How to quickly clean eggs
- Submerge the egg in cold water – this helps to easily remove the shell.
- Add salt, soda, or three slices of lemon juice to the water while cooking.
- Shock the egg in a bath with water or cold icy water – the shell tends to separate more easily.
How to preserve cookies
- Add three tablespoons of olive oil to the water.
- Boil the macaroni in a large amount of water and strain immediately after cooking.
How to keep greens fresh
- Soak green herbs in water, wrap them in a package and place them in the fridge.
- Wrap greens in paper towels and place them in a container or package.
- For mint, parsley, and other herbs – keep them in a bath with water, just like flowers.
How to cook meat properly
- Marinate the meat with mustard, yogurt, lemon juice or marinade.
- Let it marinate for a couple of hours before preparation.
- Let the meat “rest” after preparation – this way it is uniformly distributed inside.
How to revive stale soup
- Add shredded cheese to the soup, stir and dissolve them.
- You might add three types of rice to a meal mixture – it will also absorb the salt.
- Add three cups of water or add unsalted broth.
Extra kitchen life hacks
- Use kitchen knives for quickly chopping greens, vegetables, herbs or even bacon.
- Microwave helps quickly clean the timer: place the teeth in for 20 seconds — the skin easily separates.
- To prevent sticking from the bulb, rub below with olive oil or coat the bulb in margarine.
- For the quality of the top oil: marinate its sticks and leave for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- To preserve the freshness of vegetables: soak them in purified water for several minutes.
- Use a wooden spoon in the pot, so the water doesn’t “stick” while boiling.
- For ideal spooning of tart or cheese: heat it in hot water before marinating.
- Keep ginger in the freezer — it’s easier to grate and doesn’t lose flavor.
- Scrape with a metal spoon, greased with oil or coated with plastic, to gently separate honey, peanut butter, or other sticky products.
- Make homemade pasta: add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk mixture, leave for 10 minutes.
- Prepare vegetables on parchment in the steamer — this minimizes the cleanup time.
- For uniform marinating of tomatoes-paste-cherries: sandwich them between two plates and crush down with one hand.
- Use microplane for grating garlic, ginger, or lemon — it’s quick and without waste.
- Store cinnamon in a paper bag: place the curds in the container piece by piece.
- For maximum juiciness of the lemon: place it on the table or microwave it for a few seconds before squeezing.
- Use different textures in a single salad: include crispy, soft, and creamy elements for a more interesting flavor.
- Prepare vegetable stock: chop and freeze vegetables that may otherwise spoil — they will always be handy for soups or sauces.
- Store sharp knives safely: this is safer and allows you to chop products faster and more accurately.
- Add acidity (lemon juice, vinegar) to the salad for balancing flavors — this accentuates other ingredients.
- Cook on a lower heat: this way, meat and vegetables become tender, while the flavor intensifies.
Updated 14.09.2025
Basic principles of successful cooking
Correct cooking begins with understanding basic principles that help create delicious and nutritious dishes. The first rule – always read the recipe from start to finish before you begin cooking. This allows you to prepare all the necessary ingredients and clarify the sequence of actions.
Effective cooking is based on the principle of mise en place – a French term meaning “everything in its place”. Before starting to cook, process all the ingredients, measure out the needed amounts, and arrange them in an efficient order. This saves time and prevents mistakes in the cooking process.
Selection and preparation of ingredients
Rules for safe handling of products
The principle of food safety is critically important for health. Always wash your hands before coming into contact with food products and while preparing them. Particularly raw meat, poultry, and seafood from ready-to-eat meals. Use separate kitchen tools for handling raw products, including knives and cutting boards.
Retail thermal processing is mandatory, especially for meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood. Bring soups and dishes made from canned products to a boil to ensure they reach the required temperature of 70°C. In prepared meat, the broth should be clear, not cloudy.
Quality and freshness of products
Use only quality ingredients. Ensure that products are not close to the expiration of their shelf life and are stored under appropriate conditions. Fresh meat should have a firm, natural color and elastic texture. Before purchasing, pay attention to external appearance, freshness, and conditions of storage.
