There's never been a better time in history to learn how to cook — thanks to YouTube, social media, millions of cookbooks, TV shows, and celebrity chefs. But that doesn't mean it won't feel a little intimidating at first. Whether you're inspired to spend some time in the kitchen by watching "The Bear," or you've been flipping through a box of old family recipes, there is one piece of advice that every novice needs to know no matter what cuisine you decide to tackle: taste as you go.
Ask any chef and they'll tell you that good food doesn't happen by simply assembling a recipe. A good cook has to know what each component tastes like, and then they balance and season flavors throughout the cooking process, whether it's a simple bowl of soup or a complicated croquembouche. When you taste as you go, not only will you learn how to build flavor, but you'll also never have to scramble at the end of a recipe to wonder what went wrong when it doesn't taste quite right.
Taste all your ingredients If you've decided to tackle your first batch of all-American chili or a comforting casserole, don't rush through it only to taste the food at the very end. It's easy to get caught up in a recipe, and while you're nervously measuring out all the ingredients and re-reading instructions over and over, you're not paying attention to the actual components of the food. Slow down and taste as many of the ingredients as you can before mixing things together so that you build up an understanding of wh.
