How To Develop Your Culinary Ambition?

Food is important in life! Why not enjoy preparing all the deliciousness?

Culinary means ‘related to cooking’ which began with the primitive humans more than 2 million years ago. Culinary cooking skills have developed with time and, today more than ever, food has not only a nourishing function but often it is related to socialising, festivals and celebrations.

Your culinary ambition can take you in many directions, it doesn’t matter whether you are very young or a little older, there are many ways to embrace cooking. 

Where to start?

Research the profession

It is not always easy for young people to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Some choose confidently and others are in doubt and ponder for a while. Researching and knowing exactly which direction to take within this profession is important for further development. We are the best examples, Yannick knew at a young age he was born to be a chef. I took a little longer to decide and started to learn the basics of cookery and took a broader route but with the same passion. I developed more management skills and now we are very complementary.

Qualify yourself

There are many ways to get qualifications. Cooking is an art and there are many institutes around the world that offer courses, full time for young professionals ‘to be’ or part time for home cooks. 

Online courses are also available, and these are worth a try, but we recommend having ‘live’ classes as well. The look of a dish is important, but it is impossible to experience the odours and flavours online

Develop your skills

Practice makes perfect for home cooks as well as professionals.  Why not challenge yourself to cook 5 days a week? Cooking meals on a regular basis will help you to understand more about the ingredients. Chopping, cutting, frying, mixing ingredients, you will refine your technical skills and develop your appreciation for them.

Although the food should be tasty in the end and you might need a few attempts to reach the desired result, but you will build your motivation along the way. 

For anyone who already has good basic skills but wants to grow and mature, look for alternative ways to cook the dishes you have already mastered.

Some easy cooking tips

Control your tools

It’s not about having plenty of gadgets when you start cooking but more about having the correct tools. Good knives, pots and cutting boards are essential. Familiarise yourself with the basics and only add tools if you use them a lot.

Understand the techniques and terms

It’s easy once you know it all but you have to get there, a little bit of studying and reading will help you in the beginning. There is a lot of information online. Our goal is to share new  techniques and culinary terms weekly with plenty explanation. 

You can already find a list with the most commonly used culinary terms in the information section. 

Once you master basic techniques and skills, you can improvise and develop your own recipes.

Start with easy recipes

Get inspired by chefs, other home cooks and even your mum and grandmother.  Start with easy recipes and comfort food and eventually, with every cook, you will learn something new.

Find some inspiration with cooks on this list of top 60 culinary blogs. We are very excited to occupy #23 on this list. It feels great to be recognised so early into our online adventure.

Work with fresh ingredients

Buy fresh ingredients from your grocery, fishmonger or butcher as this will allow you to learn how to balance flavours and prepare a healthier option rather than opening a can of prepared ingredients.  Work as much as possible with seasonal products.

Don’t overstock ingredients

Make a detailed shopping list once you decide what to cook. Make sure you don’t have to run several times to the shops; it will help you to stay stress free. Don’t overstock but make sure you have all the required ingredients.

Keep it clean

Whether you like it or not, there is no negotiation when it comes to hygiene in the kitchen. Try to create a clutter free work space and clean between tasks as much as possible to keep space and focus.

Get to practice

Why not get to practice with a real chef in real life situations. If you are old enough you can find a job for a few hours during the weekends, or if you are ready to explore further, you can find a job abroad and start your own international culinary adventure just like we did.