Learn the basics of cooking before you try making an entire meal. This article may help you be a more confident and skilled cook. Let the good times roll once you gain what you need.
Dry your own tomatoes. Drying them is easy – simply cut Roma tomatoes in half, or cut larger tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Place cut side up on a clean cooling rack and salt lightly. Heat your oven to 190 degrees and place the tomatoes inside for as long as ten hours. Put them in plastic bags for freezer storage. Another option is to place the tomatoes in a jar and cover them with fresh herbs and olive oil. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.
Try to prep for the dinner the evening before on a busy day. Pre-assembling lasagna or chopping vegetables for stir-fry to keep in your fridge may save you a lot of stress and time when you make a meal for your family.
To make slicing meat into thin strips a little easier, partially freeze it. This is ideal for Asian meals like Chinese or Thai dishes. When meat is slightly frozen, it becomes simpler to slice because the fibers won’t stretch and tear that easy. For even cooking, let the strips of meat thaw completely before you start to cook.
If you are using garlic in the cooking, ensure it’s the freshest you can buy. The fresher the garlic, the sweeter the taste. Check the freshness of garlic cloves by inspecting the skin. If it is bruised, soft, or shriveled, it is not fresh.
Instead of using water, you should consider using beef or chicken stock. This helps add flavor to all types of foods including mashed potatoes. Bouillon cubes are a great way to add instant flavor when mixed with the right amount of water. This keeps your foods moist but more flavorful.
Allow meals to rest before serving. Few people understand how important it is to allow the meal itself to rest before serving it. It may be tempting to get the food to the table as quickly as possible. However, your meal could be much more enjoyable if you wait. Let your meal sit and cool off for a couple minutes before serving.
Sauteing vegetables in chicken broth is very healthy. The broths adds some additional flavor, and reduces or eliminates the need to use cooking oil to prepare them. This method produces healthy and tasty vegetables.
For the best cooking results, spices have to be replaced after six months. Often, spices that have sat upon the shelf for a long period of time lose their pungency. If you purchase a spice that you don’t use very often, give some of it to friends or relatives.
Popular French fried potato recipes suggest soaking the potatoes in water for 30 minutes before cooking them. Soaking the sliced potatoes in cold water strengthens the potato fibers so they will not break down so much when you fry them in the hot oil.
If you are cooking with an unfamiliar item of produce, it is a good idea to take time to educate yourself about it first. You may be pleasantly surprised about the versatility of new food once you do a bit of research on it. If you take the time to learn about the item before heading into the kitchen, the experience will be that much more enjoyable.
As stated in the article, it is easy to learn and improve upon your cooking skills. All you need to do is set aside some time and have a passion to learn. Here we have provided you with some valuable tips that can easily increase your kitchen skill set. Cooking can be an enjoyable experience, so long as you have a good attitude about it.