After you have gained an understanding of some of the basic concepts, you will find cooking to be a very enjoyable activity. This article will help you be a better cook, you can also get the confidence you need to get more skills. This will let you have a wonderful time whenever you prepare a meal.
A good kitchen requires good knives. You will be more efficient when you do not have to deal with dull knives; in addition, sharp knives are safer to use than dull knives. Dull knives cause more accidents than sharp ones.
Take care of wooden cutting boards properly. Heat, dryness, and excess moisture can cause a wooden cutting board to warp and split. Do not submerge the board to clean it, just sponge it off using warm, soapy water. To repair a damaged cutting board, use an oil designed to restore this type of board. Make sure it is completely dry before you use it.
When boiling or sauteing veggies, use chicken broth instead of water. The chicken broth will help to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan and will also add some delicious flavor to them. Chicken broth is cheap, and can be bought anywhere.
To lessen the amount of work you have to do the following day, do some preparation in advance. Chopping and dicing vegetables for a stir-fry or assembling lasagnas or casseroles to store in the fridge can make it easier to place a hot, no-stress meal on your family’s table, even on the busiest days.
Find a convenient cool dark place for storing herbs and spices. When you store your herbs out on the kitchen counter, they will lose their flavor quickly and become stale.
Try baking dishes that are oily, versus microwaving them when they need reheated to avoid greasy messes. The heat of the microwave can cause the oil to separate from your other ingredients, since it heats quicker. However, baking in a slow and consistent manner can reheat the entire dish, which can keep the ingredients and flavors cohesive.
Consider drying your very own tomatoes. Start by cutting full-sized tomatoes into 1/2″ slices or by halving Roma tomatoes. Put them on a rack with the cut side up and add sufficient salt. After placing the rack atop a cookie sheet, allow the tomatoes to dry for 10 hours in an oven at 190 degrees. Finally, place your dried tomatoes in freezer safe bags and store in the freezer. Another way to preserve your dried tomatoes is in olive oil, with herbs for added flavor, in a glass jar. Use them within two weeks of refrigerating.
Enjoy the hardy greens that are typically only available during the winter months. Winter greens become sweeter tasting once the first frost is over, so indulge in collards, broccoli rabe and kale. When choosing the greens, pick the ones with bright, deep color and don’t buy anything that’s yellow or limping. Watch when you wash them, as they carry a ton of dirt. You need to submerge the greens within a bowl of very cool water. Shake off the excess water and then place them under the running faucet until you notice that nothing is falling into the sink but clear water.
Take advantage of stackable cooling racks. If you are baking big batches of cookies, bars or other goodies, they can take up a large amount of space while they cool. You can use your space more efficiently by using cooling racks that stack on each other. Using an area of vertical space rather than every available flat surface gives your cookies the space they need to cool and gives you the space you need to work.
Cooking is a fun and satisfying skill that anyone can learn. All you need is a bit of time and a willingness to learn. By working with the tips here, you can increase your kitchen confidence and enhance your cooking skills. With the right attitude, cooking can be much fun.