Photo Illustration by Joe Cefoli
Do you have to be a restaurant chef to cook restaurant quality food? No, of course not — but there are a few things restaurant chefs know that we don’t, and that is what makes their food stand apart from ours.
Being a college student for the last four years of my life, and therefore living on a fixed budget, I have strayed away from cooking my meals start to finish. I thought I couldn’t afford to create imaginative dinners, never mind tasty ones.
Because of this lack of confidence and funds, I ended up on the Ramen and Fruit Loops diet. Yuck.
To avoid anyone else’s taste buds going through what mine did, I set out to cook like a restaurant chef on a college budget. If this sounds impossible to you, don’t be discouraged. The journey has brought me to three epiphanies: Three simple and cheap ways to doctor up your food into a savory work of art.
Ready?
1. Seasoning every step of the way.
2. Fresh herbs.
3. Butter. (And lots of it.)
“So many people don’t know how to season their food,” said a chef from Boston. “Salt and pepper are the most utilized ingredients in restaurants, and the most under utilized in the home kitchen.”
The confusing thing about salt and pepper is that there are so many different kinds. I have to admit when I went to the grocery store and down the spice aisle, I was shocked at my choices. I knew I needed more help, and some direction!
“Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper [are] essential to every kitchen. With salt, it’s not necessary to get fancy,” said the chef from Boston.
The next fastest way to restaurant style cooking is using fresh herbs. This is key to turning store bought products every household uses to the next level.
Parsley is the most versatile herb out there because of its mild flavor and great green color. Try it mixed into your pasta sauce, or on top of your pan sauce over chicken.
The Boston chef did advise however, to never use dried herbs. She noted, “Not only do they not give off that fresh aroma and taste, they are way more concentrated flavors. A tablespoon of dried basil is going to taste like an entire bunch of fresh basil.” The other great thing about fresh herbs is that they are cheap! A bunch of parsley or basil is $2 and, if stored correctly, can last up to two weeks.
The last step that will make your meals taste just as you taste them in your favorite restaurant, is butter. That’s right, butter.
Take vegetables for example. Even your least favorite vegetable tastes amazing in a restaurant, right? Why? Because they are sautéed in a stick of butter.
Pastry in your dessert is as flakey and moist as your southern grandmother’s recipes. Why? Because its made with the perfect amount of butter.
“Butter is what makes the Earth go ‘round!” said the chef from Boston. “Everyone in a restaurant kitchen will agree. It is the one fat used across the board in the culinary arts.”
But remember, when you need to pan fry something quickly and over high heat, oil is a much better alternative.
So remember the three key components of cooking — seasoning, herbs, and butter! Now that you’ve learned to cook like a restaurant chef on a college budget, put your knowledge to the test! Good luck!
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