Cooking Advice: The Best You've Ever Been Given

It's unlikely you've never received a piece of culinary advice -- whether solicited or unsolicited. From food hacks to advice from some of the best chefs of all time, helpful cooking advice can range from little-known secrets to the addition of a simple ingredient.

These tips can make a huge impact on your lifelong cooking techniques.


1
 Fresh herbs for ever. The dried ones just don't have what it takes.
– Julie Thomson, Associate Editor, HuffPost Taste
2
 "More salt!" -- Every lovably cranky old French chef who taught me at the French Culinary Institute uttered this at least 100 times a day. And it's true 99 percent of the time. If salt can turn consomme from tasting like toilet water to savory deliciousness, it can do wonders for the rest of your food, too.
– Kristen Aiken, Senior Editor, HuffPost Taste
3
 If you want your roast potatoes to get crispy, don't crowd the roasting pan. Good advice for tubers, good advice for life #ifyouthinkaboutit
– Joe Satran, Reporter, HuffPost Food
4
 Taste taste taste ... Then serve
– Thomas Mark, via Facebook
5
 There is no such thing as an al dente potato.
– Joan Melnick, via Facebook
6
 Listen to your food...
– Esther Armandina Canales, via Facebook
7
 Season a little, then taste; you can always add more, but you can never take away.
– Lorele Featherstone, via Facebook
8
 Taste everything you make BEFORE you serve it!
– Roxyie Curone, via Facebook
9
 Cook with love and people can tell. <3 Thanks Mom!
– Ginger Skipper, via Facebook
10
 Always keep your workstation tidy. Tidy station keeps for a tidy and focused head. Anything over five ingredients in a dish is a party that's about to get out of control.
– Holly Langenburg, via FAcebook
11
 Follow your instinct and use the best fresh, local and seasonal ingredients you can get
– Emilio Fraccia, via Facebook
12
 Make sure you have all of your ingredients before you start cooking.
– Jodi Gravlin Wolff, via Facebook
13
 No, Jim, you can't fry water.
– Jim Smoot, via Facebook
14
 Using correct temperatures, especially lower ones to cook some foods just right.
– Sonia Cervantes Perez, via Facebook
15
 A watched pot never boils.
– Angie Schulze, via Facebook
16
 Recipes can be changed
– Angela Marie, via Facebook
17
 Practice makes perfect
– Connie Price E, via Facebook
18
 Get your pan and the fat nice and hot before adding your food (when sauteeing) -- the food should sizzle!
– Sun Lee, via Facebook
19
 Take bacon off just before it is ready as it will continue to cook on the plate from the existing grease.
– Dana Busche, via Facebook
20
 Bacon grease makes everything taste better (I've even made bacon fat ginger cookies)
– Sarah McWilliams, via Facebook
21
 You CAN cook! Just give it a Go!
– Glennis Boyd, via Facebook
22
 It always tastes better when you cook it yourself.
– Patricia Rosen, via Facebook
23
 Safety first!
– Justin T. Bishop
24
 Don't burn the garlic
– Robert Gaston, via Facebook
25
 Taste before you serve -- clean as you go.
– Theresa James, via Facebook
26
 If the sauce doesn't turn out right, here's where I hide the Ragu.
– Mary-Ann OBoyle, via Facebook
27
 To enjoy it.
– Shawne Maynard, via Facebook
28
 Smell. Follow your nose.
– Ann Marie Miller, via Facebook
29
 Cooking from the heart & stay focused & try to cook what you love but always try new foods and techniques!!
– Debra Zygadlo Reis, via Facebook

- Huffingtonpost.com