All humans must eat food in order to live. But really, do you just want to survive? Cooking great food can be even more rewarding than eating good food. Here are a couple tips to help take your cooking expertise to a whole new level.
Would you like to cook with fresh basil? Put a bunch of fresh basil in a glass. The stems should be thoroughly covered in water. Now, just sit this glass on your window sill or counter and the basil should stay fresh for a few days to a few weeks. Refresh the water quite often, and you will notice that the basil starts to grow roots. All you need to do is keep the roots of the basil trimmed regularly and you will have fresh basil ready for use for quite some time.
Invest in stackable cooling racks. When baking a large batch of cookies or other baked goods, the cooling baked goods can take over your entire work area. Make use of these stackable cooling racks to have more space. By arranging your baked goods vertically, you can preserve some valuable area on which to continue working.
Bundle your fresh herbs together and cut the appropriate amount off with scissors. When cut in this way, these herbs will have a lighter, fresher appearance.
Make it a habit to cook with fresh seasonings and herbs whenever possible. Dried herbs like oregano and basil are generally more appropriate for highly complicated dishes with varied flavors. Though when possible, it is always better to use fresh herbs as they provide your dish with better flavor. If you want to have fresh herbs whenever you need them, consider growing a little herb garden.
A great source of protein for your diet can be found in beans and tofu. Both can be found at any grocery store. The tofu can be lightly seasoned and pan fried, which makes for a great alternative to meat. Likewise, beans cooked with herbs can also be a flavorful dish.
If you are preparing homemade salsa that won’t be consumed immediately, rinse the cut onions with cold water and thoroughly dry off any excess water before using them. Onions have plenty of sulfurous gas. After about twenty minutes, the gas can have an effect on the taste of your salsa. When you rinse the onions with water and dry them, you neutralize the gas.
Be careful not to overcook or undercook your cake. The time recommended on the box or in a recipe is a guide to be used with caution, because many factors, such as high altitudes, can have an effect on the actual time needed. A good way to judge whether a cake is finished is by sticking a toothpick into the center of the cake. It needs to come out clean to know the cake is baked all the way through, but if batter sticks to it, the cake will need to bake longer.
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. Your food will taste better, and you will not have a lull in the cooking process waiting for the oil to heat up.
Learning how to cook and making delicious dishes can be just as much fun as eating. Utilize the advice above in you cooking, and always make sure to tweak and experiment to add a personal touch to any dish you prepare. Your skills will quickly improve if you try making something every day. Soon your friends will be impressed and enjoy your new skills more than you suspect.