‘You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy food, and that’s kind of the same thing’.

You’re a cook and you enjoy spreading happiness. Smiling, content faces after a hearty meal are what you live for.

You know how to make people smile – but have you ever wondered how you can take your cooking career to the next level? This is only possible with the right mix of knowledge and dedication.

While dedication is something that you’ll have to figure out on your own, read on and you could pick up a few cooking tips that’ll definitely give your career that leg piece… err… leg up you’re looking for.

1. Eat While You Cook

When you begin preparing a dish, start out as bland as possible. Simply toss the salt right out the nearest window.

As you cook, add a tiny pinch into the mix. As soon as you’ve added that dash of flavour, taste and check if it has turned out to your liking. If you aren’t happy, add a little more and give it another round of tasting.

This way, you’ll avoid adding too much salt and your dish won’t end up tasting like the Dead Sea.

It doesn’t matter which seasoning you’re using. This simple technique will allow you to make small changes and get the perfect blend of flavour.

2. Play With Sharp Objects

As a cook, you need to know your knives like you know yourself. You’re going to be cutting all kinds of things all day and you definitely don’t want your fingers to be on this list.

You’ll also need to learn the best way to cut different types of vegetables and meat. The first step (after you buy some knives) is to keep it sharp.

A blunt knife isn’t going to do much besides make a few dents in the ingredients that you’re cutting. It’s important that you know how to sharpen your knives when you need to.

3. Travel The World

Or at least help others travel using their tastebuds! It’s as simple (or hard) as learning how to cook dishes from different parts of the world!

If the only thing you know how to make is dal and rice, you’re not bringing anything new to the table. Most people can do that for themselves, so you’re limiting your job opportunities.

Master a few special dishes from a couple of different cuisines and you’ll increase your chances of getting hired.

4. Health Is Wealth

Roadside and restaurant food contain copious amounts of oil, and people are starting to get sick of it. There’s a huge demand for cooks who can make food that’s both healthy and tasty.

If you know how to make food taste good without drowning it in butter or oil – you’ll find that people are willing to throw money at you, as long as you’re willing to feed.

Being a cook goes beyond just making food. It’s about love, and how you can use food to make people happier. Every satisfied sigh after a meal is another step towards making the world a better place.

Once you’ve got these basic skills down, you can put up your portfolio on websites that connect cooks to customers. As easy as apple pie, no?