Although all people eat, there are those who cannot cook, or don’t think they can. This article can help you to become a great cook. Don’t be afraid to try new things in your kitchen. Being able to cook good food is a well sought-after talent and a great joy as well! Take this advice to heart, and you will be enthusiastic about whipping up something special with greater regularity.
Choose utensils made from nylon, silicone, or rubber when cooking with non-stick cookware. Metal or wooden utensils are hard and can damage the surface of your cookware, making the nonstick surface unreliable and even flaking off pieces of the coating into your food. The coating could then flake off into your food and this is dangerous.
Do you need to juice your fruit? Stick in in the microwave for best results. Heat your orange, lemon, or other fruits for around ten seconds in the microwave. Immediately after removing the fruit from the microwave, gently roll it on a flat surface. Now you are ready to begin juicing.
Save the delicious taste of summer by drying tomatoes yourself. Dry your own by slicing ripe tomatoes 1/2″ thick, or cut Romas in half, lengthwise. Lay your tomato slices across a cooling rack with the cut-side facing up, and salt them lightly. Set the rack on a cookie sheet in an oven at 190 degrees for a 10 hours. You can store your dried tomatoes in your freezer. Another option is to place the tomatoes in a jar and cover them with fresh herbs and olive oil. Put this jar in the fridge and use it up in two weeks time.
It is always better to choose fresh ingredients for your recipes instead of dried or frozen ones. When you use fresh ingredients you can bring out the true flavor of your food, and they can sometimes be cheaper in the end.
Before cooking with skewers there are a few things that you need to know. If using skewers made of steel or metal, avoid ones with rounded surfaces and try ones with square or beveled designs.
If you desire to enhance the flavor in your soup or mashed potatoes, replace the water you are using with beef or chicken stock. Alternately, you can use bouillon in the water called for in the recipe. This will give your food a good flavor, while providing the needed amount of moisture.
Always take good care of your wooden cutting board. Heat, moisture and other elements can cause warping and splitting of the wood. It is important to never immerse a wooden cutting board entirely in water. Using a sponge soaked in warm, soapy water is the best way to clean it. Oiling the wood regularly with an oil made for this purpose can help restore the board to good condition. Make sure it is completely dry before you use it.
Think big if you plan to make chicken stock. If you cook a big pot of stock, you can freeze it for later. There are a variety of recipes that call for chicken stock, so having it on hand is always a good idea. After the liquid has cooled you can store it in heavy-duty freezer bags.
Cooking need not feel difficult. Cooking food on your own can save you a lot of money, improve your nutrition and health, and be fun all at the same time. Apply what you learned from this article at the grocery store, in your kitchen and also on your plate. Cheers to home-style cooking and enjoy the delicious food you have learned how to prepare!