It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a 20-something in possession of an active TikTok account will bookmark complex recipes involving things like "chiffonade" and "mise en place," while secretly Googling "can you cook pasta in a coffee maker" at 2am.

They will own Japanese chef knives that they’re too afraid to sharpen, cast irons that they clean totally wrong (because we PICK our battles, okay!?), and Dutch ovens that Black Friday peer pressured them to buy that have never seen anything more ambitious than Goodles mac and cheese.

But here's the thing about cooking like an adult: it's less about mastering molecular gastronomy and more about knowing why your pasta water should taste like the sea. You don't need to spatchcock a chicken. You just need to know enough to stop setting off your smoke detector every time you try to sear a steak. So to help, here are:

Essential Cooking Techniques Every 20-Something Should Master

1. How to Actually Hold a Knife 

Good knives are some of the most important tools you need in your cooking arsenal. And while these days, it’s all too easy to find pre-chopped fruit or veg in the produce aisle, once you’ve mastered a few of the basic knife skills, the feeling of rhythm, power, and flow you have with the blade as you slice, dice, and chop will have you steering clear of the cheater’s aisle for good. 

Knives to have in your collection:

Chef’s knife, Paring knife, Bread knife, Steak knife, Cleaver, Boning knife, Tomato knife, Peeling knife

What to do with them:

To learn how to properly hold a knife, first you have to know their general anatomy:

The blade is the sharp, cutting part of the knife. The bolster is the part that holds it, connecting it to the handle and giving it a bit of weight for balance. The butt is the end of the handle. The handle is the part you hold. The point is the tip, the spine is the back of the blade, and the edge is the sharpest part of it. The end.

The grip you have on your knife is the biggest determining factor when it comes to control, safety, consistency, and speed. 

The handle grip is often the most common outside of a professional kitchen—you have all five fingers around the handle of the knife, and none on the blade. While it’s one of the most intuitive holds, it doesn’t offer the most power or precision when cutting.

For better dexterity and a stronger, cleaner cut, most chef’s recommend a pinch grip. For this hold, you have your middle, index, and pinky fingers wrapped around the handle and your thumb and pointer fingers on either side of the blade. Like a pinch. This grip holds with thinner, more precise cuts and will also limit hand fatigue if you’re chopping for a while. 

That said, the placement of your opposite hand is just as important as the form you have with the hand holding the knife. Your guide hand should be firmly holding what you’re cutting steady by using your fingers like a claw. This keeps your fingertips out of harm’s way, your knuckles pressed down to lock the ingredient in place, and leaves your thumb free to push the product along while you slice.

2. How To Build Flavors

This is where cooking becomes less recipe-following and more jazz improvisation. Learn to layer flavors: start with aromatics (onions, garlic), add depth (spices, herbs), finish with brightness (acid, fresh herbs). It's like composing a song—you need the bass line before the solo.

3. The Art of Salt

"Season to taste" is the most frustrating instruction in any recipe when you don't know what you're tasting for. Here's the secret: salt isn't just about making food salty–it's about making food taste more like itself. Add it gradually and taste as you go. Read all about the history of salt here!

4. The Perfect Sear

The secret to restaurant-quality meat isn't just good ingredients–it's the Maillard reaction. That's the fancy scientific term for the chemical process that creates that amazing brown crust on your steak.

How to Master the Maillard:

1. Keep your food dry (moisture is the enemy of browning)

2. Use higher heat (but not too high that it’s burning!)

3. Don't overcrowd the pan (steam is your nemesis)

4. Be patient (good browning takes time)

5. Season properly (salt actually helps promote the reaction)

5. Blanching & Shocking

Quick-cooking in boiling water followed by an ice bath. It's the secret to vibrant vegetables and perfect texture.

6. Braising

Tough cuts become tender through low and slow cooking. Master this and you can make cheap cuts taste expensive.

7. Making a Basic Sauce

Once you understand the mother sauces (béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato), you can make practically anything.

Bechamel

The bechamel is the master of transfiguration. It is the sauce most common in your favorite comfort food recipes from chicken pot pie and mac and cheese to moussaka since it is the secret to true creaminess.

Start by making a roux—basically, a buttery flour paste. Stir constantly until the flour begins to turn a light brown shade to make sure the raw flour flavor has cooked off and then mix in the milk, salt, and pepper to achieve your desired consistency. Elevate this classic by adding nutmeg, bay leaves, onion, cloves, or a sprinkle of cheese.

‍Veloute

Veloute, literally translating to "velvet," is the base for innumerable French dishes. Like bechamel, it starts with a roux, but instead of adding milk, add any clear broth to get a silky, flavor-filled result.

