Three essential cooking skills worth mastering

John Denboer is a chef, foodie, and avid traveler who holds private cooking classes for groups. He believes that cooking is a life skill that will empower an adult to become more independent. Here are three important kitchen skills one should master.

Basic knife techniques

Learning how to dice, slice, chop, and mince like a pro will make a person feel more confident in the kitchen. Of course, before learning all these skills, Chef John Denboer shares that one should learn proper knife handling to stay safe and to prepare the ingredients properly. Properly cutting meat, fish, vegetables, and other ingredients is crucial to perfecting a recipe.








Cooking pasta and rice

Preparing an al dente pasta dish may seem easy, but a lot of beginners end up with soggy noodles. Learning how to cook different types of pasta properly will open up a person to various recipes that they can prepare easily. When it comes to rice, one can prepare it perfectly without a rice cooker. According to John Denboer, one must be familiar with rice variants and the amount of water needed for the perfect texture and taste.

Eggs prepared different ways

Eggs are a widely-used ingredient in the kitchen. These can be boiled, poached, scrambled, fried, and more. Learning how to prepare various egg dishes will boost a person's confidence in the kitchen. For those who want to get into baking, later on, mastering cooking with eggs is good preparation. Or for those who wish to host brunch, knowing how to prepare simple egg dishes is a good start.