Starting out on your cooking journey can be daunting–and in her very own reality series, pop superstar Selena Gomez shows us exactly how! In Selena + Chef, she isn’t afraid to show a novice cook’s journey into the wonders of cooking–and thankfully, she gets some help from some leading chefs along the way.
Here are some of our favorite cooking tips from the guest chefs on Selena + Chef, which you can stream on HBO Go powered by PLDT Home.
Handle your knives properly
Courtesy of HBO Go
Handling a knife can be scary, as accidentally hurting yourself is always a possibility. Thankfully, Selena’s guest chefs don’t fail to remind her the proper technique when it comes to using a knife. To prevent accidents, curl your fingers around the handle to avoid cutting yourself. Use the curve of the knife (not the tip) while doing a rocking motion while chopping. And, most importantly, don’t forget to keep your knives sharp, as dull knives will make you exert more effort and are an added risk to hurting yourself.
Don’t pour water on grease fires
Grease fires can happen when working with high heat and the oil you’re using gets too hot and catches fire. This can be extremely dangerous and panic-inducing, so knowing how to put one out might save you and your home from disaster. The first thing you need to know is not to use water, as it will not be enough to put out a grease fire. Next, immediately turn off the heat on your stove so the oil doesn’t continue to heat up, and smother the fire by covering the pan with a lid or damp cloth. This prevents the fire from burning oxygen and allowing the fire to burn itself out.
No more tears: cut onions the right way
Courtesy of HBO Go
Most of us experience having teary and painful eyes while cutting onions. Chef Gordon Ramsay’s tip on how to cut an onion to prevent tears is here to save the day–and your eyes. Chef Ramsay advises to cut the onion in half by slicing through the root, not by slicing the onion with the root intact on either side of the knife. Apparently, this prevents the onion from releasing the tear-inducing vapors that make our eyes burn.
Bonus tip: Check the doneness of your meat by using your hands
Though this isn’t from Selena + Chef, it’s still a helpful one from one of our favorite culinary experts. Chef Anthony Bourdain, in his show No Reservations, has the perfect tip. If you’re checking for the doneness of the meat, poke the muscle in your palm below your thumb while it’s at rest–it’s basically an indicator of what a “rare” doneness of steak should feel like. For the next level of doneness, touch the tip of your index fingers and thumb and do the same poke test to check for “medium rare.” Continue with the rest of your fingers for higher doneness, with your middle finger being what a “medium” steak should feel like. You can stream Season 5 of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on HBO Go.
Get more cooking tips when you watch Selena + Chef on HBO Go!
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