Your Cooking Companion's Guide to Basic Cooking Skills

By Daniel Slobodien

Are you a total novice to the kitchen? Are you on your own for the first time? Or, have you been cooking for years, but would like to get better?
Have you ever wondered what makes a good cook so good? Why does their food look and taste so good?
It's no secret, you can be that good cook - or even a great cook! Just like anything else, the trick is to learn the fundamentals, or the building blocks. Knowledge is power.
In great detail, this eBook will present for you the basic skills, or building blocks, of good cooking. Great success in the kitchen is yours for the taking! Mastering these skills are not hard. Yes, some - especially honing your knife skills - will take practice, perseverance, and patience. However, if you stick with it, you will quickly gain the confidence in the kitchen that comes with success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daniel Slobodien
• Release date: Dec 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463834923

Daniel Slobodien

Chef Dan Slobodien has worked in the restaurant and food industry for over 40 years, never losing his passion for producing the finest foods possible – always from scratch.Having owned two restaurants in the past, exploring American regional cuisines and global favorites – always with Chef Dan’s signature twist.Throughout his career, Chef Dan has always had a keen interest in teaching his craft. Chef Dan conducted cooking classes for people of all ages, especially for children and young adults.Newly retired from the restaurant world, Chef Dan keeps busy writing - aimed toward teaching everyone the lifeskill of cooking and good eating (they go hand-in-hand). Toward that end, please visit his blog, YourCookingCompanion.com.

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Your Cooking Companion’s Guide To

Basic Cooking Skills

Get Off to a Great Start!

Written by:

Chef Dan

Your Cooking Companion

Smashwords Edition 2019

ISBN:9780463834923

For more recipes and tips visit Chef Dan at

www.Your Cooking Companion.com

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© 2019 Chef Dan Enterprises, LLC/ Daniel Slobodien

All rights reserved. No Part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission of the author/publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Basic Kitchen Skills

Introduction

Skill #1: Think

Skill #2: Learn How to Use a Knife

Tips for Developing Knife Skills

Let's Start Cutting

Putting Those New Skills to Work (Recipes)

Sweet Sausage Minestrone

Chopped Sub Salad

Skill #3: Accurate Measuring

By Volume: Wet Ingredients, Dry Ingredients, By Weight

Helpful Recipe Conversions

Metric Conversions

Abbreviations Used Throughout this Book

Skill #4: Learn the Basic Cooking Methods

Cooking with Dry Heat

Cooking with Wet Heat

Cooking with both Dry and Wet Heat

Skill #5: Clean As You Go

Skill #6: Practice Good Food & Kitchen Safety

Basic Cooking Terms

Kitchen Equipment

Essential Equipment (Stuff You Gotta Have)

(Non)Essential Equipment (Stuff That's Nice to Have)

(Totally)(Non)Essential Equipment (Stuff That's Cool to Have)

PREFACE

Are you a total novice to the kitchen? Are you on your own for the first time? Or, have you been cooking for years, but would like to get better? Have you ever wondered what makes a good cook so good? Why does their food look and taste so good?

It's no secret, you can be that good or a great cook! Just like anything else, the trick is to learn the fundamentals, or the building blocks. Knowledge is power.

In great detail, this eBook will present for you the basic skills, or building blocks, of good cooking. Great success in the kitchen is yours for the taking! Mastering these skills are not hard. Yes, some - especially honing your knife skills - will take practice, perseverance, and patience. However, if you stick with it, you will quickly gain the confidence that comes with success.

I believe there is an evolution in the making of a good cook. Initially, afraid to make a mistake, the cook follows recipes precisely – not making any changes. After some practice, experience, and the gaining of confidence, recipes get modified a

little here and a little there. In other words, the recipe acts more as a guide and you start trusting your instincts more. Finally, when you have developed a solid command of ingredients and techniques, you have the confidence and expertise to create your own delicious recipes.

Starting by having that firm foundation, combined with practice and experience, you will attain those higher levels. Reading this book, you will gain a much deeper understanding of the cooking processes involved. You will quickly cook with far greater confidence and ability.

BASIC KITCHEN SKILLS YOU NEED FOR SUCCESS

Let's Get You Off to a Good Start!

#1 THINK!

#2 PROPER KNIFE USAGE

#3 ACCURATE MEASURING

#4 LEARN YOUR BASIC COOKING TERMS

#5 CLEAN AS YOU GO

#6 PRACTICE GOOD FOOD & KITCHEN SAFETY

ENJOY and HAPPY COOKING!

Chef Dan

Your Cooking Companion

Back to Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Different people cook for different reasons: Some people cook to save money. (Fast food and takeout