Ina Garten's 10-Recipe Rule Is The Genius Way To Become A Better Home-Chef

From telling us that "store-bought is fine" to underlining the importance of keeping a jar full of tasting spoons by the stove, television personality and author Ina Garten has offered reams of advice over the years. One invaluable tip is Garten's belief that "you really only need 10 recipes" in your arsenal, a brilliant way for intrepid home cooks to gain skill, versatility, and confidence in the kitchen.

While preparing pan-fried salmon cakes in an episode of Barefoot Contessa, Garten explains how she uses the same recipe with lobster and crab, emphasizing how one basic recipe can have multiple applications. If you have ten simple recipes, "and if you can make each one of those recipes three different ways, you've got a repertoire of 30 recipes." Just consider the possibilities once you've mastered a foolproof recipe for whole roasted chicken. Armed with this know-how, you can easily transfer those flavors and skills to roasting turkey or Cornish game hen.

Applying Ina Garten's philosophy in your own kitchen is easier than it might seem, and cooking is far more forgiving than baking when it comes to using precise measurements and ingredients. Let's say you've repeatedly made a baked, pizza-flavored pasta with mushrooms and pepperoni, and as much as you love it, it's getting a little old. All you have to do is change up the ingredients, using all the same methods and techniques involved in making the original. Instead of pepperoni, mushrooms, and mozzarella, try roast chicken, bacon, and pepper jack cheese with fresh avocado sliced on top. Or you could pull away from the pizza motif altogether with ratatouille vegetables, creamy ricotta, and grated Parmesan.

It doesn't matter whether your recipe is an elaborate step-by-step instruction on how to make the best beef bourguignon or a ridiculously simple PB&J, there are always ways to create a riff on the original. Once you become more familiar with what flavors work together, the possibilities are endless.