When people start thinking about skills they would like to learn or or learn more about, one of the things that usually comes up is cooking. If this sounds like you, then you have come to the right place. This article will help you on your journey to becoming a chef.
To successfully cook a meal you should always follow the recipe. This will assure you use the correct amount of each ingredient. Cooking is a science and each ingredient has its job. Leaving out an ingredient, putting too much of something, or cooking for too long can turn your dish into a disaster.
Always add oil to the side of the pan when sautéing. If you find that you need more oil in your pan while you are cooking, never put it right in the middle. Add it to the side of your pan. That way, it will be sufficiently heated by the time it reaches the food.
If you are cooking meats that need seasoning, season a small piece first before making the entire meal. You may have to use caution when you season foods such as meatballs, meatloaf or hamburgers. Do not cook all of the meat immediately after seasoning. Rather, cook a small portion first. Once you’ve done this, you can cook the rest of the meat or add additional seasoning as you see fit.
While it may be tempting to show off your culinary talents when entertaining a new love-interest or your boss, you will do best if you keep to a menu you are familiar with, and has already garnered rave reviews. You should not try to cook something new when you are cooking for someone whom you want to impress. Making a meal you are confident will taste good can make the night more enjoyable.
Write out a list for all of the ingredients that you will need for a recipe before you go to the grocery store. This way, you will not forget anything. Many people forget one or two important ingredients for the recipe, which causes them to not be able to make the meal.
If you are stuck trying to figure out what to cook for dinner during the week, consider building your meals around themes. “Mexican Monday” could mean burritos or a nice taco salad. How about “Tuscan Tuesday” featuring spaghetti and meatballs or maybe meatball subs? And “Fish Friday” offers lots of options for shrimp, salmon or even tuna. Bring the whole family into the fun by letting the kids pick a theme and help plan the meal that day.
When you are cooking clarified butter, first slowly melt butter that is unsalted over very low heat. Do not stir the butter, and do not let it comes to a boil. This process will separate the milk solids from the liquid butter into three layers when finished. The clarified butter will be in the middle layer.
If you are making mashed potatoes, return them to the pot after you have drained them cover the pot tightly and then let it steam for about 5 minutes. By doing this, the potatoes are able to dry out, which will make them mash into the perfect texture. It will also soak up butter and and cream easier.
When cooking with a sauté pan, turn the handle of it in the opposite direction of you. Keeping the handle facing you increases the chance of bumping into and spilling your food. This is also a safety concern because you can burn yourself if the pan tips or falls over.
If you want to have flavorful dishes, try to create your own stock. Made in large batches, it’s easy to store in the freezer, if you use resealable plastic bags. You will have stock on hand for soup and other things. When you prepare your stock from scratch, you will be certain that it is 100% natural, not loaded with preservatives.
If you want to pan sear a nice tuna steak, you want to do it right! Make a baste for the tuna that is comprised of ginger, cilantro, soy sauce, pepper, and salt. Put oil on the pan and heat it, sear for one minute on each side. The middle of the fish should still be pink.
A great help for achieving your best baking results is to bring your butter and eggs to room temperature before use. By allowing these ingredients to lose their chill, you allow heat from cooking to activate the oils and fats within them at the right time as opposed to waiting for them to achieve the right temperature while cooking.
During cooking, if the consistency of a sauce or gravy is too thin for your liking, try adding some corn starch to it in order to thicken it to your taste. Avoid using flour as it can make the sauce taste “chalky”. Corn starch is an excellent thickening agent and blends very well with the sauce or gravy.
When sauteing food, don’t put too much oil in the pan. The extra moisture will steam the food instead of sauteing it and will not add that little bit of crispness that sauteing is good for. Saute at a lower temperature as well.
It is a good idea to cook your green vegetables in boiling hot water. If you place the veggies in cold water and wait for it to come to a boil you will lose a lot of the green color because the chlorophyll in them will leech into the water.
Buy your Thanksgiving turkey fresh not frozen! The frozen birds taste ok but who has the time or energy to thaw one out? A fresh turkey often costs little more than the frozen variety. When you calculate in the time you have to spend just getting it ready to go in the oven it’s just not worth it!
As you can see, learning to cook is not as hard as it may seem. By following the tips listed in this article, you can learn to become the best chef you possibly can. Your friends and family will appreciate the great meals you prepare for them by following these tips.
