[TigerMandingo]

If there's one thing I've learned from years of working in restaurant kitchens, it is that THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES. Cooking, especially from recipes, is not a foolproof process. It took me years of tinkering and experimenting (and lots of yelling from great chefs) to finally understand how to season, flavor, and make food more palatable. I am now at the point where I use recipes as a guide, but never as a straightforward instruction manual. I'm not saying this to brag, but just to point out that a recipe can only do so much if you're lacking the understanding and the technique. There are many nuances in cooking that can make your food taste 10x better.

Hopefully some of you guys will find the following tips helpful, and feel free to add your own. I didn't want to get too technical and tried to keep these as direct and simple as possible. I'm sure Veloce will chime in with his expert opinion as well.

1) Pre-heat the pan - Now here's the thing. A lot of recipes will call for heating the pan on high and adding the oil until it's shimmering. Wrong. This will guarantee that you will burn the shit out of whatever you're frying/searing. The pan will get too hot, too fast. If you're using an electric stove, add about 2 tbsp of oil to a COLD pan and start heating on medium-low, which is about 4. Heat it for about 4 minutes. 4 for 4 is how I remember it. At that point, it will be hot enough, but not overwhelmingly so.

2) Make sure the meat/fish can slide in the pan - this is a check to see if your pan was hot enough when you placed the meat on it. As soon as you put down the product on the hot pan, give the pan a quick shake (back and forth motion) to see if the meat will slide - if it doesn't move from its position, the pan wasn't hot enough. This isn't the end of the world, particularly if you're cooking something like steak. But if it's a delicate fish, like tilapia for instance, it will stick to the pan and you will tear it apart when you flip it over to cook on the other side.

3) Start cooking garlic in a COLD pan - a lot of recipes call for minced garlic and to cook it on medium-high for 5 or more minutes. Big mistake. Minced garlic is extremely delicate and will burn quickly if your pan is too hot. Always add minced garlic to a COLD pan with COLD oil and let it heat up slowly - using the 4 setting on an electric stove. This will not only bring out the wonderful smell of garlic but also give you time to work on other prep for your meal without worrying that it's going to burn. Do not cook garlic for more than 2-3 minutes. You want to bring out the flavor, but not necessarily the color. A bit brown around the edges is OK, but no more than that - as soon as I can smell the garlic I add the next round of veggies or whatever it is that you're cooking with it.

Wrong:



Right:



4) Season from above - this one you're probably more familiar with. And I don't mean that Instagram whore chef, who sprinkles salt from eye level. However, you do want a good distance from your fingertips to the actual food - 12 inches should suffice. The reason for this is the seasoning will be spread more evenly if it's done this way. You also don't just want to drop the salt or pepper directly onto the product - shuffle it between your fingers as you're letting it go.

This is good representation of proper seasoning technique:



5) Secure your cutting board - this one's easy. Sometimes when I watch other people cook, their cutting board is sliding all over the place and I'm shocked that they aren't constantly nipping themselves with the knife. Simply moisten a paper towel or a rag and place it directly under the board. Press the board down and it now should be held in place. This is the foundation of your cooking

This is all for today folks. I will be adding more tips as time goes on. Let me know if you have any questions