Enjoy Cooking Just As Much As You Enjoy Eating Good Food

By Dorsey T. Emanus


Want to be a better cook? Who doesn't! Looking for some new, fun, and interesting menu ideas? Who isn't! The desire to prepare better meals and try new recipes is something we all want to do. Read on and lets discuss some great ways to get creative in the kitchen.

To get the best sear and the crispiest crust on everything from fish to meats to other pan fried foods, the secret is a hot pan. Getting a nice brown color on your food requires a pan that is as hot as possible before the food hits its surface. Because the exterior of the food cooks first, you get only one chance to create that perfect golden color and crispy texture, so heat your pan and oil for several minutes prior.

Make homemade vinaigrette dressings instead of purchasing them from the store. Your homemade dressing not only tastes better, but it uses fewer ingredients and is often healthier. You can easily whip these up by just dumping all the ingredients into a sealed contained and shaking it up vigorously, and voila! You have delicious tasting dressing for marinades and salads.

When making homemade salad dressings it is a good idea to use extra-virgin olive oil. It has a fruity flavor that really adds to a salad. Extra-virgin olive oil can be somewhat expensive so it is important to buy it when it is on sale or with a coupon to make it more affordable.

Looking for an easy way to add color to your dinner table? If you want to add color to your dinner table, try using bell peppers. Bell peppers can be used as a dip bowls to add color to you table. You can also slice up the bell peppers and add them to your meals to create a colorful meal.

Are you trying to discover fast ways to cook meals that are nutritious for you and your family? For a quick and easy dish, cook frozen or fresh vegetables in the microwave. Add a small amount of water to bowl of corn, green beans, or broccoli to add a quick, side dish of steamed vegetables to your meal.

If you have stale bread, implement it in a recipe. Don't just throw that stale loaf of french bread out to the birds. If the bread is still good, add it to a recipe. Crumble it up and use it in a seasoning. You can even make it into croutons for a salad.

If you are out of bread crumbs you can try these simple substitutions in your recipe: cracker crumbs, matzo, crushed cornflakes, grounds oats, or even potato chips. Simply substitute an equal amount of the replacement food for the bread crumbs. You can also make fresh bread crumbs by finely chopping four slices of bread per cup you need.

You need to store your flour in a waterproof container. If flour gets wet, it becomes a huge mess and cannot be used for cooking. There are some waterproof containers that can be sealed so that there is no way for water to get into it, which can save you a lot of money in the long run.

As it was stated at the beginning of this piece, cooking is not difficult. Take these tips and head to the kitchen where you are sure to cook up a meal for your family that they are sure to love. Apply this information to your everyday cooking and find success in your meal preparation.




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