Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 48 of Life On the Brink!
It’s no secret here that I love cooking. Like, I really love it.
I’d venture to say that you enjoy aspects of it also. Cooking is so wonderful because it involves all your senses and has a delicious and even practical end. I’m currently reading Stanley Tucci’s memoir, “Taste: My Life Through Food,” and came across this quote that I think sums it up beautifully:
"Her [my mother's] cooking, like that of any great cook or chef is proof
that culinary creativity may be the most perfect art form. It allows for free
personal expression, like painting, musical composition, or writing and
yet fulfills a most practical need the need to eat edible art, what could
be better?"
I couldn’t put it better myself. For many people, though, cooking can seem really intimidating. This episode is to help remedy some of that intimidation. You may recall from Episode 33 about my favorite cookbooks that I’ve talked about how to best read and follow a recipe, but today we’re taking it one step further. Today we’re talking about some simple techniques that will really up your game in the kitchen.
What’s in my teacup? Straight-up black tea with a nice pour of cream and honey.
All the way at the beginning of this podcast, in Episode 3 to be precise, I said that cooking is like jazz, and I still think that’s the best way to compare it. Cooking, like jazz music, is built upon form and structure, but once you learn the rules you can go wherever you want. What’s more, both these art forms provide for endless progressions of understanding and creativity, so there’s always something new to learn and more ideas to try.
I think there are two equally-important factors that help make up one’s confidence in the kitchen (though neither of them involve a big beautiful kitchen or expensive equipment).
1. Knowing your ingredients (we won’t spend too much time on that during this episode)
2. Knowing how to cook those ingredients.
That’s where this episode comes in. Today is all about technique. We’re gonna develop some skillz.
A few precursors:
Now, I’m going out on a limb here and guessing that you know the basic techniques that most recipes will include like sautéing (frying in a pan), boiling (hot water, think pasta), or stewing (basically what a slow cooker does). There are a few skills that I think most of us will have used, and aren’t nearly as intimidating as some of the ones we’re talking about today.
Also, even though I just said you don’t need a big fancy kitchen full of gadgets, I do recommend having a basic set of cookware (pots and pans, they usually come in sets), a couple cutting boards, and a few sharp knives. The rest will come from your own necessity.
Ok, now with that out of the way, let’s get on with it…
I speak a lot about these in detail on the podcast, so I recommend listening to this section (transcript also available), but I’ve included all the links that I will mention here below:
COOKING TECHNIQUES TO UP YOUR KITCHEN GAME
-Mise En Place. “Everything in its place,” the cornerstone of every kitchen.
-Knife Cuts. Sharp knives and a weighty cutting board will take you far.
-Searing. Make sure your food is dry and the skillet is hot. The sizzle is the key!
-Braising. Basically just searing, but then stewing in liquid over a couple hours, low and slow.
-Roasting. Here’s my recipe for any roasted vegetable:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prep a baking sheet with your vegetable of choice (cut into 1 inch-or-so pieces), drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper and whatever else you like. Mix it all up and lay out evenly.
(you can use aluminum foil on the baking sheet for super easy cleanup)
3. Roast 10 minutes, flip things around with a spatula, then go for another 10 minutes
That’s it!
Potato variation: Roast 20 minutes, then flip and go for another 20. They take more time. Also, I don’t recommend foil unless it’s a super strength aluminum. It just tears and defeats the purpose.
-Reducing. Just let things bubble away and it will become thick and concentrated.
-Pan Sauce. So easy and so delish.
-Soup. Honestly, I think it’s the easiest thing (maybe besides eggs) to make, and allows for so much freedom and creativity.
Also, here’s a couple “hacks” I’ve come across that are super helpful:
-Cook bacon in the oven. Just throw a sheet with foil and strips of bacon in an oven at 350 until it looks good to you. Way easier than a skillet.
-Salad dressing. A simple vinaigrette is indeed simple, and super versatile. Also, any salad you make is instantly more personable with a homemade dressing.
-Keep herbs and green onions in water. I treat my bundles of fresh herbs the way I do bouquets of flowers and they keep much longer. Also green onions will just grow right back if put in a little glass of shallow water.
This Week’s Little Joy: Since the New Year, twice I have been called upon my family to make a last-minute birthday cake. I love an impromptu cake, and I really enjoyed having the ingredients (with some substitutions here and there) and the know-how to whip something up and feel really proud of the result.
What I’m Listening to: The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. This project is just brilliant. I think this first gained traction on TikTok, but it's now a whole album with gorgeous backing tracks and everything. It's getting me through these last few weeks until the new season in March, since this album almost feels like watching the whole story play out. Just promise me you'll listen to it.
Thank you so much for listening! I love hearing where each of you are listening from, so feel free to reach out on Instagram or comment below with your cooking ideas. Until next time, my sweet friends, have a lovely week and happy cooking!