Steps To Becoming A Better Cook

Steps To Becoming A Better Cook Cooking can be fun and rewarding, especially when done properly. There are few steps that need to be taken before you set your sites on competing on Chopped. First of all, you need the right equipment.

The seven essential types of pots needed to have on hand include skillets, slow cookers, woks, Dutch ovens, roasting pans, casserole dishes and salad bowls. A few other key elements to have in your kitchen include a saucepan or two and at least two cutting boards.

For fruit, you may want to get a separate cutting board. Try using a large cutting board — the bigger the board, the more room you have to prep ingredients quickly. You should also have a set of mixing bowls, measuring cups and measuring spoons.

Next step is to shop smart. Try to make a weekly plan of what you’re going to cook by looking over your recipes and writing a detailed shopping list. You can even organize your list by aisle. Try breaking it into sections such as produce, dry goods, meat & seafood, dairy, freezer, refrigerator, bakery and deli.

Thirdly, use herbs and spices as often as you can. Herbs are an easy way to make food taste great, and healthy too. They let you create aromatic, and delicious-tasting dishes without adding too much salt and sugar. So it's important to keep an array of dried herbs and spices close to your work space. Keep in mind that herbs and spices do go bad over time.

Another important rule in cooking is to follow the recipe. It's easy to sometimes go off track and use a little less or a little more of an ingredient, which can spell disaster. Stick to the measurements given. That's why measuring cups and spoons are so important. Also, read the directions correctly and in the right order.

Last, but not least, keep some great recipes on hand for rounding out a meal. Think of something easy like crusty bread, egg noodles or a simple green salad. And it’s always smart to add more veggies to your meal, so learn some basic ways to cook them up in a flash.

Erica Desai has always enjoyed cooking and finds that it's a wonderful way to relax. She likes to try new recipes for friends and family and see the reaction on their faces. “It's great to see when someone really enjoys something that you cook,” says Desai. Erica Desai considers cooking more of a hobby than something that you have to do.