Kitchen basics

I thought some general cooking tips and equipment suggestions would be helpful. If you have any questions, let me know and I'll get them answered for you. If you are serious about cooking, buy "The Professional Chef" by the Culinary Institute of America. It will change your life. Spend the extra and get the hard cover, it will last longer especially when in use in the kitchen.

First and foremost- Taste everything!!! Cake batter with raw egg, uncooked meatballs... it doesn't matter. Stick it in your mouth. Adjust your seasoning or spices and taste again. Keep a glass of room temperature water handy while cooking, so you can rinse your pallette. And then taste again. If you don't, you won't know what you need to add to make the dish well balanced.

Butter- That's right, butter NOT margarine. Throw that shit out. It's gross. Use butter in moderation, and get off your lazy ass and walk a mile... you'll be fine. Also, keep at least 1 stick of butter at room temperature at all times. If a recipe calls for cold butter that's fine, otherwise use room temperature. Also, buy unsalted butter. If it already has salt in it, it's harder to control the salt content of the overall dish.

Salt- this kitchen necessity is highly underused by home cooks. Just a little too much can ruin a dish, but don't be scared of using it. There is something really satisfying about biting into a piece of meat that is properly seasoned, but most home cooks don't use it correctly. First, get rid of your iodized salt!! It doesnt have as pure of a taste and it is hard to control because of the size of the grains. Buy a box of coarse ground kosher salt, preferably Morton's, and it will last you all year. If you want to spend a fex extra bucks, Alessi makes an amazing sea salt. Again, coarse grind. It is easier to hold and you can control how much you use. Also, if a recipe calls for a pinch, it means less than 1/4 of a teaspoon. Go look at a 1/4 teaspoon, its small. Don't use palmfulls. Add a little at a time, you can always add but you can't take away.

Pepper- Go buy a pepper grinder. There are some pretty cool ones out there, but they are normally quite pricy. I've seen ones go for over a $100, which is completely frickin ridiculous. Spend $20 at Target, they have some nice ones, including electric grinders. I don't get why you would want an electric grinder other than the novelty, but whatever floats your rainbow colored boat.

Oil- Extra Virgin Olive is the way to go. Only buy olive oil that comes in a dark colored bottle. Light can actually alter the flavor of the oil, so you want to buy a brand that helps protect the flavor. Always store oils at room temperature and in the back of the cupboard.

Pasta- This inexpensive pantry staple is cooked so horribly by so many people. Pasta should be served al dente, which means firm but not crunchy. Eating overcooked pasta is like eating a loogie. Don't serve it to your dinner guests, or yourself. Throw it out and make a new batch. It takes less than 10 minutes. The water should taste like the ocean, taste your water before adding your pasta. This is the only chance to flavor the actual pasta, it shouldn't taste like cardboard. That being said, make your own pasta. It's super simple once you get the hang of it. I'll post a recipe up here soon.

Stocks and broths- make your own. You can portion it in ziploc bags and freeze it. Way cheaper than buying and it is so easy.

DO's:

Eat your veggies. There are a ton of vegetables in this world, eat them! Your waist will thank you, and so will everyone else who is tired of looking at your muffin top. Veggies are delicious...even turnips, beets, and brussel sprouts. Simple, well seasoned roasted veg is one of my favorite things. Try them all and eat them often.

Research. The internet is a great tool for this. There are a gabagillion recipes online and even more people who think they know how to do everything the best and are happy to brag about it. Teach yourself a little each time you cook, you'll be a regular encyclopedia of food in no time.

Make memories. My favorite time as a kid was at the dinner table. I miss not being able to sit with my family and have dinner with them. Invite a few people over and plan a simple dinner, the memories will last a lifetime, or until the booze kicks in.

Speaking of booze, keep some wine handy. And not crappy stuff either. If you wont drink it, don't cook with it. Dry is the name of the game in savory cooking. Sweet is for dessert.

DON'Ts:

Don't get caught up with fancy ingredients. If you don't know the proper use of an ingredient, either do some research or don't use it. Put the truffle oil down, and don't ever pick it back up!! It should be outlawed. I have only ever seen one person use it correctly, so unless your Kevin Maxey, back the fuck up.

Don't try cooking in a cold pan. This one is pretty obvious, but then again it had to be pointed out to me when I was first starting out. Depending on the technique, get the pan hot. Not luke-warm, not warm, but HOT!

Don't be afraid of food. Food is there for us to lord over. We are it's masters and it will bend to our will. Julia Child always said to have the "courage of your convictions", so just go for it. Whether flipping something in a pan or whatever else, don't be scared!! Yes, you might get burnt, but a little burn is well worth a piece of perfectly cooked fish basted in beurre noisette!!!!

Equipment:

This is where you will really spend some money. Don't skimp on cheap equipment and you'll get some stuff that will last a lifetime.

Table top stand mixer by Kitchenaid - I'm convinced God used one of these to make the universe. They can do pretty much everything. And the attachments make life so easy. Meat grinder, pasta sheeter... get them all and you'll thank me later.

Food processor- spend some extra money and get a high quality one. It will last forever.

Blender - again high quality is the way to go. Hamilton Beach is not what i'm talking about either. Vitaprep is the deal. Most professionals use this brand and they are amazing. Purees, soups, vinaigrettes...it does it all

Knives- a dull knife is the most dangerous weapon in the kitchen. Well, besides my mother (love ya mom)! Whether you prefer Japanese or German, make sure you find a knife that can take an edge easily. Keeping the edge isn't so important, but if you can't sharpen the damn thing, it's useless. Sharpen often and carefully. Diamond steels work the best, in my opinion, but are very expensive. A regular steel will cost around $80, and will do the job. Hold the knife at a 20 degree angle and carefully run the blade across the steel. Speed is not of importance, keeping your fingers attached to your hand however is.

Pots and pans- never use metal spatulas on them. Generally, they are expensive and should be treated with care. ALWAYS wash by hand, things in the dish washer can scratch them. Buy heavy bottomed and again, spend some cash on high quality. All-clad is the best ever, but are amazingly expensive. Buy one piece at a time and you'll eventually have a great collection.

Spoons- buy a few large spoons to use. Butter basting a piece of protein is an essential part of cooking and some large spoons make that task so much easier.