Cooking Techniques And Tricks Of The Pros
When cooking a large meal for a family gathering or dinner party, preparation is key. Gather all the ingredients beforehand. Get everything set to cook the next day. Determine if you have you got the right utensils, etc. Doing so allows you to focus on the cooking itself.
Freeze meat partially to facilitate slicing meat into thin strips. Asian inspired dishes such as Chinese and Thai will particularly benefit from this technique. Using partially frozen meats, your slicing can be cleaner due to the fibers not stretching and tearing as easy. Allow the meat strips to completely thaw before you throw them in the cooking pan, so you can be sure that the strips all cook evenly.
If you boil your vegetables it can cook out the nutrients. Allow your vegetables to keep their nutritional benefits by cooking them quickly, or eating them raw!
Fresh Basil
Have you ever wanted to cook a meal using fresh basil? Place the basil in a container that is glass. Add water until the stems are covered. Leave it on your counter and it will stay fresh for a very long time! If you keep the water as fresh as you can, roots will start growing. All you need to do is keep the roots of the basil trimmed regularly and you will have fresh basil ready for use for quite some time.
If you are left with extra sauce after a meal, find a clean ice cube tray to pour the leftovers into and store the tray in the freezer. You can easily take them from the freezer when needed for a meal, and quickly reheat in a saute pan. Nothing to worry about as the sauce will be fine even after it’s been sitting in ice cube trays.
When you store flour, sugar or any type of baking mixes, always use airtight containers. These containers do two things to keep your food fresher: they keep bugs from entering them, and they keep air exposure to a minimum. They can be bought in lots of places, and it is an investment worth making.
If you wish to eat more protein, try one of the many varieties of beans or tofu available. You can buy these in almost any grocery store. Fry up the tofu with seasonings to get a great meat alternative. Likewise, beans cooked with herbs can also be a flavorful dish.
In recipes that call for milk or water, try substituting more flavorful liquids. For example, you might try chicken broth or beef broth instead of water in a meat dish. You might even try fruit juice when cooking certain veggies. Rather than using milk, think about yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream. Mixing up the base of your sauces and soups is a great way to liven up old recipes.
Do not use any wine when cooking a recipe that you do not think normally tastes good. Using cheap or unfamiliar wine puts the flavor of your food in danger. You can find wines that are made primarily to cook with.
There’s almost always leftovers after serving turkey. Instead, cut it up, place it into a an airtight container, and put it in the freezer. With enough leftover turkey, you can enjoy turkey sandwiches and salads for several weeks after the bird was cooked.
It’s necessary for a cook to organize all cooking supplies. Supplies and staples kept in disarray will have you scrambling when trying to find a needed utensil or ingredient. Try to keep things with similar purposes in proximity to one another. As an example, parsley and basil are spices, so they should be stored in a cabinet together with all of the other spices.
There are many herbs that have a strong smell that will stay on your cutting board. Label the ending of your chopping board by marking it with ink. This will help you to identify the different sides of the board.
It is crucial that you buy new spices around every six months. If the spices are too old, they are going to lose a good bit of their flavor. If you don’t use a spice very often, and it will go bad before you have to replace it, give some to family and friends.
If you are planning a complex meal, reduce your stress by doing the prep the night before. Gather your ingredients, chop and measure the herbs or spices and double-check that you have everything you need. When you have to cook the meal, the only thing on your mind will be actually putting it together.
There are several ways to properly heat tortillas. One is to place them on a rack in a 350 degree oven. Leave them long enough to become just crisp. A different, super quick way to heat your tortillas is placing them right on your gas-powered stove top, on the metal grill right over the flame. Preparing tortillas in the above manners will lead to tasty tortillas.