Cookingor Basics how to mess up in the kitchen (and be okay with it) Estella Fox
Introduction
The kitchen is a scary place. I mean, just look at it. You can get severe burns from the oven (I’ve been there), there are sharp knifes, and kitchen gadgets look like some medieval torture device. But no, these aren’t the scariest things for you. The scariest thing is the possibly making something that tastes bad. I know, it sounds kind of silly when you hear it, right? Well, to no one’s surprise, it isn’t that scary. The kitchen is an artist’s space where you can paint your canvas however you want. Sure, it may turn out too spicy or just a little off, but it isn’t the end of the world. Scrap it, and try again. Now you might be saying to yourself, “Sure, I’ll try, but how am I supposed to get started? Where do I begin?” Well, here is the magical little tiny booklet that will help you out. Use this as a marker in the mysterious maze of cooking. Use this as a flame of light in a haunted mansion. Use this as a well in the middle of the desert. The point is, use this. No matter how familiar you are with the kitchen, you will always need to know the skills in this booklet. It details the techniques you need to know, equipment, terms, and other useful information that will guide you along your cooking journey. There will be bumps, bruises, and crises, but you can handle it. If you want to cook, the learning will fall into place. Once you get all the basics down, you will learn how to modify your dishes. You want the dish to be more salty? Add more salt. You don’t like broccoli due to a traumatic personal experience involving Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Leave them out. You are the supreme ruler of your kitchen, and you deserve all the flavor in the world. So go out and conquer the kitchen, and allow this little booklet to be your mentor.
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The Techniques This is a list of the basic techniques that are used in the kitchen. Some of these will definitely sound familiar, but all are important to know and understand why they work. This way, when you venture off into the wild world of cooking, you’ll know exactly what you’re doing. If you ever want to change a dish because, lets say, you’re passionate about sautéd asparagus but a recipe wants you to steam them, you can throw that cookbook in the trash and say “No more! I am the master of my kitchen!” and be on your merry way sautéing. And while I am all for that invigorating and empowering speech, take your cookbook out of the trash so you can see the rest of the recipe. So, you sautéd asparagus fanatic, learn these techniques, learn why they work, and love them. They will be a part of your cooking career for the rest of your life.
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Sautéing: Cooking food in a hot pan, typically with fat (butter, oil, etc.) to prevent sticking. The benefits: It brings out the flavor in every ingredient, and gives food a crispy texture. Deglazing: Adding liquid to a pan to scrape up the fond. The benefits: This is one of the easiest ways to start a sauce that is full of flavor. The fond is packed with deliciousness and shouldn’t go to waste. Braising: Cooking something floating in liquid for a long time over low heat, typically for larger pieces of food. Stewing: Cooking something completely submersed in liquid for a long time over low heat, typically for smaller pieces of food. The benefits: These techniques bring a depth of flavor out of many ingredients, slow cooks food to make it unbelievably tender, and allows seasonings to infuse. Roasting: Cooking food, uncovered, in a pan in the oven. The benefits: The oven is very versatile. Roasting can be used to cook anything, from large meats to vegetables, to perfection. It adds that browning effect to the outside while still thoroughly cooking the ingredient. Grilling: Cooking an ingredient on a grate over hot charcoal or other heat. Broiling: Cooking an ingredient in the oven where the heat only comes from the top, and is very hot. The benefits: These add an amazing color to the outside of any dish that imparts a lot
of flavor. It is much hotter than baking, so it is mainly used to heat the outside of foods quickly. Boiling: Heating liquid until bubbles vigorously pop at the surface. The benefits: This technique is used often, because it is the best to cook pastas, rice, and many other food. It makes food tender and succulent. Simmering: Similar to boiling, except the bubbles should not be vigorously popping. They should be small and just break the surface, and the pan will be on a much lower heat. The benefits: This is good for slow-cooking an ingredient in liquid (typically used in braising/stewing) or reducing a sauce to add more flavor. Slicing: Cutting an ingredient into slices (no wonder). Dicing: Cutting an ingredient into small cubes. The benefits: It’s pretty clear why these are beneficial: you get to cut ingredients to the right size for cooking. This could mean a smaller cooking time, releasing more flavor, or it’s just the appropriate size to eat. Steaming: Cooking food using steam, typically involves putting food on a perforated bowl over boiling water (without letting them touch). The benefits: This is the most gentle way to cook. It retains food’s color, shape, nutrients, and flavor which are sometimes lost during boiling.
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The Equipment If you walk around a kitchen appliance section of any store, you may notice some of those gadgets get specific. Like, weirdly specific. Banana slicers. Egg crackers. Mushroom brush. Raspberry deseeder. Most of these things you might use maybe 3 times a year, if that. So here is a list of the bare essentials you’ll need when it comes to cooking. These pieces of equipment will do almost anything you want in the kitchen, and won’t cost you a fortune for things you don’t need.
