Stuff Nobody Tells You
Everyone assumes you just know this stuff. You don't have to. Here's the foundation that makes everything else easier.
How to Actually Boil Water
Yes, there's a right way. Fill the kettle first and boil it — it's faster than heating cold water in a pan. Pour the boiling water into your pan, then put it on high heat. A “rolling boil” means big, aggressive bubbles that don't stop when you stir. A “simmer” means small, gentle bubbles — turn the heat down until you see those.
Always salt your pasta water generously. It should taste like the sea. That's not a figure of speech — it actually should.
How to Season Food
Most home-cooked food is underseasoned. Salt doesn't just make things salty — it makes flavours louder. Add a little, taste, add more. You're looking for the point where the food tastes like itself, but more.
Season at every stage, not just at the end. Salt your onions when they go in the pan. Salt your sauce as it cooks. Taste constantly.
Acid is the other secret weapon. If something tastes flat, try a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar before adding more salt. It brightens everything.
How to Know When Chicken is Cooked
This is the one that actually matters for safety. Chicken needs to reach 74°C (165°F) internally. The best way to know? Use a meat thermometer — they cost about £8 and take the guesswork out completely.
No thermometer? Cut into the thickest part. The juices should run completely clear — no pink at all. The meat should be white all the way through. If you see any pink, it goes back in.
Let chicken rest for 5 minutes after cooking. It continues to cook a little from residual heat, and the juices redistribute so it's not dry.
How to Read a Recipe Before You Start
Read the whole thing first. The whole thing. Not just the ingredient list — the method too. You need to know what's coming so you're not scrambling mid-cook.
Check you have everything before you start. There's nothing worse than discovering you need something you don't have when your onions are already burning.
Do your prep first — chop everything, measure everything, put it in little bowls if you like. Chefs call this “mise en place” and it's the single best habit you can build. Once the heat is on, things move fast.
What Different Heat Levels Look Like
Low heat
The pan is warm. Things cook slowly. Use this for sweating onions (making them soft without colour) and gentle simmering. You should be able to hold your hand above the pan without discomfort.
Medium heat
The workhorse setting. Good for most cooking — sauces, stir-fries that aren't too aggressive, cooking through thicker pieces of meat. You'll hear a gentle sizzle.
High heat
The pan is properly hot. Use this for searing meat (you want colour and crust), boiling water, and quick stir-fries. You should hear an aggressive sizzle the moment food hits the pan. If it doesn't sizzle, the pan isn't hot enough.
Knife Basics
You only need one good knife — a chef's knife, around 20cm. Keep it sharp. A blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one because you have to push harder, which means less control.
The claw grip: curl your fingertips under so your knuckles face the blade. Your knuckles guide the knife while your fingertips stay safely tucked away. It feels weird at first. Do it anyway.
Let the knife do the work. Rock it forward and down rather than pressing straight down. The curve of the blade is designed for this motion.
Cut things to a similar size so they cook evenly. It doesn't need to be perfect — “roughly chopped” means roughly. Just aim for the same general size.