How Perfecting Simple Food Makes You A Better Cook

July 21, 2022



There’s one impression shared by all of the great artists, philosophers, musicians and craftsmen in the world - and that is when you keep things simple, you’re close to perfection. This has been described in many adages like ‘less is more,’ or ‘brevity is the soul of wit,’ and as such, anyone hoping to learn an art should always try to master the basics of keeping things limited.


As a home cook, this is especially important. Sure, roasting meats for days at a time, dry aging steaks in the most premium rubs, perfecting the most gorgeous vegan meal or trying complex desserts can all be wonderful. But what about comfort foods, light snacks, and the small treats that you enjoy making for your family and friends? Some might say that these are more endearing than even the best three-star meal at any Michelin-awarded restaurant.


Perfecting better food makes you a better cook, so don’t feel as though starting with the basics somehow robs you of your potential. In this post, we’ll discuss just how that can be, and why it’s important to consider:


Using Recipes For Inspiration


When you can perfect a recipe intended to make things simple, to bring things back to the worth of each ingredient, and to emulate or improve upon classics, then as a home cook your repertoire expands thoroughly. It can also help you move on from that ‘recklessly experimental’ approach that many home cooks go through, and instead focus on simplicity and worth. For instance, this excellent copycat Olive Garden salad can be a fantastic accompaniment to a dinner party; and it does so maximum flavor but limited overbearing pomp and circumstance.


Perfecting Party Food Is Key


If you can perfect party food, you’ll never have to disappoint when providing goods to a local gathering. This might involve finger foods like mini-sandwhiches or cakes, and it can also mean perfecting the basics like Mac and Cheese with a few simple spices to perk things up, foods on miniature sticks, and beautifully, well-placed sandwiches. On top of that, refreshments like watermelon punch and even cheese boards, laid carefully, can add some real worth to the event. If a home cook can do this, they can always please no matter the occasion.


Cooking Singular Ingredients Properly Is Necessary


Sometimes all you really need is a singular ingredient that provides you everything, one that speaks for itself. The freshness and quality of ingredients is almost entirely how great cooking is defined. So, why not take a trip to your local fishmonger this weekend and learn how to properly scale and fillet a fish at home? Frying this up with some spices and a white sauce could give you a gorgeous meal with your partner, while also ensuring you let the true worth of such an ingredient, properly sourced and competitively priced, speak for itself. This also teaches you something essential as a home cook - often, less is more.


With this advice, you’re sure to see how perfecting simple food makes you a better cook.




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