Sunday, August 19, 2012

Cooking Techniques And Tricks Of The Pros

By Roxane J. Talisen


Everyone has some area that they can improve when it comes to cooking, including professional chefs. Cooking is a key skill that we can improve throughout our lives. If you want to start that improvement process for yourself, then this article is the right place to start. Read on to find out how!

If you want to cook a pumpkin, cut it vertically in half. Next, set each of the two pieces on a separate baking sheet, taking care to place each one cut side down. Sprinkle your baking sheets with a little water, and roast the pumpkin halves for an hour at 350 degrees.

Cooking a large meal for friends or family requires a great deal of preparation ahead of time. Make sure that you have all of the ingredients available. It is not too much to get your meals ready the day before. Make sure you have the necessary utensils. Did you think of everything? Being prepared will settle your anxiety and ensure that you are ready to create a fantastic meal.

When preparing stews and soups, always remove excess fat. If your homemade stew or soup has excess fat, allowing it to cool completely will cause the fat to accumulate on the surface. Get a spoon with an ice cube along it. Run the spoon across the surface of the soup or stew. The ice in the spoon will collect the excess fat. If this does not work, a paper towel can be used to absorb some of the fat away.

Use flavored butter spreads to add some zest to corn or rolls at dinner time. Set out butter to warm up to room temperature; you can also quickly soften it in the microwave. Then mix in some herbs, sauces or spices to add some extra flavor. Honey, lemon juice, chipotles or BBQ make a great combination with butter.

Always remember to use silicone, rubber or nylon spatulas and spoons when you are cooking with nonstick pans. Harder utensils, like wooden or metal ones, will scratch the coating, which will reduce the quality of your pan and get in the food. The coating could then flake off into your food and this is dangerous.

Do you feel like you're wasting money when you throw away a piece of moldy fruit? You may have wondered whether you should just cut out the part that had mold and use the rest. Unfortunately, there isn't any way to save fruit that has begun to rot. Get rid of them quickly, as mold can develop and cause health problems.

Store your spices in a cool, dark place. If they are stored in an area that they are exposed to light, heat and humidity, their shelf life is shortened. Keeping your spices in a cooler space with little light will enhance their flavor and shelf life. Better tasting meals are the result of the ingredients you use, including the freshest spices possible.

To easily measure sticky foods, use cooking oil! Before you measure the ingredient, lightly coat your spoon with cooking oil that has flavor. The substance you are measuring will easily slide right off the spoon and prevent waste and make cleaning up easier. Keep this trick in mind for peanut butter and honey too.

Learning new things is always exciting, and that goes for cooking, too! Cooking can be as much fun as actually eating! Even if you haven't picked up some handy suggestions you intend to use the next time you prepare a meal, hopefully this article has shown you the value of looking for new cooking tips! Cooking is a never ending journey.




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