Have you ever had a delicious dinner provided by family or friends and found yourself wondering how it got made? The following article will give you the ability to improve your cooking skills, regardless of how great a cook you are.
When you are making stir-fry dishes, make certain the meat is thinly sliced on the bias. This is not easy to do and could take some time. Then take the meat of out the freezer when it has firmed up a little, but has not frozen yet, and cut the meat at 45 degrees with the grain.
Always have your spices stored in a dark and cool place. The shelf life of spices is greatly reduced if they are exposed to heat, humidity, or light. Try to find a cool, dark cupboard if you want to increase the flavor and lifespan of your favorite spices. If you use fresh spices, your food will taste better.
Texture and taste don’t have to suffer when you are trying to lighten up your mashed potatoes. Cauliflower makes for a great substitute to help drop the fat and calorie content. Cauliflower tends to have a bland taste, so this will blend nicely with the potatoes, and will pick up other ingredients, as well. Cauliflower mashes into the same texture and color as potatoes, so no one will notice, and you you will get the benefits.
The mushrooms will just absorb the water. Instead of this, you should use a clean, wet cloth, and proceed to wipe the mushroom off by using your hands.
Before cooking pumpkins, cut them up and place them on a baking sheet flesh side up. Put each half on a separate baking sheet, upside down. Sprinkle a little water on to your baking sheets, then you can bake your pumpkins for an hour in a 350 degree oven.
Store spices and herbs in cool and dark areas so their freshness and flavors are preserved. If you keep herbs and spices in an area that is close to the stove, they will lose their flavor very quickly and just be a waste of money.
It is necessary for all cooks to organize their cooking supplies. If they aren’t organized, you will waste valuable time getting everything together at the last minute. Store similar items together in the same place. As an example, keep all of your spices stored in one cabinet for ease.
Your cutting board retains the odors of certain herbs and vegetables despite repeated scrubbings. This can save you from eating garlic strawberries.
You should consider replacing your spices about twice a year. If spices are kept open for too long a time, they will eventually lose their flavor. If you purchase a specific spice, knowing that you probably won’t use it all, split it with someone.
Prepare your own stock to enjoy dishes that are more flavorful. You can make this in large batches, and freeze some for later use in resealable freezer bags. You will have stock on hand for soup and other things. Homemade soup stock or bullion is a wonderful way to eliminate high sodium and preservatives that are present in commercially made products from your diet.
Make use of the handy tips contained in this article. Before long people will ask you what your secret to creating such fabulous dishes is!
