Cooking at home has many benefits but not everyone is a professional chef. Lucky for us, former White House chef Andre Rush, who worked under four U.S. Presidents, has a few tips to help in the kitchen.
He says that every home cook should know how to properly break down a whole chicken. This can help you save money at the grocery store. You can use every part of this versatile bird since there are many ways to us this protein. Even the bones can be used for stocks, broths and sauces.
If you plan on cooking for a big group of people make sure you plan ahead. Andre suggests you do your research before deciding how much food you need. You can even start prepping the food days ahead of time. This can help you save time the day of the actual event.
All chefs rely on the French phrase "mise-en-place" which means "everything in its place." This refers to grabbing all your ingredients and setting them up so they are ready to use. You can have everything measured out and ready to go before you start cooking. It will keep you organized and will save you time in the long run.
Planning ahead is key to not overbuying. Before heading to the store to buy all your ingredients think about how many people you will be feeding. Break down how much you need per person for food and wine, too.
Chef Andre says that the worst mistake people can make is over-seasoning. He says "I tell people you can always add to, but you can't take away."
Read all of chef Andre's tips at Insider.com