(Page in Progress - Changing to a "tips for/learning each food" type of page)

Cooking Meats

• Pat meat dry before searing.

• Rest proteins for 5 minutes after cooking for most tender and juicy food.

• Velveting beef. Soak thinly-sliced meat or ground meat in a baking soda solution (add 1/2 tsp baking soda stirred into 1 tbsp water per lb of meat for 5 minutes) to make meat super tender and moist. For shredded or sliced chicken, use water + salt + cornstarch + oil.

• If you're marinating chicken with melted butter and spices, add the butter in last to avoid it solidifying.

Vegetable Things

• Salt vegetables before sautéing to bring out moisture.

Cooking Process/Terms

• A gentle simmer has small, occasional bubbles and is best for delicate foods like soups, stews, or poaching. A more rapid simmer has more constant, energetic bubbling and is better for reducing sauces or cooking heartier dishes that need more heat.

• Make a cornstarch slurry (equal parts COLD water and cornstarch) to thicken soups without changing flavor.

Seasonings and Spices

• Toast whole spices and nuts to bring out flavor.

• "Bloom"  dried spices in  oil, broth, or cream for a few minutes.

• Dried herbs at the beginning, fresh herbs at the end.

Spices/Bases to Keep Alongside the Basic Ones

• Ghee. Rich, buttery taste but can cook at a high heat (unlike butter, which burns fast). Not as healthy as EVOO or avocado oil, so I use in moderation.

• Celery salt. Cold cut sandwiches, spinach dip, meatloaf, potato mac salad, to start.

• Accent (Monosodium glutamate - MSG). Wakes up the flavor.

• Fish sauce. Caesar dressing, marinara (gives it a meatier flavor) or pasta sauce, salad (adds umami), beef stews, and fried rice.

• Parmesan (or pecorino) rind. Put it in soups at the beginning, take it out at the end.

• Cavender's All-Purpose Greek seasoning. Chicken salad, popcorn, scrambled eggs, white rice, vegetables, fried potatoes.

• Mushroom umami powder. Gravy, soup base, sauce, a roast, scrambled eggs.

• Sumac. Adds citrusy crisp to recipes.

• White pepper. Goes great in Asian recipes and mashed potatoes (less intense than black).

• Goya Saźon and Badia Complete seasoning. Add Saźon to add color and a savory, garlicky, and citrusy flavor (rice, beans, soups, stews, grilled or roasted meats, fish, and vegetables).

• Better Than Boullion. Better than cubes and powders.