 We all make cooking mistakes, and if you learned to cook at home (which is where most people learn) it’s likely you learned to do things the way your mom (if that’s who taught you) did them, and she the way her mother and grandmother did… If you were fortunate to be from a […]  Many years ago I was catering a party and one of the appetizers I had planned to make was samosas. I was following a recipe and ended up with a lot of extra filling, and not much time, so I defrosted some won ton wrappers I had and used those instead of the dough I […]
 When you’re cooking one of the things you should be paying attention to, but may not be, are the bubbles. When I learned to make scrambled eggs, and I mean as a kid, not when I was in culinary school, where making scrambled eggs is a whole other thing, but when my dad was showing […]  When kids (or adults) are eating something for the first time ‘what does it taste like?’ is the inevitable question, and ‘Tastes like chicken’ often the response . A few years ago I read a humorous article in which the author said when he used that response with his daughter, she asked ‘So what does […]
 At the start of the month I posted a recipe for baba ganoush, promised eggplant recipes this month, and haven’t delivered. Today I bring you something new and exciting (at least to me), something I’ve never made before, and approached with some degree of wariness. Last night I made eggplant burgers. I have never […]
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Anna Belle - I’m happy to say that we’re doing most of it right – esp. #4 pasta water! I’ll have to try rubbing dried spices in my hand next time – I use dried rosemary a lot with potatoes.
nrlowell@comcast.net - Anna, I just started saving my pasta water, and love what it does for the sauce!
I love dried rosemary, that and dill are my favorite dried herbs.
Thanks
Rhonda - I love reminders like this! Sometimes bad habits start to creep in.
Do you have any favorite recipes using lemonbalm? I have a plant that’s going insane!
nrlowell@comcast.net - Rhonda, I have never used lemon balm… I think it would be good in places where you’d use mint, and maybe in iced tea (my favorite beverage!)
Christy@SweetandSavoring - Oh my gosh, this is so helpful! Thank you for this- I feel like I’ve been trying to experiment more cooking-wise, but I needed these tips. I put my herbs in too early! Garlic, too- things never taste as garlicky as I think they should.
And oh yes, I love toasted nuts! 🙂
nrlowell@comcast.net - Christy, thanks for the comment! Garlic is also something that you need to saute in fat to get the most flavor, just dropping it in to soup or sauce won’t get you much. You might also try roasting a bunch of garlic and adding that for a deeper less harsh flavor. Keep cooking!!
Carolann Iadarola - Love this list! Making gravy and avoiding those lumps is always a challenge! Malcolm Gladwell is one of my favorite authors…great book. I had forgotten about the rule….awesome reminder!
nrlowell@comcast.net - Carolann, I think sauces and gravies can be the most challenging things to make. Definitely a task that needs time and attention for a good outcome.
Thanks
Peggy Gilbey - Great Tips.
nrlowell@comcast.net - Thanks Peggy, great to hear from you!
lindsay gill - great list! so helpful!
nrlowell@comcast.net - Thanks for the feedback! Writing these helps me remember too!
2 Groovy Moms - I’m a pretty bad cook already, but #4 and #5 are really helpful! I’ll try it (and hope I don’t mess up)
Fall Into a Bowl of Soup - Chefs Last Diet - […] all spices, curry is fat soluble, which means, that to get the most flavor from it you need to sauté it in some […]
Ketchup and Other Sauce » Chefs Last Diet - […] is reserved for professionals, or sure they will mess it up, but making sauce isn’t hard, and making gravy is even easier. As much as I love a well crafted sauce, there’s not much flavor-wise that can […]
Soup Weather or Not » Chefs Last Diet - […] can toast a little in the hot fat, then any other ingredients including stock/broth (except fresh herbs), and any cream or milk products. Because this is a potato soup I chose to use a food mill rather […]