This whole cooking thing can get intense and stressful. So it's best to narrow our focus into the small but powerful puzzle pieces of cooking. Each section below is titled after books you can use to further your knowledge.

Click the titles for direct amazon links.

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On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

An important bit you can know right away is that cooking is either a chemical change or a texture change. Texture is obvious, it go from not crunchy to cronchy. Chemical however, is complicated as heck, best defined as a change in molecular structure. This is where you get new flavors, aromas, colors, etc.

The Maillard Reaction and Caramelization

The Maillard reaction happens when proteins and sugars interact under heat, producing complex savory flavors; seared steak, roasted chicken, or toasted bwead. Caramelization, on the other hand, is the pure breakdown of sugars, giving sweet, nutty, and deep brown flavors; roasted onions, browned butter, or caramel sauce. Understanding them is useful: Maillard builds umami and depth, while caramelization builds sweetness and richness. More on that later.

Residual Heat

Heat that remains inside food after it has been removed from the heat source, causing it to continue cooking as internal temperatures equalize. Understanding this prevent overcooking and allows cooks to time doneness more accurately, especially with meats, baked goods, and roasted foods.

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Culinary Artistry 

There are three levels in the tower of cooking. 

Level 1: Trade

The purpose of cooking here is to feed and it being tasty is usually up for debate. Think carb filled plate drenched in artificial cheese and a sprinkle of "protien". It's a worthy meal for many.

Level 2: Craft

This is where most cooks land. It includes classic dishes meant to be enjoyed as a daily wholesome meal. Roasted veggies, shepherd’s pie, curry, stew, etc..

The range for this level is the widest as the entry level is low, but the ceiling is quite high.

Level 3: Art

This one. Well, you ever see those tiny plates with a quarter sized piece of steak on it that sells for an absurd price? Yea that's what this is. I have no ill feeling for it as it's this level of chef  that we have to thank for all the delicious food we enjoy. They discover and simplify, then it becomes common knowlede to the rest of us overtime. There is a lot of bad actors in this category as well so don't go assuming price means quality. If this is your goal, go sign up for professional lessons, get a job at a decent restuarant, and start reading all the culinary books you can find.

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Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Salt

Brings out natural taste, balances bitterness, and makes food taste like...."itself". Ingredients knowledge is helpful here as ingredients can have salt in them to start; cheeses, cured meat, fermented stuff. Advance techniques involve timing, understanding structure changes, and factoring this nifty thing called osmosis. 

Fat

Transports flavor, adds richness, affects mouthfeel, creates texture, etc. Different fats have different flavors along with temperatures to be used in. Many combinations.

Acid

The middle child of the bunch, it's often the missing element when a dish feels like it needs "something". It cuts through richness, balances salt and fat, and prevents dishes from tasting heavy or dull. Used early, it can tenderize proteins. Vinegar, citrus, yogurt, tomatoes, and wine are all common acids. Though I prefer my wine uncooked.

Heat

The king of the jungle. Remember the whole thing about chemical or texture changes. There's instances where heat is irrelevant like using acid for ceviche, but overall this is your culprit right here. We'll get into this one when going over basics. 

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Different Types of Cooking

Dry-Heat Cooking

Searing - Roasting - Baking - Grilling - Frying

Moist-Heat Cooking

Boiling - Simmering - Steaming - Poaching

Combination Cooking

Braising - Stewing

Non-Heat / Chemical Cooking

Salt curing - Fermentation - Ceviche

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Umami

This “fifth taste,” was first identified by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908 when he studied the savory flavor of dashi, which is cooking stock. He discovered that glutamate was responsible for this distinct, meaty taste that didn’t fit into sweet, sour, salty, or bitter. While initially a scientific observation, umami soon influenced cooking in Japan and later worldwide, with books like Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking helping bring the concept to Western chefs and home cooks. 

Umami to me and many others is akin to magic.

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Having fun? If you managed to read all that, congratulations, you now know more than a majority of home cooks. Now lets see if you're properly equipped.