Do you enjoy experimenting with new foods? When imagining the taste of sweet things, are you left salivating with joy? How about savory ethnic food? Would you like to know how to cook exotic dishes at home? You no longer have to wonder. You can cook these meals yourself. If you want to make your own wonderful meals, the suggestions that follow may help you.
A pie crust should be baked a little bit longer than you would think. They should not be a pale blond color, they need to be golden brown. The crust changes to the caramel color only after the sugar has had time to caramelize. This will give the crust the sweet flavor you want.
Lengthy cooking processes such as boiling remove many of the important nutrients found in vegetables. To keep them nutritious, try quickly cooking them, like sauteing or steaming. You can also enjoy them raw.
Would you like to cook with fresh basil? Keep a fresh-cut bunch of basil inside a glass. Cover the stems with water. Place it on your kitchen counter to keep it fresh for weeks! If you replace the basil’s water enough, the basil can grow roots while in the water. Encourage new growth by occasionally pinching back or trimming your basil.
Know how much cooking oil to use. To cook with less fat, measure specific amounts of oil instead of pouring oil into the pan straight from the bottle. You’ll be able to carefully account for all of the oil that you use.
Get only the freshest garlic from the grocery store when you’re preparing a recipe that calls for it. As a rule of thumb, garlic will taste sweeter the fresher it is. You can identify fresh garlic by its lack of bruising and firm skin.
There are many herbs that have a strong smell that will stay on your cutting board. Make a mark with permanent ink on the end of the cutting board, so you always know which side to use for the item that you’re cutting.
Spices don’t last forever; replace them every 6 months. Spices lose their flavor if kept too long. So, make sure that when you buy new spices go ahead and give half to either a friend or family member if you feel you aren’t going to use all of it soon.
If you purchase fruit that is still green and want it to ripen quickly, put it in a plastic bag with perforations. Some fruits, like apples, produce ethylene gas as they ripen. Bags with holes will prevent already-ripened fruit from rotting, since the ethylene gas can escape; on the other hand, under-ripened fruit benefits from a bag without holes, since the gas that causes ripening is retained.
Follow the recipe exactly when you are making macaroni and cheese. 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 non-slotted spoon to serve macaroni and cheese. Adding a little pepper will give the macaroni a little zing!
When you implement the tips discussed, you are a little bit closer to making tasty meals that you are sure to enjoy. Be bold in the kitchen and experiment with new herbs. Create and implement new sauces with subtle nuances of flavor. You might find that you like some new kind of food when you are doing this. Use these hints and tips – and your discriminating palate – to become a proficient chef and whip up delectable and nutritious meals.