Have you ever eaten something at a five-star restaurant and wanted to buy the secret recipe? Have you tried to duplicate your favorite restaurant's food at home? You can use these tips to educate yourself on how to prepare the best meals, and make new ones. All kinds of people find cooking a form of relaxation and even a good time.
In addition to the oven timer, set an alarm on your watch. Using the watch timer ensures that you will always be aware of when your food is ready to take out.
To give your meals a burst of flavor, instead of using water, try adding beef or chicken stock. You can use bouillon cubes if you do not have any stock handy as a substitute. The dishes you prepare this way have ample moisture, but also receive an additional layer of taste.
Instead of allowing those vegetables to sit in your refrigerator and go bad on you, you can dice them up and throw them in the wok with some rice and Asian seasonings for a fried rice dish. Day-old rice is prime for making fried rice, but if you have none lying around, try this tip. You can reduce the water to make a slightly drier rice. You should use some oil to cook your vegetables and meats. Then, you can add some rice and seasoning, such as ginger, garlic, soy sauce and other delicious spices.
Prepare the perfect sandwich for your guests by spreading the mayo evenly everywhere on the bread. Many people rush and just place the mayo in the bread slice's middle. Every bite can be more delicious when it is spread evenly!
Do all your cooking prep work well ahead of time. This way, you can prevent distractions like hot oil in pans or other distractions. You can also save on gas and heat by not turning on appliances before you are ready.
It is crucial that you buy new spices around every six months. Quite often, spices pass their sell-by-date before you use them up, losing their flavor. If you purchase a specific spice, knowing that you probably won't use it all, split it with someo ne.
Don't use a type of wine in your meal that is a kind you wouldn't drink regularly. Using a type of wine you find unpalatable will negatively impact the flavor of your food. Look through your grocery store to find wines that are used specifically for cooking.
Beautiful pies start with beautiful crusts. If you have kneeded your dough too much, it can get cracks in it. You can easily knead out these cracks with your finger if you sprinkle a dash of cold water on them first. Adding milk can also increase the softness of the pie crust, improving its appearance. Once it is baked, there will be a lovely glaze on the crust that will obscure any cracks.
When trying to cut strips of meat, partially freeze it for a more firm cut. This is perfect for meals that require really thin meat such as Chinese or Thai dishes. When the meat is partially frozen, cutting becomes cleaner as the meat fibers are less likely to tear or stretch. To keep your meat cooking evenly, make sure you let the slices thaw completely before you cook them.
Nearly any recipe benefits from using fresh ingredients rather than the frozen or dried version. The more fresh ingredients you use in your cooking, the better your dishes will be. Fresh ingredients have more flavor, and are less costly than frozen and canned ingredients.
Use the potatoes as stated in the recipe as not all potatoes are created equal. Potatoes are classified as all-purpose, waxy or mealy. Mealy potatoes tend to be dry and crumbly, which is ideal for mashing. One popular mealy type is the russet potato. For a popular all-purpose potato, there is Yukon gold. Use waxy potatoes for steaming or boiling since they hold their shape well. The most popular waxy potatoes are red potatoes or white potatoes.
Get out the cooking oil when measuring sticky foods. Prior to measuring, put a little bit of a low-flavor cooking oil on the spoon (canola works well here). This way, the food you are measuring will easily sl ip off the spoon. This stops you from wasting food and having to clean up afterward. These same methods can be repeated with honey, and peanut butter as well.
Get only the freshest garlic from the grocery store when you're preparing a recipe that calls for it. A good rule of thumb is that fresh garlic will have a sweet taste to it. If your garlic is not shriveled up or soft and has a nice and firm skin, your garlic is fresh.
If you want to try a more advanced recipe, make it more manageable by prepping the day before. Make sure you have all your ingredients before you start cooking, and that you shop and measure them so they are ready to go. When you are ready to cook the meal it will be quick and easy because you will just have to throw the ingredients together and cook.
Now you have some great ideas on how to up the ante on your cooking! Think of cool ways to spice up existing recipes or learn entirely new recipes. With all the yummy ethnic food you can prepare, only your knowledge and imagination limit what you can do in the kitchen!
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