8 Things I wish somebody would have told me about cooking...In REAL Life!

When you are new to cooking, learning how to properly conceptualize, budget, store, and cook in Real Life is tough. The world of food is HUGE and knowing where to start can be confusing. If you are new to the kitchen or have recently taken an interest in cooking more at home, the first step to take is a deep breath. Don’t lose heart! Even if your skills are lackluster thus far you can rest assured knowing most of your cooking skills can be improved upon over time as you increase your food knowledge, all it takes is a genuine interest and practice. So it’s ok if you're not putting it down like Racheal Ray just yet, remember to breathe and relax. Seriously give yourself some time to take it all in. And... The next time a meal doesn’t turn out quite like you planned, keep in mind chances are, even your favorite Celebrity Chef has made a mistake or two in the kitchen! Learning how to cook is not a sprint, it is a marathon, and while I am not here to take away from your journey I can offer a few tips that I wish someone would have told me about cooking as I transitioned through various cooking roles throughout my professional career and personal life.

Eating Out can get Expensive

Let’s Face It. America knows how to eat out. According to thesimpledollar.com, American’s eat out between 4-5 times a week on average. That’s over 18 meals per month. And nationwide average take out prices have risen to $12.75 per meal. That means we spend an extra $232.00/per person on average on commercially prepared food outside the home compared to an average of $4 per personl spent on groceries to prepare foods at home. To provide some perspective, take a look at this great video “How Eating Out Keeps You Poor,” from Two Cents, a popular PBS money management channel. They have a community of nearly 500k subscribers that they help by delivering smart money tips in funny video format. Check it Out Below.

Invest in Quality Kitchen Tools & Appliances

Any experienced Home Chef knows: You are only as good as your tools. Invest in quality tools, especially as you are learning. Quality pots and pans can be looked at as secret weapons in your Kitchen Army. They are a necessary part of your arsenal. Poor quality cookware can lead to low quality dishes.This can seriously make you question your skills when it was really the integrity of the cookware that should be called into question. Notice I said quality items, this does not necessarily mean expensive ones. A lot of high quality pots and pans are also highly affordable. To save some serious cash consider visiting 2nd hand stores in your area. You can find top notch kitchen items in great condition. Thrift stores are a treasure trove for things like pots & pans, standing mixers, dutch ovens, blenders, cast Irons, casserole dishes, stainless steel mixing bowls, toaster ovens, and almost every fad kitchen gadget you can think of. At a 2nd hand store you can get the tools you need to enhance your skills at a fraction of the cost which is a great idea if you are just beginning or seeking to enhance your skills.

Identify your palette

Think of how important a painter’s paint palette is to their work. Tons of colors created with a simple stroke of the brush. Imagine your food palette in the same way. It is an array of all the foods, spices, cooking methods, and ingredients that you like, and it is very unique to you. Taking time to properly identify what types of food you like to eat can be a very important factor in figuring out how to cook for yourself at home. You will generally have a tendency towards a certain family of spices, cooking methods, and ingredients. This could be based on more than just what tastes good to you. Your palate is influenced by a number of social, cultural and regional factors. The power in knowing your tongue is in the preparation. If you know what you like to eat you know what foods to begin to buy, what regional cuisines to begin to study, why cooking methods to apply, and what spices to stock your cabinet with. We all know what we like, but how often do we really think about the grand scheme of it? When you have a moment. Write down 10-20 of your favorite dishes. As you write, you should begin to notice several patterns. Observe commonalities among your dishes like the cooking methods, regions of origin, ingredients, etc.

What type of eater are you? Do you prefer Mexican, Southern Classics, Chinese, Baked Goods, etc? Are you generally eating beef, chicken, seafood, or meatless options? Do you generally like your foods prepared on the stove top, oven, air fryer? Do most of your dishes fall during breakfast, lunch, or dinner? These are the types of observations you can make by doing this small exercise. It grants you insight into your eating style and gives you a good idea of WHAT to start learning to cook at home. Master your favorites then explore more recipes, techniques, ingredients, and spices from a region you like. For example, if you like Tandoori Chicken you may like other Indian dishes that incorporate the same spices. Alternatively, if beef is your favorite dinner protein, you can begin exploring different recipes using it in new ways. Maybe you prefer restaurant take-out? You can start testing copy-cat recipes at home. Or let’s say you love enchiladas? Then you can begin exploring Mexican Cuisine as a whole! How exciting is that! By always cooking towards what you like you will always find new and exciting ways to prepare your favorite foods. In the long run this will help you curb kitchen boredom. It does exist. And if you want to expand your palate, try a new ingredient and/or cooking method or incorporate 1 new ingredient and/or recipe at least once weekly or biweekly.

