Cooking is an important skill that you should take the time to learn, whether you are single or have a large, hungry family. Learning how to cook allows you host dinner parties, control the ingredients in the food you eat and save money compared to eating out. The next few paragraphs will give you a comprehensive look at the world of cooking.
Certain methods of preparing vegetables, such as boiling, can reduce their nutrients, due to the length of cooking time. To retain these nutrients, rely on cooking methods that don’t take a lot of time, including steaming or sauteing. You can even eat them raw if you have the taste for it.
Mushrooms will absorb the water like a sponge. The right way to clean the mushrooms would be by hand, using a clean, wet cloth.
For an easy way to spice up a simple food such as dinner rolls or corn, add in some flavored butter. Soften your butter a bit in the microwave, or let it sit out for a while until it is room temperature. Then mix in herbs, spices or sauces to add an extra burst of flavor. There are many tasty options like honey, salsa and even lemon juice.
Fruit works extremely well when grilled. Try grilling melons, peaches or even apple chunks. Use a skewer to thread them. Cook them on a grill that is clean until you are able to see grill marks. Then, serve them atop grilled pound cake or ice cream.
You should have all preparations for your food ready before you start cooking. If you do so, you’ll save on electricity by not running an oven that you aren’t yet using. You are also adding a measure of safety by not getting distracted with another task and forgetting about a hot pan on the stove.
If you are big on using spices and herbs, store them in a cool and dark place to preserve their flavor and freshness. A lot of people store herbs and spice in cabinets which can collect heat, make sure you avoid this as this can result in flavor loss (as well as money loss).
It’s important to spread mayonnaise on sandwiches evenly from crust to crust. Many people who are rushing just place it in the middle. It is much more enjoyable to have mayo in every bite.
When you are making mashed potatoes for your dinner and are getting ready to mash them, use hot milk, not boiling, to mix into the potatoes. This creates fluffier and lighter potatoes, than if you used cold milk. This will turn your mashed potatoes from dull to delightful with virtually no effort.
Burger patties often stick to the frying pan or grill during cooking and fall apart when you try to flip them. You can use a brush to apply some vegetable oil to the grill and make it to where nothing will stick to it.
Instead of chopping them on a cutting board, a better way to cut herbs is to hold them in a bunch and cut them with sharp scissors. This works especially well for dill and parsley. By using this technique you can chop many herbs in a short amount of time, and they will be much lighter and fluffier, without the wetness that you get when using a knife.
Great benefits can be gained from the ability to prepare meals at home. Cooking can improve a lot of aspects of you life. Fast food can be convenient sometimes, but there’s nothing better than a good meal made from your own kitchen.