Y ou know as well as I do that when it comes to a house party, everyone congregates in the kitchen. For your guests it’s like Food Network live, but for you it may pose a few insecurities with all the gaping eyes. However these 5 hacks will have you cooking, looking, and feeling like Gordon Ramsey in the kitchen.
1. Taste your food.
In my kitchen, I always keep a set of tasting spoons handy. Tasting is so important. How can you properly season if you don’t have a gauge on flavor?
It’s always better to under season, than over. This is especially true when you’re using saltier ingredients such as Parmesan cheese, anchovies, or fish sauce. Hold back on the seasoning and then season right before you serve.
2. Make your own mayonnaise.
Homemade mayonnaise is actually pretty easy to make. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare but will elevate your dish. Be warned, once you’ve set the bar this high for your guests they’re never going back.
• 4 egg yolks at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (bottled lemon juice will give your mayonnaise a funny flavor)
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
Place egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. With it running slowly, stream the oil into the mixture—drip, drip, drip, and then a slow steady stream. Do this until you mixture comes together.
This recipe will yield about 3 cups.
3. Allow your meat to rest.
You can season your meat, marinate it, and cook it to perfection, but if it doesn’t get the opportunity to rest, all that will go to waste. Allow at least 10-20 minutes for your meat to rest under foil to keep warm. To give you an idea, a chicken breast needs 10 minutes and a roast would need 20 minutes.
4. Keep your knives sharp.
It’s a misconception that a sharper knife will up your chances of getting cut. The opposite is actually true. With a dull knife, you end up doing all the work instead of the knife. I recommend taking your knives to get professionally sharpened every few months depending on how much you use them. You can often find professionals at your local farmer’s market. There isn’t a sharpener on the market (that I’ve found) that compares to a professional sharpener. However, for $20, Smith’s 50264 Adjustable Manual Knife Sharpener is a handy little tool that will hold you over well in between sharpenings.
5. Be cool.
Confidence in the kitchen is something that the best chefs exude. Your kitchen is your domain. Even if you’re executing someone else’s recipe, remember that this is your moment to shine! As Julia Childs said, “Try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun.”
