For many people, the act of cooking is nothing more than another chore. However, cooking can be an enjoyable activity. Good cooking can also improve health. Good cooks always attempt to find out as much as they can about their hobby or profession.
(1) When seasoning your food, remember that it is much easier to add more seasoning if needed, but you cannot take it away if you add too much. That is why it’s important to go light when seasoning with herbs and spices. You want to compliment the flavors of the food and not overpower them.
(2) Too many spices spoil the broth. If you stick to two or three basic flavors in a dish, they work together to provide complexity, yet each flavor maintains its individuality. Don’t load up your dishes with everything you can find. Sometimes the most perfect, delicious creations are the simplest.
(3) Make soup stock like chicken stock in large quantities. Soup stock can be used in many different recipes. If you make a large portion of it once, it is easy to store for later use. Just put it in baggies that can be sealed. Put it in the freezer and thaw it out when you need to use it.
(4) Cook your pasta one minute less than the package suggests, then finish cooking it in a pan with sauce. Your pasta will absorb more of the flavor of the sauce without having an over cooked texture. This can be a quick and effective way to prepare a pasta meal.
(5) Olive oil is one of the most important investments that you can make during the course of your cooking career. Find a high quality brand of olive oil and add this ingredient to a variety of different foods. This oil will help bring out the taste in pasta, fish and meat.
(6) Learn some proper knife-work techniques to make your time in the kitchen safer, more productive, and more enjoyable. Proper cutting techniques not only help to ensure safety in the kitchen, but food cut properly and uniformly looks better (which of course makes it tastes better!) and cooks more evenly. Stop cutting off your fingertips and burning half of the French fries with proper cutting skills!
(7) Before you buy meat check for marbling (see above). That is the white fat globules or lakes of fat between the meat. It will help make the meat tender but add lots of fat to your diet. Skip the buy if there is a lot of marbling.
Lean cuts of meat need to be cooked correctly — avoid high heat or overcooking, which will make the meat tough. Cook using moist methods such as in stews.
In summary, a top-notch cook is always adding to their knowledge. Joy that comes from cooking comes not just from preparing a meal, but also from learning about various foods, and acquiring new cooking skills and techniques. In addition, it’s about sharing your knowledge with others. Cooking is about sharing tips and secrets with your friends and family.