Ever wish you could bend your favorite chef’s ear for some advice in the kitchen? Well, with the holiday cooking season upon us, we asked some of the top foodies working in Brooklyn to share their tips in the kitchen. The results are some basic rules to stand by, as well as tried-and-true methods. You’re welcome.
Matt Lewis, founder of Baked in Red Hook: “You’re only as good as the ingredients you use. If you use bad chocolate, you’re brownies are always going to taste terrible. I see people trying to skimp on ingredients, but good quality versus average quality is not much more expensive. Try to buy the best quality; it will be reflected in the final product.”
Liz Gutman, co-founder of Liddabit Sweets in Bedford-Stuyvesant: “Probably my biggest one is to wash dishes while you’re cooking, waiting for the egg whites to whip, or the water to boil, or whatever. It saves a ton of time, and you’re not faced with a sink full of dishes when all you want to do is enjoy your food!”
Ryan Angulo, chef of Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens: “When roasting large cuts of meat or whole birds, I like to start them at high heat, like 450 degrees, and finish on low heat, 325 degrees. This will form a nice brown even crust and a moist even interior. “
Emily and Melissa Elsen, co-founders of Four and Twenty Blackbirds bakery in Gowanus: “Don’t rush yourself in the kitchen. Make time for cooking.”
Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, co-owners and chefs of Frankies Sputino in Carroll Gardens: “Don’t burn the olive oil.”
Noah Bernamoff, founder of Mile End Delicatessen in Boerum Hill: “Why buy sub-par stocks at the grocery store when you can use leftover bits from root vegetables and inexpensive chicken bones from your butcher. Place all together in a stock pot, cover with water, simmer overnight et voila.”
