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17 July 2012

Better Cooking With Less Effort - Quick Ways To Brush Up On Your Kitchen Skills

By Roxane J. Talisen


Everyone knows that humans need food to survive. But is it life we want, or great meals? It is even more joyful to cook something good than to eat it. If you want to learn how to cook more extensive meals, read on for some tips.

Make it a habit to cook with fresh seasonings and herbs whenever possible. If you are making a more complex dish, use dried herbs such as oregano or basil. Fresh herbs though, are optimal to use if you want a more natural taste when consuming. Grow an indoor or outdoor herb garden to always have access to fresh herbs.

Give pre-cut, raw potatoes a cold water bath for a half-hour prior to frying for crispier French fries. When your potatoes soak up cold fluids, their fibers are reinforced. This means that they will hold up better to the heat necessary for the frying process.

When not in use, put your spices in an area that receives the lowest amount of light and heat. Putting them in a warm, lighted area can reduce their useful life, due to light and heat exposure. Always keep your spices in a dark and cool location to extend their longevity. Make sure that your spices are fresh to add taste and flavor to any meal.

Take care of wooden cutting boards properly. Stressors, like heat or extremes in humidity, can warp or split a cutting board made of wood. The correct way to clean a wooden cutting board is to use a damp, soapy sponge or cloth to wipe it clean, rinse with boiling water and towel dry. Cutting boards should be treated regularly with specifically designed oil products. Let the board dry thoroughly before you use it.

Sauteing vegetables in a bit of broth is a healthy cooking method. The broth adds flavor to them, while reducing oil that is usually used for sauteing. This is a great and delicious way to cook vegetables.

Add lots of salt to your water for cooking pasta. This helps to add flavor to the pasta while it is boiling. When you salt your pasta after cooking, the flavor is not as full.

Garlic is a delight to cook with, but its odor transfers very easily onto the hands. Rubbing your hands on something made of stainless steel, such as your sink, can help to get rid of these odors. Doing this will remove the scent from your hands, and keep it from spreading to the next food you touch.

Get all your preparations done and ready before you begin cooking a meal. Doing this will allow you to focus on putting the dish together. You won't waste electricity by letting something cook just a little longer, so you can prep the ingredients for the next step, or be distracted when cooking with hot oil.

bake tart or pie crusts longer that you think they should be baked. It will help if you achieve a darker, more delicious golden caramel color, rather than stopping when the crust is still pale. This is because the golden color lets you know that the sugar from the crust has caramelized, which give it that sweet, yet crisp taste.

Cooking foods can be just as much fun as eating them. Use these tips to make them a part of your experience, add some new things as you go. You will drastically improve your cooking skills, and everyone is going to want to try your recipes.




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