Become A Better Cook Using These Smart Ideas

It is a fact of life that people need to eat. But plain "survival" foods can lead to boredom in thekitchen. It is even more joyful to cook something good than to eat it. Apply these tips to discover newthings about cooking and improve your skills.

When you store your spices and herbs, keep them in a place that is cool and dark. They will not tasteas fresh if they are exposed to light or warmth. Ground herbs and spices will retain their flavor forabout a year. Whole spices may retain flavor for up to five years. If you store them the right way,they will be fresher.

When not in use, put your spices in an area that receives the lowest amount of light and heat.Storing them out exposes them to light, excessive heat and humidity, which can reduce their shelflife. Keeping your spices in darkened, cool areas will lend extra longevity and flavor. You'll taste thedifference in your dishes.

Invest in a knife sharpener to make cutting any ingredient simple. Dull knives, in addition to beingineffective, are actually very dangerous. If you are putting too much pressure onto the knife due toits dullness, the likelihood of having an accident is increased.

Did you ever feel bad for throwing old, moldy fruit away? Do you wonder if you can still use the fruitby simply cutting out the part that seems overripe? If you have fruit that is just a little rotten, throwit away. These foods can cause you to become ill, as mold goes much deeper than the eye can see.

Do you enjoy using fresh basil in your dishes? Place several sprigs of fresh basil into a glasscontainer. Make sure the the stems are completely covered with water. Basil will stay fresh in bowlof water for up to four weeks. The basil will grow roots if you occasionally change the water. You canencourage the basil's growth even further by trimming it back from time to time, keeping it freshand healthy even longer.

Meat Recipes

You can sprinkle it on many other foods besides meat. It can be put on pumpkin seeds for a yummysnack, or even in scrambled eggs for a zesty breakfast. Just be sure not to use too much seasoning,because you don't want to completely overpower the natural flavor of your food.

They will soak up much of the water, as if they were a sponge. Try using a clean, wet cloth andwiping them off instead.

Use extra virgin olive oil when necessary instead of oils that are high in saturated fat. Many oils andbutters have a high concentration of fat. Instead, opt for nonstick cooking spray.

A healthy way to cook vegetables is to saute them with a little bit of chicken broth. The chickenbroth will add a dimension of flavor, and let you cut down on how much oil you use. This technique isa tasty way to cook healthier while not skimping on flavor.

Never cook with wine you haven't tried. If you mix random wines into your food, you may find that

the wine you have chosen spoils the dish. Look for wines that are specifically used for cooking.

Save the delicious taste of summer by drying tomatoes yourself. Start by slicing a ripe tomato one-half inch thick, or you can cut Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. Place the resulting tomato pieceson a rack, then salt their exposed flesh lightly. Place the rack on top of a cookie sheet, and bake thetomatoes in an oven set at 190 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 10 hours. Put the bags oftomatoes in your freezer. Alternatively, dried tomatoes can be packed in a jar filled with olive oil andfresh herbs. When refrigerated, they will last a minimum of two weeks.

Keep your supplies and utensils well organized. If they're not organized, you'll waste time looking forneeded items. You may find it beneficial to group similar items together. For instance, keep yourspices in a cabinet, your baking goods in another, and cooking utensils together in a drawer.

Organization is key to cooking efficiently and not letting anything burn. A cooking station that iswell-organized is more productive. A lack of organization in your kitchen work areas can cause youto lose focus, among other things, and can easily result in wasted time, money, and food.

When you are planning to make quite a detailed meal, do some of the prep work the day before toreduce some of the stress involved. Start by getting all of your ingredients in one place to make sureyou have whatever you need. Have all ingredients chopped and measured. When you are ready toget started with the meal, you will only have to deal with the actual cooking.

Impress people with a perfect sandwich by spreading mayonnaise evenly and smoothly all over thebread, from crust to crust. People don't generally pay attention to perfection in sandwiches so justdollop the mayo into the middle. An even spread helps keep the taste consistent from bite to bite.

A good kitchen requires good knives. This not only saves you time from having to deal with knivesthat are dull, but it's safer to use utensils that are new and sharp, rather than ones that are old anddull. Many cuts and accidents are caused by dull utensils.

There are a wide variety of potatoes, and they are not always adequate substitutes for each otherwhen cooking. For boiling and for use in potato salad, the waxy varieties will work best. This kind ofpotato does not work as well for mashing, baked potatoes or french fries. For those culinaryexercises, you should use potatoes that are fluffy, such as Russets.

If you appreciate good food, you should enjoy cooking too. Try out a few of the tips provided hereand you'll be on your way to enjoying your cooking experience even more. You'll become a betterand better cook, and soon, people will always be asking to try some of your home cooking.