1. Keep it clean. Before you begin cooking, be sure that your counters have been recently wiped clean and your pots, bowls and utensils are also germ-free. You want your produce thoroughly washed, too. Have you ever eaten zucchini and heard a crunching sound when you bite down? That’s because there is sand, left embedded in the flesh, that should have been washed off. Same goes for leeks. And chicken – get rid of those feathers.
I will never forget the image of my mother-in-law, brow furrowed, right hip to one side, bent over the kitchen sink, cleaning the skin of the chicken she was preparing. Her food was not only delicious and lovingly prepared, it was so CLEAN that I imagine she starched and pressed all of the food before it was presented. You would never find a pinfeather or a circle of chicken fat in her chicken soup. And her sisters, Aunt Lilly and Aunt Sylvia, treat the food they prepare with the same reverence for taste and cleanliness. To my children – remember those Babitch genes. Keep it clean and stay true to your culinary heritage.
2. Use the best ingredients. Good quality meat, San Marzano tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, and Tropicana orange juice (Hi, Talia!).
3. Don’t fake it. Don’t use flavor enhancers like dried onion soup or MSG. They may taste good in the first few bites but long term the extra salt and chemicals leave you uncomfortable, with often an unpleasant aftertaste.
Broccoli on parchment paper.
4. Parchment paper is your best friend. Cover everything with it. When roasting small potatoes in olive oil and salt, cover the metal pan with parchment paper. That way, the potatoes won’t stick to your pan. Use it whenever you are roasting or baking. It makes cleanup so much simpler.
5. Dry your meat before you cook it! (Thank you, Patricia Udell.) When roasting a chicken, dry it thoroughly, inside and out, before seasoning it. A wet bird stews. You want it to roast. Same goes for steak. If you want a seared steak with a crisp crust, dry it thoroughly before searing or broiling.
6. Bring your meat to close to room temperature before cooking. A cold chicken won't roast evenly. After cooking, it may look done on the outside but be partially raw on the inside.
7. Beauty matters. Food should look beautiful and taste good. Taste alone is not enough. Eating is sensual and a good meal should involve every sense. If you are cutting vegetables for a soup, cut the vegetables the same shape. Same goes for an Israeli salad. Balance, clean lines and interesting colors that complement one another all matter when planning a meal.
Table setting for Thanksgiving.
What's good for food is also good for the table at which you are sitting. Always keep an eye on the aesthetic. It elevates the experience. Use plates that look pretty and feel good. Drink from un-chipped, well-designed glasses. Use paper or cloth napkins that are a good weight and texture. Select properly weighted silverware that is pleasant to hold in your hand. When using tablecloths, choose natural fibers of cotton or linen. The natural fibers feel better and clean up easily. You can’t get a stain out of a polyester tablecloth.
8. Use local produce. Try your best to stay local and seasonal.
9. When making fruit salads, put complementary fruits together: strawberries go with oranges; or strawberries, oranges, pineapple are lovely with mango; mango is delicious with blueberries; all berries are wonderful mixed together.
10. Keep grated cheese, like parmesan, in the freezer, not the refrigerator. It will stay fresher far longer.
To summarize? Keep it simple. And do it right.