Cooking Tips and Shortcuts for Novice Chefs

Addicted to "Top Chef" but still unsure about your own culinary abilities? These four easy cooking tips and shortcuts from The Lazy Gourmet cookbook will give you the confidence you need in the kitchen.

What seems perfectly obvious to the experienced cook can scare a novice right out of the kitchen, so for those of you who are new to cooking, we've put together some tips, suggestions, and simple explanations that we hope will squelch your fears and make it the fun and satisfying adventure it is meant to be. We've also included our favorite Lazy Gourmet tips and shortcuts -- tricks that will make cooking faster and easier. So whether you're a kitchen newbie or a lazy old pro, read this section to discover a tip or two that we hope will help you prepare easy, stress-free, delicious meals.

Read the recipe.

Before you begin cooking -- even before you decide on something you think you'd like to make -- read the whole recipe all the way through. Make sure you know up front if something needs to be made the day before and chilled overnight, or if it's best served straight out of the oven, or if it serves two people and you're expecting 10.

Don't stress over quantities.

"One teaspoon of ground cumin" is merely a suggestion. In fact, unless you're baking, when precise measurements truly do matter, most recipes are merely suggestions. Since this is a cookbook, as opposed to a conversation, we provide detailed instructions for making our dishes -- but please take those instructions with a grain (or half a teaspoon) of salt. If you adore black pepper, or garlic, or beets, go ahead and use as much as you'd like, wantonly ignoring our recommendations. Just take care not to overdo it; taste as you go.