Useful Cooking Advice For The Everyday Cook

Not every person is born with the skill to cook. Everyone can learn how to cook though. There are a few important pieces of information that will help start you on the path to becoming a good cook. The following paragraphs have some good advice that can point you on the right path.

When adding seasonings to meat, test a small amount before seasoning the whole batch. Foods like meatloaf, meatballs, and even hamburgers can require careful seasoning. Hold off on cooking the entire dish until you have checked the seasoning. Cook a tiny portion of it in the shape of a patty first. Once you have tasted your creation, make any adjustments needed to the seasoning.


Bake pie crusts a longer time than you would think they should be baked. They should be a light golden brown instead of pale blonde. This color means that the sugar has caramelized within the crust and will have a crunchy and sweet flavor.

Always keep a set of sharp knives in your kitchen. A dull knife will not only make it more difficult to slice and chop your ingredients, but it will also be a hazard to use. You can cut yourself because you are forcing the knife through the food, use a sharp knife.

TIP! A sharp knife is indispensable for efficient cooking. Not only can it be difficult to cut with dull knives, but it is dangerous to use them too.

Do you feel a bit guilty throwing out fruit that are moldy? Is it safe to save a portion of fruit by cutting the mold? There is no two ways about it; rotting fruit is unhealthful. Mold goes a lot deeper than you see and it can make you sick so throw moldy fruit in the garbage.

People use apples for cooking many things during the holiday season, but they will spoil if not stored properly. To avoid rotting, you should keep them in a plastic bag and in a cool temperature. One rotten apple can actually spoil the whole bag so keep a close eye on them while stored.

Does it upset you to discard fruit that is moldy? Is it possible to save at least a portion by getting rid of only the bad part? Trying to salvage fruit when half of it is bad may save money, but it is not worth the health risks. Mold and other potentially dangerous contaminants can be found even in portions of the fruit that look healthy, so you should pitch the whole thing.


Make enough so that you can freeze it and use it later. Good chicken stock that you make at home makes a great starter for soups, stews, stews and other dishes.

In order to have plenty of fresh fall apples for cooking, store them properly to keep them from spoiling. Warm air is the enemy of apples; store them in a cool area or even the refrigerator. One rotten apple will spoil the bunch so keep a close eye on them while stored.

Do not use wine when cooking that you do not think normally tastes good. There are wines available that was made specifically for cooking purposes.

Prepare some of your food the day before if you cannot handle doing everything in one night.Cut up ingredients the night before going to bed at night. This will help reduce your stress and lower your cooking time the following day.

Lots of recipes for fresh basil? You can cut basil by the stems, bunch it together, and put it in a glass. Cover its stems with water. This way it will stay fresh for days, even weeks, right on your countertop! You can even promote the growth of roots if you replace the water from time to time. Occasionally trim the basil in order to promote more growth so that you can have fresh basil for a while.

Storing herbs and spices in warm location will lead them to lose their flavor.

Cutting Board

Grilling is not an exact science, but you may have encountered some confusion the last time you hit the barbecue. You need to use a good meat thermometer so that you can be sure that the inside of the meat is cooked properly. For meat that is more than 1.5 inches thick, close the lid of the grill to decrease the amount of time that the meat takes to cook.

TIP! Do you ever find it difficult to determine how long you should grill your meat? It is a great idea to utilize a meat thermometer to make sure you cook the meat properly. If you are cooking thicker cuts of meat on the grill, for instance thicker than one and a half inches, close the lid to cook it faster.

Many popular veggies and herbs give off a strong residual odor which tends to leave your cutting board smelly no matter how hard you try to scrub it off. Use permanent ink to mark the cutting board to identify which side to use for each purpose.

Always clean your cooking with utensils very well before you use them. Any residual food post-washing can ruin whatever you intend to cook. This can also spread of bacteria.

Store your dry goods, like sugar, flour, baking mix, and so forth, in airtight containers. Avoid exposure to moisture and insects by sealing food in airtight containers. You buy them pretty much anywhere and they are a beneficial asset.

TIP! Use air tight containers to store baking mixes, flour and sugar. Airtight containers allow your food to remain safe from the elements and also prolongs their freshness.

If you plan on using fresh herbs, such as dill or parsley in your meal, form them into bunches and cut them with scissors. This will keep them drier and lighter than if they are chopped.

Cooking is not always a natural talent, but with the right advice, you can easily turn yourself into a pro. You may think it is difficult, but it is actually simple. You will be whipping up souffles in no time once you embrace these tips and put your new skills to good use.

It is important to only use wine that you typically drink when you are cooking. By using a wine you do not like or one that you are unfamiliar with, you are jeopardizing the taste of your food. There is wine available that was made specifically for cooking.