Our Favorite Recipes to Master Kitchen Classics
Sh*t you should know by now: kitchen edition
Somewhere along the way to new culinary adventures, we forgot to hone our basic moves. Case in point: How is it that we are only now perfecting a simple steak? Sometimes we’re so busy seeking top-chef challenges, we forget how gratifying it can be to do the workaday stuff well. As DaVinci so accurately put it, “Simplicity is ultimate sophistication”—or, put differently, basic need not be basic. With better mastery over the basics, we can let the ingredients shine and enjoy the confidence that comes from knowing our sh*t.
A 7 minute eggWhat do we mean? Those gorgeous “jammy” soft boiled eggs that take your avocado toast or store-bought ramen to new foodie heights. They are also perfectly satisfying on their own, with a little salt and pepper.
A perfect steakNever had we ever been able to deliver a steak with a beautiful exterior without sacrificing the interior (raw or overdone—there was no in-between). The genius method here? You cook the interior in a low oven, then finish it on the stove once it’s reached its desired temperature (a meat thermometer is helpful to make it a sure thing).
A divine roast chickenWatch enough cooking shows, and you’ll realize most chefs have a perfect roast chicken on their dream menu. When done right, nothing is more heavenly or comforting. You just can’t mess this recipe up and best of all, it looks and tastes as if you have been kitchen-bound all day (we won’t tell).
An easy chocolate dessertWe love how easily this comes together into right-out-of-the-oven goodness. It also helps that the recipe is perfectly portioned for two (of course you can always double or triple it as your nest demands).
A mother sauceOf course hollandaise is our favorite of the mother sauces (the five sauces designated by the French as the building blocks of all other sauces). Its uses go way beyond eggs benedict—it’s also delicious with your perfectly-cooked steak, asparagus or fish.
Some caramelized onionsThese are life-changing and will literally make anything taste better. Making them is no job for the impatient, but the pay-off is worth it. This recipe slowed us down with its helpful descriptives of various stages that whisked away our “am I doing this right” fears. We love having these around to add to any protein, and once mastered will make you the hit of every distance-y get-together when you put them in this dip.
Some fresh baked breadNothing is more heavenly than the smell of fresh baked bread. Have you also declared yourself not a baker? It will be a challenge to keep up that act after you make a loaf of this. Acquiring the yeast (we see you, hoarders) will probably be the most difficult part of baking it. That, and the later cries for you to make more please.
An icebox cakeThis is a true set-it-and-forget-it affair. While the mere mention of Ritz crackers might conjure up the questionable cuisine choices of the seventies, we guarantee you this is what those buttery little wafers were born to do. Absolutely no one will detect them as they plow their spoons into what seems like just a beautiful layer cake.
