You Can Be A Great Cook: Learn How

Learning how to cook is like learning how to dance. It takes plenty of study, hard work and dedication. The tips weve put together in this article should help you determine the types of things you should focus on mastering in order to become the cook youve always wanted to be.

To prevent wasting costly meat, test out your spice mixture on one small piece prior to adding it to the rest of the meat. Different meats including meatballs and meatloaf need to be seasoned carefully. Do not try and cook the whole piece of meat right after adding seasoning. Cook a small, seasoned patty and taste the result. The aroma of the food as it cooks will also give you a clue to the amount of seasoning you need to add.

After removing corn from the cob, scrap the cob with the back of your knife. Doing this will extract the "milk" from it. Drizzle the "milk" over the corn to add extra flavor.

If you are planning to saut� garlic, you will want to slice it instead of mincing it, which will reduce the chance for it to burn. Following certain procedures will not only improve the taste of your dishes in the kitchen but will increase your effectiveness and efficiency in getting the job done.

When you are cutting garlic, one of the things that you can do is to put it in a plastic bag before you cut. Then, slice the garlic cloves inside the bag to protect your board from smelling. This will help to reduce the pungent odor that garlic can give off.

If you are boiling pasta, make sure that you do not put too much in the pot. This will not cook your food all the way through and will taste very raw and thick. Try to limit the amount of pasta that you put in the pot to maximize taste and quality.

If you want to add a unique touch to your dinner, use fruit as a side dish. Fruit will help to flush down the thick pieces of meat that you just ate and will serve to re-energize your body after consuming a lot of calories. Add oranges, pears and apples to your dinner to optimize your experience.

Buying pasta sauce that already has vegetables, seasonings, meat, or cheese in it is a great way to save time and money when cooking. Theres a great variety to choose from, and you wont have to chop up peppers and mushrooms or brown the beef. Its all in one jar--just heat it up, and serve over your favorite pasta!

Roast nuts briefly in the oven and then sprinkle some flour on them before using in a cake to prevent them from migrating to the bottom of the pan. Applying heat and coating lightly with flour keeps them in position in the cake batter and reduces the likelihood the nuts will settle before the cake is done baking.

Nutrition

Many liquids are interchangeable within a recipe; try replacing the water or milk with something new. Juices, beef broth, or vegetable broth can all be used as a substitute for water. If a recipe calls for milk, try using buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream. Using different liquids can add nutritional value, while at the same time punching up bland, old recipes.

To preserve more of the nutritional value of your vegetables dont cook them for too long. As you cook a vegetable, its nutrient content diminishes. Good techniques for quickly cooking vegetables are steaming and stir-frying. Slow cooking has its place, but dont neglect the quicker techniques with their greater nutrition.

Just like a dance, you are never done with learning how to cook. There is always a new style for you to study and master. Take these tips and learn to incorporate them into your everyday cooking. Always remember that you are never done learning about the art of cooking.