Have you ever wondered why the food you cook at home never tastes like restaurant food?

No matter how much effort you put into cooking you can never get it to taste the same. Well, I have bad news for you: It will never taste the same. Why? Number one, restaurants chefs went to cooking school and chances are that you didn’t, Also, they use heavy-duty, industrial grade utensils and equipment.

Second, In a restaurant kitchen there are different cooks at different stations supervising and cooking different dishes or even parts of the dish. Their knifes are sharper and their heat output is way higher than what you get from your little electric (or even gas) stove.

Third, restaurant chefs know their dishes inside-out, they don’t have to follow tedious recipes  to prepare their food plus, they have made that delicious dish hundreds of times.

The good news are, that is perfectly fine! Your kitchen is not meant to run like a professional kitchen and you don’t need to go to culinary school to make a good dish. Even though home-cooked meals will always lack that little something we get in restaurants, you food can achieve that gourmet taste we love if you follow these simple rules:

1. Season your food

Don’t be afraid to use salt. Season every component of the dish and adjust at every step of the recipe. Salt is to food as makeup is to women! Ok! that was feminist, then salt is to food as football is to guys. You get the idea.

2. Pans

While not appropriate for every dish, don’t cook in non-stick pans. Stainless steel pans and pots will help you develop  a nicer crust, deep browning  and a better flavor. When making sauces, the fond formed at the bottom of the pan will have better flavor components than food cooked in non-stick pans plus, non-stick is toxic.

3.Use shallots instead of onions

Shallots work in just about any savory dish and have a milder flavor than onions or garlic. Use them early on in the cooking process. They add a great depth of flavor.

4. Stocks

Make your own stocks with leftover vegetables, meat, and bones. It will make a huge flavor difference versus  the store-bought version. Homemade stocks add a ton of  flavor to any dish specially when reduced. Use it to deglaze a frying pan, add a little butter and you will end with an awesome sauce.

5. Fats

Don’t be afraid of fats. Sugar is way worst than fat as far as I’m concerned. Fats like butter or olive oil will impart your food with lots of flavor. You know that nutty flavor of those roasted vegetables, or the silky texture of that sauce? It’s all in the fat.

6. Presentation

We eat with our eyes first, as they say. Work on figuring out how a finished dish should look, what kind of plate to use and what garnishes pair best. Put a little extra care into plating, your guests will appreciate it.