Cooking everyday can become boring if you only know to prepare a few different dishes. To make things more interesting, try to learn about cooking as an art. Doing so will allow you to not only cook healthy meals for yourself and your family, but also discover new and exciting dishes. To get started here is some great cooking advice.
A cool and dark location is best for storing spices and herbs. Exposure to excessive heat, humidity, or light will affect the flavor of dried seasoning. Another little known fact is that ground spices tend to lose their flavor quicker than whole spices. It is possible for whole spices to hold their flavor for several years. If stored correctly, they will remain fresher longer.
A lot of preparatory work can be done ahead of time in order to speed up time spent cooking. Look at your recipe ahead of time and draft up a list of what you can do to get ready, but don’t risk spoiling any ingredients. You can prepare a lot of food the day prior to actually cooking. In this manner, even complicated recipes become simple and easy meals.
Before you start cooking, quickly inventory and gather all required ingredients, so as to to prevent unnecessary stress. Doing so will ensure you won’t need to stop during cooking in order to run out to the store to purchase a missing ingredient. It takes the same amount of time to gather everything together beforehand as it does to pull out items as you need them, but the former method can potentially save you a great deal of time in the long run, not to mention stress and annoyance.
If you are going to stir-fry meat, be sure to have it cut on the bias and finely sliced. It is possible that you may have a little trouble doing so in a time efficient manner. Once the meat has become more firm, you should slice against the grain at 45 degrees.
A great source of protein for your diet can be found in beans and tofu. The vast majority of grocery stores stock both of these products. Fry up the tofu with seasonings to get a great meat alternative. Beans can always be cooked with some spices and herbs for a meal full of flavor and protein.
A meat thermometer should be used to ensure that meat is being cooked properly. There is a minimum internal temperature to which a meat needs to be cooked so that it is safe to eat. Meat that has not been cooked sufficiently can have bacteria growing in it, and these can cause illness if eaten.
When preparing to barbecue, make sure you light the charcoal in your grill ahead of time. Begin preparations around a half hour before you intend to start grilling. Make sure that the heat of the coals is medium and that they are covered with ash. This is the best temperature to begin grilling.
Potatoes should be mixed with hot milk (not boiling) when they are ready for mashing. This will give your mashed potatoes that light and airy texture that you desire. Boring, lumpy mashed potatoes are for the birds.
Poultry seasoning is very versatile and can be used in a variety of ways not just with poultry. You can add it to scrambled eggs or make a tasty snack by sprinkling a bit on some roasted pumpkin seeds. All your guests will be left wondering where the delightful flavor came from.
By following this advice, you are on your way to making cooking fun. Cooking is the best way to have fun and have a delicious experience while you learn about food. As you figure out what you love cooking, you might even learn more about yourself. The more you enjoy cooking, the better your home-cooked meals will taste.