A lot of people find cooking to be very relaxing and a great hobby. A kitchen that is filled with fresh food that smells delicious is certain to make anyone’s mood a bit lighter. If you’re new to cooking, the abundance of utensils, ingredients and recipes can be overwhelming at first. The following paragraphs have a handful of helpful hints that will enable you to make memorable meals.
It is important to take proper care of wood cutting boards. Exposure to moisture or dryness can damage a wooden board easily. It is never smart to immerse your board in water. Instead, sponge clean it with soapy, warm water. To repair a damaged cutting board, use an oil designed to restore this type of board. Before you use the board, make sure it is dry.
Make your cooking very colorful. You will increase the visual appeal of your dishes and vary the beneficial nutrients found in different colored foods. Colorful garnishments can be chosen for your meals, such as parsley, carrot curls, and raw cherry tomatoes. Be creative with color, and people will eat the food in no time.
One way to make mashed potatoes retain their taste but contain a little less fat and calories is to replace some of them with equal amounts of cauliflower. Cauliflower’s neutral taste means that it blends easily with the flavor of the potatoes, butter and milk. When they’re mashed, cauliflowers have the same appearance and consistency as potatoes, too. Adding a little cauliflower can take calories out of your favorite mashed potato recipes and add in a little vegetable goodness, too.
Beans or tofu are excellent sources of protein that you may not have yet considered adding to your diet. You can buy these in almost any grocery store. You can pan fry the tofu with a few seasonings to have a delicious meat alternative. To add some tasty protein to your plate, boil some beans with a touch of herbs for seasoning.
Believe it or not, there’s quite a bit of variation among different types of potatoes. There are some potatoes that are waxy and recommended for making boiled potatoes and potato salad but are not recommended for mashed potatoes, french fries or baked potatoes. Russet potatoes are often recommended for making mashed, fried or baked potato recipes because they have high starch content.
When you truss your bird, you tie its legs and wings together. By holding the legs and wings close to the body, this allows for more evenly cooked meat. If you don’t truss the bird, the outer extremities of the legs and wings will become overcooked while the remainder of the turkey is still undercooked.
When cooking with oil, add it not to the bottom but to the pan’s sides. This will allow the oil to heat up as it works its way down to the center. This will give your food the highest level of flavor.
Spice up your cooking with a little creativity. Following every recipe to the letter will give results, but it won’t make you a great cook. You can add a little of one thing, or take out something else, to suit your tastes and enhance the recipe. That is the definition of a true cook!
Always blot ground meat before cooking it. Take a paper towel and soak up any extra moisture on ground beef before you cook it. When ground meats are cooked, excess moisture can be released. The moisture will cook before your meat does. The meat is likely to steam, rather than sear as it is supposed to.
As this article has discussed, cooking is revered by many as an excellent and enjoyable hobby. However, some people don’t know where to start, in terms of picking the right recipes or using the proper techniques. Follow this article’s advice and you will be on your way to cooking great food.