Cooking is something we can all improve at. A cook that has umpteen years of experience will still be delighted to learn new and current techniques that can enhance their kitchen time. And every beginner needs to learn all the tips and techniques that can make preparing food easier. This article is full of tips you will find helpful in getting you started as a cook.
You can save the sauce if you use the following information. Combine 1 tablespoon corn starch with 2 tablespoons water, and stir together in a separate bowl. Add this mix to the sauce little by little until it becomes thicker. When adding, do so gradually and continue to stir so as to avoid making your sauce too thick.
Add lots of salt to your water for cooking pasta. The seasonings in the water will infuse the pasta thoroughly. When you salt your pasta after cooking, the flavor is not as full.
Take excess fat off of stews and soups. If you notice that your stew or soup has too much fat, let it cool and in the process the fat will come to the surface. Then just collect the fat by rubbing an ice cube, resting on a spoon, along the surface. Fat that collects on an ice cube or a chilled spoon that runs across the surface of your soup or stew broth will not remove as much excess fat as allowing the dish to completely cool. You can also absorb the fat with a paper towel.
Many veggies and herbs have a scent that remains on cutting boards even after they are washed. Make a mark with permanent ink on the end of the cutting board, so you always know which side to use for the item that you’re cutting.
When you are baking pastry crusts, try increasing the cooking time a bit. The crust should have a nice golden color to be fully cooked. That deeper color shows that the sugar has caramelized. This creates a crisp crust, which is also sweeter.
Sprinkle a small amount of salt over your cutting board surface before chopping your herbs. This should add flavor to the herb as well as keep them in place. Do not add too much salt to your dish. Any salt on your cutting board can stick to the herbs you are chopping and enhance their flavor.
Store all spices and herbs in dry, dark and cool conditions to get the maximum amount of flavor from them. Exposing them to light or heat could make them lose their flavors fast. These areas are not good because the spices will get exposed to flavor losing elements.
You can add new flavors for your meals by trying different liquids when recipes ask for milk or water. As a substitute for water, try broth. Juice can work as well. Some people use the water left over from boiling vegetables. Rather than using milk, think about yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream. Changing liquids can improve the nutrition of the dish and make it more lively.
Make sure that you maintain your wooden cutting board. Cutting boards made of wood can often warp due to climate. Do not submerge the board to clean it, just sponge it off using warm, soapy water. Try oiling your damaged board regularly in order to restore it. Store in a cool dry place until the product has completely dried.
Even seasoned cooks can use new tips to ease their cooking process. For the neophyte cook, every little bit of information helps cultivate those fledgling cooking skills. Try out some of these tips to see how much more enjoyable and accomplished your cooking becomes.