Many people have a natural inclination to be a cooking pro but find that they are intimidated by various aspects of great cooking success. If you are a beginner cook, you too can become a wonderful chef by following the techniques taught in this article.
Prepare to cook before you actually start cooking. It is essential to have all prep work finished before it’s time to begin cooking. Trying to cook a meal that has to be on the table by a certain time can be stressful. Get everything prepared at least a day ahead of time.
Give pie and tart crust a little longer baking time than you normally would for the best results. Judge their color, not the time in the oven to determine if they are done. They will be golden brown when cooked. The color on your pie signifies that the caramelizing process is complete in your crust, yielding a scrumptious dessert.
Do you ever feel bad for disposing of fruit with a little mold on it? Be sure to check apples occasionally because one bad apple will ruin all of them. Unfortunately, there’s no safe way to save a piece of fruit that is partially rotting. Get rid of anything that has mold on it. Mold goes deeper than the eye can see and could be very harmful.
A nutritious way to reduce the calories from your mashed potatoes is to replace some of the potatoes with cauliflower. Since cauliflower is bland, it will mix right in with the potatoes along with the other ingredients. Your mashed potato dish will also look the same if you add cauliflower, allowing it to retain its color and texture while taking the calories out of your potatoes.
Do you enjoy the flavor of fresh basil? Take the basil and place it in a glass. Fill the container with enough water to cover the stems. Put it on top of your kitchen counter and it will be fresh for weeks! Change the water from time to time so that the basil grows roots. Periodically prune the fresh basil; this will stimulate the plant to continue growing for a week or so.
Garlic is a delicious ingredient that has a place in many recipes, but it has no place on your hands. Try rubbing your hands against stainless steel to get the odor of garlic and other foods off your hands. This will clean your hand and keep the odor from transferring to other foods you are handling.
Whatever reason for becoming a good cook, knowing how to cook will always prove beneficial. Every culture in the world values mealtime with loved ones. If you follow these ideas, you can begin on a journey of becoming a cook, and everyone’s favorite person at dinner parties.