1- Get a rice cooker. I like the Cuisinart brand. Get it.
2- Be wary of using new appliances for the first time. At least take the time to ensure that they are assembled properly, and at least browse through the instructions to ensure you are keen on the basics.
5- Don’t use inappropriate-sized pots and pans. Too small or too big often leads to undercooked or overcooked… especially when it comes to pastas.
6- When making two kinds of pasta dishes (usually one whole wheat and one gluten-free for me), do finishing touches such as adding in sauces and oils one at a time. Prep one first, then the other. Don’t do them at the same time.
7- Don’t reuse a pan before rinsing it out. You will likely end up burning the residuals.
8- Just like the English language, there is an exception to the above rule. Some recipes may instruct you to add wine, vinegars, or broth to the residuals in a pan in order to bring up the flavors stuck to the pan and make for a tasty sauce. Do that, if so instructed.
9- Don’t double a recipe you’ve never made before. In fact, halve a recipe you’ve never made before if you have qualms about the ingredients or processes.
10- Always double, or even triple, the recipe for sauces or soups or dough you know you can make properly. You can use them again in the near future and/or freeze for quick meal solutions.
11- When using potent flavors, start off small and add in gradually. It’s nearly impossible to cover up too much potency.
12- Be wary of vinegars. They can truly overtake and ruin a dish. Add them in slowly and taste test often.
13- When trying new recipes, be wary of the ingredients you know you aren’t too keen on. Add them in gradually and taste test often.
14- When improvising and adding a new ingredient to a recipe, also start off small and add in gradually.
15- Know your favorite spices and use them when needing to rescue a dish. I find my beloved garlic salt can cover up many of my seasoning mistakes.
16- Always taste your homemade or modified versions of broth or sauce before adding it to other portions of the meal.
17- Sometimes you have to add in non allergen-free foods to save a dish. As long as it’s a food you are trying to limit and not needing to strictly avoid, just accept it when you mess up and need to rely on them to make a dish right, i.e. cheese or milk or cream or a corn-syrup based condiment.
18- Dishes with several ingredients often taste better if you let the flavors meld for a few hours. This concept works great for soups, sauces, casseroles, and quinoa or rice salads.
19- Don’t sell yourself short and buy expensive pre-made dishes such as kabobs or stuffed fish. You can make them yourself for cheaper and with more fresh, natural ingredients.
20- Always pay attention to portion sizes.
21- If portion sizes aren’t listed (such as in many of my recipes), use your context clues when trying to determine appropriate portions and ask yourself the serving size questions. How many pounds of meat or fish are listed in the recipe? How many cups of rice? How many ounces of pasta? How many fluid ounces of sauce or broth?
22- Pay attention to how much of these portion sizes you and your family generally consume in one meal to make the answers to these questions pertinent.
23- When you are not using a specific recipe but want to try cooking a specific food or sauce that you’re not too familiar with, go to www.foodnetwork.com for tips on cooking specific foods or sauces. Just type the food you’re researching in the Search Box (near the top of their website) and learn away. This trick is how I’ve learned to cook a near-perfect boiled and poached egg.
24- A speedy chef does not a tidy kitchen make. Don’t expect to be an expert in cooking timely whilst cleanly overnight. Don’t expect to be an expert at it over weeks or months either. I’m sure it takes years to perfect. Just keep telling yourself that practice makes perfect.
25- When planning on cooking a timely meal in the evening, don’t overload your day with more than one major task. Get the shopping done, do the laundry, dust and vacuum, or catch up on blogs and e-mails. ONE. Pick one of these tasks and be content with minor success.
26- Know when you’re not in the state of mind for cooking. Let it be and go for Plan B.
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