Cooking101

When I met my hubby he ate nothing but protein shakes and bars. He informed me that all food tasted the same to him so he might as well eat what is convenient! Fortunately, I was able to change his mind! Along the way I’ve also converted him to a pretty good cook.

Here are a few basic tips to help you upgrade your kitchen fair from protein bars too!

Texture and taste go hand in hand. Changing the size and shape of your cut pieces changes how the flavors play in your mouth.

There are two basic emulsifiers (a substance that helps combine oil and water) in the kitchen, egg yolks and ground mustard. I keep a bottle of dry mustard in my pantry and add a pinch when I want to have a smoother sauce for my dish or soup. Dry mustard is a key ingredient in salad dressings to get a beautiful blend. Egg yolks are the key ingredient to make successful mayonnaise.

Flavor in food comes from browning it, charring it, burning it, roasting it. Heat is your friend, patience is also your friend. To get food to brown, you need a hot pan. To keep your pan hot you can’t add to much at one time. If you want the best flavor, add your meat or veggies in rotation so that you aren’t steaming but instead searing.

The secret to getting eggs to not stick to your pan is getting the pan hot enough. Pan, heat, add a little oil and wait until you start to see the oil shimmer. Then its ready.

In cooking timing isn’t everything, but it is pretty close. Mise en place (MEEZ ahn plahs) is a French term for preparing all of your ingredients in advance. Not only does this help you time your meal and pull everything together easily.