I should warn you now, I am not one for measuring, I am trying to be better about that, but it is a struggle. My baking sometimes bares the brunt of this struggle. When I cook, I cook with my heart AND my taste buds. A pinch of this, a dash of that, I get into a groove and using measuring spoons and cups just cramps my style.
Ask any chef what the key is to making food delicious and they will most likely tell you that you must TASTE, TASTE, TASTE your food! Not just the final product, but all the way through the process. You have more control over the direction your dish is taking if you know what it tastes like from the beginning. If you feel like your dish needs something, ask yourself what it's missing. Salt? Sweet? Fat? Acid? These are the key players to balancing the flavors in food. Another key to making food delicious is to use FRESH ingredients. If all of your ingredients are fresh and tasty, your dish will be fresh and tasty. Simple as that.
You can't be afraid to make mistakes in the kitchen. Let me tell you, it happens to all of us. This is how you learn. Sometimes, when I have a hard time getting into my cooking groove and things are burning or just tasting funky, I wonder what the hell I think I'm doing and think I have no place in the kitchen. Again, I'm pretty sure that this happens to all of us. It's best to just go easy on yourself and possibly, just walk away from the kitchen for a bit.
I cannot overstate the importance of having a good, sharp knife that you feel comfortable using. Just like people, every knife is different, so if you are going to make the investment, try before you buy. Places like Sur La Table will let you try whatever knife you like and even give you something to cut. You don't necessarily need a large array of knives, you can start out with one good chef's knife and go from there.
A lot of the recipes that I share here will be gluten and dairy free. I had long suspected that I was sensitive to these common trouble makers, but a recent blood test revealed that I truly am intolerant. The test says that if I can stay away from gluten and dairy, as well as a litany of other foods, for 3-6+ months, not only will I feel better, but I should be able to slowly reintroduce them back into my diet. If you know me, you know that pizza is what I live for. Chewy yet crispy thin crust charred by a wood fired oven, covered by a salty, piquant, and rich tomato sauce, topped with ooey, gooey mozzarella cheese, sprinkled with fresh basil, fuhgedaboudit!! I could just about cry thinking about my one true love and how much I miss it! Sorry, Dan... Somehow, I will get by.
