Cooking Tips and Techniques

Knife Maintenance

• Keep your knife sharp: Sharpen before and every time you use it.
• Grip the steel: Hold comfortably like a tennis racket. Keep fingers behind the butt of the steel.
• Sharpening strokes: Use long strokes from bottom to top and back underneath.

Chopping Board Stability

• Prevent rocking/slipping: Wet a kitchen cloth or paper towel and place it underneath the board.

Vegetable Peeler Uses

• Create ultra-thin ribbons: Perfect for Asian dishes and parmesan shavings.
• Make chocolate curls: Ideal for dessert decorations.

Pepper Mill Settings

• Finely ground pepper: Tighten the screw for soups and sauces.
• Medium ground pepper: Set screw in the middle for general seasoning.
• Coarse pepper: Loosen it for steaks and fish.

Garlic Peeling

• Single clove: Bash with the back of a knife.
• Whole head: Crush, separate into a bowl, cover, and shake hard for 10 seconds.

Onion Chopping Technique

• Leave the root on: Prevents onion from bleeding and causing tears.
• Guided slicing: Use knuckle to guide the knife, slice close to the root.
• Horizontal cuts: Tilt knife down slightly for even chopping.

Cooking with High Heat

• Hot pan: Preheat early to get it smoking hot.
• Preheat oven: At least 20 minutes before cooking.

Cooking Area Tidiness

• Waste bowl: Keep a bowl next to you to save trips to the bin.

Cooking Eggs

• Seasoning: Add salt at the end to avoid ruining texture and color.

Cooking Meat

• Room temperature: Ensure meat is at room temperature before cooking.
• Resting: Let meat rest after cooking for tenderness and juiciness.

De-seeding Chili

• Remove seeds: Rub chili between hands, tap down, and cut top off.
• Drying chilies: Tie stalks together and hang in kitchen.

Chili Uses

• Savory and sweet dishes: Add to chocolate ganache or sprinkle on fruit.
• Remove spice from hands: Use lemon juice.

Zesting Citrus

• Avoid pith: Use fine zester and twist fruit while zesting.

Minced Garlic

• Add salt: Helps break down fibers for finer mince.

Preparing Ginger

• Use a teaspoon: Easier to peel tricky parts.

Vanilla Pods

• Reuse pods: Place in sugar for flavor infusion.

Spice Storage

• Airtight jars: Store leftover ground spices for up to 2 months.

Cooking Perfect Rice

• Rinsing rice: Remove starch and dust.
• Infusing flavor: Add cardamom pods and star anise.
• Water ratio: 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water. Cook with lid on and fluff with a fork.

Preventing Browning

• Use acidity: Cover cut potatoes, apples, and avocados with water and lemon juice.

Herb Storage

• Glass of water: Keeps herbs fresh for up to a week.
• Flavored oil: Use leftover herbs to infuse olive oil.

Cooking Pasta

• Large pan: Ensure enough room for pasta to cook evenly.
• Olive oil: Prevents sticking.
• Al dente: Cook until firm, not crunchy.

Bread Uses

• Breadcrumbs: Blitz leftovers for stuffing or crab cakes.
• Croutons: Freeze chunks for salads.

Cooking Pulses

• Season at the end: Prevents toughness.

Boiled Potatoes

• Start in cold water: Ensures even cooking.
• Cook extra: Use leftovers for gnocchi or bubble and squeak.

Fish Preparation

• Removing skin: Use flexible filleting knife.
• Using trimmings: Make fish stock with leftover bones and trimmings.

Steaming Vegetables

• Own juices: Add butter and seasoning, cook with lid on.

Roast Potatoes

• Crispy texture: Parboil, steam dry, sprinkle with semolina or flour.

Browning Meat

• Dry thoroughly: Use kitchen roll before cooking.

Tuna Carpaccio

• Freeze first: Easier slicing.

Leftover Wine

• Freeze for cooking: Use in ice cube trays or bags for stocks and sauces.

Freezing Soups/Stews

• Leave room: Allow for expansion.

Homemade Ice Cream

• Customize vanilla ice cream: Mix in berries, chocolate, or rum-soaked raisins.

Frozen Citrus Wedges

• Use as ice cubes: Adds flavor without watering down drinks.

Jointing Chicken

• Separate parts: Legs, wings, and breasts for various dishes. Save carcass for stock.

Skewers

• Soak in water: Prevents burning.
• Use rosemary branches: Adds flavor.

Marinades

• Plastic bags: Easy storage and cleanup.
• Maximize juice: Roll lemon or lime before juicing.
• Add to rice: Keeps grains white and bright.

Cooking Steak

• Touch test: Compare to firmness of thumb muscle.
• Score meat: Promotes faster cooking and deeper marinade absorption.

Stain-free Tupperware

• Oil coating: Acts as a barrier to prevent stains.

Homemade Chili Sherry

• Infuse sherry: Use for stir-fries or sauces.

Planting Chili Seeds

• Grow new peppers: Start seeds indoors, move outside when ready.