Cooking is enjoyable once you have gained some skill, experience and confidence. The tips in this article will give you new found confidence in your culinary skills, releasing your ‘inner chef’! Start out with easy recipes that contain ingredients you know you will like.
To maintain the flavor and freshness of spices and herbs, make sure you keep them stored in someplace that is cool and dark. Their flavors suffer when they are exposed to heat, light, and humidity. Generally, ground spices and herbs keep most of their flavor for a year. Whole spices can retain flavor for about three or five years. You must store them correctly in order to maintain their freshness.
When possible, complete all of the prep work in advance. Save time by doing the prep work before you begin cooking the meal. That way, when you’re ready to cook, it takes some of the stress out of it, especially if you have a deadline to meet. Do your prep work in advance, if you can.
Always keep your spices away from light in a cool place. The shelf life of spices is greatly reduced if they are exposed to heat, humidity, or light. Keeping your spices in darkened, cool areas will lend extra longevity and flavor. If you use fresh spices, your food will taste better.
If you partially freeze meat before slicing it, you will find that it is much easier to cut it into thin strips. This is perfect for meals that require really thin meat such as Chinese or Thai dishes. When meat is slightly frozen, it becomes simpler to slice because the fibers won’t stretch and tear that 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.
To saute vegetables, use chicken broth in place of oil or butter. Broth will flavor the vegetables, and less oil will be needed to saute them. This is a healthy and tasty, vegetable cooking technique.
When seasoning food, add it in to the dish a little at a time instead of throwing it in there all at once. By cooking in this way, you can help different seasonings “open up” and release their flavor into the dish without overpowering it.
As this article has shown, it is easy to start learning how to cook. It is also easy to continue improving your cooking ability. With a little time and drive, you could learn these skills. Remember to learn how to use all the appliances and utensils at your disposal. You have to cook with the right attitude.
