| I was recently posed this question: What are the five | | | | keep it from sticking because the underside will coat |
| basics that every cook should know? It struck me as | | | | with the fat. Then watch the side of the food. You |
| a great question and also gave me pause for much | | | | can see it change color as it cooks through and you |
| thought. Only five! What to choose? In response, I | | | | will have a good sense of when it is cooked through. |
| came up with the following list. If you begin by | | | | You can double check with a food thermometer |
| concentrating on these five things, you will have a | | | | (especially important in the case of chicken). By |
| great start! | | | | learning to sauté, you will get a great sense of |
| 1. Basic chopping methods or how to use a knife. This | | | | when food is done and you will not overcook it. |
| is so important. As a chef, I always think about | | | | 3. How to choose the freshest ingredients. The best |
| speed of preparation and great knife skills can help | | | | way to learn this is to really look when you go to the |
| you to work quickly, which drastically cuts your | | | | grocery store. Notice wrinkles, mold - evidence of |
| preparation time. In a restaurant, this is crucial for the | | | | drying. Grocery stores practice FIFO or First In, First |
| bottom line, but also at home, it helps you to cut the | | | | Out. When they stock the shelves, they put the |
| time spent in the kitchen and fulfills the need to | | | | freshest things behind those that need to be sold |
| confidently prepare a meal quickly. | | | | first, so reach to the back. |
| Beyond that and even more important, it can help | | | | Meat shouldn't smell or be a brown color. Fish should |
| keep you from cutting yourself. Let's take a | | | | be firm. Vegetables should be colorful, not spotty and |
| vegetable for example. When cutting, everything | | | | firm. Especially check around the stems. Many of |
| must be stable. First, stabilize your cutting board. Wet | | | | them rot there first. If there is rot on a vegetable in |
| a cloth and put it on the counter; then put your | | | | the pile, move on because it has probably spread to |
| cutting board on top of it to keep your board from | | | | others and they will spoil quickly. |
| slipping. Next, make sure everything else is dry. You | | | | 4. How to spice. Especially teach yourself the power |
| don't want a wet handle causing your hand to slip | | | | of salt and lemon. They are the two things that kick |
| across the blade of the knife or a wet vegetable to | | | | up flavor more than anything else. Make some |
| cause your knife to slip to who knows where. | | | | mashed potatoes. Divide them into small portions. |
| The first cut you make should create a flat spot so | | | | First add salt until it is overpowering. Then take a |
| you can then turn your vegetable so that spot is | | | | new portion. Add the salt, then the pepper until it's |
| against the board. This stabilizes the vegetable - and | | | | overpowering. Do the same exercise adding lemon as |
| now you can slice through it without so much worry | | | | the third ingredient. You will quickly learn how each |
| about slippage. With each additional cut, make sure | | | | affects the overall taste and how they work |
| the flat side is next to the cutting board. | | | | together to make a beautiful blend. It will be easy to |
| 2. How to properly sauté. This is a quick and easy | | | | translate this to an entire dish. As you spice a larger |
| method of cooking. It has taken a bad rap because | | | | dish, just imagine it as the whole of its portions. |
| people feel like it adds a lot of fat. If you do it | | | | 5. And last but not least... Sanitation. Read about it. |
| properly, though, you don't need to add any more | | | | Learn it. You know how important cleanliness is while |
| fat than you would if you were baking or grilling even | | | | cooking, but do you know what the biggest factors |
| though they are thought to be healthier methods of | | | | are that cause foodborne illness? Do you know how |
| cooking. Sautéing is quick, easy, and a method | | | | long you can keep cooked food in your refrigerator |
| where it's easy to see when your food is properly | | | | before it goes bad? Do you know how long various |
| cooked. When you sauté, you have a lot of | | | | products can sit at room temperature before you |
| control. | | | | are compromising your dish? You can make the best |
| Start by sautéing one piece of meat or fish in a | | | | tasting food in the world, but if you make everyone |
| small frying pan. Add a little oil. Get it hot, then slowly | | | | sick you have more than defeated your purpose. |
| tilt the pan and slide the food into the pan. This will | | | | |