People must eat food in order to stay alive. Most of us want to actually enjoy what we are eating and not just eat for survival. Eating a delicious meal is always terrific, but it’s even better when that meal is one you’ve cooked yourself. Here are several tips to get the most from your cooking.
If you are frying something, try using ketchup in the batter. Ketchup isn’t only a condiment to dunk your food in, it is also great to use as part of a pre-battering dip. The ketchup offers a delicious flavor to foods you fry, and all your friends will want to know your secret.
You need butter that is soft, but still solid, when you want to cream it with sugar to make cookies. If the butter is melted, you should place the bowl in the freezer for several minutes in order to get it hard, or you could place the dough into the refrigerator after you mix all the ingredients. By using cooler dough, your cookies will not spread out as much.
Keep all spices stored out of the sunlight. When spices are exposed to light and heat, they lose their flavor and it reduces their storage life. You can preserve the flavor and freshness of your spices by storing them in a dark, cool spot. You’ll taste the difference in your dishes.
Add cauliflower to your mashes potatoes to make this dish healthier and tastier. Because cauliflower has a pretty bland taste, it blends well with the potatoes and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. Cauliflower has the same texture and color as mashed potatoes, so the dish will be transformed into one that has more vegetables and fewer calories.
Whenever you have cooked a whole turkey, never throw away your leftovers. You can put them in meal-size containers and keep them in the freezer. This will allow your turkey to stay fresh for weeks. You can use the leftovers in sandwiches, salads, soups and your other favorite meals.
If you want to start cooking more, go to the bookstore or library and get a cookbook of simple and basic recipes that appeal to you. Focus on one recipe at a time and give yourself enough time to improve your cooking.
If you are making a roast and you need to cook it quickly, do not take out the bone. The bone helps the heat distribute on the inside of the roast, which helps it cook faster. When the meat has cooled enough to let the juices settle all you have to do is go around the bone when cutting and serve.
Read the labels for any product that you buy to use in a recipe. Most common cooking supplies have hidden ingredients that are unhealthy. Some things to check for include high levels of sugar or sodium, as both are common contributors to many health problems.
Incorporate winter greens into your cold-weather cooking. Winter greens taste much sweeter after the passing of the first frost. This includes broccoli rabe, collard greens and kale. Focus on those vegetables that have a vibrant hue, while passing over their wilting, yellowing cousins. By nature, these greens are more prone to dirt collection, so wash them thoroughly and carefully before consuming them. Put the greens in water, shake clean and rinse until water is clear as it runs through.
Learning to cook can be as much fun as eating. Use these cooking tips but add your own ideas to the recipe to make it your own. Not only will you see an improvement in your cooking skills, but you will impress your loved ones.