1. It’s All About The Process
In cooking, everything is a process. Understand the basic processes and then build on that understanding to learn more advanced ones. If you know how to braise a pork tenderloin, you know how to braise a beef roast. You can riff off of your understanding of the processes to create truly amazing food.
2. Think Outside The Book
Cookbooks are great. I own several dozen. To be honest, I rarely open them. And certainly not during my cooking process. I might scan a recipe to get a basic understanding of the ingredients and process, and then I close the book and start the party. Long story short: If you understand your ingredients and you understand your processes, you don’t need the book anymore.
3. Simplify Everything
So much of what is presented in the culinary world is so very dreadfully complicated. Learn ways to simplify your ingredients, your processes, and your menu choices and your cooking experiences will be much more enjoyable.
4. Learn It All, And Then Forget It All
Read voraciously. Watch videos. Watch television shows. Maybe even take classes. Gain as much knowledge as you can. On that foundation, you can pick and choose what is useful and discard what is superfluous. Learn the way of finding your own way.
5. Cheat
You should absolutely know how to make hollandaise sauce from scratch. But there are going to be times where the sauce packet from the grocery store is the better option. Fresh steamed veggies are wonderful. But there are times when the frozen baggie tossed in the microwave is the way to go. Unless you are catering exclusively to highly-sophisticated gourmands, it really won’t matter. If you’re serving your family and friends, chances are they won’t be able to tell a difference between fresh steamed veggies and microwaved. What matters is if the food is enjoyable. Focus on what’s important, and don’t be ashamed to cheat if you need to.