Mistakes Every Chef Makes and How to Avoid Them

Nothing can ruin an evening, or your desire to cook, faster than a mistake in the kitchen. Cooking should be a relaxing means of ending a stressful day, not make it worse. You obviously, should not be spending your entire day worrying about how dinner should go, but a minimal amount of prior planning and a little know-how can take the anxiety out of the entire process. Here are some of the most common kitchen mistakes and how to avoid them.
 
Mistake #1 Missing Ingredients
Ever get home from a long, hard day when you’ve been craving a burger all day only to find that used the last of the ground turkey last week? You don’t have to keep an up-to-date spreadsheet of everything in your kitchen, but you should at the very least, keep a pad of paper in the kitchen to jot down when you run out of a staple, so you have an accurate list to bring to the grocery store. Many people plan dinner at work, if this sounds like you, try making a habit of taking a quick scan of the kitchen on your way out the door in the morning and make a mental note of what’s on hand.
 
Mistake #2 Forgetting the Recipe
Even master chefs have to write things down so that they can repeat them with the same results each time. It’s a great idea to keep a recipe journal. If you cook something that you and your family like, write down what you did, how it came out and other ideas and substitutions you have for later use. The same is true for when things go wrong, write that down as well so the next time you attempt the recipe you won’t waste time making the same mistake twice. For example, if you make a dish that you think is too salty, write down how much salt you added, and that you thought it was too much. The second time around it will be much better.
 
Mistake #3 Not Being Prepared
Some recipe writers like to sneak pertinent ingredients or equipment into the directions, so you could be half way through the cooking process before you see that the recipe is telling you to place something in a broiler, or fryer, or some other gadget that you don’t have, or to use a technique you have never heard of. Read your recipes all the way through before even entering the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, make sure all your materials are measured, your pots and pans are adequate for the amount you are making, and your oven is preheating to the correct temperature, then you can proceed. If you are unsure about a procedure, you can always look it up on the internet, or look for a youtube.com video that will illustrate the technique. Or if all else fails, look for a different recipe that cooks the same dish with an easier method.
 
Mistake # 4 Not Having Confidence
The average person lives to be around 80 or so, and eats 3 or more meals a day, so the average person eats roughly 87,600 meals in their lifetime. This gives you ample opportunities to try something new, practice a particular skill, and make up for something that might have gone wrong. The key is to have fun with it, learn from it and march into that kitchen with your head held high.