How To Become A Great Cook: Easy Tips And Tricks

By Roxane J. Talisen


How many times have you dreaded going into the kitchen to make breakfast, lunch, or dinner? You might need a new perspective. Cooking can be enjoyable and relaxing if you try to see it in another way. Here are a few cooking tips that are sure to get your taste buds tingling and entice your inner chef to come out.

If you have decided to serve salad with the meal that you are preparing for guests, be sure to serve the salad dry and serve the dressing on the side. Let people add what they want to their salad. Offer your guests a variety of dressings.

If you have little time to cook each day, you can partially prepare certain foods to break up the cooking process into several steps. Peruse your recipes and look for things you can do ahead of time. Choose items that will not spoil. There are a lot of things you can prep the day before you need to cook. Doing this can transform intricate recipes into simple, quick and enjoyable cooking tasks.

Measuring and chopping ingredients before you begin cooking can save you time. Some preparations can be done as much as two days in advance of the meal. Sometimes, this can actually let the flavors of what you are making become more "married". Advanced preparation of your food can help to improve your overall body of work as a chef.

It's important to include beans and tofu in your diet if you're trying to increase your protein intake. Both are readily available in grocery stores. Tofu can be pan-fried with some seasonings, and makes a tasty meat alternative. Beans can be used in vegetarian chili, added to baked goods, or just boiled with herbs and vegetables.

You can cut cinnamon rolls very easily. After you have made the cinnamon rolls, it might be hard to cut them. Putting a piece of thick thread at the point where you wish to cut the dough can make cutting the dough simpler. Then thread then comes up the sides, is crossed on top, and then pulled to the opposite direction. It will slice right through the roll perfectly.

Take care to not overfill your pan when you are sauteing. Excessive moisture can steam food, instead of actually sauteing it. This should also be done at a lower temperature.

Prepping for the following night's dinner before you head to bed can save you a ton of time when life is busier enough to make cooking more difficult. Pre-assembling lasagna or chopping vegetables for stir-fry to keep in your fridge may save you a lot of stress and time when you make a meal for your family.

Here is a fresh perspective on pumpkins. First, cut your pumpkin in half from top-down. Place each half of the pumpkin on two separate baking sheets with the cut side facing down. Sprinkle your baking sheets with a little water, and roast the pumpkin halves for an hour at 350 degrees.

Try drying your own fresh tomatoes. Try slicing a Roma in half lengthwise, or cut larger tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Put them on a rack with the cut side up and add sufficient salt. After placing the rack atop a cookie sheet, allow the tomatoes to dry for 10 hours in an oven at 190 degrees. You can store your dried tomatoes in your freezer. Another option is to store dried tomatoes in a jar that contains fresh, flavorful herbs and olive oil. This will be good for up to two weeks, and should be refrigerated during that time.

As this article has discussed, cooking is revered by many as an excellent and enjoyable hobby. However, some people don't know where to start, in terms of picking the right recipes or using the proper techniques. Follow this article's advice and you will be on your way to cooking great food.




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