Editor’s Note: We’re sharing these cooking tips, originally published in January of 2021, to help ignite your sense of confidence in the kitchen—no matter how much cooking experience you may have.
Imiss a lot of things about the pre-pandemic world, but eating in restaurants is definitely in the top three. I miss sitting at the bar and sipping a cocktail. I miss sharing meals with friends and trying foods I might never think up at home.
However, if the pandemic has had one big bright side, it’s that many of us have had to cope by attempting some of that restaurant creativity in our own kitchens.
I’ve absolutely loved watching my friends and colleagues pick up a new hobby these past ten months. My Instagram feed changed overnight from shots of buzzing restaurant interiors to a wealth of daily home cooking successes. But despite all of this new (albeit forced) inspiration, not everyone can simply turn on the stove and feel confident enough to whip up whatever recipe is trending that week.
The good news is, practice makes perfect. And you don’t even need to get all the way to perfection when it comes to cooking (baking is another story, but we’ll discuss that another time). A few simple cooking tips and techniques will help make cooking faster, easier, and more fun. Master these, and you’ll be able to cook just about anything.
Read cookbooks.
That’s right—don’t just flip through their pages for tonight’s recipe. Keep them by your bed and read the forwards, the recipes that look appealing to you, and any descriptions of techniques. I also recommend seeking out unfussy chefs when looking for cookbooks. Reading is just more fun when the author doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables and The Food Lab are great places to start.
Watch cooking shows on Netflix and YouTube.
Tough homework, right? The Great British Baking Show can be more than a guilty pleasure. You can learn a lot from people who cook and bake more than you do—from the mistakes they make to their successes. Not to mention, Paul and Mary usually have some good tips and tricks to share.
I also recommend watching YouTube and Instagram videos created by cooks from different cultures. Many of us were raised in the U.S. by parents who spent the 80s and 90s making very similar beige dishes with the same techniques. When you learn from other cultures, you’ll not only experience new foods but also new ways to cook.
Recreate your favorite restaurant meals.
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t sat in a restaurant in months. And I miss it… a lot. If you’re looking for inspiration for a good salad or weeknight meal, look no further than your favorite restaurant’s menu. Look at the ingredients they use and make a guess as to measurements. It may not turn out exactly the same, but it’s good practice and can help build your intuition. Just don’t forget to support the restaurants with some takeout as well. We want them around when this thing is over.
Don’t compare yourself to others.
One of my best friends is an incredible cook. I mean, incredible. I will never, ever be as good as her.
I also hate baking. I watch people make beautiful cakes on Instagram and think, I should try that! Then I do, and it does absolutely nothing for me.
Food should bring joy, and you should be making things that you and your loved ones enjoy eating. If you can do that, you can consider your dish a huge success.
Despite being a pretty competitive person, I’ve learned to let that go in the kitchen. I like cooking to be a release at the end of a long day, not one more thing that adds pressure. Food should bring joy, and you should be making things that you and your loved ones enjoy eating. If you can do that, you can consider your dish a huge success.
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