5 New Year's Resolutions to Make You A Better Cook
New year, new you! And if you're a kitchen newbie, we know just what you should include in your resolutions this year:
1 Master the basics.
You can't be a kitchen expert without mastering the fundamental cooking techniques. Start by polishing your knife skills, then move on to learning the other basic methods of cooking-from blanching, to poaching, to roasting. Once you have a better grasp of the "easy ones", no dish would ever be too difficult for you to cook.
2 Learn the life-saving trick of substitution.
That one ingredient you need won't always be available in the pantry so spare yourself from all the panic and frustration by learning how to substitute. This life-saving kitchen trick truly is handy and the knowledge of it is indispensable.
3 Read up!
Cooking is a skill you learn through observation and application, but that doesn't give you an excuse to sidestep the books. Pick up some cookbooks, and during your free time, read and study the recipes you like. If "study" sounds boring, challenge yourself to cook all the recipes in a cookbook you enjoyed reading.
4 Ask the kitchen expert in your family to teach you an heirloom recipe.
Now's the best time to ask the head cook of your family to pass on the recipe of your great grandma's specialty to you. Ask about the history behind the dish, the secret to its great and timeless taste, and as you try cooking it, strictly stick to the recipe. It may take some time to perfectly replicate an ages-old dish, but once it's your time to pass the recipe on to the next generation of your family, the feeling would be priceless.
5 Invest on high-quality kitchen gadgets.
If you think cheap kitchen gadgets are good enough to work with since you got them for less, you're wrong. You may have saved money, but using cheap kitchen equipment puts your preparation time, effort, and-above everything else-your own safety on the line. While high-quality kitchen gadgets are quite pricey, they're sturdier, safer, and a lot more efficient to use.
Here are some kitchen gadgets that are worth shelling out money for:
6 Find out what your signature dish is.
Every cook has a signature dish, and you must have one, too! Pick a recipe that's close to your heart, give it your own twist, and perfect it. Whether it's the family-favorite fried chicken or something more sophisticated, it's all up to you, for that very dish is what you'll be remembered for.
