One of the great things about cooking is all the possibility involved – so many ways to prepare and combine ingredients, so many meal-creating options. But for the beginning cook, that awesome range of possibility can be overwhelming, and totally mystifying. Which is why I’ve got some good news for you:  There are pretty much only 9 methods of cooking. Only 9!

BAKE
BOIL
BRAISE
BROIL
DEEP FRY
GRILL
ROAST
SAUTÉ
STEAM

That’s all you’ve got to figure out. And chances are, you’re about half way there already. You probably have a pretty good idea of what it means to BAKE, BOIL, GRILL, and STEAM. No? That’s fine too. Even if you’re in the camp that hasn’t managed to boil water, you at least know what it means to boil something.

We’ve decided to explore this by taking a Method of the Month format. We’ll focus on a specific method for a month, looking at variety of different ingredients and applications for that method.

Let us know what you think of this format, how it works for you, and what you’d like to see us do more of!