The Secrets That Are Behind Every Great Cook

Every cook loves to learn new things about cooking. The same can be said about novice cooks. Cooking can be a chore sometimes, but more often, it can just be an enjoyable experience which culminates in a delicious meal. This article can add to your knowledge and joy of cooking.

One of the best cooking tips for moist and flavorful meat is to take the time to marinate. The simple truth is that the longer you marinate your meat, the more intense and enjoyable the flavor will be. A good rule of thumb is to marinate overnight whenever possible " longer is even better. For safety sake, be sure to keep food covered and chilled in the refrigerator as it marinates.

Keep a Parmesan shaker or sugar dispenser filled with flour on your counter or your prep area. You can use the shaker to dust work surfaces when baking or to easily pour out just a tablespoon or two for thickening sauces or gravies without having to drag out the full flour canister.

One of the best ways to store green vegetables so that you can increase the lifespan that they have, is to store them in a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag. This will keep the nutrients in them and retain the freshness that they need to remain tasty.

Take care when storing chocolate for use in cooking. As a rule, only buy as much chocolate as you can use within a few months. Chocolate contains fat, and under the wrong conditions it can turn rancid. Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. A kitchen cupboard away from any heat sources is ideal. Keep the chocolate wrapped in foil or plastic and store it away from anything with a strong smell, as it absorbs odors easily.

As stated at the beginning of the article, cooking is a joy whether you are experienced or just beginning. A good cook is always learning new things and experimenting. By reading this article and adding to your repertoire of cooking skills, you also add to your enjoyment of a meal that is well done.

Tomato Rotelle With Fresh Basil And Creamy Tofu

4 oz. soft tofu, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped, divided
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups uncooked rotelle pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
fresh grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

In food processor, put tofu, olive oil, 1 cup of the chopped tomatoes, and 1/2 cup hot water.
Process at puree level for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture is smooth. Make sure you shut the processor off once or twice to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
Add more water if necessary to get the consistency of a thick sauce, about like yogurt. Set aside.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water according to directions on box; drain well and return to pot.
Into the hot rotelle, add the tofu-tomato puree, then add the remaining chopped tomatoes and the chopped basil, toss to combine.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired.
Serves 4.

Summer Rotini Veggie Salad

1 box (12 oz) tri-color rotini pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 grape tomatoes, halved
2 cucumbers, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 green onion, chopped
1 (8 oz size) bottled Italian salad dressing (choose your favorite)

Cook the pasta according to package directions, but make sure they are al dente and not soft; drain thoroughly, put in a bowl and toss with olive oil, then put in refrigerator to chill completely.
Prepare all the veggies, put them all in a glass or plastic bowl, add the dressing and stir to combine.  Put in the refrigerator to chill.
When both the pasta and veggies are completely chilled, bring them out and put them together in one big bowl, tossing to combine well.
Taste and season if necessary (but the Italian dressing has a lot of salt and seasonings already, so you may not need to.)
Serve chilled.
You could add a protein to this dish easily by adding a can of Navy beans (drained and rinsed), or some cooked chicken or shrimp.
Will serve 2 to 4.

5 Ingredients Or Less Pata Dishes

How To Make Delicious Pasta Dishes Fast With Five Ingredients Or Less

When you think of pasta do you think of meat sauce bubbling away on the stove top all day? Well, that's delicious, but sometimes we don't have all day to simmer a sauce. Can you create a tasty pasta dish without spending all day in the kitchen?

The answer is, yes!  Making a good pasta dish does not have to be difficult.  The wonderful thing about pasta is that you can use very few ingredients and make a slew of different dishes that the whole family will enjoy, and it won't take you all day.  Here are a few quick, delicious pasta dishes to try.

