Great Cooking Tips For Foodies With Passion
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Learning to master the basics of cooking can seem like a daunting task to someone who has never cooked before. If you do not know anything about cooking and are one of the people who burn water when trying to get it to boil, here are some tips to teach you the basics of cooking.
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.
Ditch the roasting rack when roasting a chicken, instead laying the bird on a bed of thick onion slices lining an oiled pan. The onions will absorb the juices from the chicken as it cooks, and you can whip up a delicious sauce with them by adding some stock or water and reducing the mixture while the chicken rests on the carving board.
To make smooth and creamy mashed potatoes, place hot potatoes in a food ricer. After pushing them through, blend them with butter and hot milk. Finish up with an electric beater. This will keep your potatoes free of lumps, and will leave them tasting light and delicious. For extra creamy potatoes, add more butter.
Add a cast iron skillet to your kitchen if you do not already have one. These multipurpose pans can sear, fry, roast, bake a cake, broil a steak and more, making them essential cooking gear staples. Cast iron heats evenly and holds heat well, allowing you to use a lower burner temperature. When seasoned well, cast iron cures into a nonstick surface, too.
Learn to make a good roux. When you are learning to make the best bases for your cooking, consider learning the art of making a roux. It consists of mixing oils, fats, or butters and cooking with flour. If you enjoy making Cajun or French foods, roux is a mainstay.
Plan your meals in advance. One of the biggest time wasters is engaging in the “what am I going to fix for dinner?” debate. Often, we could have dinner on the table by the time we fuss with examining the options. Over the weekend – or whenever your free time occurs – think through the upcoming week and loosely plan four or five meals you know your family will enjoy. This advance planning allows you the time to stock your fridge and pantry with the items you need.
Every good cook recognizes the importance of keeping a well stocked pantry. You should have quantities of flour, salt, oil, sugar, and spices on hand at all times. Good cooking depends on it. There is nothing more frustrating than to get down to that final step and find you are missing a necessary spice.
Using the tips stated above, you should have a firm grasp on the basics of cooking and be able to cook for yourself. You can even try cooking for your family and friends as a learning experience. The great thing about cooking is that if it does not work the first time, you can try again.