Culinary Cooking

Have you ever wondered what exactly makes culinary cooking different from other styles of cooking that are available? Learning the answer to that question can not only make you a better chef in your own home, but may also form the basis for a successful career. Follow these simple guidelines and you will be well on your way to making this a reality in your own home.

• Terms. As in any specialized industry, the culinary arts have some fairly unique (and often esoteric) terms. Some of the more everyday examples of terms that you will need to understand are braising, saute, teaspoon, dash, and quarts. There are other terms that you should take the time to learn, but unless you are actually planning on entering a career as a chef don't feel pressured to memorize them. For the average person simply having a cooking dictionary in your kitchen can help immensely.
• Techniques. Techniques are an important part of any task—and cooking is no different. There are some tried-and-true techniques that have proven themselves over time. Chefs have become so used to these techniques that they have actually entered the lexicon of terms used by chefs around the world. For those techniques, it goes beyond learning the definition of the term, but actually how it is done. It also helps to keep appraised of new techniques that may come up from time to time.
• Organization. Part of culinary cooking is to have an organized workspace. This may sound strange, but for the true fan of culinary cooking the kitchen is just as much a workspace and an artist's studio. Decide on some kind of organizational scheme for your kitchen and implement it and, once implemented, maintain it. This is important because organization affects timing and timing can often be of the utmost importance to a successful meal.
• Experiment. Try experimenting with your own recipes. Every culinary masterpiece came from someone experimenting at some point in time. Each and every artist needs to experiment to find their own style, and it is the same in the kitchen. Write down every experiment that you conduct so that you will know how to reproduce successful results.
• Apprenticeship. For those interested in becoming a truly adept culinary cook, it may be advisable to seek an apprenticeship with a local chef. That chef can teach you first hand the tricks of the trade that help raise the cheerful enthusiast to a master. An added bonus to this type of learning experience is that if you find that you truly love to cook, you can use this experience on your resume.