Prioritize using local products. This not only supports local producers but also guarantees freshness and better understanding of the seasonal quality of ingredients.
Culinary techniques and preparation methods
Main methods of thermal processing
There are three main methods of delivering heat to the dish: moist heat cooking, dry heat cooking, and combination cooking. Understanding each of these methods helps become a better and more experienced cook.
Moist heat cooking includes braising (160-180°F), steaming (180-205°F), poaching, blanching, and cooking in water. These methods are ideal for preserving the nutritional properties of raw products. Cooking by steaming retains the natural aroma, structure, color, and beneficial properties of the products.
Dry heat cooking involves roasting, baking, and grilling. Preheat the oven before cooking and ensure that the oven and cooking oil are heated to the appropriate level – this way, it will cook evenly. Reduce the flame to medium after preheating the cookware to prevent burning and ensure consistency.
Secrets of Professional Chefs
A chef’s knife is the foundation of effective kitchen work. It helps to quickly and accurately cut products without ruining their texture. A good knife set should include a chef’s knife measuring at least 21 cm, a paring knife for peeling fruits and vegetables, and a serrated knife for slicing bread.
When working with meat, adhere to this crucial guideline: allow the meat to reach room temperature before cooking. Meat taken straight from the fridge may form a crust and end up cooking unevenly. The secret of tender and juicy meat lies in the fact that the time of resting after cooking should equal the preparation time.
Life Hacks for Improving Juiciness
Ingredients and Spices
Don’t be afraid of salt – under-salting a dish is a common mistake of novices. Season the vegetables at the start of the preparation process; this helps absorb the flavors of the spices better and makes the dish taste more delicious. Finishing with a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice adds a refreshing acidity to the meal.
When preparing dried spices, it is easy to burn them. A good way to prevent this is to mix all the spices with a couple of tablespoons of water. Gordon Ramsay advises not to neglect the function of regulating the amount of pepper on the mill for pepper – fine ground pepper is suitable for soups and sauces, while coarse pepper is for steaks and fish.
Calendar Tricks
Preparation for the carp should be done with cold water, and do not throw it into boiling water – this way they cook evenly. Before preparing the carp dish, soak cleaned carp in water – this preserves color and minimizes excess fishiness.
For the ideal foam egg, do not stick it only in oil, but also in water. When the foam starts to rise, add a splash of water – the egg will not cook too much and will remain soft.
Common ingredients and how to store them
Beginner Ingredients
One of the most common ingredients – do not reduce the recipe to the end. In recipes, the exact order of actions is not always indicated; some important nuances may be in the ending. It’s easy to trap in a haze, if the recipe specifies that the dish should be stored in the refrigerator before serving.
Preparation in an unresponsive dish can also lead to poor results. Do not try to serve carp to a crucifixion if the product in the dish will be oily. Use a sufficiently large dish for correct preparation.
Temperature for ingredients
Storage of products from the refrigerator – common ingredients. When thawing a piece of meat from the freezer, water collects around it, it thaws for a long time and unevenly. Allow the products to thaw at room temperature.
Constant manipulation during the preparation process can also damage. It is not worth inserting every few seconds into the chopper or turning the meat on the cutting board – this disrupts the preparation process and may lead to over-processing.
Organization of kitchen space
Preparation of the workspace
An effective kitchen organization begins with proper preparation of the workspace. Keep the kitchen clean without surplus utensils. Allocate a specific area for small waste, where you will dispose of scraps and other waste during preparation – this reduces clutter on the working surface.
Before starting to cook, prepare all necessary tools and ingredients. Arrange them in a logical order according to the sequence of use in the recipe.
Economy of resources
Do not discard leftover products. When preparing the recipe, you should use three bulbs or a Bulgarian pepper, do not limit yourself to only the necessary quantity. Continue to slice, and the leftover slices should be placed in a hermetic package and frozen – this saves time for future meals.