Pasta Bake

This is a super simple pasta dish that can be created in thirty minutes or less. Pasta Bake is a generic term I'm using here for any type of pasta, meat, sauce and cheese combination made exceptionally gooey and delicious by placing it in the oven to bake rather than cooking it all in a pot. The idea is that once you have your pasta cooked, pick a sauce, some cheese, maybe some veggies, and rather than just stir it all together, turn it out into a casserole dish and bake it.  Baking it just makes the dish look more appealing and taste better.  Let's just say it's more like dinner and less like something thrown together on a hotplate in a college dorm room.

How easy is this dish? Just put any pasta you cook, ziti, rigatoni, spaghetti or whatever, in a buttered or oiled casserole dish, then add whatever you have on hand. Grab some tomato sauce and even a little tomato juice and mix it in, along with some dried oregano. Stir in that last bit of muenster cheese and add a little yellow mustard for tangy goodness. Maybe a spoonful of sour cream, too. See what kind of sausage links you have left from breakfast. Top with shredded mozzarella or Parmesan. Experimenting with different ingredients is key, but what takes this dish from being just a mixed-up bunch of noodles to a delicious pasta dinner is that you baked it. Pulling a casserole out of the oven is so much nicer than just scooping noodles out of a pot.

Tortellini Soup

Most people don't automatically think of soup when thinking about how to make a simple dinner using pasta as the key ingredient.  But, tortellini soup is definitely one meal to keep in mind.  This soup is filling and light at the same time. Tortellini soup consists of chicken cut into chunks, chicken broth, a couple carrots cut into rounds, either Swiss chard or kale depending on your taste for greens, and a package of tortellini.

Bring the broth and carrots to a rolling boil and let them cook for about seven minutes, just until the carrots are softened. Then add the chicken and simmer for just a minute, since it's already cooked.  Cut your greens up into small strips and add to the soup, then add in the tortellini and cook following directions on the package of tortellini. This is such a simple soup, but it tastes amazing, and is actually rather elegant. You can omit the chicken if you want and choose a meat stuffed tortellini. You could also choose the cheese stuffed tortellini and add a handful of diced tomatoes or some tomato juice to the broth. No matter what you add to this soup, it's never going to take very long to make, so you can serve a delicious pasta dinner on the table quick and easy.

Pasta Carbonara

For a meal with only five ingredients, pasta carbonara is one of the most delicious dishes you will make.  And, the best part is you probably have all of the ingredients in your fridge and pantry right now. You will need a box of spaghetti, about six strips of bacon, diced and fried crisp, four egg yolks, a cup of Parmesan cheese, and some frozen peas. Add some chopped parsley on top and you have a pretty pasta dish that tastes better than many you will find in a restaurant.

When making this simple dish, it is important to have the egg yolks and Parmesan mixture ready before the pasta is done cooking. The heat from the pasta, after you drain it, is what cooks the egg yolks.  Just whisk together your egg yolks and Parmesan cheese in a big bowl. Then dump in your drained pasta and stir.  Add the peas and the bacon, and that's it. You have a pasta dish that is ready to serve in practically no time at all, and one that tastes as good as it looks.

A great pasta meal is only five ingredients away... or less.  All it takes to create simple pasta dishes is a bit of creativity and the willingness to experiment. Dig around in your kitchen right now and I'll bet you find the inspiration you need to throw together a fabulous pasta dinner with very little fuss at all.

So You Think You Can Cook? Taste These Tips!

Cooking is a pastime that brings tremendous pleasure to many and can also provide sustenance to you and your loved ones. Learning as much as possible about cooking is a great way to get the most out of the effort you put into the process. Apply a few of the tips in the article that follows, and you will be creating memorable culinary delights in no time.

Have fun with flavors and spices and don't be afraid to put more seasonings into your cooking. Many cooks lightly season their food, leaving it tasting bland. It is okay to experiment with different amounts of salt and spices until you find a delicious tasting blend. Many chefs recommend adding almost twice as much as you would initially considering using, so keep it interesting and flavorful by putting in just a little bit more.

Invest in high quality cooking pans and tools. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to go for the most expensive, but quality does make a huge difference when it comes to what we use to cook with. A high quality pan will be able to handle higher heats without warping. Quality tools will be able to do their job longer and more effectively than cheap brands. Check reviews before purchasing new items for your kitchen.

