Learning how to cook offers a variety of benefits. Learning how to cook gives you power over your nutrition, and it helps you socially and financially. These tips can help you out on all aspect of cooking.
When cutting herbs, sprinkle a little salt onto your chopping board first. This adds some extra flavor to the herbs while also keeping them on the board. Do not add any salt to the dish you are making to prevent over-salting. Applying salt to the board will allow the herbs to stick better and give the meat a bit more flavor.
Eat a piece of meat when experimenting with seasoning before cooking all of it. Certain foods require very careful seasonings, especially dishes like meatballs, meatloaf and burgers. Don’t cook the whole thing after seasoning it. The more you cook, the better you will get at using the right amount of spices and seasonings. After that, you may choose to cook everything or adjust your seasoning accordingly.
Do not throw away left over veggies and meats; make a delicious meal of fried rice instead. Use cool rice from the day before or cook fresh rice with less water that you would normally use. The vegetables and meat will need to be fried in a small amount of oil. The rice and seasonings can be added after the meat and vegetables have had a chance to cook for a bit.
Start preparing your meal a night in advance if you have a lot to do on the day you’re going to cook. Put together a lasagna that you can refrigerate or freeze, or chop some vegetables for stir frying, and you shave precious time off of a stressful day and still put a tasty warm meal on the table for your family.
If you are cooking with a certain type of fruit or vegetable for the first time, do some research before using it. You may be surprised, with a little research, at the versatility of a new food. Taking the time to learn before starting to cook will leave you with a much happier experience in the kitchen.
For a simple way to add interest and complexity to your corn on the cob or dinner rolls, try mixing up a flavored butter. To start, let the butter sit at room temperature, or give it a quick spin in the microwave. For extra flavoring, you will need to mix in herbs, sauces or spices. For example, you might use chipotle peppers, citrus juices or even honey.
You can always save the sauce that you put so much effort into. In a medium sized bowl, mix together 1 tblsp water and 2 tblsp corn starch. While stirring, introduce the liquid into your sauce while it is simmering. Make sure not to add the corn starch too quickly; keep stirring and stop when the sauce is thick enough.
A good tip when cooking with oil is to put it on the sides of the pan so it’s already hot when it slides down into the food. A drop of water on the pan will sizzle when the oil is at the proper temperature.
If you’re cooking pumpkins, cut them in half by positioning them upright and slicing down the middles. Lay each half on it’s own cookie sheet with the cut side facing down. Sprinkle the baking sheets with a little water and allow the pumpkin to bake for an hour at 350 Fahrenheit.
Cooking for yourself or family can greatly benefit you. As these tips prove, cooking can brighten your life if you like haute cuisine, down-home cooking or soul food. Picking up food at the 7-11 or McDonald’s can certainly save you time, but there’s nothing quite like a meal you’ve cooked yourself.