Sometimes, your kitchen may seem uninteresting. A hobby, such as cooking, will completely revolutionize this. Your kitchen turns into your canvas, and your meals are your finished painting, something you can be proud of, that pleases everyone. These tips will help you along the way.
Let raw potatoes soak in some cold water for a half hour prior to frying them to increase the crispiness of French fries. Soaking potatoes accomplishes two important things for your French fries; it takes out sugar and starch during the soaking process.
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. The bland cauliflower taste will make it so that you do not notice much difference in the taste, while accentuating the taste of some of the other ingredients. In addition, cauliflowers can blend into the same texture and color as potatoes, which makes cauliflower an excellent method of adding vegetables and decreasing calories from a mashed potato dish.
A lot of people cook with apples during fall and winter, but they will spoil rather quickly if you don’t store them correctly. Apples tend to rot in warm dry air, so tie them up loosely in plastic bags and store in a refrigerator or cool basement. Make sure to check on them regularly, as one rotten apple means the rest are soon to follow.
There is something you can do to rescue your sauce and use it as planned. In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons of water and 3 teaspoons of corn starch. Stir the mixture into the thin sauce and it will get thicker. Be sure to gradually stir in the solution, and frequently stir the sauce so that it does not become too thick.
Make repairs to your pie crust. Pie dough that has been overworked can crack quite easily. After putting a little cold water on the crack, repair it by gently rubbing the dough together using your index finger. If the top crust has cracks, brush it with milk and sprinkle it with a bit of sugar. This will give a nice glaze to the crust once it is baked.
When purchasing meats or fish, choose bone-in instead of boneless. After removing the bones, store them in freezer-tight bags and keep them on hand in your freezer compartment for use as needed.
Fat Free
You must start your soup or stew with a stock or broth that is fat free, and then you can make the entire dish basically fat free. Soup is also lower in fat when it includes veggies and lean meat. Before eating the soup, allow it to refrigerate for several hours. Any excess fat will harden and rise to the top. Afterwards, simply scoop off this congealed fat. Each tablespoon of hardened fat removed equates to around 100 calories so that can add up quickly to quite a savings.
To give your food vitality, prepare meals using fresh ingredients instead of frozen or dried ingredients whenever possible. Use whatever seasonal ingredients are available to create tasty dishes, which are also less expensive.
Try changing your sauces and spices for interesting and new foods. You will find that using different spices in your marinades will drastically change the taste of the food. You can easily find exotic spices and sauces at your local ethnic store.
For an easy way to spice up a simple food such as dinner rolls or corn, add in some flavored butter. You can soften the butter either by letting it sit at room temperature, or by using your microwave. Stir in seasonings like herbs and spices or a sauce to add some zing. There are many tasty options like honey, salsa and even lemon juice.
You should keep your spices and herbs in a space that is cool and away from light. Exposure to humidity, light and heat all affect the flavor of your spices. It has been found that ground herbs and spices maintain their flavor for roughly a year. Whole spices can retain flavor for about three or five years. If you store them correctly, they will stay fresh for an even longer period of time.
Choose utensils made from nylon, silicone, or rubber when cooking with non-stick cookware. If you use your wood or metal utensils, you could chip up the nonstick coating to the point where it doesn’t work as well, and the coating could get into your food. This is both unappealing and unsafe.
For optimal safety, use only sharp knives when preparing food. Dull knives not only are ineffective, but they’re also dangerous! This is because if you are trying to cut using a dull knife you have to exert more force to make the same cut that you could easily make using a sharp knife.
A good cooking method when working with poultry is to first brine the bird. Soak any poultry in brine water for about an hour before cooking it.
If you are serving a salad with a meal where you have guests, do not pour the salad dressing on the salad, keep it on the side. Some people like more dressing on their salad than others do, so it is better to let them add the dressing themselves. It is important to provide your guests with a plethora of dressings.
Allow the food to sit for a little while before serving. Many people do not realize that it is important to let a meal rest. It’s extremely tempting to eat a meal just as soon as it comes off the grill or stove. If you do this, you aren’t getting the full experience associated with your food. Always allow your meat sit for about 5 minutes before eating.
Use these tips as-is, or spice them up and make them your own. You can make great meals that your family will appreciate and you can relax while you cook. Cooking will not only provide you with the nutrients you need to survive, but it can also allow you to find a relaxing way to express yourself. Make the kitchen the heart of your home.