Top 10 Cooking Tips

1) Understanding the Science Behind the Cooking Method

When developing a recipe, consider the end taste and texture you want to achieve. Knowing this, you can then figure out which essential cooking methods to use. You’ll see these reflected in my recipe instructions.

In general, cooking methods fall into three categories:

• Dry-heat (use fat to cook, or hot air)
• Moist-heat (use water or steam)
• A combination of both

When I want a crispy golden crust on pan seared halibut, I’ll use a dry heat pan-searing technique. To quickly cook broccoli and other vegetables without losing too many nutrients, I’ll steam them with moist heat. For fall-off-the-bone short ribs, sear them in a hot pan with fat, then braise them in a flavorful liquid.

2) How to Properly Measure Ingredients

In most kitchens, we use cups and spoons to measure volume instead of weight. This works fine with savory recipes, but it’s more of an issue when baking because precise measurements are needed for reproducible results.

Density also comes into play with various foods, especially with different types of flour. Finally, some foods aerate easily, while others compact under more pressure. All of these factors can affect the actual ingredient amounts used in a recipe.

The first thing to do is to make sure to use the right tool for the job:

• Dry ingredients like flour, herbs, chopped ingredients, and sugar, as well as thick, viscous foods, should be measured with a measuring cup.
• For small quantities of 1 tablespoon or less, use measuring spoons for dry or wet ingredients.
• Use a liquid measuring cup with clear markings for all liquids; pour on a flat surface.

For tricky ingredients like flour, sugar, or cocoa, use the dip-and-sweep method. I find it gives less variability. Dip the measuring cup into the bag or container, then use a straight-edge spatula or knife to sweep away the excess.

To take your cooking repertoire to the next level, use a digital kitchen scale. In my recipes, you will typically see cup, gram, and ounce measurements, whether the recipe is sweet or savory. A digital scale verifies that the amount is the same each time, yielding more consistent results.

3) Choosing the Right Cookware

There are so many types of cookware materials that it can feel overwhelming. In my kitchen, I have stainless steel, cast-iron, and nonstick on hand. I also have skillets and pots of various sizes, a wok, and a large Dutch oven. Typically, an 8-, 10-, and 12-inch skillet and various saucepans and pots, like 2-, 3-, 4-, 6-, 8-, or 12-quart.

Examples of when I would choose a certain pan or pot:

• A large stainless steel pan for searing a steak to develop a golden-brown crust.
• A cast-iron skillet for baking a crispy pizza.
• A nonstick pan for cooking pancakes.
• A 6 to 8-quart stockpot for fried chicken.
• A wok for my favorite chow mein.

4) Selecting the Right Cooking Oil

A must-know culinary term: smoke point. This is when the oil or fat begins to break down and visibly produce smoke. It’s important to know how to select the right oil for different cooking methods.

Also, consider the cooking time: you’ll need a high-smoke-point oil like peanut oil for deep-frying, whereas a lower-smoke-point fat like butter can be used to finish a dish.

5) Take Accurate Temperature Readings

Whenever I’m cooking, I ALWAYS have an instant-read thermometer handy. It’s a quick scientific check, in addition to using your senses to tell if food is done cooking. More importantly, it is where you want it to be.

I also use a separate oven thermometer. The temperature display on the front panel of your oven can fall out of calibration over time. I’ve made the mistake of trusting my oven screen too many times, and the results have been disappointing, especially with baked goods and roasting.

Tips on how to take a proper reading (instant-read thermometer):

• Slide into the center of the food; it should not go through to the other side.
• Don’t hit the hot pan, bones, or hollow cavities; the reading will be off.
• For steaks, chops, chicken breasts, fish fillets, or other thin foods, lift them out of the pan with tongs. Insert the probe into the side closest to the center.
• For large roasts, such as roast turkey and roasted chicken, take readings from both sides of the breast and from the thickest part of the thigh.

6) Don’t Forget About Carryover Cooking

When you remove food like steaks, chops, and baked goods from the hot cooking environment, the temperature will continue to rise due to carryover cooking.

