7 Basic Foods (and Delicious Recipes) Everyone Should Know How to Cook

Remember that good-tasting food doesn't always take a lot of skill to make — just some basic know-how and good ingredients.
Remember that good-tasting food doesn't always take a lot of skill to make — just some basic know-how and good ingredients.

Once, when cooking with a friend, I asked him to check if the artichokes were done. "Sure!" was the immediate response, followed by a pause, and then, "How do I know if they're done?"

When first starting to cook, there are many foods and dishes that can be intimidating to prepare or seem overly complicated. But the truth is that when you boil it down to the basics, they are typically quite easy. Remember that good-tasting food doesn't always take a lot of skill to make - just some basic know-how and good ingredients.

And yet, these run-of-the mill foods that should be requisites in any cook's repertoire often go overlooked for fancier or more exciting dishes. Take, for instance, the roast chicken: basic, easy, and economical because one chicken can be turned into many other dishes for later in the week, but most cooks seem to avoid making it at home and opt for chicken breasts or store-bought rotisserie chickens instead. I can promise you this, nailing a roast chicken - we're talking one that's perfectly done, with tender, succulent meat and crispy skin - gives a great feeling of accomplishment. I still remember my first time.

Others on this list, like tofu or pesto, might not be personal preferences of yours, but they are versatile ingredients that can be used in a multitude of ways to keep cooking at home from getting boring. In fact, if a cook has these basics down, they can virtually make anything. Anything.

For some professional wisdom and good humor, we asked two accomplished cookbook authors, Mark Scarbrough and Bruce Weinstein, about a few things they think everyone should know how to make. Look for their advice sprinkled throughout this list, and mark down the others for future cooking adventures.

Steak

One thing that differentiates home cooks from professional chefs is the amount of seasoning used when cooking, and steaks are a perfect example. As chef Jason Landon Smith of Florida's Steak 954 says, when he's grilling a steak, it is white (with salt) when it's put on the grill. Of course, a lot falls off, but the rest permeates through the meat as it cooks to get that flavorful and juicy restaurant steak we all know and love. Check out his tips for perfectly grilling steak and chef Jonathan Waxmans recipe for hanger steak with salsa piccante.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

A healthy snack or great source of protein in a salad, hard-boiled eggs come in handy in the kitchen. But the problem with them still being in the shell is that there's no way to look at them and know if they're done. Instead of ending up with over- or undercooked eggs, follow these basic tips and learn how to perfectly hard-boil an egg so you avoid cracking open a hot, gooey mess (unless thats what you're going for).

Click here to see How to Perfectly Hard Boil an Egg


Cookies

A childhood favorite for most, cookies are quick and easy to make. But this isn't to say that it isn't easy to mess up a cookie; they can be over- or undercooked, tough and brittle, and flavorless. Finding a good recipe is always key, but there are some basic steps and tips to follow so that the dough isnt overworked and comes out tasting great.

Click here to see How to Make Perfect Cookie Dough


Meatloaf

A classic comfort food, meatloaf is generally popular amongst home cooks for its simplicity and low maintenance - also reasons that it made it on this list. Meatloaf is typically made with ground meat and a mixture of seasonings like herbs, vegetables, or spices, bound with eggs or breadcrumbs, and then baked in a loaf pan. As to what goes in it or is served on top of it - think ketchup, glazes, cheese, tomato sauce - that's up to the cook.

Click here to see a Delicious and Easy Meatloaf recipe

Pesto

"It's not one thing but a category - that is, it's not just basil as the herb, but various green herbs like parsley or sage in various ratios," say Scarbrough and Weinstein. "Pesto can be tossed with pasta, used as a pizza sauce, rubbed on meat before grilling, or thinned with vinegar to use as a salad dressing. Plus, you can freeze it in ice cube trays, more at the ready whenever you want it."

Click here to see the Arugula Pesto recipe

Roast Vegetables


An easy side dish to any winter roast or fish dish, roasted vegetables should be a staple in any cook's kitchen. As Scarbrough and Weinstein explain, "They're tastier than steamed and the whole technique is basically the same for almost every veggie, asparagus to butternut squash - something we call 'the shove': cut or slice the veggie, put it in a roasting tray, oil it up, salt it, and shove it in a 400-degree oven." It really is as easy as that.

Click here to see the Roasted Root Vegetables recipe

Basic Tomato Sauce (pictured above)

Whether it's used for traditional pastas or lasagnas, tomato sauce is a simple and basic recipe to know. Of course, there are endless variations, but we prefer this one from TDM's editorial director, Colman Andrews. Try serving his basic tomato sauce with perfectly cooked noodles, steamed vegetables, or just dunk some hearty Italian bread in it.

Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe

A good tomato sauce is an essential component of any cook's recipe repertoire. Throw this sauce over pasta or use it for a more complicated recipe requiring tomato sauce.

INGREDIENTS

4-6 very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or one 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
6-8 large fresh basil leaves, julienned
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, add the tomatoes, two tablespoons of oil, oregano, and basil, and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, heat the remaining oil over medium-low heat. Then add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes.

Put the tomatoes through a food mill or small-holed colander to remove any remaining seeds and skin, and then add to the onion mixture. Stir in the tomato paste (if using), season to taste with salt and pepper, and then reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Recipe Details
Servings: 4

Click here to see More Foods Everyone Should Know How to Cook

-Yasmin Fahr, The Daily Meal