Helpful Cooking Tips For The Eager Beginner
Is cooking for the entire family beginning to drive you crazy? Cooking shouldn’t be a frustrating experience! The following article will provide you with advice to make cooking less stressful. The advice given here will make you realize that you have waited too long to learn how to make cooking much easier.
Spices and herbs should be stored in a dark and cool area. If they are exposed to light, heat or humidity, they will lose much of their flavor. Herbs and spices that are ground usually remain flavorful for a year. Spices that have not been ground may still be worth using for three years or a little more. You must store them correctly in order to maintain their freshness.
Finish your prep work in advance. Having your preparation done ahead of time is very important. Of course, cooking under a strict deadline can really increase stress levels. Get everything prepared at least a day ahead of time.
You can make healthier mashed potatoes with the same taste and texture you love by substituting cauliflower for potatoes in equal proportions. You will not even taste the cauliflower in with the potatoes, because it is so bland. Cauliflower also matches the color and texture of the potatoes. This is a great way to add veggies and eliminate calories from a favorite dish.
The downside of tasty ingredients like garlic and onions is that their flavors and smells transfer to your hands. After you have finished doing your prep work with the garlic, run your hands along the stainless steel interior of your sink. Doing this will remove the scent from your hands, and keep it from spreading to the next food you touch.
Chicken Broth
When cooking vegetables, it is a good idea to use chicken broth. Simmering vegetables in the broth will keep them from adhering to the bottom of the pan and also infuse them with rich flavor. Chicken broth is very inexpensive, and can be purchased at just about any local grocery store.
When you season food add a little at a time every few minutes rather than adding it all at one time. This adds a more subtle and deep flavor to your food and enhances the flavors of other ingredients to the utmost.
Never forget to measure oil when you are using it for cooking. If you want to get rid of some of the fat in your recipe make sure to measure how much you’re using instead of just pouring it into the pan. This is the best way to know the amount of oil being added to your food.
Leftover flavors and scents can remain on your cutting board, even after repeated washing. This can save you from eating garlic strawberries.
Be sure to refresh your spices every few months. Spices do not last forever. They will eventually lose their flavor. If you buy a certain spice and you know that you are not going to use it all before it goes bad, give half to a friend or family member.
Raw Onions
A great tip to use when making any type of salsa is to rinse your raw onions once they’re chopped. Also, make sure that you dry them before adding them to your mix. Raw onions have sulfurous gas. This sulfurous gas can make your salsa taste terrible. By rinsing the onions and blotting away the excess water, the gas is removed.
You need good cutting utensils for your kitchen. This not only saves you time from having to deal with knives that are dull, but it’s safer to use utensils that are new and sharp, rather than ones that are old and dull. Dull knives actually cause more cut fingers and accidents than sharper ones.
Cooking for a family can be more than a little overwhelming. You can implement several simple strategies to streamline your cooking process. When you are cooking, relax and enjoy utilizing the new skills you have gained.