Some Helpful Tips For Beginners

Tips For Beginning Bake

Many people, whether they are true foodies or not, enjoy trying different foods from various cultures, often with friends. Often they think they have to go to an ethnic restaurant to try these foods. The truth is that you can get a taste of the world in your own kitchen, it just takes a bit of experimenting on your part and a good cookbook. Cooking and baking might appear scary, especially if you are attempting meals based on a different type of cuisine than you usually make. It just takes a bit of daring on your part and a desire to experiment. Before you know it, you will be taking your household on a trip of the world with your cooking.

Pasta dishes of all kinds are often favorites but some cooks have problems making pasta properly.  It seems simple, boil water and cook.  However, pasta can be tricky and even the best cooks have overcooked a big pot of pasta.  Here is a simple trick to help you avoid overcooking your noodles.  Cooking pasta a minute less than its recommended cooking time is an old trick used by many cooks. When you shorten the time your pasta boils it will help to keep it from getting mushy.  It will then finish cooking when you mix the pasta into the sauce.  Overcooked pasta tastes terrible but is very easy to avoid.

Mmmm, Bacon

It seems that bacon is popping up in every recipe, even desserts.  People love bacon and don’t seem to be bothered at all about any health concerns.  Bacon can be troublesome to make.  It’s greasy and it seems that bacon grease gets everywhere in your kitchen.  Here is a trick that some experienced cooks use.  When making large quantities of bacon, lay the bacon on cooling rack that is placed on top of a foil covered baking sheet. Set your oven to 350 degrees and cook the bacon for the time suggested on the package.  Crisper bacon will take longer.  You end up with nicely done bacon and all of the grease is trapped in the foil, which you can roll up (after it has cooled) and throw away.  You only need to wash the cooling rack.

Tips On Making Bacon

 

Here is an excellent tip to try next time you are going to deep fry foods. After the oil has reached the proper temperature, use a set of long cooking tongues to position the food into the oil.  Even better, use some wooden skewers for this task.  They are very inexpensive and don’t conduct heat.  You can also use the tongs or skewers to turn the food as it fries.


Making a large batch of a recipe will result in leftovers and often those leftovers need to be frozen.  Freezing is an excellent way to preserve food but it has to be done correctly or you will end up with freezer burn.  To eliminate freezer burn, place the food in a zip-top freezer bag and close it tightly except for one small opening. Take a drinking straw and insert it through the small opening, sealing the bag tightly around the straw. Squeeze the bag to remove as much air as possible, and suck the rest out through the straw. Pinch the bag tightly shut when the air is gone. Less air in the bag means less chance for freezer burn to occur and your leftover food will look and taste as good as the original meal.

 

Here is one last suggestion that may save you some heartache in the kitchen.  Trying out new, untested recipes on a special occasion may lead to a disaster that could have been avoided.  Family and trusted friends are perfect for trying a new recipe or a new style of cooking.  They will support you if you have problems and love it if the meal turns out great.  New in-laws or a new employer may not be the best audiences for new dishes.  After all, you always want to look good when serving someone food.

 

 

 

1 Comment

  1. Good Cooks Keep Learning –

    at

    Love this post, my mom told me that she never stopped learning to cook or bake.

    Reply

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