The culinary arts use hundreds of techniques, recipes and ingredients to produce an infinite number of delicious meals and dishes. Some methods are very complicated and some are very easy to execute. You will discover some suggestions to help you cook better, no matter what level you are on.
Always store your spices in a cool and dark place. Their flavors are weakened by heat, light and humidity. Ground spices typically maintain their flavor for around a year. Whole spices may keep their flavors, possibly, three years or longer. Keep spices fresh for the longest time possible by storing them correctly.
When baking crust for pie or tarts, leave them in the oven to bake a little longer than you planned. They should be golden caramel in color instead of pale blonde. The golden color indicates that the sugar in the pie crust has caramelized and this will give a sweet and crisp flavor.
Prepare the meal the night before to reduce any stress when you're going to have a complicated meal. Locate the ingredients, cut up and measure herbs and spices and look through your cupboards to make sure you have what you need. When you have to cook the meal, the only thing on your mind will be actually putting it together.
When you are working with a fruit or vegetable you are unfamiliar with, take some time to learn about it. Your new food item could be quite versatile in use, so it is good to do the homework. By taking the time to educate yourself, you will have fun, and also prevent any disasters in the kitchen!
As you are preparing mashed potatoes for a meal, be sure to use hot, but not boiling milk to stir in with the potatoes. The mashed potatoes will be lighter and fluffier than if you would have used cold milk in them instead. Who wants dull and lumpy mashed potatoes?
Measure how much oil you use when cooking! To lower the quantity of fat you use when cooking, see to it that you measure the oil you are using, as opposed to just pouring it into the pan from the bottle. You'll be able to carefully account for all of the oil that you use.
When you saute food, try to avoid filling the pan with oil. Too much liquid in the pan will result in steamed, soggy food and not the crispy texture you were trying to achieve by sauteing. Keep the burner at a low setting during this process, as well.
Do not dress your guests' salads. Serve the dressing on the side and allow your guests to dress it to their liking. Some people enjoy lots of dressing when eating salads so it is important that each person add their own dressing. Make sure you have a selection to choose from.
Tortillas can be suitably warmed using a few different methods. The first way is to turn your oven on at 350 degrees and place the tortilla on the rack directly until it's as crispy as you want it. Another way would be to use the top of your gas stove, then place the tortilla right on top of the grill over the flame. Either method will result in a fresher, tastier meal!
Leave your meal to sit for a short while before serving. A lot of people aren't aware that flavors will improve if a meal can rest a bit before being served. Many of us prefer to simply serve a dish right out of the oven. If you do this, you'll miss out on the meat's full flavor. Let your food rest for a while, and you will enjoy tastier meals.
You can make a nice wok full of stir fried rice and bits and pieces of veggies and whatnot from your fridge. For drier rice, make it the night before you plan to use it or decrease the amount of water you use to cook it. Chop your meat and a variety of vegetables and saute in a small amount of oil to warm them through. Toss in the rice and add some soy sauce, ginger and garlic.
Are you going to cook with fresh basil? Place fresh basil into a glass. Fill the glass with water till the stems are covered. Now, just sit this glass on your window sill or counter and the basil should stay fresh for a few days to a few weeks. Change the water from time to time so that the basil grows roots. While the basil is alive and thriving, make sure you trim the leaves in order to progress the growth of the plant. You will have plenty of fresh basil on hand.
Using a baked potato instead of a small one can help you to have nice thick skins to use to make twice baked potatoes. Thin skinned potatoes such as red potatoes are unable to hold most fillings.
The odors of many spices and vegetables will stay on your cutting board and will be impervious to soap. 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.
Bake pie crusts a little longer than you would think they should be baked. Judge their color, not the time in the oven to determine if they are done. They will be golden brown when cooked. That deeper color shows that the sugar has caramelized. This creates a crisp crust, which is also sweeter.
When it's time to cook your meat, has it ever been an issue trying to decide how long to grill it for? It is a great idea to utilize a meat thermometer to make sure you cook the meat properly. If the meat is greater than 1.5 inches in thickness, you should close the lid of the grill in order to decrease your grilling time.
If you are including raw onions in a salsa that you aren't going to be serving right away, use cold water and a paper towel to rinse and blot the onions. Onions that are raw have sulfurous gas in them. The gas can sometimes ruin an otherwise great salsa. Rinsing and drying the onions gets rid of the gas.
A good piece of advice you can observe when cooking with oil is to pour it down the sides of the hot pan. When the oil reaches the food in the middle, it will already be hot. This will give your food the highest level of flavor.
This way, your fruit will last for a longer period time. You'll also be able to enjoy fruits out of season when the mood strikes you.
Learning how to cook and making delicious dishes can be just as much fun as eating. Use the suggestions outlined above and pick and choose what will work for you, and add your own little tricks along the way. Your cooking skill will improve, and everyone will want you to bring your meals and treats with you, everywhere you go.
