Totally agree. It's so easy to overthink cooking. Take off the exec-chef-in-restaurant apron and focus on the simple stuff:
- Add salt/pepper/spices by hand if you can. Shakers/larger-volume canisters lead to over-application, but it's so easy to grab a little bit of salt, apply, taste, and do it over again until you hit the right mark
- Learn how to cook in a single pot - stews/soups/etc. Saves on cleaning, and broths packed full of nutrients
- Use a crock-pot/slow-cooker. Dead simple, very low risk, produces significant quantities of food
- Learn about portion sizing. So much of over or under cooking is applying the same technique and timing to two different quantities of food. 16 oz of steak cooks differently than 8, same for veggies. Buying the right portions consistently solves so many problems
- Given the point above, learn about an oven -- convection vs. radiant heat. Convection cooking is fast, easy, and awesome.
- Learn how to store stuff properly. You'll spend a fortune if you regularly trap your veggies in air-tight containers. Many of them don't need and are worse-off in those containers. Learn what stuff should be near or away from other vegetables. Good example: if you put your avocados and tomatoes next to your cucumbers, kiss the latter good-bye -- they'll go bad way faster due to the gas emitted by the two others
- Finally, it goes without saying -- not everyone likes what you do, so it's ok if your most exquisite dish doesn't go over perfectly with everyone.
Funny, I was just thinking how helpful these tips are compared to a lot of the advice on cooking which is repetitive.
Was not aware of the differences in veggie storage.
You do have a lot more seasoning control not in a shaker and that's how it is done in a professor kitchen.
Thanks!
A lot of this stuff can get pretty nuanced especially seasoning, and to me that makes or breaks any dish even if you're just using salt and pepper. I usually just go with what's recommended for a particular recipe... After trying a recipe a few times, I MIGHT tweak the seasoning based my or the wife's preferences. When I'm not sure what seasonings to use outside of salt/pepper, I usually just use seasoned salt.
- Add salt/pepper/spices by hand if you can. Shakers/larger-volume canisters lead to over-application, but it's so easy to grab a little bit of salt, apply, taste, and do it over again until you hit the right mark
- Learn how to cook in a single pot - stews/soups/etc. Saves on cleaning, and broths packed full of nutrients
- Use a crock-pot/slow-cooker. Dead simple, very low risk, produces significant quantities of food
- Learn about portion sizing. So much of over or under cooking is applying the same technique and timing to two different quantities of food. 16 oz of steak cooks differently than 8, same for veggies. Buying the right portions consistently solves so many problems
- Given the point above, learn about an oven -- convection vs. radiant heat. Convection cooking is fast, easy, and awesome.
- Learn how to store stuff properly. You'll spend a fortune if you regularly trap your veggies in air-tight containers. Many of them don't need and are worse-off in those containers. Learn what stuff should be near or away from other vegetables. Good example: if you put your avocados and tomatoes next to your cucumbers, kiss the latter good-bye -- they'll go bad way faster due to the gas emitted by the two others
- Finally, it goes without saying -- not everyone likes what you do, so it's ok if your most exquisite dish doesn't go over perfectly with everyone.