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Friday, July 20, 2012

Try These Tips To Learn How To Be A Good Cook

A glass of Thai tea
A glass of Thai tea (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Dorsey T. Emanus


Cooking is a form of art. You should be creative and unafraid of trying new things in the kitchen. Creativity is great and so is practicality. Below you will find practical tips for making your cooking experiences better. The more you know, the better the chef, you will soon become.



Try plunging your veggies in a container of ice water right after you blanch them so that they do not become pale and unattractive. The ice water will allow them to settle without losing their appetizing, bright colors. This is especially important when serving food at functions where pleasing aesthetics at the table are a primary goal.

If you are out of corn starch and need a thickener, you can get the same results from these substitutions. You can use an equal amount of potato starch, rice starch, or arrowroot; or you can use double the amount of all-purpose flour or instant tapioca.

Cooking with spices can be fun and exciting. There are many different spices to choose from knowing the spice better will help you to select the correct spice for the dish. Allspice has a pleasant blend of clove and cinnamon. Allspice is described as possessing a cinnamon-like, woody flavor.

If you want to preserve fresh basil longer, keep the stems in water and store it at room temperature. This will considerably extend the usability time of the herb, preserving the taste and saving you money in the long run. You can do this with other fresh herbs as well.

If you are cooking for someone special, do not try a recipe that you have never tried before. Because you are trying to impress this person, you want to make sure you make a satisfying meal. Try something you are very familiar with, and make sure you have all the ingredients you need to make it.

If you are out of bread crumbs you can try these simple substitutions in your recipe: cracker crumbs, matzo, crushed cornflakes, grounds oats, or even potato chips. Simply substitute an equal amount of the replacement food for the bread crumbs. You can also make fresh bread crumbs by finely chopping four slices of bread per cup you need.

Whenever possible, avoid canned ingredients in your cooking. They have numerous disadvantages. Canned food has lost vital nutrients that you want in order to cook the healthiest possible meals. They also taste different - if not downright worse - than fresh ingredients, potentially ruining your recipes. Finally, canned foods have unhealthy additives - especially extra sodium - that you do not need in your food.

To keep your burgers flat, indent the middle of the burger with your thumb, nearly leaving a hole, before frying or grilling the patties. As the meat draws up and shrinks while cooking, the indentation will close itself, leaving you with flat burgers instead of small patties with extra thick middles.

Have you ever wondered how your neighbor's pie crusts turn out to be golden brown and glossy while yours is always pale? There is a trick to learn which guarantees the desired result every time. Beat some egg whites and brush it over the pie. You will take out beautiful, glossy, golden brown pies from your oven.

It may not always be easy to see that cooking is one of the simplest and most fun activities that anyone can partake in. You should enjoy creating delicious food for pleasure, as well as health. Keep the tips you learned here in mind and the chef inside of you will flourish.




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