Baked, Boiled Or Browned: Expanding Your Culinary Abilities

Many people look at cooking as simply a chore that has to be done. Cooking, though, can be something very enjoyable! It is a great way to lead a healthier lifestyle, by improving your diet. A good cook will always continue to learn new and innovative methods, and the following information will help you learn more about cooking as well.

Cooking with skewers can provide very beneficial if you use them properly. If using skewers made of steel or metal, avoid ones with rounded surfaces and try ones with square or beveled designs.

Keep spices tucked away in cool, dry and dark areas. Leaving your spices out will expose them to moisture and light, which will diminish their quality. Keeping your spices in a cooler space with little light will enhance their flavor and shelf life. Make sure that your spices are fresh to add taste and flavor to any meal.

Partially freeze meat to make slicing into thin strips easier. This method is especially useful when preparing Chinese or Thai entrees. By marginally freezing meat, slicing it is made cleaner, as its fibers will not tear quite as easily. However, always thaw your food before cooking it.

Invest in a knife sharpener to make cutting any ingredient simple. Dull knives are dangerous and difficult to use. It is much easier to cut yourself trying to force a dull knife through a vegetable, than cutting it with a sharp knife.

If you want to reduce the amount of calories and fat in a mashed potato dish, substitute cauliflower for some of the potatoes. Their bland flavor blends effortlessly with the potatoes while taking flavor from the other ingredients. Additionally, cauliflower has the same texture and color as mashed potatoes, so it makes it an easy, healthy addition to your dish.

Fresh Ingredients

When you use fresh ingredients, your cooking will be considerably better than if you used canned, dried or frozen ingredients. Fresh ingredients can really enhance the flavor of your meal, as well as be more economical to prepare.

Garlic, like lots of other foods, has the unfortunate characteristics of absorbing into your hands. Rub your hands on the inside of a sink made of stainless steel after using garlic. This trick removes the offending scent from your hands, which prevents them from migrating to the foods you touch next.

One of the healthiest ways to cook your vegetables is to cook them on high with a low sodium chicken broth. The broth will add to the flavor of the vegetables and cut back on the amount of oil that is typically needed to saute them. This method produces healthy and tasty vegetables.

This will help to keep your fruits fresh for much longer. As a bonus, you can enjoy fruits that aren’t available year round.

If you are making a meal that requires garlic, buy fresh garlic or grow your own. Generally, garlic will taste sweeter if it’s fresher. For you to figure out if garlic is still fresh make sure it isn’t soft, shriveled or bruised and it has firm skin.

If you’re overwhelmed with dinner prep for the family, try to do some food prep the night prior. You can cut up ingredients, measure spices, marinate meat and prepare sauces 24 hours in advance to avoid the stress of preparing a more complex meal. Doing the prep work ahead of time will decrease stress, and increase your enjoyment of finishing the meal.



A charcoal grill should be prepared and the charcoal lit ahead of the time you plan to cook. It takes approximately 30 minutes for the grill to heat to the proper temperature for cooking. The coals should have an ash covering and should emit medium heat. This is the optimal temperature for grilling.

The introduction talked about how cooking enthusiasts are always looking to learn something new. The best part about cooking is not simply meal preparation, but learning about all the kinds of foods, ingredients and techniques. It is about sharing knowledge that you have gathered from others. What a gift to share with your loved ones!