7 Cooking Tips You Need To Follow
Cooking is always fun but only when you know what you’re doing. A lot of people hate to go to the kitchen because they are amateurs and are not very successful in cooking. The trick is to follow some tips that can help you cook good food while using minimal effort.
Everything you do in the kitchen needs to be planned. Every step and every choice you make will affect the food and your entire experience. That is why experienced chefs are so comfortable in the kitchen because they have handy tips up their sleeves that make cooking so much easier. It can also get disappointing if you spend so much time and energy but the results are not satisfactory.
A lot of people get disheartened as a result and hesitate to go back to the kitchen. What if we tell you that we have some tips for you that will make the entire task so much easier for you? If you are new in this cooking journey, there are some things you need to know. Have a look below!
Read-Up Before You Start Cooking
There is no better way to start cooking other than preparing beforehand. If you are not familiar with any recipe, then you must go through it before because it will save you trouble while you are in the middle of cooking. If there is something you can’t understand, you will be able to figure it out calmly as opposed to panicking while the onions in your pan start to burn.
Another benefit of reading your recipe beforehand is that you are certain you have all the ingredients. You don’t want to be clueless and lost because your dish is half complete, but you are out of some major ingredient.
Invest In a Good Pasta Maker
Investing in good utensils and machines will always pay off in the end. The better your kitchen appliances are, the better will be your food. One of these appliances is a pasta machine. Pasta is something that needs to be very delicate and soft. People who make it at home know that it is an art that needs practice. However, if your pasta machine is not good enough, it will break your dough or won’t give it the right consistency. Have a look at the required appliances to make cooking easier, and you won’t be disappointed!
Preheat Your Pan
Not many people think that this step matters much when it can make the whole difference in the world. You can make eggs on a preheated pan and a cold pan, and you will see the difference yourself. However, the trick here is to preheat the pan at the right temperature. You need to make sure that it is not overheated, or anything you put on it will get burnt instantly. It also affects the taste of the food; whereas, a cold pan can make your food soggy. A preheated pan, on the other hand, will seal the juices of meat patties and will give it a nice brown look as soon as it hits the pan.
Keep Tasting
How will you know about the taste of your food if you are not going to taste it while cooking it? I have a great habit of tasting the food after every step to know where the spices are going. Is the food getting too much salty? Is it too spicy? You can never know that unless you taste it constantly.
When the spices are not enough, you cannot add them after the food is cooked. The spices also need time to blend in. If your spices are too much, you won’t be able to do anything after you are done. On the other hand, if you are still cooking the food, you can add some more water or cream to balance the flavors.
Add Garlic at the Right Time
The garlic in your dish is what will give flavor to it. That means that the taste of your dish relies on the way you cook garlic. If your garlic is burnt, your dish will taste like a burnt meal, and that can be hard to eat. Try using minced or crushed garlic as they are not likely to burn in the pan that easily.
When you sauté the garlic, you have to make sure that there is just enough oil or butter; not too little, not too much. It is better if you sauté with low heat. Garlic will turn light brown quickly. No need to cook it on high heat. Just let it take its time.
Let the Meat Rest Before You Use It
Do you want to cook a tasty steak? A trick that not many people talk about is letting your meat rest for some time. This step is useful in preventing the steak from losing its juices. Place the steak on an aluminum foil just after you take it off the grill. Wrap your steak in the foil and let it rest for a few minutes. This technique allows all the juices in the steak to settle before you serve it.
The best thing about aluminum foil is that it traps the heat due to which the steak will continue to cook. It will also help close in all the flavors inside. If you prefer a medium cooked steak, it is better if you take it off the steak while it is medium-rare.
Boil Pasta with Salt
If you think your pasta has had something missing in it, it is probably because you never boil it with salt. It’s a simple but effective tip. The salt in the pasta won’t overpower the taste, but it will make sure that your pasta is not bland. Trust me, if your pasta doesn’t have enough salt in it, it won’t taste good.
We hope that with these kitchen tips, from now on, you will enjoy your cooking experiences!
About the Author:
This post is written by Line Arias who has been working as a nutritionist for ten years now. She recently collaborated with health and fitness spa, NYC, and since then, she has been working on weight loss’ meal prep plans.