What do you think is the secret to being a successful cook?

Question

Hi, I'm on Yahoo! Answers so that you can share your useful cooking tips and secrets with me for creating mouth watering dishes.

Answer 1

Not being afraid to take risks and experiment with flavours and textures.

Answer 2

The ultimate secret to being a successful cook is to have no fear. If a cake deflates, if a sauce is off, so what, it's food, chances are the ingredients didn't cost too much, you can try again, and hey, great, you've learned something. Having no fear means never avoiding difficult recipes. Having no fear in the kitchen leaves all sorts of room for being bold, experimenting, using recipes merely as suggestions and jumping off points. Life is short, and one of the greatest things about being here is the food. It's part of what makes our days wonderful. A dark rich piece of chocolate cake can brighten any mood. A juicy steak will put a smile on most faces. A beautiful, adventurous, intricate presentation will make anyone feel like a celebrity. So, my secret is to be bold, to approach food, cooking, the kitchen, no matter how new the ingredient or complex the dish, with no fear. Because beautiful creations for the eyes, the nose, and palate bring everyone such joy. Honestly, we lose nothing by trying, and the rewards can be so great. Now, if only we could all approach the rest of our lives like this...perhaps we'd actually have world peace on our hands.

Now, if you were looking for a more concrete answer, my other smaller secrets, which by no means are secrets to most, include:

Olive oil - use liberally. It won't hurt you. Just don't fry in it.

Wine - cooking with wine makes the time pass divinely...and if some of it ends up in the food, so will it.

Salt and Pepper - with all the spices and herbs in the world, these two are still the essentials. So many people forget them, and lots of people are surprised at how simply adding salt and pepper to a dish can really elevate it (or in other cases, simply make it edible).

Cayenne pepper - amazing in squash and pumpkin dishes. You don't need a lot if you don't like the heat, but it really compliments the natural flavor.

Nutmeg - Great for cream sauces and bechemels.

Brandy - a tablespoon or two in desserts really adds something.

and finally

Butter - will make almost anything taste amazing, will fix a lot of problems, and is essential in baking. No margarine or low fat replacements for anybody who has an ounce of sense. Life is short, and butter (well, OK, in moderation) is one of those rare blessings.

Thank you for reading, if in fact this has been read! Now go cook!

Answer 3

Okay, this list is based on the fact that I am only a good cook when I don't consider it a chore, so it has to be easy enough that the reward is worth the effort:

1)Cook for people you love. I can happily spend an hour in the kitchen making something I know someone will love. If I was just cooking for me, I'd have an apple and go do something else half the time.

2)Less is more. If you can eliminate 5 steps (or find a recipe that does) and come out with something that is *almost* as good, for goodness sake, LOSE that recipe that involves zesting the lemon, splitting the vanilla bean, separating the eggs, whipping the whites, sifting the flour, and learning how to chacha in heels. Unless of course that's your joy, in which case, you need no secrets, you ARE Martha Stewart.

2b) Less is more with ingredients. Why make something that requires 15 things you'll never buy again?

3) It isn't actually desert if SOMETHING doesn't involve chocolate. Or coffee. Or chocolate and coffee. Heck, if the dessert's good enough, they'll forget what you served for dinner anyway. But really, don't skimp, buy the good coffee :)

Answer 4

I just started on Yahoo Answers today at the request of a very dear friend. I am an Executive chef of 30 + years, college educated and all. You are asking a question about being a successful cook. Well I need more information on what you think makes a successful cook. I will be more than happy to help you, however, first - there is no "secret". Second - there is still no "secret". It is really just a matter of learning, experimenting, common sense and luck. As I said I am new to Yahoo Answers today so if you can ask me more direct questions I will be happy to answer - but I don't know how this Yahoo Answers thing works yet. So I will leave it at this - I will look for another question from you if can ask me a question directly - GREAT please do so. hope to ttys - SPIKE

Answer 5

What you need to know first. You will make mistakes when learning to cook or bake and you might continue making mistakes along the way. This does not mean you are a failure and that you will never learn how to do things in the kitchen. Cooking and baking is trial and error. Yes things may burn, spill over and might not taste good, this is all a learning process. You have to be patient, those in your life may not be so patient, that does not mean to give up. You are trying. You can be the next Julia Child or Jack Pepin, you can open up your own restaurant or operate a cooking website or cooking school, you could also be a cook book author or a food critic. Or, you could learn just to be a good cook and prepare meals that will be more healthy and nutritious then anything you can get at a fast food place or in a box with all those preservatives and things that can be unhealthy.

