People say lots of stuff about good food. Follow the tips here to add that special “magical” quality to all of your cooking.
TIP! A great starting point when looking to expand your cooking repertoire is your local library or bookstore. Look for cookbooks which contain basic and simple recipes for you to practice and have fun preparing.
In order to get the most out of your selection of spices, you should store them out of the light and heat. When spices are exposed to light and heat, they lose their flavor and it reduces their storage life. To keep your spices spicy and fresh, store them in an area that is cool and dark. Your food will be even more delicious if your spices are fresher.
Try this quick trick to salvage your efforts. Put a small amount of corn starch in a bowl and mix thoroughly with two tablespoons of water to add to your sauce. While stirring, introduce the liquid into your sauce while it is simmering. Stir constantly as you pour the cornstarch and water mixture slowly into the pot.
TIP! Bake pie crusts a little longer than you would think they should be baked. The color should be a darker caramel instead of the pale blond so many people do.
Freeze your meat slightly and you will find that it slices with ease. This technique is suited for meats used in many Asian dishes. It’s easier to slice meat that has been partially frozen because the fibers don’t tear and stretch, so you can make clean cuts. Allow the meat to thaw prior to cooking though, so that it can cook evenly.
You can use this on a variety of foods, not just meat. Sprinkle the seasoning on top of roasted pumpkin seeds and make a tasty snack, or sprinkle it on scrambled eggs. Anyone who tastes these is sure to wonder and ask if you have a special or secret ingredient.
TIP! If you are going to make a stir-fry dish, slice the meat on the bias, as thinly as possible. It can be a tedious, lengthy process.
If you have little time to cook each day, you can partially prepare certain foods to break up the cooking process into several steps. Look through any recipes you make before you begin and prep accordingly, this can save you time before you cook letting you concentrate on your task when the time comes. You can prepare a lot of food the day prior to actually cooking. Doing this can transform intricate recipes into simple, quick and enjoyable cooking tasks.
If your burgers tend to stick to your grill, it might be hard to cook them while preserving their shape. Brushing vegetable oil on the grill will help keep your food from sticking.
Chicken Broth
Try cooking your vegetables in chicken broth. Simmering vegetables in the broth will keep them from adhering to the bottom of the pan and also infuse them with rich flavor. Chicken broth can be found at almost all local grocery stores at a very cheap price.
TIP! Are you partial to using fresh basil in your cooking? Store the basil in a jar. Make sure the stems are covered with water.
When trying to add protein to a diet, you need to remember that beans and tofu are great sources. Both can be purchased at just about any grocery store. The tofu can be lightly seasoned and pan fried, which makes for a great alternative to meat. Make beans a less boring source of protein by including some herbs when you boil them.
Before cooking your pumpkin, have it standing in a vertical position and slice it directly down from the stem the entire way around, making two equal halves. The halves should be placed face-down on two baking pans. Add a few drops of water to each baking sheet, then allow the pumpkin to bake for about one hour at 350 degrees.
TIP! Complete as much of the preparatory work as possible for your meals ahead of time to speed up the process of cooking. Recipes should be examined and items that won’t spoil that can be prepared a day or two ahead should be done first.
That way, fruit can stay crisp and fresh all year. An added bonus is that you are going to be able to eat fruit that is not in season and is therefore unavailable elsewhere during certain periods.
Dried Tomatoes
TIP! Dry ingredients and mixes should be stored in airtight containers. Airtight containers offer the advantages of keeping bugs out of your food products and keeping your food fresh for a longer period of time.
Make your own sun-dried tomatoes. Cut Romas tomatoes in lengthwise halves, or slice ripe regular tomatoes into half inch slices for drying. Place the resulting tomato pieces on a rack, then salt their exposed flesh lightly. Set your oven to 190 degrees, place the rack on a baking sheet and let the tomatoes dry in the oven for approximately 10 hours. Put the bags of tomatoes in your freezer. You can also pack dried tomatoes in a jar with some fresh herbs and olive oil. Kept in the refrigerator, these tomatoes will keep for a couple of weeks.
Food is essential to life and has amazing power over people. Now that you have learned several techniques from this article, put them into practice to woo your family with home cooked meals.
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People say lots of stuff about good food. Follow the tips here to add that special “magical” quality to all of your cooking.
In order to get the most out of your selection of spices, you should store them out of the light and heat. When spices are exposed to light and heat, they lose their flavor and it reduces their storage life. To keep your spices spicy and fresh, store them in an area that is cool and dark. Your food will be even more delicious if your spices are fresher.
Try this quick trick to salvage your efforts. Put a small amount of corn starch in a bowl and mix thoroughly with two tablespoons of water to add to your sauce. While stirring, introduce the liquid into your sauce while it is simmering. Stir constantly as you pour the cornstarch and water mixture slowly into the pot.
Freeze your meat slightly and you will find that it slices with ease. This technique is suited for meats used in many Asian dishes. It’s easier to slice meat that has been partially frozen because the fibers don’t tear and stretch, so you can make clean cuts. Allow the meat to thaw prior to cooking though, so that it can cook evenly.
You can use this on a variety of foods, not just meat. Sprinkle the seasoning on top of roasted pumpkin seeds and make a tasty snack, or sprinkle it on scrambled eggs. Anyone who tastes these is sure to wonder and ask if you have a special or secret ingredient.
If you have little time to cook each day, you can partially prepare certain foods to break up the cooking process into several steps. Look through any recipes you make before you begin and prep accordingly, this can save you time before you cook letting you concentrate on your task when the time comes. You can prepare a lot of food the day prior to actually cooking. Doing this can transform intricate recipes into simple, quick and enjoyable cooking tasks.
If your burgers tend to stick to your grill, it might be hard to cook them while preserving their shape. Brushing vegetable oil on the grill will help keep your food from sticking.
Chicken Broth
Try cooking your vegetables in chicken broth. Simmering vegetables in the broth will keep them from adhering to the bottom of the pan and also infuse them with rich flavor. Chicken broth can be found at almost all local grocery stores at a very cheap price.
When trying to add protein to a diet, you need to remember that beans and tofu are great sources. Both can be purchased at just about any grocery store. The tofu can be lightly seasoned and pan fried, which makes for a great alternative to meat. Make beans a less boring source of protein by including some herbs when you boil them.
Before cooking your pumpkin, have it standing in a vertical position and slice it directly down from the stem the entire way around, making two equal halves. The halves should be placed face-down on two baking pans. Add a few drops of water to each baking sheet, then allow the pumpkin to bake for about one hour at 350 degrees.
That way, fruit can stay crisp and fresh all year. An added bonus is that you are going to be able to eat fruit that is not in season and is therefore unavailable elsewhere during certain periods.
Dried Tomatoes
Make your own sun-dried tomatoes. Cut Romas tomatoes in lengthwise halves, or slice ripe regular tomatoes into half inch slices for drying. Place the resulting tomato pieces on a rack, then salt their exposed flesh lightly. Set your oven to 190 degrees, place the rack on a baking sheet and let the tomatoes dry in the oven for approximately 10 hours. Put the bags of tomatoes in your freezer. You can also pack dried tomatoes in a jar with some fresh herbs and olive oil. Kept in the refrigerator, these tomatoes will keep for a couple of weeks.
Food is essential to life and has amazing power over people. Now that you have learned several techniques from this article, put them into practice to woo your family with home cooked meals.