Based on observing housemates and friends in the kitchen
Being a good cook comes from a dollop of common sense and just a pinch of skill. If you’re inexperienced in the kitchen or you’ve had a few bad experiences, don’t worry. The solution is simple: practice, practice, practice.
Learning to cook is an important skill and one that you should develop sooner rather than later. It’ll not only save you money, it’ll help you eat healthier.
Here are five cooking tips to help you avoid some common kitchen mistakes.
1. FLIP IT IF IT NEEDS FLIPPING
With some foods, too much flipping could be bad for the cooking process (e.g., flipping an egg too much could wreck a yolk). Other things, however, require more attention, such as bacon. Keep bacon strips separated from each other in the pan and flip them every thirty seconds or so.
2. DON’T CROWD THE PAN
The more stuff you put in a pan the more liquid will be released, which means things will not crisp up. Mushrooms, for example, will be soggy and unappetizing if the pan is crowded. Give each mushroom space and they will all turn a nice golden brown and taste great.The idea of not crowding also applies to cooking frozen foods. Dumping an entire bag of french fries onto a baking sheet means that some fries will burn, some will be soggy, and some might remain cold inside. Spread them out in an even layer. If you’re unsure, remember that the cooking directions on the package aren’t just super fun suggestions.
3. ADD SALT AT THE END
Add salt in small amounts at the end, tasting in between the additions. If you season vegetables right away then they will release a lot of water, which will make them pretty soggy.Sauces, on the other hand, will reduce as water evaporates during the cooking process. This means that the same amount of salt will be present in way less liquid, which equals a salty meal.
4. USE A BAKING SHEET
Use a baking sheet, always. Aluminum foil can tear easily and cause a huge mess in the oven. Failing to use a baking sheet is not only messy and a pain to clean, it’s a fire hazard. Use an oven safe casserole dish or baking sheet when cooking meat or fish. Certain cuts release a lot of liquid when cooked and the few bucks you spend on a baking sheet will save you a lot of cleaning time and, depending on the damage to your landlord’s oven, maybe even your safety deposit.
5. KEEP AN EYE ON IT
Yes, there are a thousand possible reasons you need to leave the kitchen for just a few minutes with no one to keep an eye on the stove. None of them are valid. If you need to leave the kitchen, turn off all the things you were using. Similarly, pay attention to what you’re doing in the kitchen. If your back is to the stove, you have headphones on, and you’re watching a movie on Netflix then that doesn’t count as keeping an eye on things. Being negligent in the kitchen never ends well: at best you’ll have wasted time, money, and food, and at worst you could seriously hurt yourself or others.
Be mindful, and if something goes wrong in the kitchen, remember that it’s just part of the process. Think about why it went wrong, do a Google search or ask someone to figure it out, and then try it a different way the next time.
You got this.
Graphics by Frances Esenwa/The Ontarion.