Notes on Cooking: Review & Giveaway

by Heather on October 26, 2009

Heather says:

I never went to culinary school.

My first job was as a Waffle House waitress. Shut up, I’m trying to be serious. Anyway, when I was sixteen, I worked the afternoon shift and there were always a few hours where lonely, unhappy people would filter in and mark the passage of time  in coffee refills and cigarette butts. Learning to chop onions was positively riveting compared to some of that conversation, besides the cook was cute and I was naive.

Later, I tended bar -it wasn’t much later and that’s a whole ‘nother story-  at a neighborhood place that didn’t serve food except for Tuesdays, aka Bachelor night. The owner doesn’t make my shortlist of people I adore -I’m not sure he makes the long list of people I tolerate-, but he could cook. I learned a lot about soul and comfort food, that people will come out of the  woodwork for a plate of collards, cornbread, and red rice.

I truly started cooking when I worked at a small Spanish restaurant. The owners couldn’t keep a chef and introduced me to the kitchen in a trial by fire. For this, I am grateful. I learned about paella, chorizo, tapas, all foods that seemed exotic, but really were Andalusian comfort food.

Time passed and I worked in more kitchens. I’d start in prep and work my way up by watching the person next to me. I never learned the theory, but I learned what worked. I learned hundreds of recipes and through these I developed unarticulated theories on cooking. I knew things should be done a certain way, but never had the backstory that would allow me to explain to someone else WHY these were the rules.

A few weeks ago I was contacted and asked to review Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft by Lauran Braun Costello and Russell Reich. I have to tell you, I’m in love. Here are the things I wish I’d been told. It’s the rules with a succinct explanation of the WHYs.  Example:

86. Never jump food more than one temperature state at a time.

There are four functional temperature states: 1) frozen, 2) cold, 3) room temperature, 4) warm or hot.

When you move food from one state to another (in either direction), don’t skip over a temperature state by, for instance, taking a roast directly from the oven to the refrigerator. Only one state change at a time.

Jumping a state disrupts or destroys the vital process of moisture concentration and reintegration within the ingredient as its temperature changes. Place a sealed, warm, lasagna in a cold fridge, and where does all that heat and moisture go? It collects on the top of your lovely lasagna, now no longer so lovely.

There are 216 rules like the one above. Some are hard and fast and others are meant to be remembered but broken from time to time. I curled up on the couch and read it cover to cover randomly exclaiming, “I knew it!” and wishing I had a foodie friend over for coffee to discuss my find. There were so many rules I knew on a gut level from my years in kitchen, but had been unable to articulate.

If you have any love of cooking or kitchen geekery, this is an informative and interesting read. Tear through it in one go or leave it on the counter to peruse while making dinner, there will be plenty to mull over. If you’re a lousy cook, learning the rules and putting them into practice will elevate your experience in the kitchen. Y’all have no idea how hard it was to not type “will raise your XP.”

I never went to culinary school, but now I have a better grasp of the rules.

I’m giving away two copies of Notes On Cooking. The publicist will send a book directly to one winner and I’m also passing along my review copy. Please note that I am kicking myself for suggesting this as a second prize before reading the book. Readers of Home-Ec101.com have three ways to enter the random drawing on Friday October 30, 2009 at 9pm Eastern.

  1. Leave a comment with your favorite personal rule of cooking, it can be something you’ve learned through trial and error or a piece of wisdom handed down from one of your mentors.
  2. Tweet about the giveaway. Leave a second comment with the url of your tweet.
  3. Write about the giveaway on your own blog, Facebook, your favorite social media site, or a message board and leave a comment with the URL of the mention.

Or if you’re impatient head straight to Amazon and buy the Notes On Cooking in hardback or for the Kindle.

Good luck! I look forward to reading your rules and hope the winners enjoy this book as much as I have.

Print Friendly
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the free daily or weekly emails to have future articles delivered to your inbox.
Post comment as twitter logo facebook logo
Sort: Newest | Oldest

Here's my cooking tip - always read your recipe all the way through before you start cooking anything. And take out all the stuff you need first. There's nothing like getting halfway through cooking something and discovering you're all out of sugar, or that something needs to chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours before continuing (and you need it to be ready in 45 minutes). It's not really more advanced than what they teach you in 3rd grade - read the directions first - but a lot of people forget it!

I would love a copy of this book, as I also have no formal kitchen training and have had to learn all manner of kitchen tips the hard way (my tip included).

Always, always, always read a new recipe thoroughly before you try it.

My personal favorite rule of cooking (though it *rarely* actually happens at my house) is whoever cooks doesn't have to clean up! ;)

WOW!! Waffle House... and you still have all your teeth. <BEG> j/k!!!!!!!!! I think my best tip/rule is to TASTE while you are cooking. Then of course there is the rule in baking to follow the directions to a "T". You can play around with most recipes but not with baking ones. The book sounds very interesting!

