Everything I know about cooking.
This can’t possibly be everything I know about cooking. But I haven’t forgotten any of this… yet.
Not all salt is created equal. Some salt is saltier than other salts, and a salt measure might end up wildly different in terms of saltiness, depending on the type and size of your crystals. When you salt with it, that saltier salt will make your dish too salty (which will also make you salty.). Read up on your sea vs. kosher vs. iodized vs. coarse vs. fine… you get the idea. If I could only have one kind of salt in my kitchen, I would choose Diamond Crystal Kosher salt.
Speaking of salt, season as you go, tasting as you go. This is the best way to avoid over or undergoing your seasoning.
Still speaking of salt, put salt in the water you use to boil your pasta, just as it comes to a boil. Some cooks say to make your pasta water like seawater… but the last time I tasted seawater, it didn’t go so well, so go for, say, a tablespoon for every couple of quarts. This is the first step in a beautifully seasoned dish, and that starchy, savory water can be the key ingredient in a great pasta sauce. Don’t skip it! Don’t toss it! And don’t throw it at anyone, that’s mean.
Speaking of pasta water, don’t put oil in your pasta water. It doesn’t prevent the pasta from sticking together, it just puts oil on your noodles that might repel your sauce.
And speaking of pasta, don’t put it in until the water is at a rolling boil, and start testing it a minute or two before it’s supposed to be “done”. And if you’re going to pop it in a sauce to finish cooking there, take it out when you’ve still got some serious bite in each noodle.
Do all of your chopping and measuring and set-up before you turn on a single burner — which also means you’ll need to read the whole recipe in advance. But do pre-heat your oven.
Speaking of ovens, get an oven thermometer. Oven gauges are dirty, dirty liars.
When you can, grind the pepper fresh, squeeze the citrus fresh, chop the herbs fresh, and kick out anyone who gets fresh with you in your own kitchen. Well, that last part is non-negotiable.
Don’t take it personally if a guest adds salt, ketchup, A1 sauce, eye of newt, or whatever else to your cooking. Palates are crazy things that are shaped by time and (admittedly sometimes weird) behavior, and it doesn’t mean a) you didn’t do a good job or b) they’re trying to hurt your feelings. Just enjoy what's on your fork.
Never turn your back on a horse, a three-year-old with a marker, a tornado, or your broiler.
Speaking of three-year-olds, treat proteins cooking like a feverish toddler. Check the temperature as often as you need to make sure what you’re making doesn’t get overheated, ensure you make it rest after it gets all heated up, and avoid dehydration at all costs. Is this a weird analogy? Yes. Are the takeaways still true? Yes.
Yes, we eat with our eyes, but a dish that doesn’t look like a magazine picture can still be the most delicious thing on earth. Don’t sweat it, just eat it. Heck, take a picture of it and post it. It will feel your pride and taste even better.
Set timers for a bit less than the time something is supposed to take. Stoves and ovens can be fickle (and hotter or colder than you think) sometimes, so use your eyes, your tastebuds, and your common sense to judge when you’re “there.”
If someone tells you they don’t like a lot of “spice”, dig deeper. Do they mean the flavor of certain spices, like cumin or paprika? Do they mean the burn of heat-giving spices, like cayenne or chili powder? Do they mean complex flavors, like those conferred by a garam masala or five-spice? Do they mean the flavors of a particular cuisine, like Thai or Mexican or Ethiopian? Do they mean salt, because they’re super sensitive to it? “Spice” is not an ingredient in and of itself.
Anything can be comfort food if it gives someone comfort. Eat what makes you feel good.
Ask the best cooks you know if you can watch them make their favorite dishes. Bring a bottle of whatever they like to drink, be willing to do the chopping and cleaning up, and learn by osmosis.
Recipes are foundations to build on, not walls meant to contain you. If you like a little more something-or-other or a little less-something-or-other, go with your heart and your palate. If you want to try a substitution, go for it. But if you replace every part of a recipe and then leave a comment on someone’s website about how much their recipe sucks, you may be in need of… containment.
When cooking feels like a chore, do anything you can to make it an experience. Turn on music, pour yourself a glass of something you enjoy, take a moment to breathe between tasks, wear an apron that makes you smile, light a candle, do it over FaceTime with a friend... whatever works for you. Can it be fun every time? No. Can it be fun more often? YES.
