Most people see cooking as a menial chore. However, cooking can be an enjoyable activity. Not only is it fun, but it can encourage a more healthy lifestyle. Every good cook constantly looks for ways to improve their cooking skills. Use the tips in this article to learn more about cooking and to start seeing cooking as an enjoyable activity.
Always measure your cooking oils! The reason to do this is simple: You want to measure instead of just dumping the oil in the pan in order to keep track of how much you’re using. You’ll be able to carefully account for all of the oil that you use.
If you have some leftover meat and veggies in your refrigerator, make some fried rice. Using day-old cool rice is best, however, if you have to make it fresh, make the rice drier by cutting down on the water a bit. Fry your vegetables and chopped meat in vegetable oil, then throw in your rice an season with some soy sauce, ginger, garlic and other spices of your choice.
Try using saffron when you cook. You can give your cooking a great flavor from the spice saffron. It is an herb that has been around for centuries, and still continues to be highly desired. It is a highly sought after spice, but it’s also the most expensive one.
Save the delicious taste of summer by drying tomatoes yourself. Slice a large, ripened tomato in half-inch-thick slices. If you are using Roma tomatoes, slice them lengthwise into two pieces. Take a cooling rack and place the tomatoes on it. Sprinkle them with salt. Place the rack on top of a cookie sheet, and bake the tomatoes in an oven set at 190 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 10 hours. You can then freeze your tomatoes in Ziplock bags. For flavored olive oil add some dried tomatoes and fresh herbs in a good quality extra virgin olive oil and store out of direct sunlight. This will be good for up to two weeks, and should be refrigerated during that time.
Are you preparing a dish with fresh basil? Gather a small bunch of freshly cut basil and place it in a glass. Cover the stems with water. Next, place the basil and glass on the kitchen counter; the herb will remain fresh for a week or more. The basil will grow roots if you occasionally change the water. Cut or trim the basil occasionally to encourage additional growth and you can enjoy fresh basil for some time!
Start with the preparations prior to cooking. This keeps you safe, and saves you money. Working with hot pans and stoves while you are distracted with prep tasks is a recipe for injury, and you tend to leave burners and ovens on longer if you are still preparing ingredients.
You can make your pasta sauce tastier by saving some of the cooking water from the pasta. Measure out one quarter cup of water, and put it to the side. The water should be added to the sauce and pasta mixture. Starch in pasta water has a thickening effect on your sauce, making it seem creamier.
Even though you might want to really impress guests with a fancy dish, never try out a recipe for the first time when cooking a meal for an important event. For a boss, new in-laws or a love interest, you should impress them using your cooking skills. Impress them by cooking a meal you already know you can prepare well.
As was previously noted, a good cook is always learning. The beauty of cooking is that it is not just about the physical act, but also about different types of food and cooking methods. You should also share these tips with others. Cooking is not only a skill to be learned, but a gift to be shared.