Never use oil in the water when you are boiling pasta. Conventional wisdom is that using the oil makes the noodles not stick together. While this is true, it also prevents your sauce from sticking to the noodles after they are cooked. The best pasta dishes are those where the sauce sticks to the noodles to provide delicious flavor in every bite!

There are few hobbies as satisfying and rewarding as cooking. Not only can you flex your creative muscles, you can also provide delicious meals for your family. Expanding your knowledge of cooking is certain to enhance your time in the kitchen. Taking these tips and hints to heart is a wonderful way to do just that.

Broccoli And Blue Cheese Tossed Orecchiette Skillet

1 cup dried orecchiette, uncooked
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups broccoli, florets only
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 lemon, zested

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.
Check pasta, and when it is al dente, drain it through a colander, then immediately add the pasta to the skillet with the broccoli.
Remove the skillet from the burner and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Add the lemon zest and blue cheese to the skillet and toss to combine well.
Serve warm out of the skillet or turn out into a large pasta bowl and serve warm at the table.
Makes 2 servings, but can easily be doubled or tripled.
You can choose any pasta if you don't have orecchiette.

Cannellini Beans With Lemon Basil Linguine

1 (1 lb) box uncooked linguine
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained well
1 lemon
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup fresh basil leaves (packed tight in cup)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
reserved pasta cooking water
fresh grated Parmesan for serving

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, until just tender, not over cooked.
Add beans to pot just before draining, stir, then drain pasta and beans into a colander over a pot to reserve cooking liquid.
When linguine is totally drained, dump it with the beans into the cooking pot, cover and keep warm.
While you're cooking the pasta, put a small skillet on the stove over medium heat and pour in 2 tablespoon2 of the olive oil.
Over the skillet, zest the whole lemon, cooking and stirring in the olive oil, about 1 minute, until fragrant and just turning golden in color; remove from heat.
Into a food processor or blender, scrape the cooked lemon zest, oil and all, and the basil.
Then juice all the lemon and pour the juice into the food processor, plus the salt and pepper.
Now turn the food processor on and process until smooth.
Start adding the reserved pasta liquid into the food processor, 1 tablespoon at a time, processing, adding, processing, until you have your desired consistency. (You may use around 1/2 cup of reserved liquid for this process, more or less.)
When you have your basil sauce ready, pour into the hot linguine/bean mixture and toss until coated well.
Serves 4 to 6 good sized servings.
Serve hot.
Grate fresh Parmesan on top of each serving.
You can stretch this a bit more, and make it even healthier, by adding another can of beans.

Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Time

Use These Pasta Cooking Tips For Perfect Noodles Every Time!

Do you wish there was a way to cook pasta perfectly every time? Do you struggle with under-cooking your pasta so it is still crunchy, or over-cooking it so it becomes mush when you try to stir in the sauce?

Perfectly cooked pasta is easy to achieve and it doesn't require any special or unique gadgets from a high-end cooking store or “as seen on TV” products.  All you need is a good sized pot, fresh water, and a big strainer or colander.  Chances are you have everything already.  Aside from those few items, it all boils down to technique when it comes to cooking perfect pasta. Let's review the basics.

Preparation

If you are working with boxed pasta, an important thing to remember is to make sure to salt your water before cooking your pasta. This is the only time you have a chance to flavor prepackaged pasta while you cook it. If you want even more flavor to infuse your pasta, add herbs along with the salt, or cook the pasta in chicken or vegetable stock instead of water. You can also throw in vegetables if you like to add more color and nutrition. The point is, you have to do something with store bought pasta other than just throw it in some water if you want to get the most flavor impact with the pasta.

When cooking homemade pasta, be sure that it is fairly dry. The reason it needs to be dry is to keep it from falling apart in the water. It also helps the pasta cook evenly. When you made your pasta you added salt, so adding salt to the water is optional for homemade pasta.  However, you certainly may add salt if you desire, as well as other seasonings.

