Go Ahead, Be Fearless
We hear it often enough, those four little words that pack a huge punch: “Do not be afraid.”
Easier said than done.
Thankfully, I’m doing a little better with this concept, which gives me courage–and faith–to be fearless as I face new challenges.
I’m not going to suggest something crazy, like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. (One of my sons did this, and fortunately survived the stunt.)
Today, I’m giving you a few tips I’ve gleaned (and paraphrased) from Julia Child, to practice in your kitchen. Cooking your meals is healthier than eating out, and it can even be FUN! 
Whether you like to cook or you have some fear around it, you may find solace in taking her advice, especially if those recipes don’t always turn out quite the way you intend. They didn’t always work out for her either.
Julia’s Tips
- Simple dishes, well prepared, are important to know how to cook. Save the challenging recipes for those days when you need an adrenalin rush.
- Understanding basic techniques will help you with efficiency so you will not be so focused on speed. “Hurry-up” cooking will ruin the dish.
- Work ahead of time so that when your guests (or family) arrive, you may calmly complete the meal. You can always store and reheat a dish.
- “There is no reason to serve those bloody casseroles all the time. I even hate the name!”
- French cooking is simply a matter of theme variations. Once you understand how to brown the beef and slice the onions for Beef Bourguignon, you’ll know how to do so for other recipes as well.
- It’s important to watch, smell and taste the food as you prepare it. The senses belong in every well-run kitchen, like good knives.
- Use the best, freshest ingredients. When Julia was writing, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” she experimented with canned and frozen products and found them “okay” if that’s what was available.
- You may want to learn how to cut professionally with a knife, in case you end up on television.
- Since Americans have the annoying habit of not drinking white wine, what are they to cook and make sauces with? Dry vermouth is acceptable, according to Julia.
- Supermarket ingredients can be transformed into authentic French dishes, except you must include two essentials: time and love.
“I think one should get one’s vitamins in salads and raw fruits, and what is cooked should be absolutely delicious and to hell with the vitamins!”—Julia Child