6 Easy Ways to be a Goddess in the Kitchen
Cooking just got a lot more sexy (and way less stressful), thanks to these awesome tricks.
By Gabrielle Frank
If the idea of whipping up a three-course meal (or anything more than mac and cheese, for that matter) makes you want to run, we have good news: Cosmo got the author of A Tiger in the Kitchen, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, to share kick-ass cooking tricks that are easy to pick up and make spending time over the stove way more fun than you ever thought it could be. Snag these secrets and get ready to wow your friends, family, boyfriend, and pretty much anyone with tastebuds.
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Sloooow down and enjoy the process.
"At work, I'm thinking, I'm writing, I'm interviewing people. But when I'm cooking, it's just not possible to go any faster. You can't exactly multitask when you're chopping. You can only go as fast as the stew wants to simmer. So you are really forced to just slow down and let the dish dictate your time. Once you accept that, the whole process becomes a lot more relaxing."
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Don't be afraid to be a domestic goddess.
"When I was growing up in Singapore, the message was loud and clear: cooking was always a sign of weakness for me. It was something housewives or people without careers or aspirations did. But that's not the case at all. You can absolutely cook for your guy and dote on him in the kitchen without morphing into some '50s woman."
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Know it's okay to screw up.
"Embrace your mistakes. Some of the best recipes come from messing up in the kitchen. So don't take anything too seriously. Sometimes you might map things out and think I want to do this, I want to do that, but if something else comes along-like an unexpected taste-you should always be open to it. And that's not just advice for cooking! When I got laid off, I was shocked and felt like a failure. But I finally had the time to pursue this book, which I'd been thinking about writing for a while."
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Make your own rules.
"Take time to experiment. Before cooking for a big group or an upcoming dinner party, play around with recipes a bit. Mix things up as you go along. If you want to add more sugar - do it. Just be sure to write everything down as you go along. You might end up loving the result, but not remembering the measurements that led to it."
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Be ferocious.
"Don't let a recipe intimidate you. One summer, I decided I was going to conquer pies. Sounds easy right? But for some reason, they always seemed overwhelming to me. They're difficult to make, but I was determined to get it right. It's all about your attitude. I went into it determined to master pies. And soon, I had mastered several recipes and was a pro at rolling crust."
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Don't just cook for parties. Make cooking the party.
"I see some people who get so worked up about making a dish perfectly. Their focus is all about the finished product and what people will think. Trust me, they are not having fun. Forget for a while that you're making something to eat and consider the process a fun activity and nothing more. Get a stylish apron, put on some music, sing along, and taste as you go."
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