When the new year rolls around, a lot of us pledge to cook more at home, order less takeout, and eat healthier. Being a good cook is equal parts the food you use, the skills you have and the tools you work with. If you want to improve your cooking in the new year here’s some tips, regardless of it you’re a novice learning how to cook for the first time or you have a few dishes under your belt there’s always something you can learn to get better. 


Pick the Right Ingredients
The quality of the food you are cooking with can have such a big impact on the outcome of your dish. Make sure you are using high quality ingredients in every dish to ensure a great taste.


Season Everything
When you go to a restaurant and everything tastes delicious it’s because it’s all been seasoned to perfection. From the dinner salad to the entree, professional chefs are seasoning your food. Seasoning doesn’t just mean salt and pepper though, it means spices and herbs that bring flavour and aroma to your food.


Use Quality Tools
From the prepping to the cooking it’s important to use quality tools, not only will it make the process easier, but the right tools can have an affect on the taste and texture of your foods. Things like good knives, electric mixers and well made cookware will make all the difference.


Follow the Directions
Once your ingredients have been picked and prepared it’s time to get down to the actual act of cooking. If you aren’t a confident cook there’s nothing wrong with following a recipe or how to video. Take your time, follow the steps and don’t take shortcuts when learning to cook.


Have Fun
Cooking is a fun experience that you can do alone, with a partner or with the whole family. As you cook more and more you’ll learn new tricks and ways of doing things. Who knows you might even have a family recipe to pass on someday.