Everyone can learn to cook. Are you able to purchase food and follow directions? Are simple pots and pans stored in your kitchen? If the answer to these two questions is yes, then you too can learn how to cook. These tips are here to help you improve your cooking skills and prepare great dishes.
For people that enjoy preparing meals with fish, try catching fish locally, if possible, instead of buying. Catching and preparing fish provides a delicious, fresh meal as well as the satisfaction of providing for oneself.
If you want to slice meat into thin strips, freeze it partially before bringing it to the cutting board. This is an especially strong technique for the meats called for in Asian meals. The meat holds a tighter form when the it is partially frozen making the strips clean cut with out any stretching of the meat. A word of caution, allow meat to completely thaw prior to cooking. This will ensure even cooking of your meat.
For dishes such as macaroni and cheese, follow the instructions carefully. The macaroni cooks perfectly when you do this and is nothing short of spectacular after the nice, creamy, melted cheese is poured over the noodles. Use a solid spoon, not slotted, to serve the it to make sure each serving is smothered with cheese. Another great tip is to spice things up a bit with some black pepper.
When cooking with pumpkins, you will need to place the pumpkin upright then slice it in half right down the middle. Put each half on a separate baking sheet, upside down. Sprinkle some water on both baking sheets, then at 350 degrees bake the pumpkin for about an hour.
There are much better ways to heat tortillas. One way is to preheat the oven temperature to 350, then place the tortillas on the rack. You can also crisp your tortilla on the gas burner of your stove-top. Just turn the flame on low and place the tortilla on the burner above the flame. Watch it carefully! It only takes a moment! When you use these methods, your tortillas will taste crisp and fresh.
If preparing dinner becomes overwhelming, try to get some of the prep work done the night before. Before going to bed, cut up the onions and veggies or make your marinating sauce. This way, your stress levels the next day will be a lot less, and cooking a lot more fun.
When you are going to be creaming sugar and butter to make cookies, be certain that the butter is soft, but not melted. If the butter has melted, you should allow it to briefly harden in the freezer. An alternative is to mix the butter with the other ingredients, then allow the dough or batter to sit in the refrigerator. Reducing the temperature of the dough will stop the butter from spreading.
If you need to warm up leftovers that are oily but don’t want to contend with the greasy mess, try baking them in the oven instead of popping them in the microwave. A microwave oven causes intense heat which can cause the oil in foods, which heats first, to separate. Conversely, baking cooks the food slowly, which allows it to retain all its juices and flavor.
You can cook as a hobby, skill, and as a profession. With food, the possibilities are limitless. Learn something new by studying the habits and recipes of the people who know cooking best and are willing to share that knowledge. So, the next time have control of your kitchen and a potentially fabulous meal, refer to these tips for some inspiration!