1. fresh and quality ingredients.

No summer salad tastes good if the lettuce leaves are wilted, and no unripe fruit is delicious. Fresh herbs are not wrong either. When it comes to meat, make sure you know where the animal was raised and, if possible, that it is regionally raised. Happy animals make us all happier. That has something to do with responsibility and environmental awareness. And of course with taste.

2. experimenting with spices

Bland broths were yesterday! It gets tasty with the right spices! Dare to play with spices; how do different types of pepper taste, how does cinnamon taste in hearty dishes? But be careful! Don’t be too exuberant with your experimentation and don’t combine too much. Otherwise, the bland broth will quickly turn into a horrible brew.

3. equipment

Measuring cup, cooking pot, cooking spoon, a cutting board, spatula and whisk are a good basic equipment to start cooking in the kitchen. But what should not be missing in any case are at least two sharp knives. Cutting tomatoes with dull knives is simply no fun – unless you plan to prepare fresh strained tomatoes.

4. planning

Do you have all the ingredients at home? How much time do you need for each step? Keep in mind that a menu for guests requires a different amount than cooking for yourself. Try out the dish you want to cook for guests beforehand, otherwise you and your guests might have a surprise menu of a different kind.

5. preparation

Nothing is more annoying than having to reach for a cupboard with dough fingers. So preparation is key. Assemble the ingredients you need for your dish ahead of time. If room-warm ingredients are needed, such as butter or eggs, put them out an hour ahead of time. Cooking is like chemistry – only more delicious. So if room-warm ingredients are needed, there’s certainly a point to it. This will save you time during cooking and more enjoyment during eating.

6. read correctly

It’s amazing how many fail at cooking because they didn’t read a recipe properly or read it all the way through. You can’t start cooking if you haven’t read through the recipe in its entirety. Stick to the steps that are given. If you need 100ml for a sauce that needs thickening, don’t use more. Cooking is like getting up in the morning: You don’t get dressed before you take a shower.

7. time and patience

If the recipe says to caramelize onions, don’t start trying to teach your wooden spoon to tango in the pot. The onions won’t have a chance to cook if you’re poking around in your pot like crazy. Give your ingredients time to cook. Even if you are cooking “only” for yourself. Patience with a hungry belly is an art. We all know this. If you are so hungry that you almost chew the spoon, then eat a snack before cooking. Or else: the food wants to be tasted in between. Otherwise, please stick to the above.

8. be inspired

Browse through recipe books, through the vastness of the Internet and let yourself be guided by pictures and your hunger. Pasta with tomato sauce can be varied so often, so there can be no boredom. Ever tried roasted nuts in a sauce?

9. be fearless

If something goes wrong, so be it. It happens to professionals too. Experts are not experts because they never make mistakes, but because they learn from mistakes. If you drop something, rinse it under running water. If you miss a spice, then you just use another similar one. If something burns, cut it off. If the cake for dessert burns, take the inside and make a delicious topping for yogurt. Don’t panic. Improvise is the name of the game, I dare you!

10. have fun

All these tips are useless if you don’t have fun cooking. Fun cooking means trying new things. Cooking means company. Good food makes you happy. You can taste the fun in cooking. Really!