Cooking is a necessity of life, but it can become a hobby as well. If you have good advice, tools and information anyone can be a good cook. This article will address a few ways that you can improve your cooking.
To use up odds and ends of veggies and meats lingering in your fridge before shopping day, throw together a tasty wok of fried rice. If you have day old rice on hand, that works best; but if not, reduce the water slightly to make it a little drier than normal. Fry the veggies and meats in a little oil, add your rice and then season it with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and other spices.
Do not throw away the product of your hard work. Combine two tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of cornstarch in a bowl and mix. You can then stir this solution into your sauce to instantly thicken it. Make sure you add the solution slowly while stirring constantly or you risk thickening the sauce too much.
Make big portions when preparing stock. Plan on preparing a large pot of stock in order to freeze it for storing. That tasty chicken stock is very versatile and can be perfect for your next stew, casserole or soup. To preserve your stock for future use, just simply make sure that it is stored in heavy duty freezer bags and frozen solid. This way the stock should keep for several months or so.
Eat a piece of meat when experimenting with seasoning before cooking all of it. You may have to use caution when you season foods such as meatballs, meatloaf or hamburgers. Do not cook it all after seasoning. Instead, make a small piece in the shape of a patty and initially cook that first. After you have tested this piece, you can adjust the level of seasoning as necessary or cook the rest as is.
Sauteing vegetables is an extremely healthy method of cooking them. Consider adding chicken broth for some added flavor. Not only does it lessen the amount of cooking oil needed as per a traditional saute, the broth adds an extra dimension of flavor to the vegetables. This is a nutritious and delicious method for cooking vegetables.
Keep all dried spices in a dark space that stays room temperature. Their flavors will be weakened when they are exposed to light, heat or humidity. Herbs and spices that are ground usually remain flavorful for a year. Spices that are whole will retain flavor longer, closer to 3-5 years. If spices are stored properly there is a better chance that they will stay fresher for a longer period of time
Store your spices in a cool, dark place. Storing them out in the light and heat will cause them to lose some of their shelf life. When a spice is placed in a cool area with very little light, its life is extended and it will taste better. This will help every meal that you prepare taste better.
You need to make sure that you cook a cake until it is thoroughly cooked. Suggested cooking times are helpful to beginning bakers but experienced bakers know that they need to consider variables such as altitude when determining the optimum cooking time. A good way to judge whether a cake is finished is by sticking a toothpick into the center of the cake. If your toothpick is clean, your cake is ready to be taken out of the oven. However, if there is batter left on the toothpick, keep baking for a longer period of time.
Cooking is not only about feeding your family. Trying to make different dishes can be a very enjoyable and delicious activity. Just like everyone else, you will prepare a debacle of a meal from time to time, but the hints and tips that you were just given can help to ensure that these flubs are the rare exception rather than the rule. Follow these tips to culinary success.