Cooking is a skill that gets better the more you use it. Even the most experienced cook can better their abilities through learning new techniques. Amateur cooks have to learn tips that make the cooking process more simple. This advice will help you learn more about cooking.
When you are planning to make quite a detailed meal, do some of the prep work the day before to reduce some of the stress involved. You can place all of your ingredients in a designated area so that you can be sure that you have all of the ingredients to prepare the dish. You can then chop fruits or vegetables and measure all dry ingredients that you need for the recipe. When the time comes to prepare the meal, you will now only need to assemble the ingredients and cook it.
Simplify measurement of sticky foods with cooking oil! Before measuring, lightly coat the spoon with a cooking oil which has little flavor, such as canola, and the substance being measured will slide off the spoon easily, preventing waste and making clean up much easier. This is a handy trick for getting just the right amount of everything from peanut butter to jelly.
When you make chicken stock, a good piece of advice is to make it in a big quantity. If you make a large pot of stock, you can freeze it and store it for future use. You can use the stock as a base for all kinds of soups or even casseroles. First, cool the stock and then stick it in the freezer.
It is important to keep your waffles and pancakes warm until they are ready to serve. You need to preheat a 300 degree oven. Place your breakfast goodies on a platter, and leave them in the oven to stay warm until they are ready to eat.
Measure the oil you use when cooking! This will help you lower the fat content when you cook as opposed to just pouring directly into the pan without measuring. This allows you to keep a strict amount of oil, instead of overdoing it.
Leave raw potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes before frying them to make crispier French fries. Soaking potatoes accomplishes two important things for your French fries; it takes out sugar and starch during the soaking process.
Make sure to keep your spices and herbs sealed in airtight containers, protected in a dark, cool place. If they get exposed to any light, humidity or heat, their flavor will begin to weaken. Herbs and spices that are ground usually remain flavorful for a year. Spices that are whole will retain flavor longer, closer to 3-5 years. You must store them correctly in order to maintain their freshness.
Do prep work in advance to cut down on cooking time. Often times, you can prepare food prior to cooking by at least a couple days in advance. There are many cases when the meal will have more flavor if the ingredients are prepped a few days in advance. Once you develop this habit, you may never go back.
Err on the side of caution by setting a watch timer, in addition to the oven timer. In case you are too far away from the oven to hear it, you will hear the watch timer you carry with you.
Even seasoned cooks can use new tips to ease their cooking process. And if you are new to cooking, you will need to learn all you can to make your meals special. Try out the tips you’ve just read and see if you can’t make your kitchen endeavors a little more enjoyable and a little more rewarding.