Tuesday, June 3, 2025

7 tips learned in Europe that make me a better cook (and baker!)

+ our early release Focaccia recipe!๐Ÿ˜Š โ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อโ€‡อยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญยญ
Tastes Better From Scratch

Hi there reader,

After spending the year living in Europeโ€”cooking in tiny kitchens, shopping at outdoor markets, and baking with new ingredientsโ€”I've picked up so many tips that have completely changed the way I cook and bake (for the better!).

From how I measure flour to how I use olive oil and paprika, these little changes have made a big difference in the kitchen.

If you want to level up your baking or just bring more flavor into everyday meals, I think you'll love these too!

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#1 Bake by Weight, Not Volume

One of the best changes I made after moving to Europe? Switching from cups to grams! (Here's my kitchen scale)โ€‹
Measuring by weight has made my baking so much more consistentโ€”no more guessing whether I packed the flour too tightly.

And the best part? Cleanup is a breeze. Just zero out the scale as you go and add everything to the same bowl. No more scraping peanut butter out of measuring cups!! ๐Ÿ˜…


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#2 Using the right olive oil:

Olive Oil is Sacred in Spain, and it's used liberally and proudly, not just for frying or sautรฉing. It's used to finish soups, drizzle over toast (hello, pan con tomate), and it's the only salad dressing you need!

I used to be shy with olive oil, but now I go through bottles like water. Get my Olive Oil Cheat Sheet.


#3 Butter Matters. A Lot.

European-style butter has a higher butterfat content which changed my baking forever. (Kerrygold and President are my favorites, easily found in the USA).

Croissants, cakes (and cookies have never tasted better.

Recipe Pictured: Flourless Chocolate Cakeโ€‹


#4 Quality ingredients speak for themselves: Shopping at local markets in Europe taught me to cook with what's in season, not just what's in a recipe.

I let those ingredients shine, and our food just tastes better!


#5 Invest in Good Salt to enhance and balance flavors in every dish.

Use flaky salts like Fleur de Sel and Maldon to top salads, grilled meats, cookies, or other desserts.

Use coarse sea salt for focaccia and grind Himalayan pink salt over soups and roasted veggies. I also LOVE my salt cellar!โ€‹


#6 Don't Skip the Chill Time - Europeans take bread, dough, and pastry resting times seriously, and

I've learned that my baked goods like cookies, babka, and focaccia will taste better when the dough has chilled overnight.


#7 Paprika is underrated! I've never used it more in my life, and it's my favorite spice!

I've loved exploring using sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and hot paprika to add a rich depth of flavor to dishes that no other spice can replicate.

It's essential for soups, stews, goulash, paella, and dry rub on meats.


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๐Ÿ”ฅEarly Access: Homemade Focaccia That'll Steal the Show!

It's not on the site yet and I'd love your thoughts on the recipe!

Supplies you'll need:

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Enjoy!
Lauren

Tastes Better From Scratch

I may earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase at no cost to you. Thanks for the support!

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