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Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
by
Sohla El-Waylly883 ratings, 4.39 average rating, 92 reviews
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“Cutting Board Maintenance
Moisturize! Once a month I spend some quality time, just me and my cutting board family. Wood is porous and kind of alive—it expands and contracts, absorbs moisture and dries out. Without any TLC even the best wooden cutting board can crack, warp, or even rot from the inside. Luckily, all you need to prevent all of that is monthly moisturization.
1. Start with a clean and dry board: Using a soft dish sponge, scrub clean with dish soap. Remove any tough stains with a mixture of baking soda and water. Never use any harsh abrasives like bleach or steel wool. Rinse and then dry the board with a towel and leave it standing on its edge to fully dry. (If you can, it’s best to store your board standing on its edge when not in use so moisture doesn’t fester underneath.) When washing your board, be sure to wet both sides. This ensures that both sides are equally moist and dry at the same rate to prevent warping.
2. Apply a generous layer of food-grade mineral oil: Lay the board flat so excess oil doesn’t run off, and use your hands to spread a thick layer of mineral oil all over one side, rubbing into the edges and any grooves. Why mineral oil? Unlike most other oils, such as canola, olive, or coconut, mineral oil is totally flavorless and won’t grow rancid
3. Give it time to soak in: Let it sit for a few hours and preferably overnight to drink in as much oil as possible.
4. Buff and repeat: Use a towel to rub away any excess oil the board didn’t soak up. Next, buff the board, rubbing in any last remnants of oil. It should not feel slick or greasy when you’re done. Flip and repeat on the other side.
• Level up: To give your board an almost velvety feel, after oiling both sides, rub them down with board cream. Board cream is a mixture of food-grade mineral oil and beeswax that you can purchase or make yourself. Using a towel, rub a thin, even layer all over the board. No need to wipe it off after.”
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
Moisturize! Once a month I spend some quality time, just me and my cutting board family. Wood is porous and kind of alive—it expands and contracts, absorbs moisture and dries out. Without any TLC even the best wooden cutting board can crack, warp, or even rot from the inside. Luckily, all you need to prevent all of that is monthly moisturization.
1. Start with a clean and dry board: Using a soft dish sponge, scrub clean with dish soap. Remove any tough stains with a mixture of baking soda and water. Never use any harsh abrasives like bleach or steel wool. Rinse and then dry the board with a towel and leave it standing on its edge to fully dry. (If you can, it’s best to store your board standing on its edge when not in use so moisture doesn’t fester underneath.) When washing your board, be sure to wet both sides. This ensures that both sides are equally moist and dry at the same rate to prevent warping.
2. Apply a generous layer of food-grade mineral oil: Lay the board flat so excess oil doesn’t run off, and use your hands to spread a thick layer of mineral oil all over one side, rubbing into the edges and any grooves. Why mineral oil? Unlike most other oils, such as canola, olive, or coconut, mineral oil is totally flavorless and won’t grow rancid
3. Give it time to soak in: Let it sit for a few hours and preferably overnight to drink in as much oil as possible.
4. Buff and repeat: Use a towel to rub away any excess oil the board didn’t soak up. Next, buff the board, rubbing in any last remnants of oil. It should not feel slick or greasy when you’re done. Flip and repeat on the other side.
• Level up: To give your board an almost velvety feel, after oiling both sides, rub them down with board cream. Board cream is a mixture of food-grade mineral oil and beeswax that you can purchase or make yourself. Using a towel, rub a thin, even layer all over the board. No need to wipe it off after.”
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
“Don't forget to taste early and often.”
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
“How to Make Bone Broth
Being stocked up on bone broth means you’re always just a few steps away from a flavorful and nutritious meal. I use it for simmering grains and beans, steaming vegetables, making sauces, and as a base for soup. And since reliable brands like Brodo and Bonafide Provisions have made bone broths accessible (always shop for your bone broth in the freezer aisle), I rarely make bone broth at home. But I always store spare chicken backs and clipped wing tips in the freezer and end up making a batch whenever I have enough.
