Lauren Braun Costello - The Competent Cook: Essential Tools, Techniques, and Recipes for the Modern At-Home Cook

ESSENTIAL TOOLS, TECHNIQUES, AND
RECIPES FOR THE MODERN AT- HOME COOK

Lauren Braun Costello
Chef, Culinary Instructor, Food Writer

Copyright 2009 by Lauren Braun Costello. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Published by
Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-60550-145-X
ISBN 13: 978-1-60550-145-1
eISBN: 978-1-44051-339-8

Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
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Interior art by Eric Andrews.

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Dedication
For my father, competence personified.

competent \com. pe. tent\
adjective: having requisite or adequate abilities
[as in competent cook]; specifically having the capacity to be:
organized: plan ahead, appreciate the structured process
clean: hold a high standard of sanitation
neat: abhor clutter, know where things are
thrifty: avoid wasting food and resources
efficient: take time to save time, group like tasks
informed: seek information on tools, techniques, and recipes
joyful: understand that cooking is about giving and receiving pleasure

Acknowledgments

The Competent Cook has been a work in progress for many years. I could not have written it without the support and encouragement of many people. I offer my sincerest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to:

Molly Lyons, my agent and friend, for your abiding belief in this project. There would be no book without your brilliant ideas, unfailing encouragement, and steady persistence.

Noel Volpe, for your devoted friendship, magnificent generosity, and two quiet, comfortable places to work. I literally could not have done this without you.

Russell Reich, for your devoted friendship, skilled editing, and undying support to the finish line. Your encouragement and insights have impacted every page.

Meredith OHayre, Laura Daly, and everyone at Adams Media, for all your efforts on behalf of the book, especially your enthusiasm.

Brent and Valerie Whitmore of CDKitchen.com for first publishing my food column, The Competent Cook, which became the inspiration for this book.

All my teachers and colleagues who helped make me a competent cook: Barbara Braun, Grandpa Ted, Aunt Candy, Nana, Chef Henri, Chef Sixto, Chef Roger, Chef Michel Nischan, Maggie Odell, Liliana Scali, Ashley ONeal, Kim Pistone, Rian Smolik, Tim Shaw, Julie Negrin, and Irene Yager.

My many students who have influenced and inspired this book, in particular, the Borenstein Family, Judy Goodman, Anne Grossman, Nicole Putzel, and Ellen Schwarzman.

Very special thanks to Dorothy Cann Hamilton and Penelope Pate Greene for believing in me.

To my family and friends, I am indebted to you for carrying me through all the hard work with support and love:

Ken and Hara Braun, Alexandra Bruskoff, Yolanda M. Chendak, Marcia S. Cohen, Nicole and Lucas Carrasco, Dana B. Davis, Paula Dolson, Betsy Feinstein, Charlotte and Bernard Feinstein, Limor Geller, Lara Glazier, Kathy Goldstein, Timothy P. Graf, Carol Leibenson, Tamara McKenna, Maureen Bennett OConnor, Joan S. Richter, Zibby Right, Lindsay Smithen, Rachel L. Spector, and Paula E. Vayas.

To my husband, Sean: thank you not only for supporting my dream in every way possible, but for awakening it in me. Without you, there never would have been a Chef Lauren. I will love you always.

To my son, Jonathan: thank you for being such a delicious boy! Feeding you is my greatest pleasure. But you feed me even more with your affection, wonder, and unabashed joy. I love you more than you could ever know.

To my father, Ken: thank you for making me a better writer, for all your loving and supportive guidance, and for coming up with the very clever title, The Competent Cook.

To my sister, Nicole: thank you for your love and support (and the beautiful photo!).

To Fanny Lopez and Lili Sandoval: thank you for taking such good care of Jonathan with love and devotion, being so flexible, and making it possible for me to work on this book without worry.

Contents

Chapter 1
Kitchen Organization

Chapter 2
The Essential Tools

Chapter 3
The Essential Techniques

Chapter 4
The Bakers Essential Tools and Techniques

Chapter 5
The Serious Cooks Essential Tools and Techniques

Chapter 6
The Health-Conscious Cooks Essential Tools and Techniques

Chapter 7
The Grill Masters Essential Tools and Techniques

Chapter 8
Nonessential Equipment Miscellany

Chapter 9
How to Shop for Food and Store It Properly

Chapter 10
Breakfast

Chapter 11
Nibbles and Starters

Chapter 12
Soups and Salads

Chapter 13
Main Dishes

Chapter 14
Side Dishes

Chapter 15
Desserts

Chapter 16
For the Baker

Chapter 17
For the Serious Cook

Chapter 18
For the Health-Conscious Cook

Chapter 19
For the Grill Master

Chapter 20
For the Holidays

Introduction

AS A COOK, you likely crave the essential cooking knowledge that will lead to competence in the kitchen. Youre probably wondering: What do I need to have? What do I need to know? What do I need to do?

Cooking is such a personal pursuit. Only you fully understand your tastes, comfort, skills, environment, routine, and budget. Yet in a marketplace that has every conceivable gadget, on a culinary information superhighway of encyclopedic proportions, and with a bottomless global print and web recipe database, its hard to recognize what is essential.

The Competent Cook identifies what you must have, what you should know, and what you ought to do to be considered a competent cook. Yes, you can find a wide variety of resources that cover every conceivable aspect of cooking. They are both useful and worthwhile. Bigger is not better, though, and more is not always more helpful. This book only concerns itself with the