Any culinary endeavor can feel daunting for new home cooks, between selecting ingredients, preparation work and actually cooking.
Seasoned pros encounter setbacks regularly, but the kitchen serves as an ideal laboratory for experimentation -- a place where failures become valuable lessons and each attempt builds better technique and an expanded recipe repertoire.
Understanding pitfalls before you begin can make all the difference. To suss out the biggest blunders to avoid in the kitchen, I spoke with accomplished chefs from various culinary practices to gather insights on key areas for improvement, essential skills to develop and practical ways to advance your abilities.
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The biggest mistakes that amateur cooks make
Culinary instructor Stephen Chavez suggests doing as much prep, measuring, and recipe reading as possible before starting a new recipe. JulPo/Getty Images
We are often guilty of placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves in the kitchen, attempting to model a meal after memorable Michelin-star dining experiences. And while it's admirable to aim high, it's also important to be realistic about the years of training that go into perfecting award-winning cuisine.
Stephen Chavez, senior chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education's Los Angeles campus, is no stranger to educating and working with amateur chefs. Though he's practically seen it all, these are the biggest cooking mistakes he comes across most often:
1. Starting a recipe unprepared
"This can be conceptualizing what you're going to cook, whether the flavor profile, cooking technique, or formality of the meal, or by making sure that proper 'mise en place' has been done," he says. "'Mise en place' is a French term that means 'everything in its place.' This means all ingredients and equipment are prepared and ready prior to cooking, and that all the ingredients and equipment are clearly accessible and ready to be used. Being prepared will enable you to serve food at its best quality of texture, temperature and flavor."
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