What New Cooking Skills Do You Want to Learn This Year?

It's a brand new year, and behind the scenes at The Kitchn, we're putting our heads together to bring you a fresh line-up of tutorials, basic recipes, and how-to's. We thought we'd come up for air and bring the question to you: what would you like to see in the coming months? Are there any techniques or recipes that you are eager to master?

No skill is too big or too small. It's part of our mission here at The Kitchn to encourage you at whatever stage you are in your kitchen journey. We want to give you confidence and help you grow.

So would you like a primer on cooking brown rice? Or a step-by-step guide to making kouign amann? Maybe you'd like some tips on using spices or handling a new chef's knife? Baking techniques, dessert tricks, quick weeknight meals tips, or making dinner party showstoppers even more show stopping; it's all fair game.

Let us know what you'd like and we'll do our best to see that you get it!

(Image: Emma Christensen)

Comments (55)

Sous vide!

How to make a perfect creme broule.

Preserving.

I would like to learn how to properly cook fish.

Here's mine, and its maybe less of a specific skill than a pattern. I'm working on making everyday cooking fit into my life. I've always been a good hostess and Sunday dinner cook, but there are six other days of the week on which we need to eat nourishing meals! So my big emphasis lately has been to learn how to fit healthy cooking into a busy life of not unlimited financial means. Same issue as everyone has.

For instance, yesterday I read up on all The Kitchn's posts that had to do with freezing beans and grains, and made a big batch of black beans to freeze. Then I planned out how I could fit them into interesting and nutritious menus this week. So tips and articles like that are incredibly useful to me.

N.B. I froze them in a mason jar, which is working great so far. I put in 1 1/2 cups of black beans, then covered it with the bean liquor, leaving an inch or so of head space. I'm going to see if that solves the drying out problem I had when I froze pinto beans without their liquid a few weeks ago.

Oh, but there is one specific skill I want to learn: How to invent recipes for canning. So far I've been too scared to deviate much from published recipes, but I'd love to learn the science behind it so that I can make my own concoctions. Not sure if that's general interest, but there ya go!

I'd like to learn how to cook an old-fashioned roast. (No offense to the veggies out there!). I've always been intimidated by those big cuts of meat like legs of lamb, prime rib, pot roast, pork roast, etc.

Proper technique for breading and pan frying so that the crust is crispy and evenly cooked, and not flaking off in big pieces.

Vegetarian recipes and ideas that do not use meat replacements. Seasonal recipes. What herbs go best with which foods.

i second preserving

I want to be able to bake a decent cake. I have Dorie Greenspan's Baking Book and follow her instructions to the letter and yet, they still dont' turn out as I would expect. It doesn't matter if its the frosting or the cake itself, I can't seem to bake a decent one.

thedharmabum, alton browns creme brulee recipe is AMAZING, and super easy. i don't even have a torch, i brown the top under my broiler and then put them back in the fridge for 10-15 mins to re-set.

how to poach an egg. seriously, i've tried everything i can think of, i'm thisclose to resorting to those silicon cup thingys

Sauces! I think fine-tuning my sauce-making skills could take some meals to the next level.

How to properly sharpen a knife with a sharpening steel.
and
How to make the perfect cut out sugar cookies, not too hard, not too flowery.

asian sauces

Knife skills

I would love to learn how to cook live crab or lobster. I'm totally scared of this, but I absolutely love shellfish.

Butchering various kinds of meats and fish

Seconding knife skills.

My owns skills are functional, but I know that they could be so much better!

I'd like to use my mandoline without fear (and remember to use it more often!).

Also, I have started baking my own bread, and I'd like to get in front of the learning curve on that skill.

Definitely preserving! And also, how to make layer cakes without everything falling a part/ looking like a mess.

Some overlap with other commenters:

- How to properly take care of a knife
- The basics on Asian ingredients (East Asian, Southeast Asian, everything in between). Not just what they are, but how to stock them, use them, etc. Though I'm Korean myself, I would love to learn more about how to use ingredients beyond soy sauce, sesame oil, and red chili pepper paste.
- Yes on roasts!
- Spices: I understand they should be fresh, but how often do you replace them? Do I need a mortar and pestle? How should I store them? How do I discern good quality from bad?

Make ahead and freeze meals. I barely have time to make dinner, it'd be nice to take something out of the freezer and reheat it.

I agree with weeknight meals. I'm working on meal planning for the week. I'd like to get better so I only go to the store once a week and don't end up ordering takeout come thurs/Friday.

How to gut and clean fish. It has been on my learn how-to list for years!

Butchering and filleting.
Also I want to learn to make Japanese food, gyoza, sushi, tempura, okonomiyaki etc.

Bread, every kind.

