Try interesting new recipes to avoid the boredom that can be associated with cooking every day. To make things more interesting, you should learn other aspects of cooking. Cooking allows you to provide your family with the nutrients they need but it can also turn into something that you look forward to doing. Read this article to start transforming your usual cooking into something more fun.
When cooking with skewers, be aware of some important facts. Metal skewers will work better if they are twisted or squared.
Your spices and herbs should be stored in a cool and dark area. Exposure to humidity, light and heat all affect the flavor of your spices. Most spices will retain their flavor for about a year. Whole spices may keep their flavors, possibly, three years or longer. If you store them properly, they will stay fresh for a longer period of time.
Did you ever feel bad for throwing old, moldy fruit away? Have you ever tried to salvage a fruit by slicing away the bad-looking part? Half-rotten fruit is not save worthy. There is no way to use this food without compromising your health. Mold and other potentially dangerous contaminants can be found even in portions of the fruit that look healthy, so you should pitch the whole thing.
To maintain a vegetable’s quality, cook it quickly. Slow cooking, and overcooking, vegetables will destroy their nutritional content and flavor. These quick cooking techniques will produce generally, healthier vegetable sides. Only cook vegetables as much as you have to, in order to preserve their taste and nutritional value.
Garlic is a tasty ingredient that has a flavor that can, unfortunately, transfer to your hands. Rub your hands on the inside of a sink made of stainless steel after using garlic. This will clean your hand and keep the odor from transferring to other foods you are handling.
Do you ever have difficulty determining how long you should grill your meat? It is always good to use a meat thermometer to determine when your meat is properly cooked. If you’re grilling especially thick slabs of meat – anything thicker than an inch and a half – bring the lid down on your grill to speed up the cooking process.
In a lot of cases, burgers will become stuck on the grill, and forcibly removing them will make them all misshapen. Try brushing vegetable oil on the cooking surface prior to cooking so that food does not stick.
Use air tight containers to store baking mixes, flour and sugar. Using airtight containers helps food stay fresh for longer periods of time because it keeps them from air and other contaminants. A variety of plastic containers, bags and decorative canisters will protect your food.
Chicken Broth
Using chicken broth is something you can try when you’re making vegetables. Not only will chicken broth help to keep vegetables from getting stuck to the pan, but they will add some nice flavors to the dish. Chicken broth is cheap, and can be bought anywhere.
When you cook a pumpkin, the first step is to slice in in half vertically. Take both halves with the cut sides down and place on different baking sheets to bake. Sprinkle your baking sheets with a little water, and roast the pumpkin halves for an hour at 350 degrees.
Take the time and steps necessary to accurately measure any oil used for cooking. To lower the amount of fat in your cooking, be sure to carefully measure the amount of oil that you use when you cook, instead of simply pouring from the bottle into a pan. This is the best way to know the amount of oil being added to your food.
If you tend to cook with a lot of herbs and spices, make sure that you are storing them somewhere that’s cool and dark in order to keep them fresh. You are destroying your herbs’ flavors and wasting your money when you store them in a warm area or where they are exposed to sunlight.
Cut down on cooking time by doing your prep work in advance. You can get many of the ingredients for future meals ready ahead of time. There are many cases when the meal will have more flavor if the ingredients are prepped a few days in advance. This works so well that many people find it difficult to stop.
Potatoes are divided in different categories, and each category should be used differently. Waxy potatoes are best for potato salad and should be avoided when making mashed potatoes or french fries. When making those types of foods, you should use a fluffy potato, such as a Russet.
Set a timer on your watch or cellphone in addition to the oven. Having the second timer on a watch insures that you’ll hear the beep even if you aren’t right in the kitchen.
If you want to make potato skins or twice baked potatoes, try using a potato with a thick skin. Varieties such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes have thin skins that aren’t sturdy enough for heavy fillings.
If you are cooking with nonstick cookware, you need to makes sure that your spatulas and spoons are made out of silicone, nylon or rubber. These materials are soft enough that they will not scratch the surface of your pan unlike metal or wood. When a nonstick coating is scratched, it not only becomes less effective, it also flakes pieces of the chemicals used to coat the pan into your food. These flakes could be very toxic.
Fried Foods
Ketchup makes a great ingredient to batter for fried foods. In addition to dipping your cooked food in ketchup, it can be utilized as a pre-dip for foods before they are dipped in bread crumbs. By using ketchup as a base for your fried foods you will add another unexpected layer and tang to your food.
If you enjoy cooking, you should learn more and make it your new hobby. When you cook, it can be an exciting and tasty way to get more knowledge about food. You can be even more self aware, as you discover what things you enjoy making. When you have fun and enjoy cooking, your enthusiasm itself will enhance your dishes.