We all make mistakes when cooking, right? Cooking Light says that “the creative cook can often cook her way out of a kitchen error, but the smart cook aims to prevent such creativity from being necessary”. In order to help you along your way to “smart cook” status, Cooking Light compiled a list of forty-three common cooking mistakes you can learn to avoid.
Such mistakes include: slicing meat with the grain, not ‘shocking’ vegetables once they’ve reached the desired texture, and not letting meats get to room temperature before putting them in the oven. I need to pay particular attention to common mistake number one:
1. You don’t taste as you go.
Result: The flavors or textures of an otherwise excellent dish are out of balance or unappealing.
For most cooks, tasting is automatic, but when it’s not, the price can be high. Recipes don’t always call for the “right” amount of seasoning, cooking times are estimates, and results vary depending on your ingredients, your stove, altitude…and a million other factors. Your palate is the control factor.
via b3ta