My rule or favorite technique actually violates your rule you mentioned but it's my fail safe for making hard boiled eggs.

When the eggs are done boiling, I bathe them in a cold water bath. Then when completely cool, I crack them open and the shells peel off easily and don't break my eggs so I get pretty hard boiled eggs. This is especially useful when I want to make deviled eggs.

I learned that when you're making pudding (not the instant kind, the kind you cook), if you put plastic wrap on it tightly as it cools, it won't develop that skin. I've also learned that the skin is the best part, so don't bother with the plastic wrap. :-)

I don't know that I have any real cooking rules. Does cleaning as you go count as one?

For baking, my biggest rule is using a scale to measure ingredients. So much easier and more reliable than volume measurements!

Hmmm, my tip is to wash your hands after handling meat to avoid cross contamination. Lame, I know, but your site is my culinary school! Thank you for sharing and parting with your copy.

When I cook, I usually abide by a few 'trial and error' things:
1. when pan frying, make sure the pan is hot (not high), but hot to start sizzling.
2. I rarely use salt in my cooking, preferring to let the eater add to their pleasure, but also found that with spices, salt really isn't that necessary.
3. for gravy...or anything requiring addition of flour/cornstarch, I usually get a small cup and mix a concentrated bunch in warm water, then pour into hot emulsion.
4. when making candy....get lots of wax paper and a good thermometer...or the candy won't hit the stage you want correctly.

I have so many. I have an Associate's Degree in Restaurant Mgmt. More of a focus on the front of the house than the back, but I am a complete foodie now. Anyhow, I learned pretty recently the importance of letting meat rest for a few minutes before cutting.

I don't think I have ever commented here. Want to let you know I really love your site, and even moreso, your snarky tone. You make me laugh out loud.

I tweeted your giveaway too!

Oh and I guess it would be helpful if I left contact info
Nikki
jesus_iscomin at yahoo dot com
and at twitter

Two rules:
First, WASH your hands! Frequently! Don't just wipe them on a towel!

Second, if a recipe calls for cake flour, and you have standard flour, you must subtract 1 Tablespoon per cup used in the recipe, or your baked good will be heavy.

My tip is to speed up the baking process, always remember to turn on the oven. I've got mad skills.

I don't really have a great tip although someone once told me that when grilling meat, don't move it for 10-15 seconds (to arrange or whatever) after dropping it on the grill - does that count?

Also, Tweeted here: https://twitter.com/simonashton/status/5232632301

AWESOME BOOK

Awww restaurant days. Wow, I have SO many stories and memories :-)

Best cooking tip: READ recipes ALL the way through before starting. Prep ALL ingredients before assembling or diving in. Makes life SO much easier :)

A sliced potato dropped into a stew or soup that's too salty will soak up a lot of the salt :-) xoxo

When making muffins I slice the top and put a little butter in them right out of the oven. the butter is then melted and ready for me when they have cooled enough to eat.

Sounds like a great book! My tip would be to keep bread heels or bread that is getting old in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. When you've accumulated enough, take out and make croutons!

My rule is to never be afraid to substitute ingredients. Its how you make a recipe your own, and if I had to wait until I had the exact ingredients, i would never get around to trying anything new.

Make sure your pan/pot/mixing bowl is large enough. If in doubt, I'd rather it be too big than too small.

Looks like a great book!
1. Never use soap on your cast iron - but use cast iron - it's great!
2. For great, crispy outside, fluffy inside, roast potatoes, brown them in oil, then add about a tablespoon on water, and cover them for a couple minutes to let them steam.
3. For an imporant meal, write down every ingredient needed (with amounts), and walk around your kitchen to make sure you really do have enough brown sugar (for example) before you start. (Preferably a couple days beforehand so you can go to the store.)

My rule is to not be afraid to try new recipes and techniques. Somethings, like making gravy from scratch or decorating a cake with fondant may appear imtimidating, but once you try, it isn't that bad. Also, getting tips ahead of time is the way to go. Gotta love Alton Brown/Good Eats!

after you make cookies, you can keep them soft by putting them in a container wiht a piece of bread - then they will be soft again!!

Posted on my blog, too!

Oh, and if anyone likes books about food science, How to Read a French Fry is really good.

Have been cooking for over 50 year, but the book still sounds interesting. Have mentioned on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=...
I love Home-Ec 101 although of course some of it I've known or read before. My rule is to make gravy by mixing everything in a blender and then simmering in my skillet on the stove, stirring to keep the lumps out. I think the food processor and blender are the greatest.

