When you first start cooking, there are some things that you need to know. Everyone isn’t born with natural talent for preparing food. Everyone is capable of learning to cook, though. If you want to be a better cook, there are some things you need to know. You can get yourself off to an excellent start by taking a look at the tips provided below.
When you are cooking a stir-fry, ensure the meat is sliced to be very thin, and cut it on the bias. It can be difficult to slice the meat, and it takes some time. Freeze the meat until it is firm and then slice the thin slices across the grain.
There’s a neat trick you can use to save your sauce. Mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Slowly add this mixture to your simmering sauce to thicken it up. Don’t add all the starch at once, and avoid stirring erratically. Either of these could over-thicken the sauce.
Partially freeze meat to make slicing into thin strips easier. This is great for various Oriental meals, such as Thai or Chinese dishes. If you freeze meat partially, you get a cleaner slice, without the stretching or tearing of fibers. A word of caution, allow meat to completely thaw prior to cooking. This will ensure even cooking of your meat.
When cooking or preparing for someone important, such as your boss or a new date, it is best to cook food that you are good at. You should not try to cook something new when you are cooking for someone whom you want to impress. You will feel less stressed while cooking if you follow this tip.
Do you enjoy flavoring your food with fresh basil? In a glass put a lot of fresh basil inside. The stems will then need to be covered with water. Just set it on the counter top, and it will be good for several weeks. You can even grow new basil plants if you feel like changing the water every day or so. The stems will sprout roots; that’s the wonder of plant life. Plant the fresh basil in a small pot with rich soil to have fresh basil available at all times.
It is always better to choose fresh ingredients for your recipes instead of dried or frozen ones. Whenever possible, incorporate fresh ingredients; they enhance the flavor of other ingredients and may even be less expensive.
Optimize your efforts when making your own chicken stock. Plan to make a big pot of stock so you can freeze and store it. Many great recipes including soups, casseroles and stews call for a base of chicken stock. Once your stock is finished, cool it and put it in heavy freezer bags.
Most people do not have a natural talent for cooking but skills can be acquired with time and efforts. Doing so is actually simpler than you might assume. Once you have incorporated the tips and techniques that were in this article into your cooking, you will soon begin preparing delicious home cooked meals.