How You Can Get More Comfortable With Your Kitchen

How many times have you dreaded going into the kitchen to make breakfast, lunch, or dinner? You might need a new perspective. Cooking can be enjoyable and relaxing if you try to see it in another way. Here are a few cooking tips that are sure to get your taste buds tingling and entice your inner chef to come out.

For crispier French fries, you should chill the peeled potatoes in water for 30 minutes or more before frying them. When you soak sliced potatoes in cold water, it strengthens their fibers, so that they can stand up to the heat when being deep fried.

If you are seasoning some meats, you should try a small piece of it before you cook all of it. Burgers, meatloaf and meatballs require proper seasoning to taste their best. Avoid cooking the entire batch immediately after seasoning the meat. Rather, cook a small portion first. Then, you could either cook it like that or add more seasonings accordingly.

Repair cracks in a pie crust! If you overworked the pie dough, that could cause it to get cracks. To repair it, wet your fingers with cold water and gently rub over any cracked areas to mend them. If the cracks happen to be on the top of the crust, just brush a little milk on it, then sprinkle with sugar. When you bake the pie, the milk and sugar will form a glaze on the crust that will disguise any cracks!

Follow the directions when making macaroni and cheese if you desire the best possible results. The macaroni will be perfection if you choose to cook it in this manner. After the cheese has melted on the noodles, you will be able to enjoy macaroni that is divine. A solid-faced spoon should be used to serve macaroni and cheese. To top off this dish, spice it up with some pepper sprinkled over the top!

When you know you have a busy day coming up, prepare your meals ahead of time, preferably the night before. By doing some vegetable chopping, or pre-assembly of dishes the night before, you'll be a lot less stressed on cooking day.

If you find yourself with leftover homemade sauce, freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays. All you need to do next time you want to use it, is reheat in a saucepan. The sauce will remain edible even after being in an ice tray.

Here is a way to save your sauce and use it in your recipes. Try mixing in 1 tablespoon corn starch and another 2 tablespoons water in a container. In order to create a thicker sauce, add the mixture to the sauce, while it is cooking on low heat. Try to incorporate it slowly so that you do not make it too thick.

Texture and taste don't have to suffer when you are trying to lighten up your mashed potatoes. Cauliflower makes for a great substitute to help drop the fat and calorie content. You will not taste the blandness of cauliflower, but notice a new interesting flavor instead. In addition, cauliflowers can blend into the same texture and color as potatoes, which makes cauliflower an excellent method of adding vegetables and decreasing calories from a mashed potato dish.

Ensure that all of your spices and herbs are stored in a cool and dry area away from direct light. Light and humidity can diminish the flavor of spices, as can heat. This will overexpose your spices to heat and cause them to lose flavor.

It is always a good idea to skim off unneeded fat from soups, broths and stews. Allow the soup or stew to cool down completely, so that the excess fat will rise to the top. Next, skim a spoon containing an ice cube over the surface of the liquid. The fat will cling to the ice. Rather blot the fat with a paper towel.

To enjoy the freshest fish, go out on the lake and catch it yourself. Not only does this make for a tasty meal, but it is a great way to be self sufficient.

For dishes that involve multiple steps, make it easy on yourself by doing portions of the work on the evening prior to cooking. You can double-check the availability of everything required, get your ingredients together, chop herbs and vegetables, and measure out quantities in advance. When you are ready to cook the meal it will be quick and easy because you will just have to throw the ingredients together and cook.

Leftover flavors and scents can remain on your cutting board, even after repeated washing. Use a permanent pen to make a mark so you know which side you are using.

In order for herbs and spices to remain fresh and flavorful, they need to be kept in an area that is cool and dim. Storing spices in warm locations, such as above the stove, can cause the spices to lose their flavor and you to lose your money.

A lot of people usually use apples for cooking things in the winter and fall months, yet a lot of people store them incorrectly and they spoil quickly. Dry warm air will cause them to rot, so make sure they are stored in a loose plastic bag in the fridge or in a cool basement. Watch them, because it will only take one rotten apple to ruin the others.

Soften your butter, but don't melt it, when you cream butter or sugar as part of your cookie recipe. If it has been melted, put it in a bowl and place it in the freezer, allowing it to firm up. You can also place the entire concoction in the refrigerator after you have combined the ingredients. Chilled dough prevents the cookies from spreading out too much.

Although it might feel great to impress your guests, avoid preparing a meal that you have never cooked before when entertaining someone important. Whether you are cooking for your boss, that special someone or your in-laws, you would like them to enjoy your cooking. You are sure to please them if you cook something you are already familiar with.

Reheating oily dishes in your microwave can have disastrous results. To avoid the mess, warm the dish in an oven instead. The oil, which warms up faster than the other ingredients, will separate from them under the high heat caused by the microwave oven. Baking will allow the entire dish to heat at the same time and keep all of the ingredients cohesive.

It is vital for cooks to have their supplies organized when cooking. An unorganized kitchen is an unhappy kitchen. You will have difficulty finding what you want to make your delicious recipes. Put like items with other like items. Keep your herbs and spices together and follow this grouping rule with other supplies as well.

Start using these tips as you cook. Once you taste them, you'll be convinced that maybe cooking isn't so bad after all! Not only will your meals be more fun to eat, you'll look forward to cooking them; you might even start trying new recipes. Try having fun with cooking today!