ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

ChefSteps

Cooking is just like any other pursuit: practice makes perfect. Okay, let’s be honest. Perfection may be unattainable. Let’s just say practice makes better. And becoming a better cook is a lifelong journey. From the moment you realize your boxed macaroni and cheese would taste just a little bit better if you threw in some peas and bacon, to the first time you undertake a complete Thanksgiving feast, to the day you plan and execute a Michelin-worthy multicourse meal, you’re constantly acquiring techniques you can put to work to create exciting new dishes. Learning how to cook an egg doesn’t just give you a great breakfast; it also opens the door to <a href="/activities/can-t-f-it-up-eggs-benedict">eggs Benedict</a>, an awesome one-ingredient sauce for <a href="/activities/the-ultimate-asparagus">asparagus</a>, and <a href="/activities/pillowy-ricotta-gnocchi-gnudi-with-sage-brown-butter-sauce">a killer topping for ricotta gnudi</a>. Master flaky <a href="/activities/buttery-flaky-all-purpose-pie-crust-pate-brisee">pie crusts</a>, and suddenly you have <a href="/activities/quiche-lorraine">quiche lorraine</a>, <a href="/activities/classic-double-crusted-turkey-pot-pie">savory pot pies</a>, and <a href="/activities/pecan-pie">scrumptious desserts</a> in your repertoire. Every recipe you learn becomes a potential building block for newer, more extravagant recipes.Below, we create two new dishes using recipes and techniques previously taught here at ChefSteps. The Joule-cooked fruit jam you whipped up earlier this year? We combine it with that subtly sweet Jersey milk sorbet you made a few springs ago for a new twist on an old-school dessert. The crispy prosciutto you pair with asparagus on the regular? We introduce it to everyone’s favorite herb oil for a sweet-and-savory dish starring grilled figs. But the possibilities don’t end there—when you give yourself free rein to play with the expertise you’ve developed in the kitchen, the possibilities truly are endless. There’s no food too frightening, no dish too difficult, and no meal too mighty to achieve. And isn’t that what cooking smarter is all about?