Have you ever caught yourself wondering how a restaurant prepares a particular meal? Have you ever tried to recreate the meal at home? The advice in this article can help you become a better cook, so that you can whip up delicious meals at home whenever you want. Many people find cooking to be a hobby that is both fun and relaxing.
A lot of preparatory work can be done ahead of time in order to speed up time spent cooking. Look through any recipes you make before you begin and prep accordingly, this can save you time before you cook letting you concentrate on your task when the time comes. You can make a lot of your preparations a day or more in advance. More complex recipes become quicker and more fun this way.
Oil should be added to the side of the pan. When it reaches the food, it will already be heated up. Having the oil at the right temperature when you cook with it will make the flavors pop.
Here is a tip that will thicken your sauce quickly and easily so that all your hard work will have not been wasted. Combine 2 tbsp. of water with 1 tbsp. of corn starch in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to your simmering sauce to thicken it up. Make sure you add the solution slowly while stirring constantly or you risk thickening the sauce too much.
When cooking for someone that you want to impress it is important to make sure that you are preparing a meal that you have prepared before and know you can prepare well. New recipes can be difficult to make and can create unnecessary stress. By doing so, you eliminate much of the stress of preparing the meal.
If you’ve made a big pot of sauce, freeze the leftovers by pouring the extra sauce into ice cube trays. Just melt the sauce cubes in a sauce pan when you are ready to prepare dinner. The frozen sauce will keep extremely well until the next time you need it!
You’ll find that cooking a big, complicated meal is less stressful if you handle some of the preparation ahead of time. Get the ingredients ready, chop the veggies, measure and prepare the spices and herbs. It’s also a great time to make sure you have everything that is needed. When you are ready to start cooking, all you have to do is combine the ingredients and cook them.
Chicken Stock
If you want to make chicken stock, you might as well make a lot of it. When you prepare stock, make a large amount, so it can be frozen for later use. There’s nothing better than homemade chicken stock as a flavorful base for casseroles, stews and soups. Allow the stock to cool before freezing it in durable, Ziploc bags.
If you are having people over to your home to eat, and you are including a salad with the meal, allow your guests to put the dressing on themselves. Some people love dressing in great huge globs, while others like a lighter taste. Some folks don’t like any dressing at all, (or are watching their weight) so leave the dressing of salads up to your guests. Your guests will also enjoy having a variety of dressings from which to choose.
If you are making cookies, and it requires the butter and sugar to be creamed together, the butter should be softened, not melted. It the butter is already melted, put it in a freezer for a couple minutes to let it get harder. You can also put the dough in the fridge once it has been mixed. Chilled dough prevents the cookies from spreading out too much.
Everyone who cooks needs to have good kitchen organization. If your kitchen supplies are not organized, this can cause confusion in the kitchen because you will be running around looking for the items. Save time searching by keeping similar items stored together. For instance, keep your spices in a cabinet, your baking goods in another, and cooking utensils together in a drawer.
You have begun taking the necessary steps to become an excellent at-home-chef. Don’t hesitate to try new recipes and take risks in the kitchen. There are many different foods in different cultures, and you can do just about anything creatively with your cooking.