(How to Chop an Onion)
We’ve all heard the phrase,”walk before you run.” This adage can be applied wholeheartedly to the culinary world. We, as a species, have done something truly incredible. We have learn to cook, and develop that world into an art form. Cooking is both a necessity and a pastime that preserves traditions within a family, brings people together, and unties cultures. Tips for easier cooking help both the pro and the novice alike.
Not all of us choose to partake in that world. Sometimes we simply rely on others to do our cooking for us. However, it is never too late to learn how to cook delicious meals for yourself. If you’ve suddenly decided to get into cooking, it’s important to start slowly and finish well. Here are some quick basic tips that will help you get started.
THE SHARPER THE KNIFE, THE BETTER. If there’s one thing you shouldn’t skimp out on, it’s a well sharpened knife. It will make all of your prep easier and safer. While it may seem contradictory, the duller your knife is, the more risk there is attached to using it. Consider a sharp knife the most important tool in your kitchen and keep it sharpened.
Read the recipe the entire way FIRST. We’ve all been there. You skim the recipe, you get excited, you start to cook, you realize you don’t have at least 4 important ingredients, and you cry. Maybe that’s just me on that last bit though. Make sure you have all of the ingredients and make sure you’ve prepped everything you can before cooking to prevent unnecessary stress or time constraints later.
Practice Mise en Place. This basically means to prep everything you can in advance. It cannot be stressed enough that the easiest and most enjoyable way to cook is when all the prep work has been done already! Don’t get caught with stuff being thrown over the heat only to realize you need crushed garlic in there and your garlic is regrettably, not crushed.
Don’t spend too much time on the dang garlic. Prep can be tedious. Peeling garlic is perhaps the most tedious. Here is my favorite method to peel all that pesky garlic: put an entire head of garlic in the microwave for twenty seconds. That’s it. The cloves should slide right out of their pajamas (well what do YOU call it) and you’ll have peeled garlic! Another option is to buy peeled or minced garlic in a jar. I would gently remind you for that recipes you really want to share and show off, fresh is always better. But I’m not here to shame you, and you shouldn’t let anyone else either. The people that give you crap about buying pre-prepared ingredients really need that little bit of superiority apparently, let it go and move on.
Learn to chop an onion. Whew. This is it. Prime time, baby. Do you know that the average American doesn’t know how to cut a dang onion properly according to statistics I just made up? Seriously though, I’ve watched a lot of people cut onions and everyone has their own weird way of doing it. You can try to stumble along and make the same mistakes I have, or you can learn it right the first time from a pro. I’ve called in the angriest authority on this, Mr. Gordon Ramsey. Watch this YouTube clip to see how to make that onion cry instead of you:
https://youtu.be/dCGS067s0zo
Now that you’ve been armed with these quick tips, I encourage you to go forth and explore all cooking has to. Or, if you’ve tried and failed before, take these tips to heart and try again. Everyone can and should cook!
