Do you love all sorts of food? You may wish to learn to cook cakes, cookies and pies. Do you enjoy delicious ethnic dishes? Does the idea of whipping up these dishes for yourself tantalize you? Time to wonder no more, it’s cooking time! You can follow the advice in this article to educate yourself on the art of cooking.
Try to keep your spices and herbs in a dark, cool area of your kitchen. If your spices are exposed to moisture, heat, or light they may lose their flavor. Usually, a freshly ground spice or herb will keep its flavor for around a year. Whole spices might retain their flavors for three to five years. If stored the right way, they keep fresh for a lot longer.
Make sure that all your preparation is done prior to cooking. It is essential that the prep work is completed before cooking commences. Trying to cook a meal that has to be on the table by a certain time can be stressful. Preparing some of the ingredients ahead of time can reduce the amount of stress you feel when it is time to prepare the meal.
Are you aiming to reduce the amount of fat and calories you consume in your mashed potatoes without having to give up taste or texture? If so, consider replacing a certain amount of the potatoes with cauliflower. Cauliflower does not have a strong taste and will be virtually undetectable when mixed with the potatoes and other ingredients. It also mimics the texture and color of the potatoes almost perfectly letting you up your vegetable intake, and drop the calories, all the while giving the same delicious potato experience we all know and love.
Do you regularly cook with freshly grown basil? Place your basil into a large glass. Submerge the stems in water. Put the basil on your counter and it will remain fresh for up to seven days! Refresh the water quite often, and you will notice that the basil starts to grow roots. Occasionally trim the basil in order to promote more growth so that you can have fresh basil for a while.
Add chicken broth to vegetables when you cook them. Chicken broth is an excellent base to use when preparing vegetable dishes that helps keep them from sticking and gives them some flavor. Chicken broth is easily purchased at almost every supermarket, and is quite inexpensive.
Doing so will give you fresh fruit year round. You also have the benefit of enjoying fruits out of season.
Try different liquids in recipes calling for water or milk to add some new flavors to your meals. Use chicken broth, beef stock or vegetable broth instead. Try to use buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream in place of milk. Changing liquids can improve the nutrition of the dish and make it more lively.
By following the tips from above, you will be on your way to creating fabulous dishes you will love! Stay open-minded and keep experimenting with new flavors, ingredients, and spices. You may find a brand new kind of food that you really enjoy! These tips will help you become a better cook.