Plan your purchases in advance. Always check the contents of the refrigerator and pantry before going to the store to avoid buying excess or forgetting any essentials.
Modern technologies in cooking
Innovative methods of preparation
A precise temperature control, like in sous-vide cooking, is one of the most popular technological approaches in modern cuisine. This technology allows cooking food in a vacuum at consistently low temperatures, ensuring ideal preparation with maximum flavor, texture, and nutritional properties.
Micellar kitchen utilizes chemical and physical processes such as emulsification, gelation, or vacuum preparation. These methods allow creating unique textures and forms of food that are impossible to achieve by traditional methods.
Modern Culinary Technology
Multipurpose built-in appliances are becoming increasingly popular. They combine the function of several kitchen devices and promote reasonable technologies, which significantly simplify the cooking process.
Steamers, blenders, and multipurpose devices open up endless possibilities for preparing delicious and healthy dishes. They help preserve the nutritional properties of products and make preparations more convenient.
Healthy and Ecological Preparation
Principles of Healthy Eating
Cooking in steam is one of the most effective methods. Products retain their natural aroma, structure, color, and beneficial properties. Dishes prepared in this way can often not be salted and remain lightly flavored.
In various foods, up to 40% of vitamins and minerals are lost. To preserve as many nutrients as possible, it is recommended to place products directly in glass water, cover them, and shorten cooking times.
Ecological Approaches
The preparation of food emphasizes the use of products that are made from minimally processed natural environments. Consuming local organic products supports the local economy and ensures healthier nutrition.
Ecological dishes are prepared with available products, the cultivation of which does not contribute to carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Salad greens, salad tomatoes, tofu, and other plant-based products are ideal ingredients for a sustainable cuisine.
Seasonality and Planning
Using Seasonal Products
Working with seasonal products guarantees better taste and freshness of dishes. In autumn, you can use melons, root vegetables, and apples. In winter – cabbage, beets, and winter varieties of vegetables. In spring – young greens and early vegetables. In summer – tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, and fruits.
Seasonal products are not only tastier but also more affordable, making your meals more economical and diverse.
Menu Planning
Usually, it is convenient to plan the menu in advance. Write down a list of necessary products and do the shopping, sticking to this plan. This practice helps save money and time, and also reduce food waste.
Cook large portions and save some for later. This is especially effective for soups, stews, and other dishes that retain their flavor well when stored.
Food Culture and Presentation
Aesthetic Presentation
A beautiful presentation of dishes stimulates appetite and makes the meal more enjoyable. Use the principles of composition: contrast of colors, variety of textures, and harmonious arrangement of elements on the plate.
Fresh greenery, thinly sliced vegetables, and crunchy sauces can radically change the overall appearance of a traditional dish. Don’t underestimate the plate – simplicity often looks more elegant.
Serving Temperature
Serve hot dishes warm, and cold ones chilled. Maintain prepared food at a temperature above 60°C before serving, and keep cold dishes in the refrigerator until serving time.
Use appropriate plates for hot dishes and chilled – for cold dishes. This helps maintain the proper temperature of the dish longer.
Experimentation and Skill Development
Step-by-step Structuring
Start with simple recipes and gradually transition to more complex ones. Master basic techniques before taking on advanced dishes. Each new dish should teach you something new.
Keep a calendar documenting your successful recipes and notes. This helps analyze progress and avoid repeating mistakes in the future.
Learning Different Cuisines
Familiarize yourself with the culinary traditions of various countries and regions. Each cuisine has its unique techniques, ingredients, and cooking philosophies that can significantly broaden your culinary horizons.
Try Italian pasta, Asian stir-fry, French sauces or Ukrainian traditional dishes. Each new experience enriches your culinary skills and provides inspiration for your personal experiments.
Successful cooking is the combination of knowledge, skills, creativity, and love for the process. By adhering to fundamental principles, experimenting with new techniques, and continuously enhancing one’s abilities, anyone can become a true master of culinary art. Remember: every mistake is an opportunity to learn something new, and every dish served is a step toward culinary excellence.