Cooking and Entertaining Tips from Addie Gundry
Even if you're a beginner cook, you can learn expert tips from professional chef, Addie Gundry!
If you love cooking and entertaining, you might have dreamt what it's like to be a professional chef. We've brought you the inside scoop from Addie Gundry, rising Food Network Star!
We sat down with Addie Gundry, who is also the Executive Producer of RecipeLion, to learn her go-to cooking tips and entertaining ideas. Addie manages our test kitchen and is the author of RecipeLion's 103 cookbook collection. Armed with her expert tips and tricks, you'll be able to put together easy and elegant meals just like Addie.
You might recognize Addie from her appearances on the Food Network. She is a winner of Cutthroat Kitchen, and a runner-up on a special all-star edition of the show. But her achievements don't end there! You can also catch her in the upcoming 13th season of Food Network Star premeiring on Sunday, June 4th!
Cooking and Entertainment Tips from Addie Gundry
What is your go-to tool to use in the kitchen? Why is it your favorite?
Rubber spatula! You can use it for anything and everything. From scooping things out of a jar to stirring a pot or frosting a cake – a rubber spatula is my go-to.
Learning to cook can be intimidating for many people. What piece of advice would you offer to a beginner?
Make a one-pot meal! A lot of beginners want to make a meal and they can sometime sign themselves up for too many items. If you make a chicken dish and need rice and a vegetable you are now juggling a lot of dishes. Start by making an easy one-pot meal like a casserole or a pasta dish.
Check out the video for One Pot Summer Veggie Skillet made by Addie in our Test Kitchen! This simple one-pot meal is perfect for beginners.
What's a cooking tip that you wish you had learned sooner?
Keep it simple. Do not over complicate it!
What is the hardest cooking technique you've had to master?
Patience! Some things take time. I sometimes confuse efficiency with patience and that is when things get messed up. Things take time and you can’t rush parts of the process. Learning patience while maintaining a quick efficient speed in a kitchen is challenging.
Hosting holiday meals and dinner parties can be a big source of stress for many home cooks. What would you recommend to someone hosting a dinner party for the first time?
Make-ahead meals! Do anything and everything that you can before guests arrive. If you can find recipes that allow you to prep and assemble days in advance then you can enjoy the party without feeling like you are stuck in the kitchen when your guests are enjoying outside!
What do you enjoy most about entertaining?
It is a form of love and friendship. having people over for a meal, a drink, anything is a way of showing people you care. Food and drink bring people together all over the world and I love hosting because I love being able to spend time with my friends and family.
Do you have any go-to entertaining tips to make every party a success?
Put someone else in charge of the atmosphere! My husband is in charge of the music and the drinks. He makes sure that when people enter the house that there is a party vibe and there is easy access to a cocktail! If I don’t have to worry about that then I know my guests are happy and I can focus on the food!
See Addie in action in this season of Food Network Star, premiering on Sunday, June 4th on Food Network.
