The kitchen can be intimidating to those first dabbling in the culinary arts. We’ve been there. We get it. So, we reached out to the top chefs in our community for insights you can only find here!
- Stay organized.
Investing a weekend morning or a weeknight afternoon in cleaning out your cabinets and drawers goes a long way. You will feel much more confident in everything you do in the kitchen when you know exactly where everything is. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Springtime deep cleaning?
- Stock up on a few key basics.
What can be worse than starting in on a new recipe, only to realize you are missing a must-have? Dry goods like baking soda, baking powder, sugar, seasonings, and spices have a long shelf life and tons of uses in the kitchen. Our chefs also keep extra virgin olive oil, eggs, and their milk of choice on hand
- Don’t eyeball it!
At least not in the beginning.)
Many veteran chefs have a knack for measuring ingredients with their eyes, but we do not recommend this strategy to beginners. You can find an affordable set of measuring cups and spoons at your go-to grocery store or on Amazon. We also recommend being extra careful when substituting ingredients, since many things like flour alternatives (e.g., almond meal) don’t have a 1-to-1 conversion.
- Start small.
When you first begin cooking or baking, we suggest preparing one or two portions at a time. As you become more comfortable in the kitchen, you can graduate to larger batches of your best dishes.
- Clean as you go.
Have you heard this advice before? It is popular for a good reason! You will feel much less stress during your culinary experiments when your space is consistently clean.
Try wiping down the countertops while you are waiting for your water to boil. Pre-rinse your dishes and load the dishwasher while your dough is rising. Scrub your stove top while your casserole bakes.