The process for making bone broth is simple; the main ingredient is time:
1. Use bones with a lot of meat/cartilage attached, like wings, backs, knuckles, and feet.
2. Cover the bones with 1 to 2 inches of cold filtered water.
3. Add ½ tablespoon vinegar per 1 pound of bones. (Recipes I’ve seen claim this maximizes collagen extraction. I don’t know if it actually does anything, but it doesn’t hurt!)
4. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, skimming any froth/scum/fat regularly and topping off with water as needed, until the bones start to fall apart (12 hours for chicken, up to 18 hours for beef, pork, and lamb).
5. If you want to use aromatics (like carrot, celery, onion, and herbs), add them an hour before the cooking time is over. 6. After simmering, strain through a fine-mesh sieve and taste. If looking for a more concentrated flavor, return the bone broth to”
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
Being stocked up on bone broth means you’re always just a few steps away from a flavorful and nutritious meal. I use it for simmering grains and beans, steaming vegetables, making sauces, and as a base for soup. And since reliable brands like Brodo and Bonafide Provisions have made bone broths accessible (always shop for your bone broth in the freezer aisle), I rarely make bone broth at home. But I always store spare chicken backs and clipped wing tips in the freezer and end up making a batch whenever I have enough.
The process for making bone broth is simple; the main ingredient is time:
1. Use bones with a lot of meat/cartilage attached, like wings, backs, knuckles, and feet.
2. Cover the bones with 1 to 2 inches of cold filtered water.
3. Add ½ tablespoon vinegar per 1 pound of bones. (Recipes I’ve seen claim this maximizes collagen extraction. I don’t know if it actually does anything, but it doesn’t hurt!)
4. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, skimming any froth/scum/fat regularly and topping off with water as needed, until the bones start to fall apart (12 hours for chicken, up to 18 hours for beef, pork, and lamb).
5. If you want to use aromatics (like carrot, celery, onion, and herbs), add them an hour before the cooking time is over. 6. After simmering, strain through a fine-mesh sieve and taste. If looking for a more concentrated flavor, return the bone broth to”
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
“If you have it in your budget to buy just one [Fine-Mesh Sieve], choose a large and sturdy sieve that can tackle any task. Look for a sieve that’s one solid metal piece rather than having a separately attached handle, which can break off after prolonged use”
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
“How to Make a Game Plan
1. Zoom out and take an overhead view of all the steps in all the dishes you’re making. Then break the recipes apart and weave them back together into one mega recipe.
2. Think about how you can make your movements more efficient:
What can you prep in advance?
Make use of inactive time: You don’t always have to do all your cleaning/prepping first.
For example, get something sautéing while you chop stuff for the next step.
Group together similar tasks, like vegetable prep, brining proteins, or making sauces and vinaigrettes.
Think about how long each task takes—long cooking steps should start first while quick sautés should be last. And make dessert and breads in advance whenever possible.
3. Don’t ever get too set into a game plan. Mistakes happen, steps get overlooked, so always be flexible enough to adapt as you cook.”
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
1. Zoom out and take an overhead view of all the steps in all the dishes you’re making. Then break the recipes apart and weave them back together into one mega recipe.
2. Think about how you can make your movements more efficient:
What can you prep in advance?
Make use of inactive time: You don’t always have to do all your cleaning/prepping first.
For example, get something sautéing while you chop stuff for the next step.
Group together similar tasks, like vegetable prep, brining proteins, or making sauces and vinaigrettes.
Think about how long each task takes—long cooking steps should start first while quick sautés should be last. And make dessert and breads in advance whenever possible.
3. Don’t ever get too set into a game plan. Mistakes happen, steps get overlooked, so always be flexible enough to adapt as you cook.”
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
“Read through the entire recipe before you get going—a couple of times if it’s an unfamiliar or advanced technique. I recommend getting in there with a highlighter and pen and marking the whole thing up”
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
― Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
