This is the most important thing to do when cooking. And most recipes donât even mention it.
Taste your food.
Then do the next thing. And taste again. In factâŚAlways. Be. Tasting. (aka A B T đ)
Whether it was from your basketball coach, comments on your college essay, or your yearly review at work, feedback is crucial to improving. And when you taste your food throughout the cooking process, youâre getting feedback.
Itâs something I used to rarely do when cooking. And to be honest, itâs something I can still do more. So donât be like me. Taste your food, at every step. No matter whatâŚOkay, maybe not if youâre dealing with raw chicken or something. 𤢠Our legal team made me put that disclaimer in here... Alright, you caught me. I donât have a legal team.
Taste Your Food. Even When Following a Recipe.
Iâm learning to be less dependent on recipes and then share those insights with all of you. But that doesnât mean recipes are bad. Theyâre a great way to learn from other cooks. They provide inspiration and guidelines when youâve never made something before.
But theyâre not a guarantee.
Cooking is an art because there are so many variables at play. You can never exactly replicate the experience of whoever made the recipe. Ovens, ingredients, elevation, humidity, taste buds, and so much more will make your experience cooking different than theirs.
Letâs take salt for example. There are numerous varieties, all with different levels of saltiness. Even brands with the same type of salt taste different. (Learn how types of salt differ.) So do you know what type of salt the recipe developer used? Is it saltier or less salty than the one you use? đ¤ˇââď¸ It makes an impact.
Then there is produce. Your variety of apples may be slightly different than theirs. Their beets may have been picked early in the season while yours were picked late. Your tomatoes may be from the farmerâs market and theirs from the grocery store. Heck, even carrots grown in the same place can taste different year to year.
Then there is equipment. The recipe says 30 minutes. But maybe their pan cooks faster than yours. The only way to know if your caramelized onions are caramelized enough is to taste them.
Plus, when you taste your food before serving it, you have the chance to tailor it to your palate. Itâs the benefit of being the cook! Every meal is personalized to you. đŠâđł
Okay, Now How Do You Taste?
I know what youâre saying, âOkay, Luciano, I know how to taste something. Do you really need to explain this?â Yes. I do.
Hereâs why. I was watching Criminal Minds the other day with my wife. And there was a scene of a woman cooking in the kitchenâobviously right before a serial killer attacked. She took the lid off of the pot, dabbed her wooden spoon in the sauce, and kissed her lips against it. I immediately smirked. đ
That is not how you taste your food.
Thereâs no way she had any idea what that sauce tasted like. She probably tasted more wood than sauce.
When you taste, you need to REALLY taste.
Get a full spoon or forkful. Then blow on it to cool it offâitâs harder to distinguish flavors when itâs piping hot. Next, put it in your mouth, and taste it slowly. Focus on it. This is the close-your-eyes kind of tasting. You want to get a feel for it.
Then try a second bite. Why? Sometimes your palate needs time to adjust to the flavors.
There you go! Thatâs how you properly taste your food when cooking. đ
Taste & Adjust
Being able to taste and then adjust while you cook is one of those things that is easy to do but takes practice to master. Iâm breaking it down into 3 levels.
Level 1
The best and simplest time to taste is right before itâs done. Itâs the easiest point to make adjustments, even if youâre a brand new cook. Anyone can do it well!
As youâre about to take your fried rice out of the pan, take a bite, or two. And ask yourself, what does it need?
- Does it taste bland? Salt helps. In this case probably more soy sauce.
- Does it feel thin in your mouth? Try a drizzle of toasted sesame oil to add flavor and body.
- Is it too sweet? The acidity from a squeeze of lime or a dash of rice wine vinegar will balance the flavor.
- Is the flavor a bit one-noted or flat? Grind up some Sichuan peppercorns to add some tingly spice. Or add some sriracha!
- Is it too smooth? It may need textural contrast. Diced scallions could do it. Or pickled veggies.
Just keep this in mind.
When adjusting for flavor, do it a little at a time. Then taste again. You can always add more. But you canât take it away.
Level 2
But you shouldnât only taste a completed dish right before serving. You should be tasting each component throughout the cooking process. This gives you more opportunities to make adjustments.
You have to think about how the dish will come together and the role each component plays.
Letâs take a salad. You make your vinaigrette and then taste it. Ahh, you notice it needs a little bit more salt. Then youâre toasting walnuts. Try those as they cook. Are they toasty enough? No? Give them a couple more minutes. Then there is the cheese. Are you going to add Parmigiano Reggiano? Well, that is a salty cheese. Go back and taste your vinaigrette. You want to make sure it isnât overly salty then. Next, try the kale youâre using. Is it pretty bitter today? Try bumping up the acidity in your vinaigrette then to balance it out. But, wait! Youâre going to add sliced apples. And after trying those, you realize theyâre pretty acidic. So maybe your vinaigrette doesnât need that extra acid. Lastly, you combine everything and taste the finished product. Well, it does need that extra splash of vinegar after all. đ
Level 3
Itâs more challenging to know what a tomato sauce will taste like at the end when it still needs to simmer for an hour.
Knowing how flavors change as you cook is something that you figure out with experience.
As you taste frequently throughout the cooking process, youâll get better at it. Youâll be able to predict how the flavor will change over time. Maybe that tomato sauce does need more salt and spices. But maybe it just needs more time to simmer. Itâs a learned skill.
But there are a few âprinciplesâ to keep in mind:
- Aromatic flavors mellow as they cookâlike garlic, onions, spices, and herbs
- âLiquidsâ intensify as they cook because water evaporates over timeâlike tomato sauces, refried beans, and soups
- Browning changes flavor completelyâlike browned butter, charred zucchini, and a seared steak.
Lastly, remember this. Even if youâre not a skilled taster, always be tasting. Itâs only by tasting more often that you get better at it. Youâll learn how the flavor changes as you cook.
So always be tasting my friends.
Letâs end with this. As Massimo Bottura says, âFollow your palate!â
Luciano đ¨âđł
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