10-inch chef’s knife: This knife will do almost all the cutting in the kitchen. It is well weighted, durable, and, if properly cared for, can last a lifetime. Serrated bread knife: While this knife obviously cuts bread, it can also be used for cutting several delicate items without squishing them. Paring knife: Although it might look like a baby’s knife, don’t give it to a baby. This knife can be used for peeling, coring, and carving. 10-inch nonstick skillet: Like the chef’s knife, this is the skillet that can be used for pretty much everything. It is also easy to clean. 3-quart saucepan: This can be used for cooking anything you need to boil in small amounts. Some examples include rice, vegetables, pasta, and sauces. 10-quart stockpot and lid: This will be used for making large amounts of pasta, or for making soups and stocks. Heavy-duty roasting pan: Use this pan for anything that needs to roast in the oven, from turkey to meatloaf. It has high sides so you can use the juice for sauces and gravy. Measuring cups and spoons: Before you get very comfortable with cooking, you’ll need these handy so you can follow a recipe correctly. Even when you are the master of the kitchen, measuring things is vital for parts of cooking and certainly baking. Strainer: For straining the liquid out of anything. This can be used for getting the ingredients out of soups and stews, draining pasta, or rinsing off fruits and vegetables. Wooden spoon, spatulas, and peelers: Here’s where people go crazy buying all sorts of different things, but these three items are the bare essentials to cooking.
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The Terms
For a new cook, a recipe can look like a completely different language. And sometimes, some of the words are in a different language. It seems pretty unfair for them to expect you to know all these different terms, so here are some common ones that you’ll need to know. This way, when you are trying to woo a significant other (while fending several suitors off because they have seen your impeccable cooking skills), you can whip out these terms to show you are the boss around your kitchen.
fond: the caramelized drippings and bits of food that are left over after something has been cooked in a pan, very flavorful roux: created by cooking butter and flour together in a pan, it is used to thicken things like sauces tender: cooking something until it is well cooking and easy to cut, it can be tested by sticking a fork in the ingredient, and if it comes out with little resistance, it is tender al-dente: when something is cooked until it is “firm to the bite,” means “to the tooth” in Italian dredge: to coat wet foods with a dry ingredient before cooking rest: when meat relaxes after cooking before cutting into it, this will let the meat finish cooking and allow moisture to come back into the meat stock: flavored liquid, typically made out of bones, meat, and vegetables like carrots, onion, and celery that are simmered for a long time to draw out the flavor from these ingredients caramelize: either the process of browning something in fat to bring out a deep flavor, or cooking sugar down until it makes a rich brown color fold: gently mix something delicate (i.e. whipped egg whites, cream) with another ingredient, like ‘folding’ the two ingredients together garnish: something used to decorate a food dish or drink, could be for visual aesthetics or flavor mince: to chop very finely reduce: heating a liquid by simmering/boiling it, will thicken and intensify in flavor sift: to put dry ingredients through a sifter to make sure there are no lumps and aerate them render: to cook the fat out of something until it turns from a liquid to a solid season: to add spices to a dish blanch: to put food into boiling water, and then quickly transfer into an ice bath to stop the cooking process immediately, prevents overcooking and losing flavor
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The Knife Aside from you, the knife is the master of the kitchen. It is used in virtually all dishes, so it is important to “get a grip� (pun intended) on how to use them. There are many different ways to cut and hold a knife, but this instruction is just for the basic knife that can be applied anywhere. With these tips, you’ll never have to use a Band-Aid.
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The Tips 1. Slice away, away, away, from your hand. This is the most important part in using a knife if you are really scared to get cut. Aside from some techniques, most knife skills will not involve cutting towards your body, but always be sure to know the direction of the blade before chopping away. 2. Use a cutting board. Although this may seem obvious, there have been several occasions where I have just gotten lazy and used the counter. This can create a slippery work environment, and when things get slippery with knifes, cuts happen. So use a cutting board that doesn’t slide, and if that isn’t an option, put the cutting board on a wet towel so it doesn’t slip. This way, your knives won’t slip either. 3. Use the ‘curl’ method. Keep your fingertips curled under while you stabilize your food to cut. This way, in the event that the blade does land on you, it will hit your hard knuckle instead of slicing off a fingertip.
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What Makes a
good dish After you take the first bite of a dish, do you ever get that feeling like fireworks full of flavor burst in your mouth? No? Just me? Well, even if you haven’t had this exact experience before, you probably have had something like it. When everything comes together on a dish, miracles happen. Water turns to wine. Diseases are cured. It is amazing what a good dish can do. But what even is a ‘good dish’? What makes a dish good? Well, lucky for you, this section details exactly why you feel those fireworks exploding in your mouth. With some practice, preparation, and creativity, you can create dishes that will leave your guests in awe.
