Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat: A Cookbook

“If you don't salt your food, it won't taste like anything.”

Salt is the only thing that makes food taste like itself. Most home cooks are just under-salting everything.

“Acid is the one thing that can cut through fat.”

Fat and acid are like a seesaw. If a dish feels heavy, lemon juice or vinegar balances the weight.

Chicken skin needs to be dry before it hits the pan. Moisture is the enemy of a good crunch.

“Heat management is everything.”

Cooking is mostly just managing different temperatures. Knowing when to turn the flame down changes the whole texture.