Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Anyone Can Learn To Cook Amazing Meals

No one likes the idea of serving their guest a meal that turns out to be a flop! Everyone needs a little help now and then. So, before you head to the kitchen, read up on some tips that will help you cook food that is not only edible, but spectacularly awesome. Follow these tips to impress your guests and improve ordinary family meals, as well.

When making your own whipped cream, store the mixing bowl and beaters you plan to use in the fridge for 30 minutes or so before whipping the heavy cream. Your whipped cream will have stiffer peaks and a better overall consistency than starting with warm or room temperature utensils.

Trying to deep fry at home? Whenever your food is ready for the fryer, use tongs to gently hold the item just below the surface of the oil so that it has a sealed exterior and then let it go. If you toss it in without holding it for a few seconds, you might see your food stick to each other or to the fryer itself.

When it comes to cooking, try to manage your time by cooking multiple meals at one time. This is important because not only will it save you money by having a pre-cooked meal but it will also save you from having to spend the time cooking it later on in the week.

Make a big batch of stock and store it. You can store homemade meat or chicken stock in the fridge for one week, or in the freezer for 3 months. In the case of vegetable stock, you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days, but it tends to lose its flavor if you freeze it. If storage is an issue, boil the stock until it is reduced by half. This creates an intense flavored stock called a demiglace. Pour in a baking pan and freeze until hard, but not completely frozen. You can then cut the demiglace into cubes, place in plastic bags and freeze.

Make sure not to use oil in the water you are using to make pasta. This will only keep sauce from sticking to pasta when mixed together. In order to give the water a little flavor and prevent the pasta from sticking the pot, you can add in a little bit of salt.

If you're tired of sautéing the garlic, only to have it burn, try slicing it into strips instead of mincing it. It is much less likely to burn that way and you can always cut it down into smaller pieces after you have finished the sauté, if you need to.

The secret to a great mole sauce is the cocoa powder. Take a cue from Mexican mole and try using a bit of cocoa powder in your typical Italian pasta sauces, as well. A touch of cocoa powder imparts a "been simmering for days" Flavor and complexity, while not being too overpowering.

Now that you have read these great cooking tips, you can go into the kitchen armed with the knowledge that whatever dish you cook, you will impress your friends, family, and guests the way you want to! So, head over to the kitchen and get cracking.

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