For meats, stop cooking when they’re 5 to 10 degrees below the target serving temperature, then let them rest. The only exception is poultry and fish, because their muscle structure is less dense and doesn’t retain heat as well as a ribeye steak.

Pay attention to the instructions for baking treats and bread, as carryover cooking is desirable in some cases but needs to be stopped immediately with extra cooling in others.

7) Patience pays off- Rest meat!

Resting meat ensures maximum juiciness. Muscle fibers contract and squeeze the moisture out as it cooks. Resting meat before slicing allows it to relax and reabsorb moisture. This process also plays into the carryover concept for certain foods so that you can nail the perfect medium-rare temperature for steaks.

Guidelines for resting different types of meat:

• Steaks, pork/lamb chops, chicken parts: 5 to 10 minutes
• Beef, pork, lamb roasts: 15 to 30 minutes
• Pork tenderloin: 10 minutes
• Whole chicken: 15 to 0 minutes
• Whole turkey: 30 to 40 minutes

8) Knowing Which Type of Salt to Use

About 99.9% of my recipes use salt because it’s an effective flavor and texture enhancer when used properly. The amounts I provide in my recipes are guidelines, and I encourage you to season to your liking.

There are endless types of salt, and they vary in size, color, and flavor. The smaller the granule, the greater its surface area, so it melts faster. For nearly all of my recipes, I use Morton’s coarse kosher salt because it doesn’t contain additives. I also like the taste and how the flakes cling well to meats and vegetables. If you use Diamond brand kosher salt, use about 30% more.

Get into the habit of always tasting your dish throughout the cooking process, especially right before serving. It’s something my culinary school teachers pounded into our brains because the seasoning transforms over time.

9) When to Use Baking Soda vs Baking Powder

These two ingredients are frequently mixed up because they both contain an alkaline leavening agent, sodium bicarbonate, which is simply baking soda. And by itself, it needs an acid like buttermilk to react and bubble. Baking powder, on the other hand, is baking soda PLUS an acid like cream of tartar, and an inert stabilizer like cornstarch to prevent it from reacting in the container.

When to use baking soda vs. baking powder? Baking soda is great for adding more spread and crispiness to cookies, or when a recipe already has a good amount of acid. I use baking powder (specifically double-acting) for cakes and cookies for extra insurance so that it doesn’t lose all its rising power during mixing.

Baking powder can also help to tenderize meat. It’s a technique often used in Chinese stir-fries to soften tougher cuts, but it also helps to create a crispy crust in baked chicken wings.

10) The Importance of Food Safety

As a food scientist, I feel it’s extremely important to mention food safety in the kitchen. Cooking for yourself and your loved ones is the fun part, but making sure the food you prepare is safe to eat shouldn’t be overlooked.

A few simple food safety tips to keep in mind:

• Cross-contamination: Do not use the same cutting board to cut vegetables as you do for raw meat, poultry, or fish. Cut all the vegetables first, then prep the uncooked proteins. Also, clean and sanitize the sink after cleaning meat. Do not serve food on plates that have raw meat! I see this a lot when barbecuing.
• Safe thawing: Thaw frozen meats in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
• Serving food: Keep cold food below 40ºF, and hot foods above 140ºF. Between 40 and 140°F (44 and 60°C) is the temperature danger zone, where bacteria can multiply rapidly and cause illness.
• Discard food: Throw food out if it’s been sitting in the temperature danger zone longer than 2 hours. If it’s above 90ºF outside and you’re having a picnic or BBQ, throw it out after 1 hour.
• Refrigerate: Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours. If storing hot food, make sure to cool it to room temperature before refrigerating.

Look at each recipe as a tasty experiment. Observe, learn, and have fun! I hope you find my Top 10 Cooking Tips helpful along your culinary journey.

Stay curious in the kitchen, and hungry to learn!

More Cooking Tips:

• Marinating
• Benefits of Brining
• Cooking Conversions
• Different flavors of Vinegar
• Cooking with Lemons