There are dozens of different ways that you can improve your cooking. This article is here to help you learn more about the art of cooking. Follow the tips provided in the article and you will know exactly what things you need to do to be the best cook that you can possibly be.
To save counter space when baking, use stacking cooling racks. If you are baking big batches of cookies, bars or other goodies, they can take up a large amount of space while they cool. Enter stackable cooking racks to save the day. Allowing your cookies to cool down on this vertical space gives you more room to do your work that needs to be done.
To avoid getting overwhelmed when preparing a dinner, make preparations a day in advance. Before you head to bed at night do your best to cut up vegetables and onions, marinating meat, or making some sauce. With this done, you will have a major portion of the meal ready for the next step, which means less stress for you.
Always ensure that butter is soft and not melted when you are making cookies. 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. If the dough is cooler, your cookies will not spread as much during baking.
In recipes that call for milk or water, try substituting more flavorful liquids. If the recipe calls for water, try using chicken or beef broth, or even the water that you used to cook your vegetables in. Use yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream in place of milk. You can increase the nutritional and wow factors of any dish, simply by trying different substitutions for liquids that recipes call for.
Burgers will often stick to a grill. Once they are stuck it can be very difficult to get them off of the grill and have them still maintain their shape. To prevent this, brush the grill with a bit of vegetable oil to keep your foods from sticking.
Always read the labels of what you buy. Many common cooking ingredients include substances that may not be very healthy. Look for hidden amounts of sodium and sugar that will contribute over time to reduced health.
It is quite easy to over-salt a recipe because you haven’t tasted it, but don’t worry! Add some raw potato chunks to your recipe, and let it cook for another 15 minutes. The potatoes will soak up the excess salt. If you’re fixing a dish that is tomato-based, you just have to add extra tomatoes in order to dilute all the extra salt. Continue to cook the dish until the tomatoes are tender.
You should always use fresh seasoning and herbs whenever the dish you are cooking is simple. For dishes with complex flavors, dried herbs will work. Even for these kinds of dishes, use fresh herbs when you can, as they will add punch to the taste. Consider starting your own herb garden, so that you always have access to fresh herbs.
To improve your pasta sauce, put aside some of the water used during the cooking of the pasta. Set aside about one-fourth cup of the pasta water. The water should be added to the sauce and pasta mixture. The starch from the pasta water will add body and a “creaminess” to your sauce through amalgamation.
As was stated at the beginning of this article, there are tips and secrets to learn to become a good cook. As with any other skill, it will come naturally for some people, while others will need more practice and advice. This article should provide you with the information necessary to become a better cook.