Cooking Essentials - Keys to Success Intro

As we always say, being a good cook doesn’t just happen. It starts with knowledge.

That’s why we developed the Keys to Success. Each section of this helpful online resource will

bring you new cooking knowledge and ideas whether you have just started out cooking or are ready

to take that next step into really knowing the most delightful of endeavors.

We will start with a guide to the pantry, describing & explaining a key choice of ingredients

from peppercorns, oils and vinegars, to pasta and beans, vanilla beans and honey. A stock of

good, basic ingredients will help you cook well, and for those on a budget, this section will

ensure that bad buys are kept to a minimum and that correct storage will prevent waste.

Next, we offer advice on saving money as you set up or improve your kitchen. To help you

avoid expensive mistakes, we devote a section to kitchen gadgets and tools. It will allow you

to identify which items are most practical and versatile and which items are worth investing in

for the long term. Why buy a cheap set of bad knives when just two or three good ones will do

and will last forever? What are the most useful small appliances to buy? Good quality

machines are expensive, so you need to choose wisely.

A portfolio of essential techniques forms a vital reference source. You’ll be surprised at all the

tricks and techniques you can use to make your cooking more efficient and enjoyable. You will

visit this section again and again.

One of the most important issues in the kitchen is food safety. No one wants to experience

the side effects of food poisoning which is not only dangerous but can also be deadly. That’s

where storage and handling guidelines come in. Common sense is the key factor in this area.

Last but not least, we have provided some Conversion Charts to help aide you in getting the

right equivalents in weights, measures and temperatures. Sometimes a recipe may call for a

measurement that you are unsure of or simply just don’t have.

We know that this resourceful information will become your companion on the never-ending

road to more cooking knowledge and better cooking success.

Enjoy and happy cooking!