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1. Balance Taste: There are 6 different ‘tastes’ that make a dish perfectly balanced: salt, sweet, umami (savory), sour, bitter, and fat. While you don’t need to go overboard trying to perfect all of these different flavors, it is important to keep in mind when making a dish or creating your own. It is no wonder why some dishes just work. Each element balance each other out to create a well rounded dish. This is why tables have salt and pepper on the table, or some dishes are served with lemon. Once you understand how to balance a meal, each flavor will stand out on its own while working perfectly with the rest. Chefs typically break down each dish into 3 different notes: low, mid, and high. Low notes serve as the umami element, a base that has substance but can be built off of. Example: meat, beans, mushrooms Mid notes are more mild in flavor, and typically need something to season them up or else they will be bland. Example: chicken, vegetables High notes breathe life into the dish. They create that counter to the main ingredient to bring out all the flavors. Example: herbs, citrus, hot pepper, seasonings Texture: This one is pretty straight forward. Basically, a dish can feel strange when eating if it all, well, ‘feels’ the same. When creating a dish, you don’t want one consistency in your mouth. That’s why it is good to balance a dish with different textures. It could be crunchy, soft, mushy, hearty, et cetera. Whatever it is, make sure the dish has contrasting textures so it doesn’t get boring.
2. Ingredients Good ingredients can make or break a dish. This is why it is extremely important to make sure all the ingredients that you buy are up to quality. Now, this doesn’t mean go out and spend $40 on a steak, but just keep in mind the freshness and taste of the food available to you. Guests won’t want taste of bland, thawed fruit. They don’t want the spaghetti sauce that taste like ketchup. You and whoever you are cooking for deserve ingredients that can hold their own on a plate. So when you are out buying the ingredients for your fabulous dish, don’t save 50 cents buying the older looking broccoli. Bad ingredients, even when cooked well, will ruin the dish.
3. Love A dash of sugar, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a touch of love. Yes, put love into your food. Put so much love that it overpowers the dish. The only way to really make a dish shine is to have passion while making it. Care for it like a newborn child. Cradle it, watch it make its first steps, and hold it in your arms after it had a bad date with some tattooed guy. If you care about what you are putting on the plate, chances are, you are going to put something on there that tastes good. In order to make delicious food, you have to want to make delicious food. It all starts with you. So eat your heart out, so to speak.
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Shrimp and Cocktail Sauce Ingredients:
1 lemon Kosher salt 2 pounds large shrimp in the shell (about 30) 1/2 cup chili sauce 1/2 cup ketchup 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
3 minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through. 3. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to blanch. When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, peel and devein them. Keep cold until ready to serve. 4/ For the cocktail sauce, combine the chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Serve with the shrimp.
Directions:
1. Cut the lemon in half and add it to a large pot of boiling salted water. 2. Add the shrimp and cook, uncovered, for only
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Homemade Naan Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 tablespoon sugar 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 1/4 cup water (room temp or slightly above) 3/4 cup whole milk (room temp or slightly above) 1 cup plain yogurt (not Greek)
Garnishes:
Melted butter or ghee (for brushing) Optional toppings or add-ins: garlic, onion, herbs, cheese
Instructions:
1. Combine yeast, sugar, and lukewarm water and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. In the meantime, combine flours, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl. Make a well in the center. 2. Stir milk and yogurt together. Once the yeast mixture is foamy, stir it into the yogurt and
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milk. Pour into the well of the dry ingredients. 3. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine, then knead dough until smooth. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and let rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size. 4. When dough is ready, punch down and turn out on a well-floured surface. Divide in half, then divide each half into eight pieces of equal size. Roll each piece out into a thin oval approximately 6 inches long and 1/8 inch thick. Heat a cast iron skill over medium-high heat on the stove top. 5. Once pan is hot, brush each side of the naan with melted butter/ghee. (If adding toppings like onion/garlic/spice, add them to the second side you brush with butter and gently press them into the dough.) 6. Place dough into your skillet. (If you’ve adding toppings, place it topping side-up.) Let cook for around 1 minute, or until dough puffs and bubbles form on top. Flip and let cook for another minute. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Makes 16 naan
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Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Ingredients:
Vinaigrette: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon regular or light mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest Pepper 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Pinch of sugar Salad: 2 1/2 cups arugula 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup goat cheese, broken up
slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture. If pools of oil gather on surface as you whisk, stop addition of oil and whisk mixture well to combine, then resume whisking in oil in slow stream. Vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened, with no pools of oil in its surface. 3. Toss salad with vinaigrette, dried cranberries, and goat cheese. Serves 2-3 people
Instructions:
1. Combine lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, zest, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste in a small bowl. Whisk until mixture is milky in appearance and no lumps of mayonnaise remain. 2. Place oil in a small measuring cup so that it is easy to pour. Whisking constantly, very
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Curried Chicken Mulligatawny Soup Ingredients:
