Once you know what you are doing, cooking is a lot of fun. Not only will the tips here aid you in be...

1. Want To Learn How To Cook Better?
Once you know what you are doing, cooking is a lot of fun. Not only will the tips here aid you in
becoming the chef that you want to be, but will boost your confidence level as well. The fun will truly
start once you have these items under your belt.
If you're cooking food for an important person, such as a new date or even your boss, you should
make sure you are cooking food you are experienced at. Never prepare an unfamiliar recipe or try to
use a different ingredient than you are used to. Making a meal you are confident will taste good can
make the night more enjoyable.
Let raw potatoes soak in some cold water for a half hour prior to frying them to increase the
crispiness of French fries. Allowing the sliced potatoes to soak up more cold fluids helps to reinforce
the fibers that are in the vegetable, that way when they are deep fried, they are better able to stand
up to the heat and won't completely break down.
Freeze sauces by pouring leftovers into ice cube trays. You can easily take them from the freezer
when needed for a meal, and quickly reheat in a saute pan. The sauce is still good after it is frozen.
Using chicken broth is something you can try when you're making vegetables. Using chicken broth
will prevent the vegetables from sticking in the pan as well as add some tasty flavor at the same
time. Chicken broth is dirt cheap, and can be bought at any supermarket.
Sauteing vegetables in a small amount of chicken broth is a healthy and delicious way to cook. The
vegetables will take on the broth flavor, and reduce the oil that is used when sauteing. Try this next
time you cook vegetables for a great meal.
When seasoning your food, add the seasoning in increments rather than putting it all on at once.
This will allow your food to really take on the flavor of the seasonings and make the food as flavorful
as it can be.
Be sure to refresh your spices every few months. Quite often, spices pass their sell-by-date before
you use them up, losing their flavor. If you purchase spices that you know are not used often in your
home, give some to a family member or friend.
To add more flavor to your dishes, try adding some stock that you have prepared. Extra stock can be
stored in the freezer and used later. When you do this, you will have delicious, healthy stock ready-
to-use whenever you make soups and stews. By making and having your own stock on hand, you will
know it doesn't contain preservatives.
You can reduce your stress level by doing your prep work for an important meal the day or night
before the event. You can place all of your ingredients in a designated area so that you can be sure
that you have all of the ingredients to prepare the dish. You can then chop fruits or vegetables and
measure all dry ingredients that you need for the recipe. When you are ready to get started with the
meal, you will only have to deal with the actual cooking.
Before chopping fresh herbs sprinkle some salt on the cutting board. Doing this not only adds some

2. flavor, but it also ensures that the herbs are right where they need to be, which is on the board. Do
not over-salt by making sure you don't directly add any extra salt to the foods you're preparing.
Applying salt to the board will allow the herbs to stick better and give the meat a bit more flavor.
The first thing you should do when barbecuing it to prepare the grill. This should be done about 30
minutes prior to putting any food on it. The heat should be moderate and the charcoal should be a
little ashy. This is the right temperature to begin grilling your food.
If you saute a food, don't overload the pan. This can result in additional moisture that may cause the
food to become steamed and lose its crisp brown surface, one of the primary features of sauteing.
Pay attention to the temperature and keep it low.
Wrapping the turkey together with string is trussing. This keeps the wings and legs close to the bird,
promoting a more even cooking. If they are not tied down, there is a good chance that they will burn
while the remainder of the turkey is cooking.
Make use of stacking racks for cooling things straight out of the oven. This will save you space,
especially if you are planning on baking a lot of cookies. You can use your space more efficiently by
using cooling racks that stack on each other. Making use of this vertical space can help you still
retain more usable space so you can work.
If you need to warm up leftovers that are oily but don't want to contend with the greasy mess, try
baking them in the oven instead of popping them in the microwave. Oil heats more quickly than
other ingredients, and the strong heat that a microwave has will cause it to separate from everything
else. When you use the oven to reheat a dish, the heat will come slower and more consistent, which
will keep the ingredients cohesive and the dish flavorful.
Use a baking potato with thick skin to get a good, firm shell when making potato skins or twice
baked potatoes. Red potatoes are not suitable, because their skin is not thick enough and the filling
may break through.
As was indicated in this article, you can pick up new cooking skills and enhance the ones you already
have. An investment of time and a strong desire to acquire knowledge are the key ingredients. By
using the tips in this article, you can gain proficiency and learn your way around a kitchen with ease.
Cooking can be really enjoyable if you approach it with a positive attitude.