Many people only see cooking as a chore that needs to be done. You really can learn to enjoy it, though. Cooking can also be used as a way to promote a healthy lifestyle. In order to be a good cook, you should continue to learn. The following article will help you learn some things you may not have known about cooking.
Make sure you use the correct potatoes in your recipes. Classifications for potatoes are mealy, all-purpose or waxy. Potatoes that are considered mealy are good for mashing because of their dry consistency. Russet is a common type of mealy potato. Yukon-gold are all-purpose potatoes that can work with any dish. Since they hold their shape well, waxy potatoes are suitable for steaming and boiling. The most prevelant waxy potato varieties are red or regular white potatoes.
If you are making a roast and you need to cook it quickly, do not take out the bone. Leaving the bones in will significantly reduce the joint’s cooking time as bones are nature’s alternative to metal skewers. Once your roast is done, just cut the meat from the bone, then serve.
To make your pasta sauce a little better, use some of the water that you cooked your noodles in. Save around 1/4 cup of water and put it aside. When you’re ready to combine the pasta and sauce, pour in a bit of the water. The pasta water contains starch, which will give your sauce a thick creaminess.
Do you often throw away moldy fruits and feel bad about it? Do not cut the rotten part and eat the rest. If you have fruit that is just a little rotten, throw it away. Rid yourself of this fruit. The mold can run deep and can make you sick if eaten.
You should always use fresh seasoning and herbs whenever the dish you are cooking is simple. A more complex dish will still be delicious if you use dried herbs and seasonings. However, fresh herbs produce an overall better taste if added at the end of the cooking cycle. A good way to always have herbs on hand is to grow a little garden. Even a few pots in the window sill can give you a lot of fresh herbs on demand.
If you have to season food while cooking it, add some in timed intervals rather than all of it at the start of cooking. Doing this gives your food more flavor and you can get the most from your ingredients.
It important to neither overcook or undercook a cake. 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 tried and true method is to insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If you stick a toothpick in your cake, and when you pull it out, it does not have any batter on it, the cake is ready to be taken out of the oven.
Allow your food to sit for a moment before serving it. This is very important for the juices to be absorbed back into your meat. It’s extremely tempting to eat a meal just as soon as it comes off the grill or stove. But many foods need to “rest” for a few minutes before being served in order to taste their best. Instead, allow each dish to cool briefly before serving it.
As was mentioned, ongoing education is the hallmark of a good cook. The beauty of cooking is that it is not just about the physical act, but also about different types of food and cooking methods. Sharing your cooking skills with others is also part of being a good cook. Cooking shouldn’t simply be a skill that you learn; it should be a gift that you share.