Top Secrets of Great Chefs

You watch the cooking shows. You eat great food in restaurants. When you compare these things to your own cooking, does it make you feel inferior? Do you wonder why your food just isn't the same? Well, perhaps all you need to do is learn some top secrets of great chefs.

Creating great meals isn't as complicated as it seems, and you certainly don't need a culinary degree or a restaurant in order to become a great chef. Some of the best chef secrets are passed down through the generations.

You also don't need complicated kitchen tools and utensils on order to improve your cooking using expert chef secrets. Some of the best tricks have little to do with gadgets and more to do with using the best of what you have. Here are some tips and secrets used by some of the best chefs out there.

Kitchen Tools - Less is More

Ask any chef what their favorite must have utensil is and most will undoubtedly list their favorite chef's knife. Forget those fancy kitchen chopping gadgets, a good knife can accomplish what those utensils can and then some. All you need to do is learn the appropriate knife skills.

Another great extra gadget is a food processor with a large basin. You can use a food processor to help make bread, pie crust, dips and spreads, to chop, make sauces, liquefy soups, etc. If you only purchase one extra kitchen gadget, this should be it. If you notice, this is the one gadget all those celebrity chefs seem to have in common.

Don't be Afraid of Salt

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that restaurant food often tastes better than home cooking is because restaurant chefs know how to salt food effectively for maximum flavor. Add small pinches of salt throughout the cooking process, tasting as you go. Stop adding salt when you feel the perfect flavor has been achieved.

Add Extra Flavor

Another top secret of the great chefs is to add extra flavor whenever you can. Instead of steaming vegetables with water, for example, try chicken stock. Think of ways you can add more depth to your dishes by adding things like wine, tomato paste, broths and stocks, and extra spices. Be careful not to bombard your food with extra tastes. Add just enough so that the affect is subtle and effective.

Learn to Substitute

Another secret that great chefs have learned is the art of substitution. When a certain ingredient is absent from your kitchen that a recipe calls for, do you go to the store or do you find something else? While baking, for example, things like eggs, yeast, and flour are essential. But, can you do without the almonds? Knowing what ingredients do to a dish will help you determine if you can find an effective substitute.