16 Helpful Lessons for Home Cooks

Sometimes, I save an article that I know I'll love to read later. Often, when I do this, I forget to return to it. This article from Bon Appetit is an example. It was written soon after the stay-at-home orders in March, assuming that we are all cooking more. The Bon Appetit staff decided to share some helpful hints for any stage of experience. To read the full article, click on this link: https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/cooking-tips-for-every-level. Otherwise, I've recapped the lessons and will be publishing each lesson each week as I finish reading and digesting them.

Personally, I'm learning a lot! These ideas are so well developed and have already boosted my confidence in the kitchen.

Helpful Lesson 1: How to Keep Produce Fresh until the Next Trip to the Grocers

I used to go grocery shopping a couple times a week. Since the pandemic, I've reduced the number of trips to one per week. Initially, there was such a run of produce and other goods that I had to get creative with what I had on hand. The selection is pretty decent now but I do buy produce differently based on the prices. I've noticed that the prices are lower when the produce is going out of season so they're not so squeaky fresh. This lesson describes the strategy of what to eat now versus later.

Helpful Lesson 2: Learn Basic Knife Skills

I'll never chop like a pro (because I'm afraid I'd lose my fingers) but there are some simple techniques on how to cut onions, mushrooms, carrots, etc. The resulting effort helps produce uniform pieces that are easier to cook.

Helpful Lesson 3: How to Store Vegetables in the Fridge

Knowing how to select and store your vegetables (and where) in your crisper drawer expands on Helpful Lesson 1.

Helpful Lesson 4: What Fruits and Vegetables Shouldn't be Refrigerated

There are eight fruits and vegetables that really should be left on the counter or in other places in your kitchen. There's also a strategy for moving fruits and vegetables into the fridge as they ripen. Who knew?

Helpful Lesson 5: How to Toast Nuts at Home

There was a time when, for certain recipes, I would use raw nuts rather than look for toasted nuts. They were more expensive and I just didn't want to have them on hand if I wasn't going to use them often. Then, one day, I used toasted sesame seeds and wow! what a difference! This lesson explains how simple this step is.

Helpful Lesson 6: How to Freeze Anything Correctly

When my freezer died during this pandemic, I thought I would have quite a few pre-cooked dinners to use for a few days. I was surprised at how many things I had to trash because I clearly did not read this lesson!

Helpful Lesson 7: How to Reheat Leftovers

Can you microwave fried chicken? Can you reheat dumplings in the oven? Are French fries even worth reheating? What do I do with bread, Pop Tarts...cake?

Helpful Lesson 8: How to Mince Garlic

Surprise! There's actually a technique to prepare garlic without taking a knife through it a thousand times.

Helpful Lesson 9: How to Store Herbs

If you've been to my house and opened the fridge, you'll see green bunches in glass jars and cups. This may not be the correct way to store herbs - particularly if you don't check on them often. I know!

Helpful Lesson 10: How to Rinse Rice and Other Grains

I was taught to rinse Japanese rice before cooking it. I never knew why. Apparently, my mom knew this technique was important to produce nice, fluffy rice.

Helpful Lesson 11: How to Cook Farro and Every Other Grain Perfectly

There's a one-size-fits-all method for cooking every grain. Surprisingly, this is pretty much the only aisle in the grocery store that is never empty.

Helpful Lesson 12: How to Get the Most Flavor Out of Canned Tomatoes

Canned tomatoes aren't fully cooked. When they're canned, they get soaked in hot tomato juice, sealed and then heated to kill potentially harmful organisms. The sugars in the tomato aren't developed and they taste pretty watery. This lesson teaches us how to fix this.

Helpful Lesson 13: How to Cook a Pot of Dried Beans

I was surprised to see a run on dried beans during the pandemic but, then, I realized there are so many tasty recipes that use beans...and they're inexpensive! This lesson helps us prepare every type of bean. I can't wait to try this lesson on black-eyed peas!

Helpful Lesson 14: How to Roast Vegetables Perfectly Every Time

Is there any vegetable that doesn't taste delicious roasted? Whatever kind of oven used, this lesson teaches how to roast any vegetable perfectly.

Helpful Lesson 15: How to Choose the Right Onion

There are so many different types of onions that it would be simpler to just use one. Each one, though, has something it can do better than the other.

Helpful Lesson 16: How to Use Herb Stems

I've been throwing them away! This lesson describes how to use herb stems to boost salads, soups and pastas.