Home Cooking Basics

When you first step into the kitchen and prepare a dish you love for the first time, things can be a little overwhelming; often the last thing you want to do is translate what a technique actually means as you're knee deep in the kitchen. I get it: there are some French cooking methods and terms that scared me so much when I started cooking that I let go of the dream of creating a certain recipe and moved on to something that felt more accessible.

Truth is, fancy words aside, you'll be surprised how many of these techniques are actually fairly simple concepts once you get a little confidence in the kitchen. Like most things we're afraid of, it's never as bad when you tackle the problem head on and figure out what you need to succeed.

So don't sweat the technique right away; once you get into the swing of these, you'll feel like a kitchen queen. Get acquainted with these French terms and techniques, and they'll soon seem like no kitchen biggie.

Ever heard of the five French mother sauces? Originally classified by Antonin Carême in the 19th century and later updated by Auguste Escoffier in the 20th century, the sauces include béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato. Most other sauces find their origins in these five types, hence the term "mother." Here's a brief rundown on the ingredients of each sauce, plus common pairings:

1. Béchamel. This classic milk-based white sauce was named after Louis de Béchamel, chief steward to Louis XIV. It's composed of three main ingredients: flour, butter, and milk. The thickness of this cream sauce depends on the ratio of flour and butter to milk: the more milk, the thinner the sauce. It's usually served with eggs, fish, steamed veggies or poultry, or pastas, like macaroni and cheese.
2. Velouté. This sauce is made just like béchamel, only milk is swapped for stock. Whether it's made from chicken, veal, or fish stock, velouté is typically not flavored with extra seasonings, and it's regularly used on veal, eggs, fish, steamed vegetables, poultry, or pastas.
3. Espagnole. A brown stock-based sauce that may sound Spanish but is actually French in origin. Espagnole includes rich meat stock, browned vegetables, browned roux (a butter and flour mix), plus herbs and tomato paste. Unlike velouté, though, it's served mainly with roasted meats.
4. Hollandaise. Egg yolks and fat, usually butter, are the basic ingredients for this yellow emulsified sauce. Like mayonnaise, this rich, creamy sauce tends to top eggs, vegetables, light poultry, or fish.
5. Tomato. Whether it's made with raw, stewed tomatoes or a tomato paste, tomato-based sauce is generally used on pasta, fish, vegetables, veal, poultry, breads, and dumplings.

This list is still up for contention today, as still others believe that different sauces (like allemande, the egg-enriched velouté sauce, and vinaigrette) belong in the category of "mother sauce." How many of these have you made at home or sampled at a French restaurant?

Burnt pancakes, undercooked pancakes, and messily flipped pancakes: do you struggle to perfect a seemingly simple American classic? If you've ever wondered what the heck went wrong with your pancakes, then read on for the top pancake troubles and how to avoid them.

1. Don't try to wing the recipe without reading it several times. Do follow the recipe exactly to avoid making careless mistakes.
2. Don't overmix the batter or else the pancakes can end up flat and dense. Do combine the wet and dry ingredients until they are just mixed. There should be some lumps.
3. Don't attempt to cook large pancakes at first, because they are harder to flip and cook thoroughly. Do stick to four- to six-inch pancakes, measuring and dolloping out the batter using a trigger ice-cream scoop.

See four more dos and don'ts of making pancakes when you keep reading.

Without sounding totally dogmatic, we have a few rules for when to utilize what pan, whether nonstick teflon, cast iron, or uncoated stainless steel. That said, there's certainly some wiggle room; use what's available to you (in most cases it'll work out just fine), but for the best results, keep these rules in mind.

Use a nonstick teflon pan when: cooking delicate scrambled or fried eggs, omelets, and crepes. Really, that's it. And if you have a beautifully seasoned cast iron skillet, you can skip the category altogether and use that instead. While nonstick pans are slightly easier to clean than their cast iron and stainless steel analogues, they are notoriously bad at browning and may even pose health concerns if used improperly. Additionally, if your nonstick pan no longer lives up to its implied promise, it may be time to replace it, as the teflon coating becomes less effective with use (due to scratching of the surface).

Keep reading to learn when to use a cast iron or stainless steel pan.

This year, one of our New Year's resolutions is to learn more cooking basics, including how to break down that thick, forest-like bunch of broccoli, which can be intimidating to prep. Where to begin? Should you start at the stem or hack away at the florets? Are the thick, fibrous stalks edible or should you just toss them out?

I recently learned this horrifying statistic: about half the world's food is tossed out. Instead of wasting the stalk, start the year off differently by learning how to prep the entire broccoli crown (stems included!). In addition to feeling better about less waste, this technique will make even the broccoli stems a desirable part of the cruciferous vegetable and will help cook the stems and florets evenly and thoroughly.

1. Start at the stalk of the broccoli. Cut away the root end, which may appear dry and discolored. Holding the head of the broccoli firmly, use a vegetable peeler to peel the entire stalk, then slice it into 1/4-inch rounds.
2. When the broccoli stalk divides into the floret stems, cut the stems apart from each other. Holding each large floret piece, use a vegetable peeler to peel the stems. Cut the stems into 1/2-inch rounds until you are left with one-inch broccoli florets.
3. Once all of the broccoli is cut, go back through the florets and ensure they are all the same size. To cut the floret pieces, turn them so the stem side faces up. Cut the stem in half, stopping when you hit the florets. Then, use your hands to split the piece into two parts.

Try the prepped broccoli in roasted broccoli romanesco or in a beef and broccoli stir-fry.