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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3 Oven Settings You Need To Understand

How To Make Homemade Salad Dressings

Grilling Tips To Feel Equipped!

plantainsandchallah

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

How To Store Herbs 🌱 TENDER HERBS (parsley, ci

How To Store Herbs 🌱

TENDER HERBS (parsley, cilantro, dill, chives, tarragon)

HEARTY HERBS ( rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, fresh bay leaves)

FIRST STEP 💁🏼‍♀️: Wash ahead of time, but make sure you DRY them really well. Air drying on kitchen towels works great. Remove the label and any wilting or brown leaves. In other words, make ‘em look good before you put them away.

👉🏼 ROLLED METHOD: My preferred method. ✨✨✨ After first step above, roll them in a *slightly* damp paper towel. You can then place them in a plastic (or silicone) bag that is not completely closed- into the front of your fridge. *Both tender and hearty herbs work well with this method.

FLOWER METHOD: After first step above, cut a bit off the bottom of the stem and place in just a little water (too much can make them slimy) into a small cup or mason jar. You can cover the top with a plastic bag, but I have found that it works fine without it. Place it in the fridge on the door or near the front of the fridge where it’s not as cold! Change the water every few days so it stays fresh and remove any wilting or brown leaves.

BASIL: Beautiful basil only gets the flower method and stays out at room temperature.

Save this for future reference!

#herbs #herbs101 #inthekitchen #homecooks #culinaryknowledge #howtostoreherbs #chefmom #chefmommy #learnkitchenstuff #confidenceinthekitchen #kitchenbasics #kitcheninfo #culinaryinstructor #beautifulherbs #basil #parsley #herbslastlonger #rosemary #dill #cilantro #chefsofinsta #chefsofinstagram #culinaryschool #buzzfeedfood #foodie #feedfeedfood

Pineapples can be tricky Here are some tips that

Pineapples can be tricky

Here are some tips that help

Share with a friend!

What’s another fruit you want tips for?

#pineapple #hottopick #produce #producepicking #kitchenandcooking #fruits #homecooks

How to make NON BORING salads Use variety and expe

I’m not for seasoning IN the pan. ⏰ I get why

I’m not for seasoning IN the pan. ⏰

I get why some people do it, it’s less to wash and more convenient, but when we’re talking about texture and optimal flavor, seasoning ahead is the way to go.

Here’s a simple way to think of this. Salt needs to travel through to get to the inside and throughout whatever you are seasoning. The thicker or denser your food is, the earlier you can season it.

You can season most of your beef and poultry a day ahead of cooking, (as long as it’s not thin) in this video, it was approximately an hour before.

Thanksgiving turkey can stand up to 2 days ahead. ( I remember the first time I did this and I flipped out because I thought it would be too salty.

It wasn’t.

Fish can be affected negatively (firm up, and be tough) if you season it too soon, so right before cooking is fine.

Vegetables also can be seasoned right before cooking as well.

PS - I only cook with Kosher meat and I’ve gotten the questions many times about whether or not this still applies since it’s soaked and salted already for the Kosher process. Remember it is rinsed 3 times after soaking and salting. The answer is YES!
Kosher (@diamondcrystalsalt) is the not as salty by volume and it will not make your food “too salty”

When do you season your proteins?

#homecooks #seasoning #homecooking #meat #steak #grillingseason #koshermeat #koshersalt #whentosalt #seasoningahead #flavor #measuringsalt #salting #usingsalt #foodiesofinsta #culinary101 #cookingtechnique #cookingbasics

Keep your senses at the forefront 👁Use your se

Keep your senses at the forefront

👁Use your sense of sight and look for color changes, texture changes

👃🏻Use your sense of smell and notice the slight changes in aromatics, possible overcooking

👇🏼Use your sense of touch and feel the difference between raw and cooked foods, texture, temperatures

👂🏻Use your sense of hearing to listen for the sizzle, boiling liquids, the therapeutic nature of chopping of your food

👄Use your sense of taste to determine if it tastes good, to adjust and improve if necessary

In all honesty, cooking takes paying more *attention*

When you really start to pay attention to these details through your senses instead of focusing on what the recipe said - your cooking will improve and so will your feelings about the kitchen.

Share this with a foodie friend. We could all use the reminder to cook like this.

#homecooks #homecooksofinsta #howtocook #norecipecooking #learntocookonline #kitchenskills #learningtocook #cookingwithyoursenses #cookingconfidence #culinarytechniques #culinaryschool #culinaryresource #cookinglikeachef #culinaryinfo #chefmom #cookbetter #homecooked #cooklikeapro #eeeeeats #feedfeed #simplecooking #homecook #cookingtips #chefsofinstagram #cookingskills

Removing the tendon from a chicken breast is way e

Removing the tendon from a chicken breast is way easier like this!

I showed it on stories last night but wanted to give credit where credit is due!

I learned this from my friend Eva at @thebakerandchef ( she’s awesome! ) and have been doing it ever since. It’s so easy and works like a charm.

Share this so more home cooks can get this done quick and move on to more important things!!

#chickentendon #dinnertime #cookingtechnique #kitchenhack #momsoﬁnstagram #busymoms #chickenfabrication #foodvideo #chickenhacks #chickenbreast #cookinghack #knifeskills #forkhacks #dinnerdonequick

Lets’s Talk Knife Storage Even though knife bl

Lets’s Talk Knife Storage

Even though knife blocks are commonly sold with sets of knives, they are less than ideal for storing your knives. (btw, you probably don't need that whole set of knives either)

🔴 If your knives are not dried well, there is a chance of mold and bacteria growth. If you're going to get one, find one that has room to breathe.

🔴 Over time, it can actually dull your blades by sliding back and forth into slots.

🔴 It takes up a lot of space.

🔴 The predetermined slots are limited for the amount of knives you may want to get.

If you are a looking to build your collection:

🟢 I recommend a magnetic strip, like the one shown here. You can use two for added safety. Somewhere that it is accessible but won't get bumped is ideal, especially with kids around.

🟢 In drawer knife holder made of a breathable material.

🟢 Magnetic holders that are on bases that sit on your countertop. Some of these look really cool!

🟢 Individual knife blade protectors (they’re really to be used in a knife roll or bag, but they can work as a temporary solution

If you already have a knife block, it’s all good! It works. If you want to upgrade, feel free to reach out with any questions! Some options are in my amazon shop (link in my bio)

#knives #knifeskills #knifestorage #knifecommunity #knifepics #knifeblock #knifeninja #kitchenknives #knifestagram #foodandcooking #kitchentips #knifetips #knivesdaily #ilovecooking #tastyfood #foodie #chopping #cookinglessons #Chefknife #magneticstrip #homekitchen #newlywed #bridalregistry #kitchenhelp #chefmom #homecook

Watermelons start to become available from May unt

Watermelons start to become available from May until September, but the peak time (when they are at their best and sweetest) is mid June to late August.

These tips will help you pick a good one, although they're not guaranteed 🙂

Did you know you can actually eat all parts of the watermelon?

The rind can be pickled, the seeds can be roasted and that white part? Apparently it is loaded with nutrients! 🍉🍉🍉

Save this post, but don't forget to come back to it!

#watermelon #produce #producetips #summerfood #homecooks #foodiesofinstagram #summerfruit
#summerproduce #pickingproduce #foodiefacts #food101 #watermelonsugar

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