How You Can Cook Gourmet Meals At Home

Home cooking is a talent that many people try to improve. Learning some basic cooking skills is a great way to diversify the meals you can enjoy on a daily basis and help you become more cultured. This article will contain some tips to help improve your abilities as a home cook.

Herbs and spices should be stored in an area of your kitchen that is cool and dark. Warmth, humidity and light will make them stale and unflavorful. Ground herbs and spices retain their flavor for 12 months under normal circumstances. Spices that come in the whole form will keep their flavor for around 3-5 years. If the spices are stored properly, they will stay fresh for a longer period.

Freezing meat slightly before cutting it will help you to get a nice, even thin slice. This works great when you are cutting steak thin for philly's or if you need to cut pancetta into thin slices or strips. Do not freeze it solid; freeze it just enough that it is slightly firm.

Have you ever wondered how your neighbor's pie crusts turn out to be golden brown and glossy while yours is always pale? There is a trick to learn which guarantees the desired result every time. Beat some egg whites and brush it over the pie. You will take out beautiful, glossy, golden brown pies from your oven.

Apples are widely used in recipes during fall and winter, but they will spoil fast if incorrectly stored. When exposed to dry, warm air, the apples will rot. To prevent this, apples should be stored in plastic bags and placed in the fridge or perhaps a basement. Keep checking on them though, otherwise one rotten apple will spoil the bunch in no time at all.

Unleash the tremendous flavor power of Mediterranean cous-cous by using this cooking tip. Pour your dry cous-cous in a pot filled with boiling chicken stock instead of water. Mix for ten seconds, then turn off the heat and cover for five minutes. The cous-cous will absorb the tasty flavor of the chicken stock. This effect can also be achieved with vegetable or beef stock.

If you are having a lot of trouble with cooking, sign up for a cooking class with a friend. Here, you will not only learn the recipes that you desire to know but also the techniques to maximize your abilities as a cook. This will be an important skill to use for the rest of your life.

Planning out meals for the coming week can save you both time and money. You can buy all of the things you will need beforehand without having to make spontaneous trips to the store during the middle of a busy week. You can have a planned schedule and it will make it easy for you to prepare things before you actually cook.

The tips previously stated are important to remember, but make sure you take more steps beyond them. If cooking is a passion, pursue it further. If it isn't a passion and you just want to cook better meals for your family, pursue it more casually and more opportunities will open up.