For some people, spending time in the kitchen and cooking is a dreary task. The following article is filled with information that will help you actually enjoy cooking.
To make an improvement to pasta sauce, save some of the pasta’s cooking water. Take about a quarter cup of the water and set aside. Put in some of the water when you mix the pasta and the sauce. Residual starch in the water adds volume and creaminess to the sauce of your choice.
It has a wide variety of cooking uses, even outside the combination with meat. This type of seasoning can be applied to pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and even roasted peanuts to create a great on the go snack. People will wonder how you’ve managed to add such amazing flavor to simple dishes.
It’s easy to put too much salt in a dish while cooking, but there are tricks to get around this problem. Chop and peel some raw potatoes and then allow them to simmer in that sauce for around 15 minutes. The sliced potatoes will absorb any extra salt. If your dish is based in tomatoes, you can put in additional tomatoes for the purpose of diluting the excessive salt.
A meat thermometer can let you know if your meat has been thoroughly cooked. All kinds of meat have a minimum internal temperature that is recommended for safe consumption. Bacteria thrive on meats, and unless the meat is properly and thoroughly cooked, these bacteria can remain and cause you sickness if consumed.
Using fat-free broth in your stew can really help to reduce calories, and make a healthier soup. Use plenty of vegetables as well as lean meat to keep the fat content low in the soup. As soon as the soup is done cooking, put it in the refrigerator to chill. When the soup is cooled, you will find that the fat will have risen and congealed on top. You can then remove the hardened fat and discard. Every tablespoon of hardened fat is worth around 100 calories.
bake tart or pie crusts longer that you think they should be baked. They need to be a golden caramel color rather than pale blonde. The deep caramel color demonstrates that the sugar has melded with the other ingredients, giving you an optimal flavor.
If you are preparing a recipe that calls for milk or water, try substituting with an alternate liquid to add new flavor to your meals. If the recipe calls for water, try using chicken or beef broth, or even the water that you used to cook your vegetables in. Buttermilk, yogurt and sour cream can be great substitutes for milk. Using different liquids is an easy way to make an old dish more interesting and more nutritious.
Try to cook the foods that you are talented at when you are cooking for a special event. Avoid the temptation to try a new dish or ingredient. This can keep your stress levels in check while you cook.
Sharp knives are an important component of any kitchen. Dull knives, in addition to being ineffective, are actually very dangerous. You are more likely to cut yourself by using a dull knife, as opposed to when cutting using a sharp knife.
Sometimes you make big batches of pancakes or waffles and you’d like them to stay warm. Turn your oven on to 300 degrees. Once you finish cooking the food, put it on a plate, and then place it in the oven so that it retains its warmth.
As we have discussed, there are a large variety of things you can do to make cooking much more fun and enjoyable. If you use the tips in this article you’ll find that you can make cooking creative and fun, enjoying every minute of it.