Learning to cook doesn’t have to be intimidating. It doesn’t have to be seen as a chore or a thankless task. Many people enjoy cooking and that is because they have made an effort to learn so that they can enjoy the experience.
(1) Season meats evenly. It is important to season all of the meats you are going to be cooking evenly. Sprinkle the seasoning lightly over the meat like it was snowing down. This will keep the seasoning even and prevent clumping. The taste will be more consistent all through it.
(2) To keep your cakes from falling flat, mix dense batters by hand with a wooden spoon. Electric mixers beat too much air into the batter, causing the cakes to fall when they are baked. Meanwhile, by using a wooden spoon to gently mix thick batters like carrot cake you protect the consistency of the batter from absorbing too much air.
(3) Basic seasoning of the food you prepare goes a long way in proving your skills in the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to taste your food as you work and adjust seasonings accordingly. Typically, some of the most expensive cuts of meat, as well as many many varieties of seafood, are rather dull without some help. Your guests will appreciate a well-seasoned dish that they don’t need to shake salt on until their arms goes numb or twist the pepper mill over for an hour to make palatable.
(4) 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.
(5) One important tip to remember when cooking dishes focuses on the size of the dish being prepared. The smaller the dish is that you are cooking, the higher the baking temperature and less time needed to cook the dish. Smaller dishes generally take only a few minutes at high temperatures to fully cook.
(6) Have you wondered if you are overgrilling your meat? You can purchase a meat thermometer to ensure that the inside of your grilled meat is cooked to satisfaction. If the meat you’re grilling is more than 1.5 inches thick, think about keeping the lid of the grill closed to shorten the cooking time.
(7) What is the different between grilling vs. smoking. While both smoking and grilling employ fire and can impart a smoky flavor to meats, they differ greatly when it comes to the time and way meats cook. A grill sears and caramelizes proteins using high, direct heat, whereas smoking uses indirect heat and lower temperatures to caramelize but not sear the meat. On a grill, the cooking is done in mere minutes; on a smoker, you rarely spend less than an hour cooking meats. Ultimately, cooking with smoke requires patience and practice.
Happy Cooking!