Whether you're a kitchen novice or a seasoned cook, you can always stand to learn a new trick or two. We asked our favorite star chefs, editors, experts and cookbook authors to dish out their top tips for home chefs, and the ingredients they simply can't live without.
Wolfgang Puck (Chef and Restaurateur):
"When making mashed potatoes, after you drain the potatoes return them to the hot pan, cover tightly, and allow them to steam for 5 minutes. Doing this allows them to dry out so they'll mash to a beautiful texture and soak up the butter and cream more readily."
Gail Simmons (Chef, Judge on Top Chef)
"The two things a home chef should have are sharp knives and one good quality heavy bottom pot. It's also important to know two foolproof recipes for dinner off the top of your head, just in case you need dinner in a pinch."
Martha Stewart (Author of
Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook)
"Replace spices and other pantry items each year, as they lose their flavors over time. And be sure to read a recipe all the way through before you begin cooking; knowing what needs to happen and when, will help you avoid any mistakes as you prepare each step.”
Nigella Lawson (Host of 'Nigella Express')
Her kitchen must-have: "I don't like to be without a mezzaluna. It's like an herb chopper. It looks like it's for great experts, but it's really good for clumsy people, because you've got a handle and you can't cut yourself."
Bobby Flay (Restaurateur, Iron Chef)
"If you're not tasting things while you're cooking, you're just guessing. Have a tasting spoon around and try everything. On a seasonal note, "Chicken stock is the key to Thanksgiving. Those containers you see at the grocery store? Buy six of them. You're going to need it."
Jamie Oliver (Chef and Author of
Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life)
"Learn how to batch cook and make a basic stew. Learn how to love a salad. The most powerful thing we can teach children is the basic life skill of taking care of yourself."
"Develop a relationship with your butcher and don't buy the pre-cut stuff. Buy better quality burger and meats - cuts with more meat and less fat. Then learn to master key recipes and batch cook and get the flavor up to where you want it. You can control the ingredients and use spices and use less and less and less salt."
Marco Pierre White (Winner of Three Michelin Stars, Host of 'The Chopping Block')
"What most people try to do is replicate and emulate the pictures they see in cookbooks. When you're cooking at home, the secret is to make it simple because you don't have the infrastructure which you have in a professional kitchen. Keep it very, very, very simple. Just buy great ingredients and assemble them so you can feed two, four, six or eight people very well."
Stephanie Izard ('Top Chef' Winner)
"The three things I always have are a knife, a peeler and a microplane grater. Instead of mincing garlic, just do it on the microplane. It's ten times easier, it's really fast and it comes out just perfect. Ginger also works well."
Barbara Fairchild (Editor-In-Chief of
Bon Appetit)
"Don't use your expensive extra virgin olive oil for frying or sauteeing - instead, use a flavorless, inexpensive oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed oil. Enjoy the full flavor of your extra virgin olive oil drizzled over salads, pastas, and meat or fish right before serving."
David Monn (Style and Lifestyle Expert)
"Whether setting the table for Sunday dinner or a fancier event, one fundamental rule I always go by is choose one color. One color for your tablecloth, chair cushions, plates and decorations, and constantly edit down. Don't let your table become a smorgasbord of elements."
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