Food can be any nutritious substance that people eat or drink in order to maintain life and growth. And a foodie is a person who has an interest in food. I think that every person is a foodie to some degree because we all have to take an interest in food to stay alive.
So, in order to grow as a foodie, it is important to go back to the basics of cooking and take it one step at a time. Here are some tips to help you get started on your journey as a foodie.
1. Read the recipe all the way through before starting to cook.
No matter how confident you are in your cooking skills or in a specific recipe it never hurts to read the recipe all the way through because it will limit your risk of making a simple mistake. Many people tend to find themselves skimming over recipes to get the basic idea and then they just start cooking. When you don’t read the recipe all the way through before you start to cook it makes it easier for little mistakes to occur because the recipes are written so exactly. Recipes are specific instructions that are usually time sensitive which makes it very important to do each step in order and for the amount of time specified.
2. Pick out the right produce and type of meat for the recipe you are cooking.
Cooking on a budget is important, but when it comes to picking out your produce and meat the cheapest option isn’t always the best option. Your produce and meat can make your break your meal. When it comes to produce make sure that what you are buying is in season and learn the tricks to find out whether or not it’s ripe. For example, you can tell an orange is ripe if it’s firm with no soft spots and has a thin, smooth skin. Also, the heavier the orange for its size is a sign that it is ripe. Then, when it comes to meat it is important to understand the grades of meat. If you are cooking a steak to serve just by itself want to consider the higher grades and cuts of meat, but if you were making a stew or putting the steak in something you might be able to use a lower grade of meat. If you are making a dish where one of the main ingredients is something from the produce you might want to take into consideration the grades of produce as well. An overall good rule of thumb to keep in mind when trying to figure out the right kind of produce or meat to buy is to consider if it would affect the quality or taste of the dish if you used a cheaper or lower grade.
3. Be open to trying new types of food and recipes.
When you were little did your parents ever make you try food that you really didn’t want to try and you ended up liking it? This idea of trying new foods is what helps you become a foodie. Sometimes I tend to find myself staying in my comfort zone when it comes to food and recipes that I like, but this doesn’t help me grow as a foodie! By staying in my comfort zone, I am missing out on so many opportunities to expand my learning and knowledge of food. So, keep mastering recipes you like, but also push yourself to try new food and recipes!
4. Try multiple recipes of the same dish before settling on one.
There are so many different versions and ways to prepare the same dish, but there isn’t one right way to cook a dish. Everyone has their own unique style or flavor profile that they like to bring through in their dish. It is important to explore these different styles to figure out what you like because if you settle for the first recipe that you come on you will never know what you are missing out on.
5. Find what makes you passionate about becoming a foodie!
Even if your goal isn’t to become a foodie everyone has to eat, so why not make it interesting? If you like trying the latest diet, then try the latest diet. If you love chicken, then explore different things you can do with chicken. Whatever aspect of food you find interesting pursue it and you might find yourself becoming a foodie.
So, there you have it! I hope these tips help you get started on your journey as a foodie. Comment or reply other tips or questions you may have and let’s help each other become foodies!
Foodie 101 