Learning How To Cook? Recipe Tricks To Elevate Your Food
Here are ways homecooks can elevate their food if they’re on a budget for time and money
As the holiday rush for gift shopping and work begins, having a home-cooked meal can feel like a distant dream. Although fast food and food delivery apps are convenient, home cooking has always been healthier. We know what’s in it and have control. It’s usually when we start cooking at home that we discover how much salt, sugar, and fat we’re consuming every time we eat out.
But not to worry, here are some budget-friendly home-cooking tricks you can apply to elevate food at home:
Baking Rack as a Makeshift Grill
Especially for those who love their Tortang Talong, this is a cheap hack to get that same smoky flavor. Instead of buying a grill, buy a baking rack and place it on one of the burners if you’re using a gas burner. One costs around PHP 200 to PHP 300 pesos—a lot cheaper than buying a grill.
It also works as a burner resizer, which is perfect if we use Moka pots for coffee.
Soda for Meat Tenderizer
Instead of pounding away at the meat, pour soda to soften the meat. The acids break it down, making even cheap meat become as soft as high-grade cuts. In some restaurants in Pampanga, they often boil meat with a bit of Sprite to soften the pork before turning it into sisig.
Others even use wine if they’re not drinkers. Tip: Cheaper wines seem to work better for cooking than the expensive ones.
Broth to Steam the Rice
Soup is one of the most common leftovers after eating out. Instead of waiting for it to age, use it to cook rice at home. Doing so adds more flavor to the rice and also cleans out the fridge. It’s a win-win!
Roast the dry herbs for a stronger taste
Commonly done in Indian, Szechuan, and Italian cooking, roasting the dry herbs brings out their flavor even more.
Filipinos use a lot of aromatics like onions, garlic, peppercorns, ginger, lemongrass (tanglad), bay leaf, and pandan every so often. Most of the time, we’re the type to just dump them all in and call it a day. But roasting them might just make food taste a little better. For peppercorns, simply heat them in a cold pan for two minutes. Once slightly golden, smash it and use for a garnish.
Home Cooking: Teaching That The Little Things Matter
If there’s one screen-free activity we believe will teach kids about little details, it’s cooking.
Not every ingredient matches. Some may look good together, but taste terrible. Others may taste good but feel awful in the mouth. Cooking and eating are sensory experiences—one that teaches kids to be more discerning, especially when they have allergies or certain restrictions.
And if we’re cooking for ourselves, elevating our homecooking every so often can make us feel better. It’s something we created, and if we can mimic the food in the restaurant, that’s a feather in our cap!
Frequently Asked Questions
Small hacks—like turning a baking rack into a grill or using leftover broth to steam rice—can dramatically improve flavor without costing much.
Yes! Techniques like soda-based tenderizing and herb roasting can transform inexpensive cuts and simple dishes.
A basic baking rack placed over a gas burner can recreate that smoky, grilled flavor for just a few hundred pesos.
Use leftover soup or broth when steaming rice. It boosts flavor and reduces food waste.
Cooking teaches attention to detail, sensory awareness, and confidence—helping kids understand that small choices can make a big difference, both in the kitchen and beyond.
More about kitchen hacks?
6 Easy, Tried And Tested Sustainable Home Cooking Hacks
How to Reheat Leftover Food Without Losing the Flavor
How To Properly Take Care Of Your Kitchen Pans
