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Tips for Prepping, Cooking, and Freezing

Gas versus Electric Stove: I’m addressing this

first, in the hopes that more people will read it,

because it is important. I cooked the recipes for my

first cookbook on a gas stove, and I cooked these

recipes on an electric stove. I had a team member,

Lelan, cook most of this book’s recipes on a gas stove,

to make sure there wasn’t a dramatic difference.

There was not. You will get the same result cooking

on a properly working gas stove as you will on a

properly working electric stove. However, here’s

what you do need to know: electric stoves take longer

to heat up—60 to 90 seconds longer. This means,

achieving the “when the oil moves quickly around

the pan” stage takes longer on an electric stove, and

you do need to be patient and wait for it to reach

appropriate heat. It also means that liquid might take

longer to reach a simmer or boil than on an electric

stove. However, once the pot or pan has reached

the “marker,” such as oil moving quickly or liquid

simmering, recipes should cook exactly the same

on gas and electric. If you have an electric stove,

resist the temptation to crank it up to “high” to make

things go more quickly—this will lead to burning and

general inaccuracy.

Prepping a Recipe: First, a gentle reminder to

always read your recipes in advance. That is probably

the most valuable tip I can give you for cooking

success! As you read through the recipes, you’ll notice

that some require a bit more prep, such as chopping,

mixing, and measuring. It is very important to go

ahead and prep the ingredients before you begin

cooking. This is traditionally known as mis en place or

“everything in its place,” and it is absolutely key to a

pleasant and victorious cooking experience!

Wet versus Dry Measuring: It’s important to

measure your wet and dry ingredients differently.

Wet ingredients require a liquid measuring cup,

which usually looks like a glass with a handle and

markings that designate volume. Liquid measuring

cups are specifically designed so that, if you squat

down so that your eye is at measuring line level, you’ll

get an accurate reading. If you were to try to use

dry ingredient measuring cups for liquid you would

1) likely spill some and 2) get a slightly inaccurate

measurement. To properly measure dry ingredients,

you want to scoop them so that they’re a bit overly

full, and then use a butter knife to scrape any excess

off across the top. Before scraping, I suggest tapping

the cup gently on the countertop, to remove any air

and make sure you’ve actually filled it properly.

Making Sauces, Dressings, Seasoning Mixes,

and Condiments: If an ingredient list includes a

subsection for any of these, look for when to make

them in the instructions. Often they don’t need to be

made first and instead can be made when something

else is cooking or marinating or cooling.