Eat with 90 years in mind

Ultimately, your body is a machine with amazing regenerative and healing capabilities built in. All you have to do is create the right conditions. With this in mind, food can be viewed as the fuel necessary for the proper operation of the machine. In the beginning it can be exciting to be able to order carryout whenever you want or eat ice cream at 2am, but train yourself to think long term. What you give your body is what you will get and bad habits will catch up to you eventually. So early in your Home Chef career be conscious of what you are cooking, think about what you are eating and drinking and try to eliminate risks to your overall health. Think about what your current food habits could look like 90 years from now, Are they Sustainable? This doesn’t mean we should all pack it up, head for the hills and eat off the land, but it does mean, it is a good idea to incorporate healthy food practices in your diet as soon as possible and keep them there. Also, experiment with different ways to make healthy foods. Healthy, Sustainable, Non-Processed, Whole foods are best for your body in the end. If you make the decision to be intentional about what you eat, you will not regret it.

Budget, Plan. Menu. Prep.... In that Order.

Home Chefs have a saying: If you want good food don’t wait until the last minute to start. This is especially a concern for busy adults. As the work day gets longer the opportunity to cook gets shorter. So, if you don’t prepare a lot of meals at home now, No Worries. Cooking can be slowly incorporated into your lifestyle. There is no right way except the one that works for you. Start by becoming very aware of your food budget. How much money can you spend on food this month, this week? Then look at your schedule for the upcoming week. What kind of kitchen time do you have? There may be days that you have more time to dedicate than others. Knowing this helps you incorporate cooking into your schedule more seamlessly. Third, write your menu (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner), keeping your budget in mind. What day will you incorporate that new ingredient? Which day would be best for leftovers? What can be prepared ahead of time? Grocery store apps are great for helping you view your cart before purchase, helping you stay on budget. And as an added bonus, keeping your weekly menu in plain sight can add to the excitement of the meal for yourself and those around you.

Buy a Cookbook or 2…. In Print!

I know, I know, I know I can hear your minimalistic scoff now. “Why do I need old school cookbooks lying around when everything is online!” Let me be the first to tell you, in the world of food, Everything is NOT online. Some of the best cookbooks were published pre-internet so they may or may not be available for online viewing. Because printed cookbooks are like a cook, or chef's autobiography so to speak. The collection of recipes can be a career collective of inspiration directly from the minds and hearts of some of your favorite food Influencers. Cookbooks also get nichey, meaning they are the perfect place to begin an exploration of a particular region, cooking method, or recipe type. You can find a cookbook for just about anything and most of them have beginning notes, tips, and details from your author about your particular subject. These forward sections are designed to help you better grasp the overall concept of lets say grilling, baking, vegetarian dishes, etc. Be sure to read these sections.The tips, tricks, hacks, and insight provided here is included to expand your cooking knowledge and further develop you as a Home Chef.

Explore Different Cooking Methods

Another great way to grow in the kitchen is by exploring new cooking methods. If you typically bake your meals, try some stove top recipes. If you typically fry, give a dutch oven a shot. Trying new ways of cooking your favorite foods helps keep them new and exciting. You could get bored with a pan seared chicken breasts once you master it but might enjoy adding a stuffed variation to your repertoire. By starting with your favorites during your experimentation you are creating the perfect opportunity for yourself to fall in love with a new method entirely and start applying it to other staple ingredients that are pleasing to your palate. Take for example a person who has identified ground beef as a staple ingredient among their favorite dishes. Let us also say this person generally prepares the ground beef using the stove top, so it is generally crumbled and browned, but TODAY they are stepping out of their comfort zone by taking the ground beef and applying a different cooking method. Their ground beef on the stove generally results in tacos or a nice hamburger, but in the oven, they enjoyed something different like meatloaf. This may seem small but the willingness to try new ways of cooking the things you already like can really expand your horizons. And yes, experimenting does require research, but the things you learn about each cooking method through your experimentation will help grow your overall confidence in the kitchen, making you an even BETTER Home Chef. Also, take time to become familiar with things like product selection, safe cooking and holding temperatures of food, and proper storage. But don’t get overwhelmed, simple things like learning how to properly store and vent produce in your refrigerator bin can save you money and time week after week. If you are going to learn how to do it, you might as well learn to do it right!

Rome Was Not Built in a Day!

As it relates to your newly inspired interest in cooking at home, give it time. Set achievable goals and meet them consistently. There is no need to go from 0 to 100. A good bench mark is adding one meal to your household weekly. So if you cook dinner 4 nights a week, shoot for 5 the next week. Explore, learn, and grow in the kitchen. Cooking for yourself is rewarding beyond measure, not only do you know what is going into your body but you can also take pride in being the one that prepared itl. Here is a quick recap of the tips. Apply the ones that work for you!

• Eating Out can get Expensive

• Avoid poor quality Tools & Appliances

• Identify your palette

• Eat with 90 years in mind

• Budget, Plan. Menu. Prep.... In that Order.

• Buy a Cookbook or 2…. In Print!

• Explore Different Cooking Methods

• Rome Was Not Built in a Day!

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