In science, an “elegant theory” is one that explains a lot with very little. It’s simple and powerful. For instance, Einstein’s most famous equation E=MC2 presents in just five symbols what amounts to a doctorate-level understanding of the relationship between energy and mass.
In cooking, a dish is said to be elegant when it uses as few seasonings as possible to achieve jaw-dropping results.…
Last week, we learned how to cook our way around the world using flavor profiles. This week, we take our command of seasoning to the next level by discovering the power of taste balancing. If you have been cooking along with these lessons so far, you have been experiencing the power of taste balancing. We just haven’t been calling it that.…
Before developing Kitchen Karate, I learned to cook by throwing dinner parties. Each week I invited six guests to be my guinea pigs as I tried my hand at a new cuisine: Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Indian, Thai, French, Caribbean, and many more.
I pulled recipes off the Internet for the most popular appetizer, entree and dessert from the cuisine of the week.…
When it comes to home cooking, most of us grab what we need as we need it: counter space, tools, or seasoning. In the process, we turn our kitchen into a hot mess. Even an experienced home cook will often leave a trail of wreckage as he or she puts on even a small dinner party.
This mess can make it hard to motivate yourself to cook, which sends you down the slippery slope of grabbing what’s convenient and neglecting proper nutrition.…
After learning how to cook, creating a weekly meal prep routine is arguably the best thing you can do for your eating habits. In today’s busy life, we often wait until we are hungry to decide what to eat, which doesn’t always lead to the best outcome. Having meals prepared ahead of time lets you lock in choices that are perfect for you.…
Last week we brandished a big knife. This week we play with fire.
We are going to cover the three cooking techniques you must know to feed yourself with any regularity: boil, saute, and roast. Each comes with its own implement of doom — pot, pan, and earthenware, respectively. We are going to use all of them in this lesson.
But before we get into dancing around the flames, a quick safety message from your local fire marshal.…
In boot camp lesson one, we focused on embracing our chef sense and breaking free of recipes. Now, we get to wield a big knife and show food who’s boss!
There is only one knife you truly need and it’s called the chef’s knife.
The chef’s knife is big and bold, and a lot of people shy away from it because it looks intimidating.…
Giving a hard check to what you put in your body is one of the most enlightening and challenging aspects of the Whole Life Challenge. Reading ingredients, asking questions in restaurants, looking suspiciously at salad bars — it’s all part of the fun.
You discover that the best way to know what’s on your plate is to put it there yourself.…
