Kitchen Cheat Sheet For The Beginner Cook
With abundant food options available and delivery services becoming widespread, the kitchen has become an area of our homes that is neglected. But sometimes, nothing beats the comfort of home cooking.
If you’ve been watching cooking shows and thought “maybe I could do that!”, we’re here to help you on your cooking journey.
Here’s our kitchen cheat sheet for the beginner cook:
1. Start by following recipes
We all need guidance when we try something new. Embrace your newbie roots and start slow by following simple recipes. Cooking is both an art and a science and recipes provide you with an easy-to-follow approach to creating delicious dishes.
We have a Collection Of Simple Recipes that are a good starting point for any beginner cook. Most of the recipes involve a short list of ingredients and basic cooking techniques. Plus, we provide video so that you can cook and follow along!
2. Give yourself more time than you think you need
If you’re a fan of cooking shows, the amount of food preparation and cooking they can accomplish in 30 minutes is truly impressive. When you’re new to the kitchen, it takes time to familiarise yourself with cooking techniques, how to handle different types of food and multitasking various dishes at once.
To minimise the stress and pressure, give yourself more time than you think you need to prepare a meal. Part of the joy is cooking is the process, so put in care and effort into each step so that you can produce a dish that you can be proud of.
Besides, when you rush through cooking as a beginner, you could injure yourself with cuts or burns, undercook the food or forget something important like adding seasoning.
3. Save the improvisation for later
It may be tempting to swap out one ingredient for another or change the cooking time for a dish - don’t do it! When you’re a beginner cook, sticking to the recipe is your best bet. It takes time to build up your food and cooking knowledge so save the improvisation for later.
Improvisation is a big no when it comes baking. Baking recipes are an exact science, and making any changes in quantities or cooking time can ruin your end product!
4. Choose quality ingredients
One of the benefits of cooking your own meals is being able to prepare highly nutritious and tasty dishes. The basis of any good meal: the ingredients. Whenever possible, select real food over processed items. Head to the fresh section of the supermarket for healthy greens and fresh produce.
Another tip is to look for the Healthier Choice symbol on canned food. Check out the Range Of Ayam Brand™ Products that have been awarded this symbol.
5. Invest in good kitchen tools
Having the right kitchen tools can make a huge difference in your enjoyment of cooking. A cheap, blunt knife can make chopping or dicing vegetables a real chore. Imagine frying a fish and finding that the skin has stuck to the bottom of your pan.
You don’t have to go out and buy the most expensive kitchen appliances, pots and pans, and knives. But if you’re planning on spending more time in the kitchen, having tools that work well can make your cooking experience a lot easier and more fun.
6. Prep and organise in advance
One of the common excuses for not cooking is the lack of time. Between work, family and personal interests, finding an extra 60 to 90 minutes to devote to home cooking can be tough.
Here’s a protip that will save you some time: prepare and organise in advance. Decide on our weekly meal plan, head to the supermarket for groceries and produce, and then prep what’s needed and store them in your fridge.
Batching your food prep makes it easier to just reach into the fridge on a busy evening and start cooking.
7. Taste as you cook
Even as you’re faithfully following your favourite recipes, don’t forget to taste! While a recipe provides an excellent framework to produce a good dish, everyone’s palate is slightly different.
Perhaps you prefer a creamier pasta and adding more cream to the sauce would ramp up the flavour for you. Maybe you love spicy food and want to level up the hotness of your curry. And sometimes, adjusting the balance of a dish with some salt and pepper can make it even more delicious.
Tasting as you cook means that you’re doing a dish that appeals to your tastebuds!
As a beginner cook, don’t be intimidated.
With our kitchen cheat sheet, you’ll be confident in your cooking skills in no time!
