67 Kitchen Tips With Chef Curtis Stone | Bon Appétit

Quick Overview

Chef Curtis Stone provides 67 essential kitchen tips across various categories, including knife skills (like leaving the onion root on for clean chopping), food handling (tasting dressings with the greens), ingredient-specific advice (using a julienne peeler for carrots, properly storing truffles), cooking techniques (continually resting steak), and essential tools (using a wire for soft cheese, wearing comfortable shoes).

Key Points: Sharp knives help alleviate the crying when chopping onions, and leaving the onion root intact allows for cleaner chopping (00:24, 00:28). To achieve a julienne cut, cut planks into thin strips, or use a julienne peeler as a shortcut for vegetables like carrots (01:24, 02:47). When making a dressing, emulsify the fat (oil) slowly into the acid (vinegar) while whisking rapidly to force the two non-mixing components to combine (03:56, 04:14). When shucking oysters, use a towel for better contact when holding the shell, and slice along the top of the shell to prevent tearing the oyster (06:42, 07:04). When grilling steak, continually rest it during cooking (e.g., 60-90 seconds on each side, then 5 minutes rest) to allow muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb juices for a juicier, more flavorful result (10:37). For soft cheeses like goat cheese, cut them into wedges by punching through with a knife, and for hard cheeses, slice them thinly across the entire wedge (19:08, 17:59). Keep the fridge and pantry organized by labeling and dating everything, which makes cooking more efficient and less stressful (24:52).

Context: Chef Curtis Stone, Executive Chef at Gwen, presents a series of 67 essential kitchen tips organized into chapters covering fundamental skills, ingredient preparation, cooking techniques, tools, and pantry organization. The video moves through various food items and cooking methods, offering practical advice for both home cooks and professional scenarios, emphasizing efficiency, flavor balancing, and proper technique.