Espagnole

Espagnole is a heavier, darker base. It pairs perfectly with red meats, duck, and, of course, beef bourguignon.

To make it, you again, start with a classic roux, but rather than stopping when the flour turns a light brown, you just let it cook. Make sure to stir constantly to prevent burning, but once it reaches a smoky shade, add in a mirepoix—mix of diced onion, carrot, and celery—tomato puree, and beef stock, for true depth of flavor.

Hollandaise

Hollandaise is best friend that elevates everyone they meet. Bland eggs? Boring asparagus? Add hollandaise and it's now gourmet.

Whisk egg yolks into melted butter until it forms a rich, creamy emulsion. To level it up, consider adding spices, white wine vinegar, or a touch of lemon juice.

Tomato

Last but certainly not least, we have the timeless tomato sauce, or "sugo al pomodoro" in Italian.

Cook down tomatoes—fresh or canned—then add in your mirepoix and pork and stir until it thickens.

8. Mise en Place

French for "everything in its place." It's not just organization—it's about timing and stress-free cooking.

9. Deglazing

Using liquid to release browned bits from the pan. These bits (fond) contain concentrated flavor that makes sauces amazing.

10. Resting Meat

The science of why letting meat rest after cooking makes it juicier. (It's about protein relaxation and moisture redistribution!)

20 Unexpected Tools Every Home Chef Needs

I’m not saying you need anything, but I’m also not saying you…don’t?

Kitchen scissors, A bench scraper, Fish spatula, Microplane, Spider strainer, Digital thermometer, Kitchen scale, Large cutting board, Good dishtowels, Y-peeler, Heavy-bottom saucepan, Cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, Fine-mesh strainer, Silicone spatula, Mixing bowls with rubber bottoms, Kitchen twine, Squeeze bottles, Mandoline, Roasting pan

10 Recipes to Master in Under an Hour

All of the recipes are linked on the Pepper app!

1. Perfect Scrambled Eggs

• Technique: Heat control and protein coagulation

• Learning: How gentle heat and constant movement create creamy texture

• Key Skill: Watching food's response to heat rather than just following time

2. Basic Risotto

• Technique: Starch extraction and liquid absorption

• Learning: How stirring affects texture and when to add liquid

• Key Skill: Reading visual cues for doneness

3. Pan-Seared Salmon (this recipe is from Matt Schkolnick, the co-founder of Pepper himself!)

• Technique: Moisture control and heat management

• Learning: How to achieve crispy skin while maintaining moist flesh

• Key Skill: Using both visual and touch cues for doneness

4. Carbonara

• Technique: Tempering eggs and timing

• Learning: How to create a sauce from eggs without scrambling them

• Key Skill: Coordinating multiple hot and cold elements

5. Roasted Chicken Breast

• Technique: Dry heat cooking and temperature checking

• Learning: How to keep lean meat moist

• Key Skill: Using touch and thermometer for doneness

6. Simple Stir-Fry

• Technique: High-heat cooking and ingredient prep

• Learning: How cutting size affects cooking time

• Key Skill: Managing multiple ingredients with different cooking times

7. Quick Pickled Vegetables

• Technique: Acid and salt balancing

• Learning: How vinegar concentration affects texture

• Key Skill: Understanding preservation basics

8. Crispy Roasted Potatoes

• Technique: Starch and moisture management

• Learning: How parboiling affects final texture

• Key Skill: Testing for doneness while maintaining crispiness

9. Pan-Seared Steak

• Technique: Heat control and resting

• Learning: How carry-over cooking affects final temperature

• Key Skill: Using touch test for doneness

10. Quick Chocolate Mousse

• Technique: Folding and temperature control

• Learning: How air incorporation creates texture

• Key Skill: Gentle incorporation techniques

10 Facts to Sound Like a Food Expert

1. Champagne corks have more pressure than car tires (5-6 atmospheres!)

2. Apples belong to the rose family (along with cherries and pears)

3. The fear of cooking is called "mageirocophobia"

4. Honey never spoils (they've found edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs)

5. The world's most expensive spice is saffron (more expensive than gold by weight)

6. Salt is the only rock humans eat…on purpose

7. Worcestershire sauce is made from fermented anchovies

8. A "baker's dozen" is 13 because medieval bakers could be executed for shorting customers

9. The melting point of chocolate is just below human body temperature (that's why it melts in your mouth)

10. The name "cappuccino" comes from the resemblance of the drink to the robes of Capuchin monks