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Last Updated: Jun 29th, 2008 - 19:59:12 |
Cooking Tips
By
Feb 14, 2008, 19:57
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Suggestions that will turn ordinary cooking into extraordinary cooking!
The difference between a good cook and a great cook can sometimes be as small as a couple good cooking tips. Cooking hints can help us make cooking dishes much easier and avoid the many pitfalls in cooking. While it has been said that experience, patience and knowledge are key when cooking, a few practical cooking tips can definitely make many good cooks look like master chefs. Here are just a few cooking tips that will ultimately help you in the kitchen.
Food Safety Tips
First off, the best way to ensure that your food tastes the very best that it can is to make sure that it is fresh. When shopping in the grocery store or produce market be sure you view each item that you buy, looking it over for freshness or ripeness. While most packaged foods include an expiration date located on the container, almost all foods such as fresh produce must be looked over individually. It’s also a good idea to get familiar with general produce and the art of spotting high quality produce in your local food market.
When it comes to meat, make sure that the meats (beef, poultry and fish) you purchase are fresh. In addition, when using meat for a meal keep all meats refrigerated until using, any utensils you use with the meat or that come into contact with the meat should be cleaned with soap and water. Regarding serving, make sure that meats are cooked thoroughly and reach a safe temperature. Cooked foods should reach at least 140 degrees F. Use a cooking thermometer to measure the temperature. It should be noted that while cooked foods should reach 140 degrees F., foods that are chilled such as dairy products should always be stored refrigerated less than 40 degrees F.
Use the Right Tools
Just like a good car mechanic has the right tools to fix a car, make sure your kitchen is stocked with items that will help you create dishes easily and correctly. This includes a great set of knives, pots, pans and measuring cups. You might also want to have on hand a nice blender and food processor.
Reduced Fat Cooking
A lot of people make the mistake of associating low fat cooking with bland, tasteless cooking. This is not the case. In fact, low fat cooking can be colorful, vibrant and extremely flavorful. The key is to utilize a variety of fresh spices, herbs, olive oil and put some thought into the dishes you choose. For example, you can make almost any dish a low fact dish just by ensuring the least amount of oil is used, and selecting lean cuts of beef and pork. In general, chicken and turkey are almost always low in fat and fish is also a great option for any low fat dish.
Choose the Right Beverage
Keep in mind that a meal includes not only the food, but the beverage as well. You can enhance a meal by accompanying it with a superb beverage. Whether it is a nice wine, delicious sparkling mineral water or a high quality cocktail, a beverage can easily make a standard meal outstanding.
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