Sleights of Hand in the Kitchen

My interest in cooking followed my interest in devouring food. Since I was a kid, food was (and still is) my enduring love. A source of nourishment, and a way to communicate to others that you care about them. As I have grown older, I realized that not being able to cook and feel confident in the kitchen was problematic. It is a life skill. It also afforded me the opportunity to be healthier and connect with what I ate. A well-cooked meal always felt like magic to me. The smells, the endless wait, the changes in color...

Below are small sleights of hands (for the cooking-uninitiated) that can help create your own magic-show in the kitchen:

1. Knives & Honing Tool: Get an excellent chef's knife and a smaller pairing knife to start. Go to one of those fancy cookware stores and try a few out. Being able to chop up vegetables with a sharp knife is therapeutic and wonderful. A dull knife like a dull personality is -oh-so-boring. Get a honing tool too. Knives need care and even the best ones need to be periodically sharpened.

2. Pans: A good stainless steel, cast iron and/or nonstick pans are a must. Heat (ah, chemistry!) is essential for a well cooked meal. Pans also season over time (especially cast iron) and sometimes even passed on generation to generation.

3. Seasoning: Having a cupboard stocked with spices is essential. Food tastes so much better after adding a spice. Being experimental and cavalier when trying out spices is absolutely essential. I also enjoy reading about the history of spices as it communicates a great deal about different cultures.

4. High quality ingredients: - Preparation cannot compensate for poor ingredients. Restaurateurs search far and wide for the best ingredients. Some grow it, and try to source it locally. In Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the sushi chef only buys his rice from one farmer. If possible, a little trick I use is when between three types of stock or tomatoes -- spring for the slightly more expensive ones but cut back on the quantity. They taste so much better.

5. Touch: When cooking, touching your food (safely from the heat & be careful about germs) adds a wonderful way to connect with your food.

6. Be a DJ - Hunt for recipes, Mix them Up: Whenever you taste a good dish, ask for the recipe. Try to store the recipes on your phone. When not sure what to cook, flipping through them gives you ideas. Additionally, if you have limited ingredients or need to use up an ingredient -- try to mix up recipes and see what franken-dish comes out. It often tastes wonderful.

7. Fats & Salts: When all else fails, a pan sauce tragically does not taste great - throw in some oil, coconut milk or whole milk -- and a dash of salt, Salt Bae. It will immediately taste better. This, of course, does not mean you cannot use this as part of a recipe. Its a powerful tool when used wisely.

8. Seek inspiration: I'm a huge fan of Chef's Table on Netflix. Cooking shows tend to inspire you to cook, and on occasion give you fun tips to try out.

That's all for now. Enjoy!