Sunday, October 21, 2012

Tired Of Take-Out? Check Out These Simple Cooking Tips!

Everyone can learn to cook. Can you grab a recipe, buy the ingredients at the store, then mix them up? Does your kitchen have the basic necessities? If so, you can learn to prepare meals! If you want to improve your cooking prowess a bit, read the tips we have gathered for ways to easily make tasty meals that your family and yourself will look forward to!

When serving salad to guests, you should never put salad dressing directly on it. You should have it to the side so that each person can use as much or as little as they want. There are many people who prefer little to no dressing on a salad. If you allow everyone to apply their dressings on their own it will allow them to have the amount they like. It is important to provide your guests with a plethora of dressings.

When cooking, get into the habit of washing your dishes as soon as you finish using them. Make sure that one side of the sink always has soapy hot water in it and the other side has clear water for rinsing in it. It's easier to wash cooking utensils right after their use.

When you are cooking, don't be afraid to be creative. Cooking is about coming up with different ways of using a recipe not just following it. Sometimes making minor changes can make the dish taste even better than it did when following the original recipe. That is the definition of a true cook!

Let your meal sit for a while. This is a vital step in your cooking process, which can add a lot of flavor to your meal. It's extremely tempting to eat a meal just as soon as it comes off the grill or stove. But many foods need to "rest" for a few minutes before being served in order to taste their best. Instead, allow the meal to cool and rest for a few minutes.

Soaking raw potatoes for 30 minutes prior to frying will produce the crispiest French fries. Doing this increases the strength of the fiber in the potatoes, which means that they don't break down as quickly during the deep frying phase.

It is possible to do a lot of preparation beforehand in order to speed up the cooking process and make it easier. Look at your recipe and decide which steps you can do in advance without worry of food spoilage. There is a lot you can do the day before to prepare for the next day's meal. In this manner, even complicated recipes become simple and easy meals.

Tofu and beans are excellent sources of protein. Both of these protein-rich foods are available at most grocery stores. Try pan-frying tofu with some interesting seasonings and you will have a tasty alternative to meat. To add some tasty protein to your plate, boil some beans with a touch of herbs for seasoning.

Don't use metal or wooden utensils when cooking with non-stick cookware. If you use a harder utensil like metal or one made out of wood, you can easily scratch the pan, and this will make it less effective. Also, some of the pan coating may wind up chipping and getting into your food. This can be dangerous, as well as unappetizing.

A pantry or other cool, dark space will preserve the flavor of herbs and spices the longest. Storing spices in warm locations, such as above the stove, can cause the spices to lose their flavor and you to lose your money.

You should remove any excess fat from your soup or stew. If you notice an excess of fat in the stew or soup, you need to allow it to completely cool and then the fat will rise to the top of the dish. On a spoon, place a cube of ice and lightly skim it around the surface of the soup. The fat will be attracted to the cube of ice. You can also use a piece of paper towel to skim the fat off the top.

When you are barbecuing, make sure that you prepare your grill beforehand so it is ready when you are. You should start preparing your grill around 30 minutes before you put the food on. The heat should be moderate and the charcoal should be a little ashy. This is the best temperature to begin grilling.

Fresh garlic is ideal when preparing dishes that call for garlic. It's well-known that fresher garlic equals sweeter taste. If it isn't soft, bruised or shriveled and it has some firm skin then you know that the garlic is fresh.

Cooking for your family can become overwhelming and tedious over time, that's a fact. Fortunately, there are tons of ways to make cooking easier and to make the results of your labors in the kitchen more rewarding. Next time you have to do some cooking, you will be more at ease.

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