“It’s not the mistakes, it’s the saves.” That’s our family motto and it applies to so many life situations as well as the kitchen. You are going to make mistakes, lots of them. It’s the recovery that counts. So if you’re distracted and you burn the garlic, just toss it in the trash and start over (it will ruin your dish if you don’t). Next time, you will watch it more carefully and then mess something else up :-). That’s part of the process – you learn from everything you get wrong – as well as from everything you get right.
Always taste as you cook – Does it lack flavor, add a little salt. Want a bit of spice, an edge? Add some freshly ground pepper. Need a sour note? Add some acid. Does it feel wimpy? Add some fat. Too bitter, add some acid (lemon juice can be do wonders.)
Embrace the concept of “mise en place”: assembling all your ingredients in advance, and prepping them, too. That will also remind you to read the recipe through to the end J. If your assembled “mise en place” looks beautiful before you begin to cook, likely the final result will as well. Food should look appetizing at every stage
Don’t set your burner then forget it. Control the heat throughout the process – recipes cannot possibly give you minute-by-minute guidance, so that’s up to you.
Listen to your stove. What is the sound of food about to boil over? What is the sizzle that says the oven is too hot?
Salt and pepper aren’t really a bonded duo. Salt as you go a little at a time and then add freshly ground pepper at the end for a touch of heat and complexity.
Clean as you go. Unless you have a spouse or companion who loves to clean up, don’t leave it until the end. Use every lull in the process, to soak, rinse, wipe-down, load the dishwasher. And also to put the remaining ingredients back in the fridge or pantry. Minimizing the mess makes cooking much more relaxing and fun.
And finally, learn to trust yourself – know that if you make food you like, others will like it, too. You’ll get to know what food should taste like on an instinctual level and then you will work at it until it’s there. Soon you won’t rely on recipes as precise formulas, but rather as concepts, as jumping off points, a place to start. And then you’ll riff on that idea.
RELAX! DON’T TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY!! It’s only food; it will soon be eaten and the evidence will have disappeared. You’ll get a meh, nay or yea response from your audience – even if it’s an audience of one – and then it’s on to the next dish or meal. And with every dish and every meal, you will have learned a little something more.