TV chefs make knocking a delicious meal together look easy, well, they would, wouldn’t they? They’ve trained for years and then they go bananas when people who aren’t as good as them get the tiniest thing wrong. Most people enjoy cooking if they admit it, it’s a creative and nourishing thing to do. Cooking for your whole family it might not be quite as much fun but when you fancy a snack a few tips from the masters can mean the difference between a bowl of cereal and something a little bit special.
As well as being more economic and better for you than buying in ready meals cooking well is a great pass time and even helps you to woo potential partners. So what’s not to love?
Dicing.
You need a very sharp knife, the kind of sharp that you’re a little bit worried about. A blunt knife means you’ll be hacking and sawing instead of slicing with ease. Peel the food you’re dicing first and if it’s a round vegetable cut it lengthwise to begin with so you have a flat surface to put down on your chopping board.
Diced vegetables are generally means food that’s cut to a quarter and three quarters of an inch, any bigger and it’s ‘chopped,’ smaller than that and what you’ve got is ‘minced.’
Always kept the point of the blade in contact with the chopping board and use it as a fulcrum. TV chefs can do this with speed but you don’t have to, just do it safely. Slice into thin strips and then cut those strips down into cubes.
Saute.
Many instructions call for you to saute at one stage or another, but what does it mean? Well, it comes from the French to jump and differs from frying in that the temperature should be so high that things will burn if left a moment too long and you use barely any oil. Put the vegetables into the pan and start tossing, keep it moving otherwise it’ll burn and don’t overcrowd the pan. You can use a wooden or plastic utensil or simply toss the food if you have a strong wrist.
Scrambled Eggs.
Nothing could be simpler than scrambled eggs right? So why do so many people get it wrong, making ugly, runny, rubbery or flavourless eggs? What’s the trick?
First of all use the freshest eggs you can. And a non stick pan, using ordinary cookware WILL end in disaster! Always crack eggs on a flat surface, not the edge of the pan. That way you won’t push splinters of shell into the egg or break the yolk. Not that it matters for scrambled eggs but it’s a good tip.
I like to put the eggs directly into the pan on a medium heat and then add a tablespoon of milk or cream per egg I’m using. Gently beat as the eggs cook adding a little salt and white pepper. Once the eggs are beaten together stir occasionally with a spatula until they are properly cooked then serve immediately.
@DanCash is a sucker for takeaway food. Whether it’s aindian takeaway islington, a Chinese from Camden or an indian food croydon, it’s all yummers!
