With my butt planted firmly on a designer chair, I am typing away as I blog from Redmango, a giant frozen yogurt on Palo Alto’s University Avenue.

As we approach the weekend, there will be countless home chefs attempting to please their loved ones and friends with a few dishes. Although the attempt may be mighty, often times food cooked at home turns out terribly.

Not only do you need great ingredients, techniques play a major part and I learned this while working for California Culinary Academy.

In a recent article in SFgate, writer Amanda Gold successfully shares cooking techniques in a great way.

Article: Kitchen Essentials: 10 techniques every cook should know by Amanda Gold

Great meal encompasses:

(fresh ingredients) + (texture) + (comfortable environment) + (proper temperature) + (beverage pairing) + (great presentation) + (technique)