Cooking

Choose the largest pot you can for the amount of pasta you're cooking. The reason is you want your pasta to cook in as much water as possible. Pasta needs room to move around. Fill your pot with cold, fresh water and set it on the stove on high heat and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down a bit until it calms down slightly. Pasta consists of a lot of starch, which gets extremely sticky when it is put into rapidly boiling water quickly. Make sure the water has calmed down from a rapid boil, then slowly and carefully add your pasta. Adding the pasta slowly allows the pasta to soften and begin to move around so the starch doesn't keep the pasta pieces stuck together, as they will if the pasta is added all at once.

Some cooks like to add a little oil to the water to keep the pasta separated. Other cooks don't like to do this because they say sauce doesn't stick to the pasta as well. Just experiment and see what you think.

Don't let your water come to a rapid boil again after the pasta is added. If the water starts splashing over the sides or you see foam rise up, the water is too hot. Pasta, even though it feels hard and brittle, is actually quite fragile. If it boils, it will start to break down and all those wonderful strands will become a big ball of starch. Let the water gently bubble away, caressing each piece of pasta until they are all relaxed. That's the image you want to keep so your pasta doesn't go bad.

When you are cooking the pasta, be sure to stir gently several times and test for doneness often. Follow the instructions on the box if you're using packaged pasta and start testing before the recommended time is up. Just remove a piece from the pot while it's still cooking, cool it off, and bite it.  You'll know the pasta's ready when you feel a bit of resistance when you bite down with your teeth. You don't want it to go 'crunch' but you do want a nice feel to it.  And remember, it will cook slightly after you drain it, so less cooked is better.

Draining

Here's where there is some debate. Some cooks swear by rinsing their cooked pasta under hot tap water after it drains in order to remove any starchy residue left. Other cooks swear if you cook your pasta correctly there won't be any starchy residue left. 

If you added oil to the water, rinsing it will remove most of the oil which defeats the purpose of the oil.  Rinsing also will remove all that salt and other flavoring you added.  However, if your pasta seems to be sticking together in the colander, you may want to rinse it.  And, if you are using your pasta in a cold salad, there are some cooks who recommend running the pasta under cold water to stop it from cooking, keeping it more al dente, and to cool it down for the recipe.

You'll have to experiment on this one.  If you follow the first tips about having a lot of water in your pot for the pasta to move around in, salting the water, and keeping the water at a slow roll instead of a rapid boil, your pasta should come out perfectly.  Try draining it without rinsing and see what happens.  Your pasta could be perfect at that.  Or, rinse it if you like and give it a taste and see if that works for you. Perfecting the pasta really takes place in the pot, and not in the strainer or colander.

Cooking pasta perfectly is simple if you know the basics. The fun part after you've mastered this skill is playing around with different flavors and all the varieties of pasta available.  Now you have perfect pasta, perfectly delicious, every time!

Spinach Pasta With Tomato And Basil

3 Tbsp Olive Oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (14 oz size) navy beans, drained
5 medium size fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 lb. fresh baby spinach
1 lb. box whole wheat spaghetti pasta, cooked as directed on box, and kept hot
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

In a very large skillet over medium heat, pour the olive oil, add the onions, and saute just until the onion softens, then add the garlic and cook together 1 minute longer, stirring.
Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the navy beans and tomatoes and lower heat, simmering for 5 minutes.
(Make sure you have the pasta started now so it's cooked and hot when the spinach mixture is done.)
Add to the skillet the basil and fresh spinach and toss, cooking until the spinach wilts and the mixture is hot.
When the spinach is wilted, add the hot drained pasta, and toss to combine.
Serve hot.
Grate Parmesan cheese on top of each serving for more flavor.
Serves 4.

Fresh Pasta Ideas For Summertime

Get Creative With Fresh Pasta Ideas To Beat The Summer Heat

There is something in the air when the first days of summer roll around. Everyone is excited to plan some fun, and some good eating!  The same standard pasta dishes we make all winter just won't do when the days are hot and the nights are balmy. It's time to get the creative juices flowing.  We need to think fresh, both in ideas and ingredients.

