Cooking is an important skill that you should take the time to learn, whether you are single or have a large, hungry family. Having the know-how to cook offers so many benefits ranging from nutritional needs to the social and financial aspects. Beginning cooks and professional chefs can still learn new tips and techniques.
When you are preparing potato skins or twice baked potatoes, consider using a baking potato. Always avoid red potatoes as they have the thinnest skins.
Purchase quality cutting utensils for the kitchen. Dull knives waste time and can mash food instead of cleanly slicing. Sharp knives are safer to use, too. Most of the accidents that happen in the kitchen are due to someone using a dull cutting utensils.
A great way to add zip to some of your staple foods, like potatoes, use beef or chicken stock instead of water. Alternately, you can use bouillon in the water called for in the recipe. Doing this will provide the food you’re making with the required amount of moisture and will also enhance the flavor.
Do you enjoy cooking with the flavors of fresh basil? Put a some of it in a cup. Next, fill the glass so that the stems are fully submerged. Store it on the counter of your kitchen; it will stay fresh for weeks. If you keep the water as fresh as you can, roots will start growing. Trim or cut the basil periodically to provide for added growth so you can partake in some fresh basil for a while!
When you are purchasing food to make a recipe, read your labels. Many often-used ingredients contain hidden, unhealthy ingredients. By reading the labels, you can check to see if the product contains sugars or sodium in high amounts. Sugars and sodium can be detrimental to your health if over consumed.
Have you felt sorry for tossing moldy fruit away? Do you wonder if you can still use the fruit by simply cutting out the part that seems overripe? Trying to salvage fruit when half of it is bad may save money, but it is not worth the health risks. Mold grows inward to places that you can’t even see and can make you sick so throw moldy fruit in the garbage.
When unpacking your groceries, place any unripened fruits in perforated bags. Ethylene gas is produced as a by-product of the ripening process. By placing them in a plastic bag with holes, air will circulate in the bag, making sure that ethylene gas is retained, and the fruit keeps its great taste.
If you are preparing pumpkins for a meal, position the pumpkin so it is sitting upright, then cut it into two equal halves. Lay the cut halves on individual baking pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle a little bit of water onto the baking sheets, then bake for about one hour.
Replace your spices twice a year. If a spice is kept for a long time, it could lose some of its flavor. If you purchase spices that you know are not used often in your home, give some to a family member or friend.
When preparing a meal, make sure you have clean cooking utensils. You need to make sure there is no residue left on the utensils, it could ruin your food. There is a possibility this may introduce bacteria into the food.
Having the ability to cook and make enjoyable meals for you and your family is a beneficial skill to have. As these tips prove, cooking can brighten your life if you like haute cuisine, down-home cooking or soul food. Though drive-thrus offer convenience and speed, the taste offered by a meal prepared at home triumphs over any drive-thru any day.