Helping you cook better by focusing on technique

Hi, I’m Sandy.
I’m a mom of two who happened to graduate from The Culinary Institute of America and cook professionally for over 12 years. Now my intention is to empower you with knowledge that gives you confidence in the kitchen. I believe it all starts with fundamentals.

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plantainsandchallah

I teach you to cook better by focusing on technique.
Trained at the CIA + Cooked Professionally over 12 years

What questions do you have on fish? 🐟 Think ab

“I have to get confident about cutting it that w

“I have to get confident about cutting it that way” she said

I reminded her that getting started is actually what gets you confidence.

Action leads to motivation.

Once you get momentum, you get competent which then eventually gets you confidence.

I love having conversations with you in my DMs because that’s where I really get to know you and understand how to help you better.

Knife skills are one of those things that once you learn the technique and practice it, you will build that skill easily. I am working on this knife skills course so you can do just that.

As for cooking techniques, it’s also learning the basics but it’s a little more complicated believe it or not. To be honest, it feels like I have to teach you a new way of looking at things; and let’s face it: change is hard.

I don’t give up though.

I am just so passionate about these two things in the kitchen and I believe in my core that you can be a complete badass in the kitchen if you’re open to learning away from recipes.

I want this for you because I too have days where I struggle in the kitchen- but you know what keeps me holding on and getting through?

The fact that I know technique and my knife skills get it DONE.

Thanks for being here. It’s an honor to teach you 💚

-Sandy

#knifeskills #homecooks #foodstagram #foodblogger #foodinstragram #busymoms #thefeedfeedcooking #foodinstructor #homecooksofinstagram #parentswhocook #chefmom #chefmommy #foodie #cucumbers #culinaryschool #cookingefficiently #cuttintechniques #knifeninja #culinarytechniques #cuttinghacks #kitchenbasics #kitchenfundamentals #cookingmethods #norecipe #norecipecooking

How To Dice Sweet Potato & How They Grow!. Dicing

How To Dice Sweet Potato & How They Grow!. Dicing sweet potatoes starts with a plank and then a dice. You may have to use some of its weight to get through. Use a sharp, heavy knife and hone before you start.

Alexandra Rae of @harvest.joy joins me in today’s video for a behind the scenes look at how sweet potatoes are grown! They are different from regular potatoes as they are considered “tuberous roots” as opposed to “stem tubers”. It can be confusing, but basically they are considered more like a root vegetable.

Let us know if you have any questions on the knife skills or behind the scenes!

#knifeskills #freshproduce #farm #sweetpotatoes #homecooks #rootvegetable #tubers #farmfresh

If something didn’t taste right, would you know

If something didn’t taste right, would you know how to fix it?

Or would you just deal with it?

Having self confidence in the kitchen is about experimenting with ingredients and *knowing* that you can fix it if it didn’t turn out the way you planned, or understanding that cooking is more about plugging in formulas than it is about following a recipe exactly.

It all boils down to cooking methods and techniques (that includes knife skills) I repeat this a lot because it is the fundamentals that will get you better at cooking. Collecting different recipes will be your inspiration to have fun cooking, but it will be built on the knowledge you’ve learned!

After years of cooking in professional kitchens, I learned what actually matters, so I created a cooking guide to help you focus on what helps you cook better. It’s recently updated and has flavor combinations, cooking method breakdowns, cooking fat chart, seasoning fixes, etc.

Visualize for a moment how awesome it would be to just KNOW and freely move in your kitchen and make simple and delicious. This doesn’t happen because some people are more creative or more intuitive. It happens with intentional practice.

Find the link in my bio for the cooking guide- How To Cook Without Recipes:

https://plantainsandchallah.com/cooking-guide/

#cooking #cookingguide #cookingwithoutrecipes #intuitivecooking #cookingfreestyle #cookingconfidently #homechefs #homecooks #chefsofinsta #foodie #cookingathome #homecooked #chefmom #chefdad #cookinglover #foodandcooking #cookingformulas #inthekitchen #howtocook #cookingbetter #culinaryschool #eeeats #culinary101 #culinaryhowto #cookinglikeapro #cookingwithease #cookingislife

Flashback to 2019 when I was invited on @naominach

Flashback to 2019 when I was invited on @naominachman’s online cooking show “Sunny Side Up” on @kosherdotcom!

I love teaching knife skills! I have a little setback on creating the knife skills course but I truly can’t wait to make sure you’re more competent to confident in the kitchen! 🙌🏼🔪

#efficient #chopping #knifeskills #howto #chef #chefmom #smarternotharder #knifecuts #chefknife #foodie #kitchenconfidence #competenttoconfident #onlinecookingshow #kosherdotcom #fasterinthekitchen #cookingtips #efficiency #tipsandtricks #homecooks #kitchenhacks #chefsofinsta

“Do you have any tips for vegetarians and vegans

“Do you have any tips for vegetarians and vegans?”

I often get asked this question - and that’s the beauty of teaching you technique. It applies to ALL FOODS!

This beautiful purple cauliflower was roasted with only olive oil and kosher salt and it was so crunchy and satisfying! Even my kids were asking for seconds!

You won’t find “recipes” here-

I teach you how to master techniques like this so your food is that much better!

What do you feel you need a recipe for?

#cauliflower #cauliflowerrecipes #purplecauliflower #norecipecooking #techniquematters #cookingtechnique #recipelesscooking #cookwithyoursenses #roasted #coolproduce #kidfriendly #homecooks #homecooksofinstagram #cookingismytherapy #cookingwithlove❤️ #cookfromtheheart #chefmom #maillardreaction #homemade #simplecooking

It all boils down to cooking method. Ideally, yo

When asked about your holiday cooking struggles, y

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