Let's take a look at how three simple ideas can help freshen up your time honored pasta traditions this summer.

Be Creative

If any food can be thought of as 'fun,' pasta would fit the bill. There is so much versatility with pasta that there is no reason to be stuck in the “same old, same old” mode.  For example, add some food coloring to the cooking water with the pasta. Experiment with this and have fun.  Boil several pots with different colors and create your own rainbow palate of pasta. Try different shaped pasta, but remember that the larger heavier pastas won't color as well as the smaller lighter styles.

For kids you might like to try this fun meal idea. Make a batch of green 'wagon wheel' pasta and toss together with diced fresh carrots to create a two color cold pasta dish kids will love. You might want to do a batch of red 'wagon wheel' pasta and toss with green sweet peas, flip-flopping the other color combination. Serve both cold pasta dishes and create an 'opposite day' meal. You might even get your kids to eat their vegetables when they're in a salad surrounded by colorful pasta. Of course you can buy tri-color pasta, but making it at home is a great way to provide a little entertainment for the kids, as well as provide a healthy meal.

Colors are certainly fun, but what about flavors?  We're not talking about buying pasta in different flavors.  We're talking about imparting flavor into the pasta from the liquid they're cooked in. Use good rich stock or broth, either chicken, or vegetable, or even beef. This is a great way to give pasta an extra flavor punch, but why stop there? Thin out some tomato juice with a little water and try that. How about lemon juice?

And don't forget that just by adding vegetables or fruit to the cooking water you will impart those flavors into the pasta. Spinach is the first one that comes to many people's mind, but don't stop there. Consider the entire produce section and have fun!  And why even stop there? What about wine or beer?  Who knows, maybe Guinness Spaghetti will be the next big hit with your friends.

Be Fresh

The rest of the year may be all about rushing around trying to keep our schedules straight, but during the summer, time just seems to slow down. We move a little slower, take time to enjoy the splendor of a beautiful day, consider our health and well being as top priority for a change.

Summertime is a great time to reconsider what we put into our pasta dishes. Sure, it may be super easy to buy a jar of pasta sauce, but why not take the extra time and create our own with fresh produce? After all, the ingredients are right there, hanging from the vine or fresh at the market.

Using fresh ingredients in our pasta dishes gives us a whole new outlook on our healthy eating habits.  Not only does it brighten up the dish, but cooking with fresh ingredients makes us feel strong and in control. We know we are eating right, and feeding our family right.

Be Safe

Food safety is a concern, always, but especially during the summer. The main culprit causing the concern is the food served at picnics and cookouts.  Pasta salads are a favorite, but since many of these dishes are made with mayonnaise, sour cream, or yogurt, they are naturally suspect in warm weather conditions.

Spoilage happens when these types of salads get warm sitting out on the picnic table. The best and simplest solution is to skip the creamy salads entirely. During the summer, opt for vinaigrette style dressings. These are the oil and vinegar type of dressing which are normally whisked together with other seasonings and ingredients that do not need constant refrigeration.  When creating your pasta salad to serve at a picnic, just keep this simple tip in mind:  if you wouldn't leave a particular ingredient on your kitchen counter, don't put it in your salad.

Even salads made with all spoil-resistant foods still need to be kept as cold as possible.  When transporting the salad, keep it in an insulated cooler with ice.  When you put the salad on the table, set it in a larger bowl or tray filled with ice, and keep the entire set-up covered with aluminum foil to hold in the cold.  With these few safety precautions, your salad will be safe to eat.  And with all your creativity, your salad will also be fun to eat.

During the warm summer months, as you are trying to think of something to bring to the picnic, consider a delicious pasta salad. Have fun with creative ideas, use fresh ingredients, and keep safety in  mind. With these three tips, you'll be able to enjoy a different fun pasta salad at every picnic!

