There are people who see cooking as nothing more than a chore. But for many, cooking is an enjoyable hobby, something to look forward to. This is an easier way to live healthy. As a first-rate cook always seeks to expand their skills, read on to gain some useful tips which can help you increase your knowledge and your enjoyment of cooking.
Add lots of salt to your water for cooking pasta. This is the most effective time to season pasta. If you salt the pasta once it is cooked, you will not get as much flavor when you add the seasoning.
To reduce fat and calories in mashed potatoes without sacrificing texture or taste, replace some of your potatoes with an equal amount of cauliflower. You will not taste the blandness of cauliflower, but notice a new interesting flavor instead. Cauliflower is also the same texture and color of potatoes when mashed so it’s a great way to add more veggies, while lowering calories from classic mashed potatoes.
If you have made sauce, put the leftovers into an ice cube tray and freeze. When you’d like to make a quick and easy meal later on, you just have to pop out a few cubes of sauce and reheat them in a pan. The sauce will be very edible after it comes out of the trays.
Prior to cooking ground meat, blot it. You should remove excess moisture from ground beef prior to cooking. The moisture will release while the meat is being cooked if it is not blotted before hand. The moisture will sizzle before your meat does. This means you meat is being steamed and not seared.
When seasoning your food, add the seasonings gradually rather than dumping it all in at once. This makes the flavor of the food the best it can be and you will get everything out of each individual ingredient.
If you prefer to use spices and herbs, make sure they are stored in a cool, dark place, so their freshness and flavor is preserved. Keeping your spices and herbs stored above your stove or in high cabinets where warm air collects will dry them out and destroy their flavor.
Cooking a large meal for friends or family requires a great deal of preparation ahead of time. Review your recipes, and be certain the ingredients are readily available in your kitchen. Get out everything that you’ll need including the ingredients and utensils a day ahead of time. Doing so allows you to focus on the cooking itself.
While you may wish to present them with something elaborate, avoid testing new recipes when you are making a meal that really matters. You don’t want to risk a culinary disaster in front of people you hope to impress. Ensure that they enjoy their meal by cooking a dish that you are familiar with.
To easily slice meat thinly, place it in the freezer until firm but not frozen. For Asian meals, such as Thai and Chinese dishes, this technique creates strips that are particularly ideal. Partially frozen meat is easier to slice as the cold temperature prevents the meat fibers from stretching and tearing. Allow the meat strips to completely thaw before you throw them in the cooking pan, so you can be sure that the strips all cook evenly.
As you have seen, the key to becoming better at cooking is continuing to learn all you can. The best part about cooking is not simply meal preparation, but learning about all the kinds of foods, ingredients and techniques. In addition, it provides you with the pleasure of teaching others the wonderful things you have learned. Cooking is an acquired skill that is meant to be taught to and shared with others.