@The Dharma Bum... creme brulee is so simple!! I didnt think it would be either, but here is an easy recipe that is delish http://whatscookingamerica.net/CremeBrulee.htm

I would love more asian style recipes and also more indian food!! My husband and I love indian food but I am completely scared of trying to make my own at home and every kit or premade sauce I have ever tried is tasteless and bland. I would love to know how to make some yummy Indian food at home. Also, since my family has an incredibly long list of food allergies to work around, I think it would be neat if for some of your recipes you tried out a dairy substitution or something like that just so that could have an option and know how it turned out. I'm pretty good at reading recipes and knowing if I can sub things in or out, but sometimes it would be nice if someone tried and wrote about it before me! and lastly I would love any tips for taking down meat and fish specifically! I am hopeless and just destroy meat whenever I have a big cut of something and need to cut it down!

Baking bread, and also how to do batch cooking more effectively so it doesn't take up my entire Sunday afternoon.

I'd like to third (or fourth?) the knife sharpening. I get mine done professionally, but I'd love to keep them tip-top between sharpening at the pro's.

As someone who doesn't eat much meat but lives with a meat-lover, I'd love to learn how to cook just a simple, great steak. Because I don't really eat that, I'm totally intimidated and I'd love to get it just right for my partner.

And I'd love more weeknight meals, too. Ethinic-inspired, vegetarian, or otherwise.

I also vote for sauces (especially hollandaise for my bf), and for sharpening knives with a steel.

I was also wondering about creme brule. Thanks to the two posters with recipes!

How to make veggie sushi and preserving.

A steel won't actually sharpen a knife: you use it between sharpenings to keep the edge from dulling more quickly.

I need to get better at menu planning and managing the pantry.

Kimchi.

Preserving. Pickling. LOVE pickles of all kinds. Tried Sriracha Cauliflower last year and it was SUPER good. Used this recipe, subbed cauliflower.

More raw, healthy options. Simple, but creative.

SUSHI! How to roll, pick the fishes, etc.

I want to make french macarons!

Deboning fish!

Can't seem to figure out how to make the perfect pizza crust. No matter what I try (pizza stone, flour, rising time, etc) I can't seem to get that crust to be thin and crispy.

how to make tempeh

Knife skills (what IS the best way to dice an onion, tomato etc)

Bread baking for those of us who are not lucky enough to have a stand mixer but would still like to give it a good try!

-Knife skills: sharpening, how to cut ______, etc.
-Fish: general breakdown on different kinds, how to gut & clean, what they're good with; how to pair w food and drink;
-easy nightly meals
-freeze ahead ideas

I want to make the perfect loaf of whole wheat bread that can be sliced fairly thin and will still hold together for sandwiches!

Seconding the macarons. I'd also like to learn how to cook tofu, since I hated it every time I've had it in the past and would love to find a way to cook it that I find appealing.

I actually have been waiting for that promised kouign amann recipe ever since Dana's post came out!

I would like to learn how to be more confident in the kitchen. I've spent the last year learning how to cook, and I'm proud to say I've gotten good at it. But my confidence? Not so much. I still don't feel comfortable "winging it" in the kitchen (I only use recipes - even though it's sometimes a dish I've made half a dozen times) and when everyone gathers to eat my food I apologize in advance if they don't like it, even though they usually do.

I want to learn pastry techniques :)

I'm installing a dishwasher. The appliance is ordered from the internets (because good luck finding a decent 18" dishwasher in any big box store in the US). I chose Danby because they've been making small space appliances for a long time. I chose 18" because my kitchen is only 7' wide and I would like some storage still.

This past weekend I went to IKEA and picked up all of the cabinets / counter / accessories. As soon as my new dishwasher gets here, I'm tearing out, transporting the old to reStore, and diving into unknown territory!

So... I guess to answer the question, the cooking skill I would like to learn is to be able to inhabit a usable kitchen and to enjoy the process.

@Chrishelms... one step at a time. remember.. this is an awesome cooking skill to be able to achieve. congrats on the new space.

Pastry.

I will add my vote to preparing meals that can be stored in a freezer. For all those days that you are too tired to cook.

Another thing:
- making sauces and other mixtures from scratch (curry paste), but with some way to preserve it

And preserves... I wish I had time for that.

BTW, does anyone have any suggestions for storing products in too hot kitchen? I really cannot bring temp down any more. It's so dry that I can store fruits for several months. Well, they turn into 75% smaller brick-hard versions, but they don't spoil, which is not so normal :)

I would love to learn more about spices - even in the most basic sense. Especially combination of certain spices for certain cuisines.

Also sauces/vinagrettes.

I'm hoping to learn to preserve/can, but I don't know if that will happen this year. I'm definitely going to improve my bread skills. I'm also hoping to learn more recipes to add to our rotation, including some new ingredients.
I've completely given up on learning to frost cakes.

Oh, also, we're planning to finally buy a deep freeze, which means I'll be able to make more use of the freezer! We're going to buy meat in bigger portions and cut it ourselves. I might even learn to make sausage! Also, make-ahead-and-freeze meals.