If you want to be a master chef or just a decent cook, you must learn some cooking basics. This article will give you information about how to cook like a pro. Read on and take note of these tips so that you can cultivate your cooking prowess.
Add spices to meals after they are cooked. Powdered garlic, pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper are all tasty additions to most meals. Everyone has different preferences of spices and other seasonings. Due to this, it is often best to leave spices out for people to add to their food as they wish, instead of forcing them to eat it how you like it. Each person will have their own special version of your meal that they will love.
Remove excess fat from soup or stew. If your stew or soup is too fatty, let it cool. This will cause all the fat to bubble up. Place an ice cube onto a spoon and run it over the surface. Any fat will be attracted to the ice. Another option is to soak up the fat with a paper towel.
Preparing foods with brine can add an interesting flavor to your cooking. Soak chicken, turkey, duck or goose in brine about an hour before preparing the dish to make the most out of the flavors in your meal.
When serving a salad at a social gathering, keep the dressing in a dish to the side. Let people put on their own dressing. Also, try and include different types of dressings.
When making dough for cookies, set your sticks of butter out at room temperature for a while so they are softened and avoid going further than adding sugar if the butter has been melted. If your butter is melted, put it in your freezer for a couple of minutes so that it starts to harden just a bit, or you can finish making the dough, and then put it in the refrigerator for a while. Reducing the temperature of the dough will stop the butter from spreading.
Make any necessary fixes to your pie crust. You might have cracks in your crust because you’ve overworked the dough. Add several drops of water to the flawed crust, which will help moisten and soften the corners. If the cracks appear in the top part of the crust, brush on a bit of milk along with a sprinkle of sugar. The sugar will form a gorgeous glaze, and cracks will remain hidden.
It is important to completely follow the instructions when making macaroni and cheese. This allows the macaroni to come out just as delicious as it was intended to with the cheese melted perfectly over the noodles. Serving with a solid-faced spoon will prevent the finished meal from sticking and globbing. Another great tip is to spice things up a bit with some black pepper.
Use air tight containers to store baking mixes, flour and sugar. Keeping your food in sealed containers will keep them fresher longer as the air can’t reach them. You can find these containers in a variety of sizes online or at local stores. Regardless of where you purchase them, using these containers is a choice you are unlikely to regret.
Fresh fruits, including bananas, apples and peaches will quickly turn brown if left exposed to the air after being cut open. Dipping the fruit in a mixture of salt water and lemon will help to stop the fruit from browning. Cut fruits can also be dipped in pineapple juice for a similar effect. A brief submersion will be effective, so soaking the food is not needed.
As previously mentioned, there are some things that you need to know if you want to be a great cook. Some of the tips that were found in this article can even help well-established cooks become better. After you read this article, you can be on your path to cooking great meals!