Everyone can learn to cook. Do you have the capability to purchase ingredients, and can you stick to a recipe? Do you have any cooking equipment? If so, cooking is clearly within your realm of capabilities! Use the following advice to learn how to cook meals your whole family will enjoy.
All of the prep work can be done ahead of time. This is why it’s called prep work, because this is what you want to have done before you begin cooking. If you are cooking a complex dish, take some of the stress out of it by having your needed ingredients lined up and ready. Try to complete your preparations, so you can avoid scrambling later on.
Meat should always be thinly sliced and cut on the bias if you are adding it to a stir-fry. It takes a little practice and time to get it right. Take the meat out as soon its gets firm (not frozen), then cut it across the grain at a forty-five degree angle.
You should limit the amount of seasoning you apply to meat until you have tried it. Different cuts and types of meat have certain spice mixtures that work best for them. Do not cook it all after seasoning. Cook a small piece of it first. If it tastes good, then cook it, if it needs some additional seasoning, then you can adjust your recipe before making the entire meal.
Always cook what you know whenever you are cooking for someone special. Don’t attempt a dish that is new or very far out of your experience level. This is a recipe for a stressful time in the kitchen.
To make your French fries crisper, try leaving the raw potatoes in some cold water for half an hour before you fry them. The potatoes need to soak because the fibers will be reinforced through the cold fluids which in turn makes them fry better. They can handle the heat and not break apart completely.
If you love using fresh basil, try growing it on your own to always have it on hand. You can cut basil by the stems, bunch it together, and put it in a glass. Put enough water into the glass to cover the stems but not the leaves. Store it on the counter of your kitchen; it will stay fresh for weeks. Switching out the water from time to time will cause the basil to grow, as well. By picking leaves you will encourage the basil to put out new growth. This will ensure that you have fresh basil on an ongoing basis!
You can make a lot of preparations when you are cooking to make it easy and fast. Look at your recipe and decide which steps you can do in advance without worry of food spoilage. There are many recipes where you can do the prep work the day before you start cooking. Completing half the work ahead of time makes cooking time quicker and more enjoyable.
After you have prepared some sauce, freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays. This makes it easier for you to make a quick meal which you can reheat at a later time. Sauce cubes made this way are safe and will taste great!
If you’re cooking pumpkins, cut them in half by positioning them upright and slicing down the middles. Next, set each of the two pieces on a separate baking sheet, taking care to place each one cut side down. Sprinkle some water on both baking sheets, then at 350 degrees bake the pumpkin for about an hour.
When you make food that contains seasoning, only put a little bit on at a time instead of putting it on all at once. When you use this method, you will be more in control of the flavor and can limit over using your ingredients.
Organization while cooking is necessary in order to avoid disasters, like under done or burnt food. A cooking station that is well-organized is more productive. If you just cook without a plan, you will waste lots of food, which is the same as wasting lots of money.
Cooking is a skill, hobby and vocation. There are so many ways of preparing food, and you should learn all you can from the people that are best at it. When you next cook, use the advice from this article.
