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06 July 2012

Cook Great Food Like Your Mama Used To Do

By Roxane J. Talisen


Many of us would jump at the chance to become a great chef, but the process involved can be totally overwhelming. Fortunately, you can learn to become a great cook step-by-step. This article is a perfect starting point for your journey!

If you make sauce, freeze it into ice cubs to use later on. All you need to do next time you want to use it, is reheat in a saucepan. The sauce will be very edible after it comes out of the trays.

If you are just beginning your adventure with home cooking, look online, at a bookstore, or at the library for a cookbook that has simple, easy recipes that you'll take pleasure in both preparing and eating. Be as patient as you can be when you are learning how to cook.

If your family is bored with eating frozen corn night after night, vary your recipe. You can take a frozen bag of corn and give it a Thai twist simply by adding a few flakes of coconut. Both you and your kids are sure to be delighted with this simple, yet tasty addition.

When cooking with garlic, use the freshest bulbs you can find. For the most part, this ensures you will be getting the sweetest-tasting garlic. Truly fresh garlic will not be bruised, shriveled or overly soft.

Keep your spices and herbs stored in a dark, dry, and cool area. Flavor loss occurs when they are exposed to heat, light and humidity. This will keep them exposed to heat and other unfavorable conditions that zap all of their flavor.

Spreading the mayo evenly and smoothly on the entire surface of the bread will make perfect sandwiches that will impress your friends and family. Often, through rushing, many people just put a smear of mayo on the bread. With evenly spread mayonnaise over the entire piece of bread, every bite of the sandwich is flavorful and perfect.

To avoid stress, assemble all the ingredients you are going to use beforehand. Then you won't ever be midway through preparing a meal when you realize that you're missing an essential ingredient. It won't take you any extra time to get the ingredients ready beforehand, but will save you time and ruined food in the end.

Popular French fried potato recipes suggest soaking the potatoes in water for 30 minutes before cooking them. Letting sliced potatoes soak up additional cold fluids reinforces the fibers in the vegetable, so that when you deep fry them, they can better withstand the heat without breaking down completely.

Use saffron when you are experimenting with spices. There is no spice like saffron for adding a yellow hue to your cooking. Saffron is a great ancient spice that is still quite delightful. This spice is expensive, but its flavor can drastically improve most of your dishes.

To get a firm shell for twice baked potatoes or potato skins, use a baking potato with a thicker skin. Red potatoes have too thin a skin to hold a thicker filling.

Spices and herbs should be stored in a dark and cool area. They will not taste as fresh if they are exposed to light or warmth. Generally, ground herbs and spices stay fresh for around a year, after that they begin to lose their flavor. Spices that have not been ground have the potential to last upwards of five years. Keep spices fresh for the longest time possible by storing them correctly.

A complex, poorly understood recipe is a great way to turn a potentially marvelous meal into a mess. Sticking to simple and easy recipes is the best way to ensure that you will have a tasty, healthy meal in a short amount of time. Use the tips presented here and come up with a few cooking ideas of your own. Happy eating!




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