Curried Soup 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken breasts 1-1/2 tablespoons ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2-1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 5 whole cloves 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1 large yellow onion, cut in thin rings 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated 4+2 cups low sodium chicken broth 1 can chickpeas, drained 1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seed 1/2 teaspoon canola oil
Garnishes:
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped 1/2 cup raisins 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges 1/2 cup Major Gray Apricot Chutney 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Instructions:
1. The original recipe is cooked in a clay pot but any large dutch oven will work. If you’re using a clay pot, soak the top and bottom of the clay
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cooker in water for at least 15 minutes, then drain. 2. In a small bowl combine the coriander, turmeric, cumin, salt and cloves. Set aside. Cut the onion slices thinly, mince the garlic and grate the ginger. 3. Remove the skin from the chicken breasts and arrange them slightly overlapping in the clay cooker (or dutch oven if you’re not using the clay pot). Sprinkle the spices over the chicken. Cover the chicken with the onion slices, garlic and ginger. Pour 4 cups of chicken stock over everything, cover tightly and place in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 400 degrees. 4. Cook for 2-1/2 hours. Remove the chicken pieces from the soup and debone the meat. Return the meat to the soup. Add 2 more cups of chicken broth and half the can of the drained chickpeas. Mash the remaining chickpeas coarsely and add them to the soup also. 5. Toast the 1/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add 1/2 teaspoon of canola oil to the skillet and continue to toast the spice for another minute. Watch carefully! The cumin can burn quickly. You want to add a toasty taste so if you feel the seeds are done before the minute is up, remove them. Add the toasted cumin to the soup. Replace the top and put it back into the oven for another 30 minutes. 6. Place all the garnishes in separate bowls arranged around the table so everyone can customize their soup with the garnishes of their choice. Serves 6-8 people
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Chicken Cutlet with Cream Pan Sauce Ingredients:
Chicken: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed, trimmed Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Pan sauce: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 shallot, minced 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon brandy 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Halve chicken horizontally, then cover chicken halves with plastic wrap and point to even 1/4-inch thickness with meat pounder. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place 4 cutlets in skillet and cook until
browned on first side, about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and contrite to cook until second side is opaque, 15 to 20 seconds; transfer to large oven safe platter. 3. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining 4 cutlets; transfer to platter. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and transfer to oven to keep warm while preparing sauce. 4. Heat oil in now-empty skillet over low heat until shimmering. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. 5. Slowly whisk in broth, and then 1/4 cup brandy, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until reduced by 1/2 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cream and any accumulated chicken juices; return to simmer and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. 6. Off heat, whisk in chives, lemon juice, mustard, and remaining 1 tablespoon brandy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately. Serves 4
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Skillet Apple Crisp Ingredients:
Topping: 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 3/4 cup pecans, chopped fine 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled outs (see note) 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon table salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted Filling: 3 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) 1 cup apple cider 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions:
1.Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, pecans, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cin-
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namon, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in butter until mixture is thoroughly moistened and crumbly. Set aside while preparing the fruit filling. 2. Toss the apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon (if using) together in a large bowl; set aside. Bring cider to a simmer in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Transfer reduced cider to a bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice and set aside. 3. Heat butter in a now empty skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add apple mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until apples begin to soften and become translucent, 12 to 14 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Remove pan from heat and gently stir in cider mixture until apples are coated. 4. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Place skillet on baking sheet and bake until fruit is tender and topping is deep golden brown,15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve. Serves 6-8
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Artist’s Note: Although I did not cite directly, I got a lot of inspiration from different cookbooks that I read for my research. From The Classic Mediterranean Cookbook written by Sarah Woodward, I used the full page photo idea. The ones in this book look very appealing and make the food look amazing, so I used that idea in my product. From The Exotic Table: Flavors, Inspiration, and Recipes from around the World - to Your Kitchen by Aliya LeeKong, I took inspiration from the introduction. She described her personal experience with cooking and how it brought her family together, so in my introduction, I used a similar idea to make cooking appeal to the readers more than just to make food. From Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi, I was inspired by the design. It looked modern, clean, and very easy to read. I decided that would be a great way to display my product, so I mimicked some of the styles and page layouts that were in this book. I got a lot of information from a book called How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, so that helped with defining some of the terms that were unknown to the reader.