October 20 is International Chefs Day!
This day was created by Chef Dr Bill Gallagher in 2004. International Chefs Day provides an opportunity to celebrate this noble profession. There are many ways to participate in International Chefs Day.
Usually, chefs from all over the world host events to promote the profession, hold culinary competitions and communicate with children about healthy eating through presentations.
When you come home from a tiring day, planning and cooking a meal can seem daunting.
But, it doesn’t have to be. By learning essential cooking skills you can lower your food bills, eat more nutritiously, and turn cooking into a fun experience. So, keep reading as we go over five skills and ideas that will help you learn to cook like a chef.
Understand the science of cooking
They say that cooking is an art form, but, at its core, it is a science. Once you learn how ingredients interact with different kinds of heat and how preparation styles, techniques, and flavours work together, you can leverage this knowledge to create stunning creations that are easy to cook.
Master basic knife skills
Whether you're meal prepping or just trying to make dinner for tonight, you really need to know how to cut up the foods you're trying to prepare. Start with a high-quality chef’s knife and learn basic knife skills - this will completely transform how you cook at home. Carefully. Start with a good knife that's actually sharp, find a few onions, potatoes, or other cheap vegetables, and follow along with video tutorials.
Know your seasonings
Wondering why restaurant food always tastes so much better? It’s the attention chefs pay to seasoning the food. If you’re making a special meal, taste it before serving and add a little extra good quality sea salt to enhance the natural flavours in the dish.
Make sure you're using the right wine for the right recipe
When following a recipe that calls for a specific type of wine, don't just use any wine you have in your fridge. This could affect the flavour, and the acidity level might be way too high or way too low. To be safe, always stick to the recipe - and, of course, only cook with wine that tastes good. The wine doesn’t need to be expensive but make sure it has enough flavour.
Take your time
There is only one golden rule to cooking, and that is that great food takes time. Time is one of the most valuable assets in the kitchen, and it is critical to understand its importance to achieve success. In our fast-paced modern world, the value of time is often lost, but it is important to step back and remember the magic that time does to our food.