When you cook, you use things that you learned in school like fractions, science and art. You don't have to be good in those subjects to learn how to cook, but they are in many parts of cooking. When you half or double a recipe, you need to know fractions. When you mix things and they have to be a certain consistency, that is science. When you get creative and do things your own way with your own touch and do a nice presentation, that is art. I would like to take a moment to talk about food contamination. When working with meats I will either keep cleaning the utensil I am using or get a fresh one. Never put food back on the same plate it came on after you have cooked it, you may give you and your family food poisoning.
Never run with a knife in your hand or show off while holding a knife. As ridiculous as it sounds, never jester when holding something sharp, you could seriously hurt someone or yourself.
The kitchen must always be the cleanest part of your house. Just because we live in modern times does not mean you can't get sick from doing things in a dirty kitchen. A dirty kitchen will attract bugs and rodents and they will then go throughout the house. Bug and especially rodents bring in diseases.
It is always a good idea to keep your house clean. It is especially true with the kitchen. Never use dirty utensils, pans or dish ware. Always make sure everything is clean before you prepare something and cleaned up after your done. No time like the present to learn how important a clean environment is.
You have many advantages over young cook´s from years gone by. If you don't keep things clean, you will suffer the same hardships and diseases they experienced.
When washing things by hand, make sure you was the handles of pans and utensils. You will be surprised at how many people do not was the handles and then wonder why they and their family are sick.

Reading Recipes Successfully

The secret to being a successful cook is preparation.
Begin by reading your chosen recipe from start to finish. Make sure you understand exactly what you´re supposed to do. If you can´t figure out a step and can´t find the answer in your cookbook, ask an adult to explain it to you.
Make sure you have all the ingredients. If you don´t, make a list of what you need. Ask an adult to help you buy them.
Gather all the necessary equipment.
Measure the ingredients accurately.
In general, it´s a good idea to finish one recipe before you start another.
Practice good safety habits.
When you´re done, put away all the ingredients and equipment.
Wash and dry the dishes (or load into a dishwasher).
Wipe off the counter and table and sweep the floor.

Answer 6

A willingness to try spices, fruits, veggies, etc. that may not normally seem to go together.

I know the taste of spices by themselves (though some are yucky alone) so when I try a new receipe I can taste it and find some spice that will make it taste better. Spices can make a world of difference between just another meal & a masterpiece.

I also try different things in an old standard. Instead of the usual spaghetti once I had a bunch of salad shrimp so I heated them in powered chicken bouillon, drained them & added a can of diced tomatoes & green chilies, a can of tomato soup & a little garlic. Then I made some chicken ramen noodles, drained the broth & used it for a bed for the shrimp mixture. Everyone loved it.

I also always add powdered bouillon to all my meat to make it more tasty, no matter how it's cooked. If frying I add it to the flour mix. If grilling I'll boil the meat in it before marinading. It makes the meat so tender & it absorbs the marinade flavors better. I even use it for the veggies.

When making desserts I always use milk & butter instead of water and/or oil. It's more satisfying & tastes better.

But I think the biggest secret is enjoying what you do. If it's seen as just a job or a chore you can have all the right ingredients & it still won't taste right. Those meals & desserts I've really want to make come out much better as I get more creative.

Answer 7

I think the secret to being a successful cook is not to panic about getting it right. Experiment with different ingredients and flavours. I like to read as many recipes for any dish I am cooking as possible, then take what I like from it. I think the worst mistake people make when cooking is thinking that there is a set way of cooking certain dishes. I think the correct way to cook a dish is the way that works and tastes best the way you cook it.

Also, learning the basics and taking small steps is the key. You would not run a marathon after your first ever bit of exercise so why try and cook a complicated dish until you have mastered the basics. Like anything in life take small steps and learn as you go and have fun and make mistakes along the way.

Answer 8

Hi James, think you're great by the way, loved your saturday morning show, some good tips on there! I think the secret to being a successful cook is confidence! You have to have the confidence to try something new, to use ingredients you've never used before and the confidence to eat it yourself before anyone else ha ha. I'll share this recipe with you but only you as i dont want everyone knowing about it! You'll need one large cooking pot, around 4 large strong onions, just over half a pint of veg oil, one tablespoon of salt, one tube of tomato puree and around 6 chicken thighs. Pour the oil in the pot and put it on a low heat ( no 2 on an electric cooker ). While your waiting for that to heat a little, chop the onions, not too small, not too big. Add to the pot with the salt. Once the onions have softened slightly, add the thighs. After about half an hour add the whole tube of tomato puree. Keep it on a low heat and keep turning the thighs every so often. Leave on the heat for around two and half hours when it will be cooked! Take the chicken thighs out with a slotted spoon, getting the onion and puree mix as well but leaving the oil behind. Serve with warm pitta bread and rice.

Answer 9

Have you ever wondered how two people can make the same dish, following the same recipe, and get a different taste? Even just slightly different...or how you can follow the same recipe but have it not always turn out the same?
As cheesy as it is, the emotion you put into cooking makes a difference. It is like any other artform, a piece of your soul goes into any dish you make. You have to love what you are doing. Do you want to eat something prepared by someone who hates to cook? I once did...I dont know if you can imagine such a thing as depressing pancakes, but it is a miserable way to start the day.
You also have to be open to trying new things. Dont be stuck in your own ways, maybe something you try will work, maybe it wont. At least you know the effect.
Another thing i've found helpful is stripping recipes down to the bones...the most basic you can get it. Only then can you figure out just how many different ways you can make it go.

