Common Cooking Mistakes and how to avoid them 🧯
The funny thing about cooking is that it can be intricate as it is simple. We all know that food can bring people together, opening up their senses and making way for new experiences for everyone. 👪
Similarly, cooking is an essential life skill that I think we all should get a hang of. If you’d much rather eat good food than make it, preparing a meal on your own can be a little intimidating at first. But hey, the greatest chefs in the world started out as curious beginners with a hundred and one questions in mind. If they got through it, why shouldn’t you?
To help get you started in the kitchen, here are some tips about any common cooking mistakes and how you can avoid them. 🔥
Relying too much on a recipe
I’ve started off with this one because I definitely think it’s the most important thing about cooking. When it comes to preparing daily meals that are both delicious and nutritious, following recipes religiously will take out all the fun in making them.
The thing that will happily keep you coming back for more when it comes to enthusiastic cooking is making each meal your own. When in the kitchen, keep in mind that you’re the boss. So while you may enjoy following amazing recipes to guide you, make sure to do things your way first and foremost. 👍
Not tasting as you go
How do you know when to add more salt, chilli flakes or garlic powder? The best way to avoid ending up with flavourless and unseasoned food is to taste as you go.
Doing this will give you a clear idea of the exact kind of taste and flavour you’d like to end up with. The more you practice tasting as you go, the more familiar you get with different seasonings. 🧄
Not mixing cooked pasta and the sauce together
In pasta world, this is simply considered as a sin. When making pasta, avoid placing cooked pasta on your plate and adding some sauce on top before serving. 🍝
Doing this will eliminate many of the good flavours you get when blending and mixing the pasta and its sauce together. Remember, separating these two dish components is quite like separating Romeo and Juliet.
Poking at your food too often
I’ll admit it. Flipping, poking and turning food is kind of satisfying. However, learning to leave your food alone is one of the hardest lessons in cooking you just have to learn. 👈
A chicken, fish or steak won't develop a nice crust unless you allow it to cook undisturbed for the specified time. If you can't slide a spatula cleanly under the crust, it’s too early to turn.
Adding garlic too early
Many recipes will suggest adding chopped garlic right at the very end, and for good reason. Garlic is very easily burned - leaving it in the pan for an excessive amount of time will eliminate much of its good flavour, while adding that burnt taste you’ll definitely want to avoid. 😥
You don’t allow your meat to rest after it’s done
It’s always a good idea to wait a few minutes before diving into your fragrant, well-seasoned meat after it’s ready. This will give its juices more time to re-distribute, meaning that your steak, chicken or any type of meat will be a bit drier.
Plan your meals so that meat you roast, grill, sear, or sauté has time to rest at room temperature after it’s pulled from the heat. 🍖
Show off your newfound cooking skills by posting a picture of your next meal and tagging @foodblog.mt to get featured on our page!
Comments