Simple Cooking Ideas You Can Use Today

Smells coming from the kitchen can many times evoke childhood memories of grandmas famous apple pie or thanksgiving dinner. Creating lasting memories like these for your little ones today is important. The following cooking tips will help you to savor those old memories as well as cook up some new ones for generations to come.

When you are cooking with cheese, be sure to bring the cheese to room temperature before you melt it. Also, always melt cheese using a very low level of heat. This will prevent the cheese from getting tough or separating into oil and liquid. Overheating cheese will denature its proteins.

A great cooking tip is to spray your pan with oil before you cook with it. Spraying the pan with oil will make it so that the food doesn't stick to the pan. Trying to clean a pan with food stuck on it can be very frustrating and time consuming.

If your family tends to eat a lot of chicken and often, remember to always brine the poultry as it will lock in flavor. Otherwise you are left with a dry piece of chicken that merely has whatever spices and herbs you chose coated on the outside rather than penetrating every bite.

If you've forgotten to soak your beans over night, quick soak them instead. Just put the beans in a very large pot and cover with water. Bring this to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about two hours. This method is just as effective as an over night soak and can save you time.

As stated in the beginning of the article, many times kitchen smells can evoke childhood memories. Re-creating those moments past is just as important as making new memories for the current generation. Hopefully, this article gave you some great ideas to help you incorporate some of those old memories into lasting new ones.

Searching For Advice About Cooking? Look Below!

Is cooking a scary frontier for you? Are you nervous about entering your kitchen, remembering a previous disaster? If this is you, never fear! Plenty of people have trouble with cooking, and all it takes is a little practice and proper education to cook like a pro! Read on to find out how.

Start watching cooking shows on television. Not only are they fun to watch, but they are also a great place for you to learn new recipes and cooking tips or glean ideas for entertaining. These shows are constantly coming up with new ideas, so you will always be learning something about cooking.

For the best texture and mouth-feel, always slice meats against the grain. This method cuts through the muscle fibers and results in a more tender texture, whereas meat sliced with the grain can be chewy or overly tough. Beef or pork roasts, steaks, loins and chops tend to benefit most from this treatment, although it's a good method for cutting turkey and chicken, as well.

You don't need to use all that much water when boiling pasta. Your pasta does not need to swim. Add enough water for the pasta to swell up, but it takes much longer to bring a big pot of water to boil than it does for half of that amount, and your pasta will still be soft and pliable when you're done.

Whenever possible, you should buy your food from the farmers market rather than a normal grocery store or supermarket. Food from the farmers market is fresh and sometimes requires less maintenance to bring out flavors rather than normal food. Remember to keep it simple when cooking with food from the farmers market.

As was said in the beginning of this article, cooking is all about education and practice. This article has given you the building blocks to become a better cook, now all you have to do is practice, practice, practice! Soon you'll be making great food that you'll love to eat!

How To Become A Better Cook Quickly

Want to be a better cook? Who doesn't! Looking for some new, fun, and interesting menu ideas? Who isn't! The desire to prepare better meals and try new recipes is something we all want to do. Read on and lets discuss some great ways to get creative in the kitchen.

To enjoy delicious baked potatoes when you walk in the door from work, cook them in your slow cooker all day. Wrap washed and dried potatoes in aluminum foil with salt, pepper, butter, onion or other seasonings and place the wrapped potatoes in the slow cooker on low for six to eight hours. Place a variety of toppings on the table for a make-your-own meal that's ready in no time.

When cooking, make sure that you never put anything metal in the microwave, as it will cause sparks given the electromagnetic energy. Always make sure that the items you are microwaving are safe to put in there. This will help to increase your level of safety when you are in the kitchen.

When cooking a meal for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, make separate sauces can be the best way to make sure everyone has enough to eat and knows what they can eat. Make rice or pasta, then let guests choose from a meatless sauce and one with meat. A dish with multiple components saves you from having to make two separate meals, and it makes both meat-eaters and vegetarians happy.

