He has volunteered in many Atlanta restaurant kitchens. We asked him what he’s learned
Mike Smith has volunteered in close to 30 Atlanta restaurants, doing anything from chopping onions to breaking down an octopus. While he has no formal training — and no plans to attend culinary school — the 70-year-old retiree loves learning food preparation.
“I’ve certainly upped my cooking game by volunteering in restaurant kitchens, but most of what I learned are things most seasoned cooks know,” Mike Smith said. Here are his 20 biggest takeaways for smarter cooking:
- Get a digital scale to be more precise with from-scratch baking projects.
- Review recipes a day ahead to avoid last-minute trips to the store.
- Sharpen knives.
- Put a wet towel under your cutting board to keep it from sliding around.
- Mise en place — Measure all ingredients ahead of time.
- Use timers.
- From a good height, rain down salt on all sides of a protein (“dry brine”). Let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour, but not more than two, before cooking.
- “Same cut, same cook” - Cut food into the same-size pieces so that the ingredients cook at the same rate.
- When searing, make sure the surface of the protein is very dry. Using a doubled-up paper towel, carefully dry the top side of the protein before turning to sear that side. Carefully flip proteins away from you in the skillet to avoid hot oil splashing on you.
- Clean dishes as you cook.
- Salt dishes several times as you build the dish.
- Taste the dish as you build it.
- Add a small amount of soy sauce and/or miso paste to increase savoriness in dishes. A little bit won’t be able to be identified in a dish.
- Use fresh herbs to add to freshness and complexity of a dish.
- Consider adding a bit of heat to a dish. A bit of hot sauce or red pepper flakes can enhance many dishes.
- Add more butter!
- Keep the container of nutritional yeast in the fridge to be able to add savory, cheesy flavor.
- Add last-minute lemon juice or other acids to brighten the taste of dishes.
- Serve hot food on hot plates and cold food on cold plates.
- Label leftovers with a description and date. Restaurant kitchens store use plastic deli containers. The quart-, pint-, and cup-sized containers all use the same lid size, so there’s no need to hunt for Tupperware matches.
About the Author
Olivia Wakim is a digital content producer on the food and dining team. She joined the AJC as an intern in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. While in school, she reported for The Red & Black, Grady Newsource and the Marietta Daily Journal.
