When you are first learning to cook, you have to begin someplace. A knack for cooking doesn’t just occur naturally in all people. However, anyone can learn how to cook a tasty meal. In order to become a successful cook, you should start learning as much as you can about the all-important essentials of cooking. Read below to learn some techniques which will make preparing dishes easy.
You should consider drying your tomatoes on your own. Simply cut them into 1/2 half inch slices, or cut lengthwise for Romas. Take a cooling rack and place the tomatoes on it. Sprinkle them with salt. Place the rack on top of a cookie sheet, and bake the tomatoes in an oven set at 190 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 10 hours. Put the tomatoes in plastic bags, and store them in the freezer. Dried tomatoes can be placed into a jar that is filled with fresh herbs and olive oil. When refrigerated, they will last a minimum of two weeks.
You should do the prep work for your meals in advance. It is essential to have all prep work finished before it’s time to begin cooking. That way, when you’re ready to cook, it takes some of the stress out of it, especially if you have a deadline to meet. Get everything prepared at least a day ahead of time.
For crispier French fries, let raw potatoes stand for 30 minutes in a cold pot of water. When your potatoes soak up cold fluids, their fibers are reinforced. This means that they will hold up better to the heat necessary for the frying process.
You can prepare a lot prior to cooking to streamline your cooking process. Browse through your recipes and see what parts can be prepared early, without fear of spoiling. Do the prep work the day before. This can turn even the most complex recipes into quick, fun and fast cooking jobs.
If you want to slice meat into thin strips, freeze it partially before bringing it to the cutting board. This method is great for oriental meals that require small strips. When you slightly freeze the meat, the fibers don’t extend as easily, and therefore slicing is much cleaner. Make sure to let the meat thaw before you cook it, frozen ice and hot oil do mix well together.
Please your palate with tasty winter greens. Kale, collards and broccoli rabe taste much sweeter after the first winter frost. Go for the greens that have vivid colors and stay away from any that are turning color or have a limp quality to them. Wash these carefully as they tend to accumulate lots of dirt. Put the greens in water, shake clean and rinse until water is clear as it runs through.
When cooking, it is always a good idea to get a little creative. You do not have to use a recipe word for word, add a few steps of your own. You can add a little something, or replace an ingredient you don’t like. It may end up tasting better than the original! Now that is a real cook!
Purchase meats and fish with the bones intact. Put the bones, cooked or raw, in heavy duty ziploc bags and store them in the freezer until you are ready to use.
If you want to eat well and lose weight, it’s a good idea to decrease the amount of oil you use in cooking. These oils are often loaded with unhealthy fats. A god nonstick spray is a wonderful substitute for the oils and fats that you are using.
Few people have a knack for cooking, but if you can read and follow a recipe, you can learn to cook simple meals very easily. It’s not as hard as you think. Follow these simple tips to get started.