Do NOT overhandle the biscuit dough! The less you touch it, the more tender your biscuits will be!

Okay, don't laugh but I am way.........behind you guys in cooking so I'm going to have to go with the tip that made my life so much faster with food preparation and that is a pair of scissors. I refuse to use a knife now when I can pick up the scissors and just clip away. Great invention!

One rule I have isn't directly related to the food, but to the tools. When chopping veggies and scraping your cutting board off into a pot or bowl, flip your knife blade over and use the BACK of the knife so as not to dull the blade. I believe I picked that up in the one and only Julia Child show I ever saw. (Something so valuable, I should seek out more of her stuff!)

Oh, duh, this was supposed to be a separate comment, so I get entered twice!
*foreheadslap*

And I Tweeted, too! http://twitter.com/geegeegee

Begin with the end in mind! Think about what time the meal will be served

I so need to raise my kitchen XP! My rule? Beer and Beef go hand in hand!

Hm, I guess my rule would be, um, do I know any rules? Double the garlic, that's my rule. At least double. There's never enough garlic.

LOL - are you my daughter? I always run out of garlic when she's been in the kitchen!

I don't have a favorite cooking rule because I'm a terrible cook. I need this book! :-)

My favorite cooking tip - basically useless, but fun nevertheless - is that when you mix up your ingredients to make salmon patties (salmon croquettes for you fancy pants folks), you must do it in a glass pie plate. Why? Because, as my mom & grandmother would say, that's just how it is.

I don't know that I know a lot of formal rules. One of my personal ones is to always almost double whatever vanilla or cinnamon is called for in a recipe... but that's my own personal taste! I'm weird... I like to eat apple slices COATED in cinnamon.

You might consider Penzey's double strength vanilla. It is more expensive than the grocery store vanilla, but they use twice the beans so you only need to use half as much. Their cinnamon is also very fresh and you might not need as much. www.penzeys.com

I'd love to win the book ... even after 26 years of marriage and 4 kids, I'm still learning how to cook ---- and what I'm learning is, as you say, "the back story", Heather. I'm a devotee of Alton Brown and still learning not just how but also why things go the way they go.

My tip: (1) don't overmix quickbreads and muffins and (2) take brownies out before they look done.
Learned those the hard way ............

Yeah, i didn't listen to my dad when i made his pineapple muffins. Unlike his fluffy delightful treats, mine were lumps of pineapple flavored rubber. Yeeesh. o.O

Ooh! Ooh! Me!

Wow, I was a Denny's and an IHOP waitress. Be proud.

One of my rules: It is just as bad to overcook something as it is to overcook something. Especially shellfish. And chicken breasts.

One rule I learned recently was that meat must be absolutely dry before you saute it or else it won't brown properly (it will poach instead). And flour can be used to absorb some of that excess moisture.

Right? I think? LOL. See I need the book! ;)

Personal lesson: the phone will ALWAYS ring while my hands are full of ingredients (never fails!), so I have a dish cloth handy to answer it (if it passes the caller ID test!).
Lesson #1 from my new found passion for baking - step 1 - read recipe; step 2 - verify I actually have the ingredients; step 3 - re-read the recipe; step 4 - measure/plan ahead for ingredients.

Oh, one of your other posters reminded me:
Rule for pancakes (from my Dad): Flip with intent and determination. Hesitation or half-heartedness will just make a mess.

I've always enjoyed reading your posts.......I'm disappointed in your "I have all of my own teeth coment"
It was tacky......many people who work hard can't afford to go to the dentist.....they chose to feed they children, pay the rent, heat their homes rather than taking care of themselves. They serve us.....that doesn't give us the right to judge them

I try to get the ingredients in a cake or a bread to room temperature because then the cake will form together some better. I do not like melted butter either but softened not just out of the refrigerator.

I am here to admit that I am a REALLY awful cook. So here it is. First rule of cooking I ever learned. When putting Ramen in the microwave MAKE SURE there is water in the bowl. Always. Explosions will occur.

My rule?
Salt is a flavor inhancer not just a seasoning.

I've learned that having all ingredients at room temperature makes baking more successful. That means cracking those eggs and letting come to temperature. Who knew it?

Trackbacks

  1. [...] I only have a tolerable picture of these earthy, savory delights. I was so excited about the meal that I forgot to take a picture of the mushrooms before we ate. I haven’t been to Outback in a long time, but I have missed their optional mushroom side. There was just something about those mushrooms simmered in wine that made the steak’s flavor amazing. Actually, I learned that there is a word for that flavor combination, it’s called Umami a Japanese word for that neglected fifth flavor we all know but struggle to identify (the first four are salt, sweet, sour, and bitter). That tidbit came from this week’s giveaway Notes on Cooking. [...]

Previous post:

Next post: