Found this excellent article via tastespotting. The picture caught my attention and I was initially a little frustrated about the fact that the picture had very little to do with the article, but in the end the article turned out to be worth it.

Cast iron is inexpensive but excellent kitchen gear.

The article covers 8 points which I paraphrase here. You should go read the full article though.

1. Use better salt and pepper, and use them judiciously. The one thing I don’t agree with here is that he suggests salting at the end. Use salt and pepper judiciously, but definitely don’t save them for the end. You need to be salting slowly throughout the entire cooking process.
2. Don’t freak out about gear. This is where the cast iron picture comes from. It’s great stuff for low cost.
3. Don’t outsource your own palate. I couldn’t agree more. Adapt recipes to what you like. Who knows… maybe you like certain tastes because they give you less gas. Some things were meant to be changed because they sucked and nobody actually liked them… hmm… that makes me think of another blog post to write. I’ll have to make a note of that.
4. The world has shrunk. It’s globalization baby. Thanks NAFTA!
5. Be fearless! Indeed. If you fail all you really did was waste a few $$ but learned something in the process. Last I checked school costs money. Think of it as cooking school.
6. Cooking should dissolve, not create, tension. This really should be an article all it’s own exploring this concept in depth.
7. Aesthetics matter. I can’t tell you how many times I have taken boring food and made it “taste” better by making it look better. I don’t always of course. Even us experienced cooks get lazy on occasion. I shouldn’t though. I should always present the food properly. If nothing else it allows me to serve my leftover hating wife some leftovers once in a while because they’re dressed up different. Not always. Sometimes she can detect the repetition through the disguise.
8. Be mindful. Yarr. Pay attention!