Do you like a wide variety of foods? Do you have a large sweet tooth? How about the flavors of ethnic food? Perhaps you have wondered if it’s possible to learn the skills to prepare these dishes in your kitchen. It’s time to stop wishing and start cooking! Use the tips in this article to find out how to cook up some delicious meals.
When stir-frying meat, it should be thinly sliced on the bias. This process may take a very long time, and it takes practice. Freeze the meat until it is firm and then slice the thin slices across the grain.
You should use airtight containers to store flour, baking mixes or sugar in your kitchen. Not only will these containers make sure your foods aren’t contaminated by bugs, the lack of air will keep your goods fresher for longer. These are carried in many stores and make a wise investment.
Do not keep your herbs or spices in a place that is not cool and dark. When they are stored in the sun, they lose shelf life because of exposure. Your spices will have a longer shelf life and retain their good taste if stored in a dark, cool spot. Your food will be even more delicious if your spices are fresher.
Make sure you layer a salad wisely if it going to be eaten at a later date. Place the juiciest ingredients, such as tomatoes, on the bottom of the bowl, and settle the lettuce or other ingredients that are prone to wilting or sogginess on the top.
That way, fruit can stay crisp and fresh all year. This is a great way to ensure that you have your favorite fruits during their off seasons.
Avoid adding salt or garlic to dried beans until they have softened. Both of these substances can prevent your beans from becoming softer as they cook, especially if the beans are old to begin with. In order to have the beans reach your preferred texture, wait until they are at least partially cooked before adding your seasonings.
Understand that different potatoes are needed for different recipes. Types of potatoes include waxy, mealy and all-purpose. The crumbly, dry texture of mealy potatoes make them perfect for mashing. A common kind of mealy potato is a russet. Yukon gold potatoes are all-purpose potatoes excellent for any dish. Waxy potatoes work best for boiling and steaming. They do a good job of holding their shape. Good waxy potatoes include the regular white potato and the red potato.
Use soft butter not melted butter when creaming sugar and butter to make cookies. It the butter is already melted, put it in a freezer for a couple minutes to let it get harder. You can also put the dough in the fridge once it has been mixed. Chilled dough will result in smaller and thicker cookies.
You can make a fat-free stew or soup by using fat-free soup stock or broth. The goal is to make the soup as low fat as possible, so lean meat and masses of vegetables are next to go into the pot. Let your soup chill in the refrigerator when it is done cooking. The rest of the fat in the soup will rise and congeal on top. This will make it easy to remove and discard the hardened fat. The calorie savings is around 100 per tablespoon you remove.
By following these tips, you will soon be able to make great meals at home. Don’t stick to the same old, taste test a variety of sauces and spices in your dishes. You may even discover a new food that will become your favorite. Let your own taste buds and these ideas point you in new directions in your kitchen so that you can become one with your inner cook.