Wash them leaves with care, so they don’t bruise, then dry them thoroughly in a salad spinner."
