Thursday 2 August 2012

Cooking Tips To Snack On

Sometimes, your kitchen seems dull and uninspiring. With a passion for all things culinary, however, this can change. You will enjoy the time spent in your kitchen and gain something from it. You can become a skilled cook, eat better, and save money at the same time. The following tips can give you a start toward becoming an excellent cook.

Use cooking oil to measure sticky foods easily. Prior to measuring, put a little bit of a low-flavor cooking oil on the spoon (canola works well here). This way, the food you are measuring will easily slip off the spoon. This stops you from wasting food and having to clean up afterward. Peanut butter and honey can be measured this way as well.

You can use it on practically anything. Blended seasonings add a delicious flavor to any food, from pumpkin seeds to scrambled eggs. Everyone will love the flavor and ask you for your secret ingredient!

There are many ways to prepare fresh oysters. Just because oysters are eaten raw usually most of the time, doesn't mean that's the only great way to fix them up. You can lay out opened oysters on a broiling pan and top them with some heavy cream. Add some parmesan cheese and some pepper, then broil until the contents of the pan start bubbling. You can also prepare oysters by sauteing them. Coat them with seasoned flour and saute them in warm butter for about two minutes, until the oysters are golden. Don't remove oysters from their shells before baking. Put them into a casserole dish and then add some butter and breadcrumbs over the top. Put in the oven and bake for five minutes at 425 degrees. Once the butter and the juices are boiling, serve it along with some toasted baguettes.

Save a little bit of your pasta water when making pasta sauce. Use around a quarter cup and put it aside for your sauce. Add some of it in as you mix the pasta with the sauce. The water contains starch from the pasta, and will make your sauce nice and creamy.

Here's a trick you can use to save your sauce fast! Start with 1 tablespoon and add more cornstarch until you reach the desired consistency. Slowly add this mixture to your simmering sauce to thicken it up. Make sure to introduce the starch slowly while stirring constantly to make it not be too thick.

Don't eat your meal right away. It is often overlooked, but it makes a difference when you let the food sit and allow the flavors to be absorbed. It's extremely tempting to eat a meal just as soon as it comes off the grill or stove. But if you do, you miss out on the full flavors of the dish. Let your food, particularly meat dishes, rest for a few minutes prior to serving.

Eat hearty winter greens. Once the first first has occurred, certain winter greens, including broccoli rabe, collards and kale, taste a lot sweeter. You should always remember to choose only greens with a bright, rich color. Make sure you avoid limp and discolored leaves. By nature, these greens are more prone to dirt collection, so wash them thoroughly and carefully before consuming them. Fill a bowl with cool water, and then dunk the greens in the water. Shake them off, and then cleanse with running water until it runs clear.

Seafood lovers who live near the the open water might enjoy catching and preparing fish that has been caught nearby. Catching a fish, preparing it, and cooking it immediately is not just an exercise in self-reliance; it is also a delicious meal that can't be beat for freshness.

Consider warming citrus fruits in the microwave for a bit before juicing. Heat your fruit for just a short time -- usually about ten seconds. After microwaving, you will want to roll it back and forth on the counter before you cut and start juicing.

You should remove any excess fat from your soup or stew. If you notice an excess of fat in the stew or soup, you need to allow it to completely cool and then the fat will rise to the top of the dish. On a spoon, place a cube of ice and lightly skim it around the surface of the soup. The fat will be attracted to the cube of ice. You can also use a piece of paper towel to skim the fat off the top.

If you are getting ready to cook for a big family get together, it is probably causing you a good amount of stress. Instead of succumbing to panic, do as much of the prep work as possible on the preceding night. This means setting out measurements, ingredients and marinades.

Fresh garlic is ideal when preparing dishes that call for garlic. It's well-known that fresher garlic equals sweeter taste. If it isn't soft, bruised or shriveled and it has some firm skin then you know that the garlic is fresh.

Let the preceding tips multiply in your head and generate new, personal cooking ideas. Create food that your whole family can enjoy together. Cooking can help you lose weight, save money and create stronger bonds with your family. The kitchen should be the centerpiece of your home.

No comments:

Post a Comment