I’ve heard so many people say to me “I’d love to cook, but honestly I’d set fire to my kitchen.” And I wanted to respond because there seems to be such shame in making kitchen mistakes.
And why? They happen to all of us, but they make us better chefs. Although this post is similar to the one I posted a few weeks ago about salvaging a meal gone wrong, it’s got a slightly different message. This is about pushing your limits, seeing where your cooking can take you, and not being afraid. If you’re sitting there puzzled, just picture Sheryl Sandberg, Julia Child, and Anthony Bourdain huddling in your kitchen, giving you a pep talk, and then stepping back to cheer you on from the bleachers as you take the field.
Years ago I heard a famous chef say that the difference between a mediocre home cook, and a really good chef, is that chefs are always pushing themselves in the kitchen. They sear the meat just a bit longer…they salt the food a little more aggressively. We, mere home cooks, are often criticized for taking the pan off the heat a smidge too early. We get nervous about unusual flavor combinations. We often under season because we’re afraid of the small mountain of salt that’s often required to make food taste really good. I know that sounds horrible, but trust me, in some cases it’s required.
