Whether you’re a novice or a pro, chances are we’re all guilty of a cooking faux pas or two. The cooking experts at Zest are here with a few tips to help you feel more at home in the kitchen.
Perfecting Pasta
To salt or not to salt
One of the common debates in the pasta world is whether or not to salt the water when boiling. Sharon Landis, owner of Zest and The Zest Cooking School in Lititz, says the salt factor depends on your end goal with the pasta. “The boiling process is the only time you can truly affect the taste of the pasta itself, but whether or not to salt truly depends on how you plan to use your pasta. If you’re planning on using a salty sauce, you may not need the additional flavor from salting the water”, says Landis.
Watch your cooking times
According to Landis, “Pasta should be cooked al dente. A little bit of bite, but not completely crunchy.” The best way to determine this? “Use a fork to pull a piece out of the boiling water. Then, try to cut the pasta with the side of the fork. If it resists, it’s not done”, says Landis. When in doubt, don’t be afraid to taste test to see if it’s to your desired texture.
Only rinse with purpose
If you’re cooking a hot dish, do not rinse your pasta. When you rinse, you actually wash off all of the starch and that starch is what helps your sauce stick to the pasta. That being said, if you’re making a pasta salad and want it to cool quickly, you can rinse with cool water. Another pro tip from Landis: you can always save a little of your pasta water to make a nice simple sauce.
Ditch the oil
This is a common misconception when it comes to prepping your cooked pasta. “You do not need to add any oil to your pasta unless you are doing a basic oil and parmesan cheese toss. Adding oil to your pasta before a heavier sauce will simply make your sauce slide right off of your pasta.
Avoid Pan Panic
Swap out your go-to oil
Extra virgin olive oil has seen a boom in the US in the past decade which has led to many people treating it as a multi-purpose oil. While great for salad dressings or even oven roasting (up to 350 degrees!), EVOO is not a great choice when pan frying and sautéeing due to its low smoke point. Landis suggests substituting your go-to with avocado oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, or even peanut oil depending on allergies of your dinner guests.
Choose your pans wisely
Nonstick pans are all the rage, but may not always be your best choice. Landis says, “Stainless steel pans are excellent when making a sauce of any kind. If you pan fry your protein and then take it out, it leaves a nice residue in the pain for the sauce. Nonstick tends to leave less there for you to work with.” There’s a place for nonstick and a place for stainless steel. Landis suggests stocking your kitchen with two or three great non-stick skillets of different sizes, a few good three-ply (minimum) stainless steel pieces, a good old cast iron skillet and grill pan, and a quality enamel coated cast iron dutch oven.
Don’t overcrowd your pan
When trying to cook for a larger crowd quickly, one of the most common mistakes can be overcrowding the pan. Naturally, one may think getting everything into one pan on the first go-round, as opposed to pan-frying in batches, will save time. However, it actually works in reverse. Overcrowding a pan lowers the temperature of the pan, causing your food to cook more slowly, and oftentimes, unevenly.
Press with purpose
Stovetop burgers are a great substitute to grilling during the colder months. Whether grilling or pan frying, don’t press down on burgers, especially turkey burgers. Pressing pushes all of the juice and moisture from your meat, leaving it dry. The exception? A good old fashioned smash burger that relies on the pressing technique to create a thin, nicely crusted patty.
Sharpen your Skills
“If you ask any chef what is their favorite utensil, they always say their knives,” says Landis. “When you’re fighting a knife, it takes all the fun out of cooking.” Landis says to Invest in one good 8-inch chef’s knife. The curved rocking blade can make it a great multi-purpose knife. “Spend $100-150 on a good cook’s knife. You’ll never regret it.” Lastly, don’t forget to grab a sharpener to keep that knife in good shape.
Failure-Proof your Flavors
Time your seasoning right
Another debate when it comes to cooking—should I be seasoning while my ingredients are in the pan? Landis suggests using cooking sprays or a light brush of oil on chicken breast to help get your seasoning to stick to your meat prior to placing in the pan. After seasoning, try placing in the fridge for about an hour to let it sink in.
Don’t rush your marinade
You get home from work and realize you forgot to marinade your dinner, is it a lost cause? Chances are, no! “Seafood should not be marinated for more than an hour because of the delicate nature and it’s high water composition. 30-60 minutes on shrimp, fish, or other seafood options will give you the right amount of flavor”, says Landis. “Everything else, you can go overnight; however, if you can only do an hour, try poking holes with a fork to help the marinade get under the surface more quickly.”
Stock your spice cabinet with the essentials
There’s nothing like going to make a recipe and realizing you’re missing an essential spice. So what spices should you stock? For classic herbs, Landis suggests the following: dried basil, thyme, rosemary, and Mexican oregano (a slightly lemony variety). For baking flavors, try cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Venturing into some stronger spice flavors? Go for chili powder, cayenne, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. “Chili powder is a great one to be a little adventurous,” says Landis. “For example, choosing a smoked variety of chili powder could completely upgrade a dish. We have a large variety of Zest spices to help you find one to fit your preferences.” Lastly, don’t forget the salt and pepper. Having a fresh pepper and salt grinder will always help elevate a dish, but when in a pinch, table salt and pepper will work just fine.
Don’t forget the condiments
While homemade condiments will always take a meal to the next level, a little convenience is necessary. Landis suggests having three in your kitchen at all times: ketchup, mayo, and dijon mustard. Not only are they common condiments on their own, they are also often used in recipes.
The Easy-to-Master Dish
New to cooking, but looking to host a dinner? Landis suggests trying a classic Chicken Picatta as your first master chef meal. “It doesn’t need any fancy ingredients and can use chicken cutlets which cook up quickly and easily. You don’t even really need a complicated recipe,” says Landis. Follow these Zest quick tips to try your hand at this classic:
1. Lightly flour both sides of the chicken and saute in a little butter and olive oil over medium/medium-low heat (Remember, olive oil has that low smoking point we talked about.)
2. Once the chicken is browned, remove from the pan, and set aside.
3. Add a little lemon juice and chicken stock to the pan. Bring to a slow boil, scraping the pan as you go for extra flavor.
4. Add your desired amount of capers and parsley.
5 .Serve on it’s own with a vegetable and starch, or try serving atop some pasta.
