Tips for the Home Cook

I have been reading a new cook book called "The 4-hr Chef" This is more than a cook book. A lot of great applications to living life more efficiently. My wife at first thought the book was a gimmick. Almost quarter of the way through and still haven't done one recipe, but I'm still learning how to get my mind in the right mentality to really elevate my skills in the kitchen. I am just going to list my top ten kitchen tips most overlooked from this book that will improve your cooking and make life in the kitchen easier.

10 TIPS for the Home Cook

1) Mise en place (or meez) = Everything must be ready & in it's place before you start.
You every notice when looking at a recipe in a cook book and they tell you to put a little of this in the pot then sit for 1hr then slice and place in the pot, put back in the oven. Just means get all your ingredients in order and prepped and out & neat before you start to cook.

2. Use cold water cooking at home. Why? Not b/c it may boil faster or slower. Hot water runs through a hot water heater, which can taint the taste of your food. (Interesting)

3. Make shift spatula, & adds flavor. Put a clove of garlic on the end of a fork. Great for sauteing in a pan.

4. Set the oven at 350 degrees. 90% of all cooking is placed in the oven slow cook at this temp. The most important part is making sure you proteins, (beef, pork, veal, chicken) have an internal temperature reaches 140degrees. So, next step helps this process out.

5. Probe Thermometer. My mom has a nice cheap metal one. I have an handheld digital one. Now with technology they have created this digital thermometer. I don't have this exact one, but u get the pt. I used to be like most people and cut into my meat to see if it was done. PLEASE please invest in $5-$25 thermometer this will save you from destroying a perfectly cooked piece of meat.

6. Basic Herb pairings as follows
Fish - fennel or dill
Beef, Pork, & Lamb - Rosemary
Lamb - mint
Eggs - Tarragon
Tomatoes - Basil for (Italian Sauce) - I knew this one, but had to add it in.

7. When adding dressing to any salad. Drizzle the dressing around the side of the bowl, not on the leaves. Then hand mix. This prevents the bulk of your dressing from getting stuck on a few leaves.

8. Nothing wet on your cutting board. This isn't rocket science. But, seriously dry off fish, chicken meat and all ur veggies before placing on the cutting board.

9. When you want to remove grease from the pot. Saying cooking a sauce, braising meat, consomme, cooking a stew. Anything that will have fat rise, flim, bubbles to the top of the pan. I used to skim the top w/ thin holed metal skimmer. Way easier to use a folded paper towel. Just drag it over the top and takes 1/10 the time and removes it all.

10. Chili and other dishes when cooking beans. Salt AFTER not during this causes the beans to take longer to cook. (Not my favorite tip really not even a tip, but I thought i should add it in anyways to get to ten.)

The book has over 30 to 50 tips, but I'm not done reading the book and other tips I read I have already applied in my kitchen. Like, How to cook the perfect steak a previous post with lots of tips included. There are lots of other tricks to help make cooking easier and better. This is just 10 I learned this week from my new cook book. Enjoy, and have a great wknd!

PhD in NYC restaurant dining

Goals of this blog

Explain to people about how to enjoy Manhattan w/o spending an arm and a leg. If you let me know what type of food you like. The occasion your going out for. I'm confident I can help you find a affordable place to eat to go out and celebrate in Manhattan.

Re-create some of the crazy good dishes I have experienced at home. Spending less than $20 or $30 including a $10 bottle of wine for braising or drinking for you and another lucky person.

Here is the list of the restaurants I've been too tallying over 31 Michelin Stars in the state of NY alone. 

Upstate NY
Freelance Cafe & WineBar
One the best restaurants I've been to in my life. I go for lunch once every summer nice drive over the Taconic bridge in a little town Piermont, NY.
 
NYC

Alain Ducasse - closed in NYC about 6 months after I ate there in 2004 still one of my most memorible dinning experiences in my life. Transformed my view and respect of fine dining and what it takes to raise the bar on food, service, and decor.

Thomas Keller 
Per Se

Eric Ripert
Le Bernardin
My wife and mine favorite restaurant in NYC

Danny Meyer
Gramercy Tavern
The Modern
Shake Shack 
Tabla - closed Floyd Cardoz has moved over to North End Grill
Union Square Cafe
Untitled

Daniel Humm
Eleven Madison Park

Daniel Boulud
Daniel
Café Boulud
Boulud Sud
DBGB

Michael White 
Alto - closed
Convivio - closed
Ai Fiori
Marea
Osteria Morini

Jean Georges
Jean Georges
Nougatine
Jojo

Jason Denton
Cafe Ino
Inoteca 
Indie Food & Wine
Corsino

Andrew Carmellini
The Dutch
Locanda Verde

More NYC restaurants to cross off the list

21 Club
Alcala
Annisa
Apiary
Artisanal 
Aureole
Aquagrill
Beacon Restaurant & Bar
Blue Water Grill
Cacio e Vino
Centro Vinoteca - Chef Leah Cohen is now at Pig and Khao
Cipriani Downtown
Eataly Restaurants inside Manzo and Il Pesce
Kajitsu
Fabio Piccolo Fiore
Felidia
Frankies Spuntino
Geisha
Gotham Bar & Grill
La Boite En Bois
Il Mulino
Luna Piena
Marc Forgione 
Market Table
Maya
MeatBall Shop
Momofuku Ssam Bar
Millesime 
Nino's Positano
Nobu - Nobu 57
Osteria al Doge 
Otto
Picholine
Poke 
Prune 
Recette
Red Rooster
RiverPark
Social Eats
Sushi Yasuda
Tipsy Parsons

Torrisi Italian Specialties
Tribeca Grill 

                  Brooklyn/LIC/Queens

Basils
Cafe Henri
Domaine wine bar
Malgueta - Brazilian excellent
Prime Eats
Rosa's Pizzeria
Tournesol
Skinny's Cantana
Shi 
 
Long Island 

Besito
Bistro Cassis
Dario's no website excellent old school Italian
F.H Rileys
Giulio Cesare Ristorante no website excellent old school Italian
Honu Kitchen 
Kitchen A Bistro
Il Mulino 
La Plage
Nagashima 
Nagahama
Osaka no website in Huntington excellent
Piccolo
Piccola Bussola
Prime 
Toku

Steak Houses 
Bryant & Cooper in Great Neck this one is my favorite of them all.
Franks Steaks in Jericho
Morton's in Great Neck 
Peter Luger in Great Neck 
Rothmann's SteakHouse

I have reviews on each of the restaurants above on Zagat under my name Andrew Iadeluca. I updated some here on review page.  I follow Sam Sifton and Gael Greene for reviews both are better at writing then I am. For example one of my favorite restaurants by Sam Sifton of Ai Fiori
A must go to in NYC