For many people, the act of cooking is nothing more than another chore. But cooking can be something to be enjoyed. It can also become your gateway to a healthier life. The best cooks are those who are always willing to learn new techniques. Furthering your knowledge also makes the cooking experience far more pleasurable; use the following tips to help you grow as a cook.
Do you feel guilty when you toss rotten, uneaten fruit in the garbage? Can you actually save your fruit by cutting the part out that is rotten? Unfortunately, there isn’t any way to save fruit that has begun to rot. The bacteria that causes mold goes deeper than you think, so it’s always best to throw away food with even the smallest of mold spots.
Use softer materials in nonstick pans, such as silicone or rubber utensils. Metal or wooden utensils could scratch the nonstick coat and cause flakes to fall from the pans. This is both unappealing and unsafe.
If you put your meat in the freezer to make it a little hard, it will be easier to cut into thin strips. This method is great for oriental meals that require small strips. When meats are partially frozen, the slicing is neater and the meat’s fibers don’t tear and stretch as easily. Make sure to let the meat thaw before you cook it, frozen ice and hot oil do mix well together.
You can add more flavor to any dish by replacing water with beef or chicken stock. If you don’t have stock on hand, go ahead and use the water, but add a bouillon cube or two. This will give your food the required amount of moisture and it will also add flavor as well.
Keep tabs on the amount of cooking oil you use. If you want to lower the fat in your home cooked meals, you need to carefully measure any oil that you are going to use rather then just guessing. This will give you the ability to know exactly how much oil is going into the pan at a time.
When preparing a salsa that won’t be used immediately, rinse any raw onions you are using in cold water and dry them well. Fresh onions contain gas that has sulfur in it. Fresh salsa can be ruined by this type of gas. If you rinse off the onion and then dry it, it will get rid of the gas.
When cooking a whole pumpkin, place the pumpkin upright first, then cut directly down its middle to create two halves. Put the halves with the sides down on your baking sheets. Sprinkle some water on both baking sheets, then at 350 degrees bake the pumpkin for about an hour.
The prep work comes first. It is essential that the prep work is completed before cooking commences. Trying to prepare a meal without handling the preparation beforehand can get stressful, especially if you need to finish your cooking in a set amount of time. Do the prep work as early as you can to avoid stress later.
Some pungent ingredients, like garlic, onions, or fish, can stick to your hands and transfer to foods you don’t want them on. You can stop this process by rubbing your hands on stainless steel before you give them a wash. It does not matter if you use a spoon, a side of your stainless-steel sink, or a “soap bar” made of stainless-steel; rubbing your hand on it neutralizes the undesirable smell and freshens your hands.
As was mentioned, ongoing education is the hallmark of a good cook. The real fun in cooking isn’t just rote memorization of recipes, but learning entirely new ways of looking at food. You should also share these tips with others. The ability to cook well is a skill, but it is also a treasure that is meant for sharing.