Cooking is an essential skill to possess whether you are cooking for yourself or a large family! Having cooking skills generally means being able to make more nutritious food, saving money, and being better able to entertain guests. The tips below will give you a ton of knowledge on cooking.
It is a good practice to place cut potatoes in a bath of cold water for about half and hour, before frying in order to get crispy fries. Letting sliced potatoes soak up additional cold fluids reinforces the fibers in the vegetable, so that when you deep fry them, they can better withstand the heat without breaking down completely.
Garlic’s only disadvantage is that it transfers smell onto your hands. A trick for getting rid of the garlic odor on your hands is to rub them on a metal kitchen sink. Not only does this clean your hands, but it also prevents the odors from carrying over to whatever food items you make contact with next.
Chicken Stock
When preparing chicken stock, make a large amount. Plan to make a big pot of stock so you can freeze and store it. There are a variety of recipes that call for chicken stock, so having it on hand is always a good idea. Once your stock is cooked, let the leftovers reach room temperature, then portion them into freezer bags.
Keep in mind that tofu and beans are excellent sources of protein when you want to add more protein to your diet. You can buy these in almost any grocery store. Tofu is great meat alternative when baked, broiled, or pan-fried with seasonings. Beans boiled with herbs is a flavorful source of protein.
Pay attention to the cooking oil amounts when preparing meals! Rather than pouring oil into the pan directly from the bottle, measure the oil that you are using for cooking in order to decrease the fat. By doing this, you will be able to clearly see how much oil you are using.
Fresh Garlic
If you have to prepare any dish that involves garlic, get the freshest possible garlic available. Fresh garlic has a sweeter taste. Truly fresh garlic will not be bruised, shriveled or overly soft.
Place salad dressing off to the side of a salad, instead of on top of it, when serving salad to guests. Some people like more dressing on their salad than others do, so it is better to let them add the dressing themselves. Offer several different types of dressing.
There is no downside to learning how to prepare a good meal for yourself and your family. It doesn’t matter if you prefer avant-garde haute cuisine, regional favorites, or simple home cooking; you can improve your lifestyle by improving your cooking skills with the preceding tips. Take out meals are great for convenience, but nothing will ever outdo home cooking.