Sadly, many people consider meal preparation a monotonous chore. Cooking can be very enjoyable. It offers an excellent opportunity to follow a healthier lifestyle. The best cooks are those who are always willing to learn new techniques. Furthering your knowledge also makes the cooking experience far more pleasurable; use the following tips to help you grow as a cook.
Invest in good cutting utensils to use in the kitchen. It’s safer to cut with a sharp instrument than it is to with a dull one, and you will also save some time. Dull knives have caused many more accidents than nice, sharp ones.
The night before you cook, try to prepare as much as possible. Doing this will allow you to focus on putting the dish together. You won’t waste electricity by letting something cook just a little longer, so you can prep the ingredients for the next step, or be distracted when cooking with hot oil.
If you cook with chicken stock or beef stock instead of water, you can enhance the flavor of everything you cook, from mashed potatoes and rice, to soups and stews. Alternatively, you can stir in bouillon cubes with the water. This gives the food you are cooking the necessary amount of moisture while also adding another level to the taste profile.
Ensure that all of your spices and herbs are stored in a cool and dry area away from direct light. Exposure to humidity, heat and light can cause your spices to lose their flavor fast. This just exposes them to the elements and degrades their flavors.
You should let your meal rest for a little bit. It is a new idea to many, but allowing your food to rest can be quite beneficial. It is highly tempting to serve the food as soon as you take it off the grill. If you serve immediately off the grill, you will lose most of the juices in meat when you cut into it. Let your food, particularly meat dishes, rest for a few minutes prior to serving.
Cater to your guests by serving salads with dressing on the side. Some people like to put more salad dressing on their salads than other people do; let your guests put their own salad dressing on. It is also a good idea to offer several dressing choices.
Warming up leftovers is often very messy, especially if the dish contains a lot of oil. Reduce the mess by baking the food instead of heating it in the microwave. The intense microwave heat usually causes the oil, which warms up the fastest, to separate itself from other ingredients. However, baking in a slow and consistent manner can reheat the entire dish, which can keep the ingredients and flavors cohesive.
To make a delicious beef stir-fry, slice your meat thinly and across the grain. Some people find it difficult to cut the meat thin, but it is very important. Take the meat out of the freezer once it gets firm, place a sharp knife at an oblique angle and start slicing.
Do not use any kind of wine in your cooking that you haven’t tasted on your own. If you use a kind of wine you’ve never tasted before, you may mess up the flavor of the dish you’re working on. Look through your grocery store to find wines that are used specifically for cooking.
As was stated at the beginning of the article, good cooks never stop learning. The enjoyment from cooking doesn’t just come from eating the finished dish, it comes from experimenting with different foods and cooking methods. It is also important to teach others what you know. Cooking is an acquired skill that is meant to be taught to and shared with others.