8 Rules to Cook By

Taste and Season

Anyone will tell you this—any chef—the biggest flaw when people are cooking, whether they are following a recipe or cooking off the cuff, is that you get so wrapped up in what you're doing, you forget to taste it along the way. And then you get to the very end and you can't correct the mistakes that you've made. Taste and season as you go—don't just add salt at the very end. Add it gradually, and make sure you're adding it. But then taste it to make sure you're not adding too much or too little. It's so much easier to fix as you go than it is to rectify after you've already made the mistake. Remember to salt and pepper and that using the best possible products will always make sure your food is delicious.