Techniques and Wisdom

Books

Thanks to these books, this section doesn’t need to be overly comprehensive:

• My wife’s all-time favorite cooking book with many bookmarks: Ich helf dir kochen by Stuber (1994).
• The 4-Hour Chef, the book that taught me how to cook steak, by Ferriss (2012). This one is more than a recipe book.
• We made several dishes from Family Cookbook by Bretherton (2003). A fine book indeed.
• My wife’s Christmas and special occasion go-to book: Backen, köstlich wie noch nie by Wolter (2000).

Of course, no bookcase is complete without the classic The Joy of Cooking by Rombauer et al. (2019).

That being said, we have developed our own skills through trial and error in the kitchen and learned valuable lessons from plenty of mistakes. Here goes:

2:3 Ratio

The ratio of food preparation time to consumption time is an important aspect of table etiquette. Ideally, if it takes 30 minutes to prepare dinner, one should spend at least 45 minutes¹ enjoying it. In simplest form: 2:3 or eating time is 150% of prep time. For this, we turn to Japanese customs and say Itadakimasu which is a Japanese phrase spoken before a meal, meaning “I humbly receive.” It expresses gratitude for the food, the people who prepared it, and everything that made the meal possible.

80% Full

The concept of stopping at the 80% limit stems from the Japanese philosophy of hara hachi bu, which means eating until you’re 80% full.

Know Your Ingredients

See the plants as they grow—ever wondered what lentils look like? Discovering a peppercorn plant was incredible, and tasting fresh pepper in Big Island was unforgettable.

MED

MED stands for the minimum effective dose. We believe it was popularized by Tim Ferriss. Apply this concept to spice mixes. The end result should not taste like any of the constituents that make up the resulting blend.

Milk

Never leave milk on the stove while it’s on, or spill it in your vehicle—especially in hard-to-reach spots. If you walk away from milk on the stove, it can easily boil over and create a mess. The smell lingers in your car and is nearly impossible to get rid of. You’ll regret it later.

Not a Science

Cooking isn’t an exact science, but rather an art form. Therefore, the best way to liberate yourself is to modify recipes and quantities—you might be pleasantly surprised. Baking, on the other hand, is both an art and a science, so it’s important to refrain from deviating from the instructions.

Prawns & Fish

As mentioned above with milk, put your fish and prawns in a sealed bag. To store them in the fridge, place the package in a bowl to contain any potential spillage; otherwise, you’ll regret it later.

Rest the Pot

Most food tastes better after sitting for a few minutes at the table rather than coming straight off the stove. Savour that brief waiting period.

Share

Share your meals. If one eats while the other watches, that’s enough for hell to break loose. (Origin: Turkish proverb—“One eats while another watches; that is how revolutions begin.”)

Timer

You have many timers in your possession: the phone, the tablet, the smart-watch, the stove. Use all of them to avoid overcooking and potentially burning your dinner.

Wine

Always cook with wine—you might even add some to the pot.

Bretherton, C. (2003). Family cookbook. DK Canada.

Ferriss, T. (2012). The 4-hour chef: The simple path to cooking like a pro, learning anything, and living the good life (Illustrated edition). Harvest.

Rombauer, I. S., Becker, M. R., Becker, E., Becker, J., & Scott, M. (2019). Joy of cooking: Fully revised and updated (Illustrated edition). Scribner.

Stuber, H. M. (1994). Ich helf dir kochen . kDas erfolgreiche universalkochbuch mit großem backteil . Büchergilde Gutenberg.

Wolter, A. (2000). Backen, köstlich wie noch nie. Grafe Und Unzer.

---

1. Of course, this is merely a general guideline and not meant to be taken literally. Anyone who has witnessed the preparation of a Thanksgiving dinner—or a similar feast—knows it can feel like running an ultramarathon.