Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Food Is Fun Again With These Cooking And Prep Tips

Food Is Fun Again With These Cooking And Prep Tips

When you first start cooking, there are some things that you need to know. Many people don't have a natural talent for cooking. The truth is that anyone can learn to cook, it just takes a little time and effort to perfect the techniques necessary. You must seek out the knowledge necessary for taking your food from boring to amazing. In the article below you will see some great tips which can put you in the direction towards becoming a better cook.

Always read the labels of the ingredients you buy. Lots of the time, cooking supplies have hidden ingredients that may be bad for your health. Avoid ingredients that have high sugar and sodium content, because they can cause health problems.

Dab your ground meat with a few paper towels before cooking it to rid of excess moisture. It's never a bad idea to dry the surface of ground meats. If your meat is soggy before you sear it, then it will be soggy afterward. The water will be cooked away. This will cause the meat to steam, ins tead of sear like you want it to.

Always make sure that you use softer utensils when cooking with nonstick cookware. Hard utensils such as metal can scratch the nonstick coating which destroys the whole point, and it also could add the coating to cook into your food. This will not only taste unappealing, it is potentially toxic.

For better citrus fruit juicing results, pop it into a microwave. Put the fruit inside the microwave and heat it for about ten seconds, depending on size. Once the fruit has been heated, roll the fruit on a hard surface before you begin juicing.

Mixing up what spices or sauces you use in a dish can make your cooking seem exciting and new again. A dramatically different taste can result from using new spices and marinating sauces. Take advantage of the specialty stores in your neighborhood that focus on food ingredients from other lands for a nice selection of unusual spices and sauces.

If a particular wine's flavor is unknown to you, then you shouldn't use it as an ingredient in your food. If you mix random wines into your food, you may find that the wine you have chosen spoils the dish. Look through your grocery store to find wines that are used specifically for cooking.

When you have a big meal to prepare, get a head start by doing the prep work the night before. Before you head to bed at night do your best to cut up vegetables and onions, marinating meat, or making some sauce. This alleviates stress at suppertime since you have already done part of the work.

Leave the bone in your roast if you are in a hurry. The bone transfers the heat from your oven to the center of the roast, helping it cook far more quickly. When your roast is finished, simply cut around any bones before you serve.

The are many varieties of potatoes, and some cannot be used as substitutes for other varieties. There are some potatoes that are more waxy and should only be used for things like potato salad or boiled potatoes. Using the se to make something like french fries will not turn out well for you. For that type of side dish, Russets are a good choice of fluffy potato.

You can add a bit of flare to your corn left on the cob and dinner rolls by simply making up some flavored butter. Either use room temperature butter to start, or try warming it up in the microwave. Include a variety of spices, sauces and seasonings to add a savory kick. There are many tasty options like honey, salsa and even lemon juice.

Enjoy the hardy greens that are typically only available during the winter months. Kale, collars and broccoli rabe will taste much sweeter after they have lived passed the first frost. Go for greens that have a bright color rather than a yellow color and limp body. Carefully wash these greens, they accumulate tons of dirt. Fill a bowl with cool water, and then dunk the greens in the water. Shake them off, and then cleanse with running water until it runs clear.

When not in use, put your spices in an area that receives the lowest amount of light and heat. When they are stored in the sun, they lose shelf life because of exposure. Keeping your spices in darkened, cool areas will lend extra longevity and flavor. Using fresh spices makes meals even more delicious.

Use leftovers for a delicious fried rice, soup or a hearty stew. Using rice that has cooled for a full day is best. If you do not have any rice already cooked and cooled, you can make it fresh and just cut back on the amount of water you add to the pot. First, fry both the meat and vegetables in oil. Next, put the rice in and add condiments and spices of your choice.

Preparing healthy vegetables can be easy if you choose to saute them in chicken broth. The chicken broth will add a dimension of flavor, and let you cut down on how much oil you use. This is an easy, delicious way to prepare veggies for you meal.

If you can read and follow directions, you can learn to cook. Apply all your basic knowledge an d spend some enjoyable time in the kitchen. If you follow the tips in this article while you are cooking, you will be on your way to becoming a master chef.

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