I nearly forgot! I know your a big name chef, but dont think that means theres not something to learn from others. That little old lady down the road just might have the best recipe for sphagetti you've ever had! If you ask nice she may even share it with you =) Several of peoples favorite recipes I cook come from my family, not cookbooks from top name chefs.

I give my love to everyone I feed...it is what I enjoy doing, and I want everyone to enjoy my food as much as I do.

Answer 10

The best way to be a successful cook is to break free from the norm and do your own thing. I never use someone else's recipe. Neither did my mom or dad who were both great cooks (not professional). Every recipe I have ever made since I could cook way back as a teenager was my own or one my parents had taught me from their own creativity. Creativity makes the best recipes. I suggest you let go and be creative and don't be afraid to experiment. Sure, I have had botches from that but I have had a ton more successes and everyone wants my recipes. Unfortunately, I never write a thing down since I never make the same recipe the same way twice. That way, no one gets tired of eating the same old thing. They never have when I cook it because I never use a measuring spoon or measuring cup to measure a thing. When my grandma was cooking, they didn't even have those anyway. It was always measured with a 'handful' of this and a 'pinch' of that and tasted to make sure it was perfect. I have made tons of mouth watering dishes and all the recipes are my own. That is what makes a successful cook. Cooking is no different than being an artist of any sorts. I don't copy someone elses painting and put my name on it so why do I want to copy someone else recipe and then say I made it? That is why it is called Culinary Arts.

Answer 11

The secret is a basic understanding of the chemistry of cooking, knowing WHY things turn out as they do. If you have a grasp of this, you'll know why bread can't fail, why cakes must always rise, and how sauces work.

I was actually considering writing a cookbook entitled, "Cooking Without Recipes," then realized the book would have no subject matter. I'm now working on a TV cooking show project which would be situated in a low-brow single person venue. A second hand stove, cheap refrigerator, used cookware, no fancy gadgets and no powered equipment other than a hand-held mixer (maybe not even that). Each show would cover the total preparation of the dish from start to clean-up: nothing pre-chopped, pre-squeezed -absolutely everything done from the get-go. Here's a sample script:

Today we're going to make pancakes, because if you understand how to do that, you understand most of what you need to know to make anything that rises, like bread and wedding cakes. I'm amazed that people buy pancake mix, when the basic ingredient -good old flour- is down the aisle for 1/3 the cost.

A pancake is a cake that rises partly in the bowl and partly in the pan. Let's take a cup of flour and stir in enough water to make it like very thick batter. Now we want some grease so the pancakes are moist and don't stick to the pan. And now some sugar for flavor and a dribble of vanilla as well. Let's stir it in and see how the batter looks. Needs some more water. OK, what we have so far is a recipe for frisbees. If I cooked this stuff enough, it would make hard mat that you could throw to your dog -who wouldn't eat it. Or maybe I could use it as a wallpaper paste that would attract ants.

What's missing? Well, we need something to make it puffy, a way to get air into the batter so it turns from a hockey puck into a cake. And we might also want something to help it stick together so it doesn't turn into crumbs when you eat it. For that, I'll add an egg. J'ever notice how the white of an egg gets hard when you fry it? You have to cut it to eat it, right? Well, if we add that property to our pancake mix, it will have the same impact at a kind of microscopic level. The protein from the egg, plus the gluten from the flour will make things stay together.

So now, we'll add a couple of shakes of baking powder, which will be our source of puffiness. When the powder hits the wet batter, it will start releasing gas bubbles which will fizz in the mixture and give us bubbles. And when we pour the batter in the hot pan, the heat will make this happen some more -which is why it says "Double acting" here on the label.

So let's stir this puppy to thoroughly mix in the baking powder, and let it work for a minute or two while we get our pan ready. (Then I do that).

OK, here goes our first pancake. This may be a sacrificial pancake. I say that because it often doesn't come out just right and you throw it away. Just think of it as a mandatory sacrifice to the pancake gods. See those bubbles coming through the top? That's the baking powder fizzing away. And see the batter on top fall back in the hole? Its getting baked in there. Let's test the edge of the cake to see if I can turn it. Yep, its hanging together OK, so I'll just scoop under it with my spatula here and flip this puppy over. PERFECT!

Now friends, what's going on here is what's going on with ANYTHING that bakes, with a few differences. With bread, for example, yeast supplies the bubbles and it takes longer. You knead bread flour as a way to release gluten in the flour and make everything stick together but otherwise its the same.

...

Well, you get the idea. The "secret" is to understand how and why things work; when you have that, you cook by looking and tasting, not by precisely measuring according to a recipe book. Example: bread rises to about twice the size of the dough; therefore you measure out the flour by filling a bread pan to roughly half full.

I hope this helps.