comments:
I learned some basic stuff from mom and dad growing up. French toast, grilled cheese, eggs, etc. Easy stuff I could make on my own when the folks were working late or I was hungry and we weren’t close to meal time. Then, one day when I was complaining about my dad’s cooking, my step dad told me “if you want to eat something that tastes how you like it, learn how to cook it yourself.”That started me on my path. I just watched and played in the kitchen. Mom was a nurse, step dad was firefighter. So I had to fend for myself a fair bit when they couldn’t be home to make dinner. Then I found The Food Lab by Kenji LopezAlt and I changed how I cooked. I really started to get into the WHY of cooking techniques and flavor pairings. My sister is a professional chef so I just wanted to kind of keep up with her and contribute something to the thanksgiving dinner. Now I cook a lot and I generally just use recipes for rough guidance. I’d say knife work, sauces, and spice blend knowledge were the biggest game changers for me. I try to have three ish good recipes in the back pocket for a couple difference cuisines. Italian and Mexican are easy. Learning more about Indian and Chinese dishes at the current moment and loving it.