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Are you interested in cooking and wondering where you should start from? Cooking is an art and can be a great career; it needs passion, patience, and skills. Start your cooking journey by learning about the basic cooking skills in the article.
There are several basic cooking skills a chef should know about, like knife skills, sauce skills, cooking with herbs and spices, mastering cooking methods, food safety, and food preparation.
Read on to learn more about cooking skills and examples of basic cooking skills. Also, learn how to improve your cooking skills and how to highlight the skills.
Just like gardening or housekeeping, cooking is a skill that requires knowledge and practice. Having the skill can turn any meal preparation into a super adventure that a chef would look up to daily. The cooking skills are not only for professional chefs but also for home cooks. The skills help them to avoid horrible mistakes while cooking meals at home because they need them to create great meals, but what are cooking skills? Let's find out.
Cooking skills are the ability to perform tasks in food preparation, which demands particular procedures in cooking like washing, chopping, peeling, etc. It's mandatory to have confidence and knowledge to develop your cooking skills.
Basic cooking skills may seem simple, but their perfection makes or breaks the food. Examples of basic cooking skills:
The first skill you should master in the kitchen is knife skills. You need to master it. It's essential for easier cooking because it cooks more evenly when your ingredients (onions, carrots, tomatoes) are cut the same size. It would be best to grip the knife and cut it into precisions correctly. The knife skill is the first skill you learn in culinary school and the most tested skill in cooking job interviews.
A well-made sauce enhances every food flavor and presentation. You can tell the difference between a great chef who went through culinary school and one who didn't by how they make their sauce. Preparing the proper sauce that will pair significantly with food requires understanding food anatomy like flavor, texture, and appearance. There are different reasons chefs use the sauce in foods: to make the food visually appealing, add moisture or liquid, enhance its flavor, and improve its texture.
Food cooked with dried spices and herbs has an excellent, extraordinary taste! However, how they are added matters a lot. Knowing what seasoning to add and the right proportions make the difference in your food. A slight mistake in the proportions can ruin your meal. You can learn the natural ways to add natural flavorings, how to keep your spices and herbs fresh for a long, how to store them properly, and others in a culinary school.
Establishing a career in cooking is not an overnight dream; you need practical cooking skills plus the knowledge to succeed in the field. Among the practical cooking skills you need are drilling, boiling, sauteing, deep frying, steaming, stewing, roasting, broiling, etc. The skills you learn to help you in mastering the above cooking methods will be the backbone of your success as a chef.
Food safety is all about avoiding cross-contamination. It entails proper food storage and cooking it to appropriate temperatures. You should also ensure that you wear the proper clothing and practice adequate food hygiene while in the kitchen to ensure the dishes are safe and enjoyable.
It's the act of combining cooking plus serving ingredients to create a fantastic dish. People do not just eat to fill their bellies; the food must be healthy. Chefs are expected to use high-quality food ingredients and thorough preparation methods. Preparing your ingredients before cooking is vital rather than returning to the pantry, getting ingredients, and measuring the right proportion while cooking simultaneously. It would be best if you were organized to have a smooth cooking experience.
Learning to cook can start at home as a kid, but not for all. Some have never been interested in learning how to as kids and only got the interest as grown-ups. Learning never gets old, and it's fun, especially about food. There are facts about how to cook that no one would ever tell you, but you can start by learning through books, food blogs, and other recipe websites.
Every person has a different reason to learn how to cook; some have small families they want to cook for, others want to impress their friends with sumptuous delicacies, and others want to be professional chefs. Whatever your reason, cooking is a great way to learn, and you can always keep improving. Below are ways you can improve your cooking skills:
A new recipe can be exciting, but don't start when unsure. Read the whole recipe and ensure you have all the ingredients in place; you don't want to run to the grocery store in the middle of your cooking. Reviewing the reviews to know what people say about the recipe would also be great. You may follow their suggestion if most people advise a different measure, like adding more salt or cheese. However, if you are more experienced, you can deviate. If it's a new recipe with no reviews, follow what's written for better results.
The right equipment can improve your food magically, from pots, pans, bowls, and chopping boards to cutlery. A good knife should be comfortable to hold, with a good weight, and stored in a knife block. When it comes to cooking, investing in good equipment is worth it; it makes cooking more fun and more accessible.
Knowing how the ingredients behave when cooked in different methods like steaming, boiling, baking, and roasting is vital. This will make you adjust your recipe accordingly. For instance, check if your sweet potatoes go soggy in an oven and instead deep fry them. Again, it's vital to use fresh ingredients. Also, use seasonal and ripe ones for a more pronounced taste. Be adventurous in your kitchen.
Do you ever feel frustrated by a meal that's either too spicy, salty, or sugary? It can be traumatizing but can be fixed by balancing your flavors. By balancing your tastes, you will know which flavor to boost when one overwhelms the food. Salt is an essential flavor in food that can ruin or make your dish; be careful how you add it, especially when baking.
Maybe you are a great cook and have thought of doing it professionally but don't know where to start. Below are tips to help you highlight your cooking skills when applying for a job;
Cooking skills for a resume- For a professional look, create a skills section in your resume and list the skills as bullet points. It will make it easy for the employer to read. Ensure you have read the listing and understood the particular skills the employer is looking for, and use the information to know which abilities you should include in the application. Adding technical skills would also be a plus, clearly highlighting which foods you cook well.
Cooking skills for cover letter- Use the cover letter for detailed information on the skills listed on your resume. Tailor it for the specific job application you are applying for and give examples of how you showed or got the skills in your previous work.
Cooking skills for a job interview- During the interview, explain your vital cooking skills via anecdotal stories as you answer questions. Please talk about the skills matching the listing on the job posting and explain how you have successfully used them.
The basic skills highlighted above are not for professional chefs only but also for anyone passionate about cooking. Cooking is an art that improves every day, there is always something new to learn. Allow us to help you with how to cook services and enjoy great meals.
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