Everyone wants to be a better cook. Everyone wants to experiment with fun recipes. Finding the time and feeling the motivation to be creative in the kitchen can sometimes pose a challenge though. In this article we've discussed some fun and innovative ways to bring the magic to your kitchen. Give a couple of these ideas a try tonight. Your taste buds will thank you!

Rotini Salad With Avocado And Baslsmic Dressing

1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 avocados, ripe
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp mixed dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, any combination)
12 grape tomatoes, cut in half
salt and pepper to taste
more balsamic vinegar to taste (optional)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook the pasta in a big pot of boiling, salted water until just al dente; drain well through a colander, put back in pan, add olive oil and stir to coat, cover to keep warm.
In a large serving bowl, put the flesh from 1 avocado, add the balsamic vinegar, and mash well until creamy and smooth.
Add the warm cooked pasta to the bowl with creamy avocado-balsamic mixture and toss until pasta is coated.
Add the herbs to the pasta bowl and stir.
Cut the other avocado into bite size pieces and add to bowl.
Add the grape tomato halves to the bowl.
Toss gently together, then taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
You may wish to drizzle in more balsamic vinegar, then toss, and taste again and adjust seasonings.
Serve immediately or you may chill this and eat later. If you chill it in the refrigerator, remove and let sit out for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Avocados taste best at room temperature or just a touch cooler.
Serves 4.

Find The Right Pasta For Your Taste Buds

There Is A Different Pasta For Every Palate

Pasta comes in many different shapes, sizes, textures, and even flavors. Some people love to dig in and try every new kind of pasta they see. While others feel that anything other than the thin spaghetti they grew up with just wouldn't be right. Of course there are the elbow macaroni fans who would never renounce their loyalty to the classic.

With all the variety available, isn't it time you explored what could be waiting for you?  Let's take a look at what to consider when you're ready to branch out in the fascinating world of pasta.

Textures

Different pastas feel different in both the bite and on the tongue. The shape and texture are often created on purpose. For instance, some pastas have ridges, others have waves, and some are a little rough. These textures are put there intentionally to help hold on to more of the sauce. One of the best textured pastas to hold onto sauce is the rotini pasta. It's heavy spiral design grabs sauce and won't let go of it. But, even though it's very textured, it has a lighter feeling on the tongue and a softer bite.

Pasta in tubular shapes, such as rigatoni, elbow macaroni, penne, ziti, and others are perfect to create a good bite. They are also great for holding a lot of sauce because they are a hollowed out tube.  Of course, a shell shaped pasta also holds a lot of sauce in its 'cup' but it has a much more tender bite and is soft to the tongue. Thin spaghetti and angel hair spaghetti have a delicate, small bite, with a texture most everyone loves. Other long pasta like fettuccine and linguine have a thick, serious bite meant to be heavier than spaghetti.

Of course, not all textures are pleasing to all people. There are some textures that just bother people. For instance, pastas made with whole wheat generally have a grainy texture which is due to the natural coarseness of the whole wheat grain. Some people can't get beyond that particular texture.

Flavors

For the more traditional folks, anything other than the typical boxed pasta flavor is beyond the realm of understanding. Why would anyone want to try something different? Sure, they might try spinach flavored pasta or sundried tomato flavored pasta, but that's about as far as they'll go. But, you can infuse just about any type of flavor into pasta that you can dream up.

For the more eclectic and daring individuals, there are pastas that fall way off the grid.  You'll find squid ink pastas, carrot beet sweet pea pastas, and even chocolate peanut butter pasta.  Would you buy these or try to make them? Well, when you think about it, why not enjoy a dessert pasta that tastes like a peanut butter cup. If you can't quite wrap your brain around that, try to think of pasta as just another pastry, since they're both made with basically the same ingredients. Whether you try a savory or sweet, pasta can accept just about any flavor you want to try. 

Style

If there are hundreds of different flavors of pasta, there are probably thousands of different styles, each with their own unique qualities. While some styles you may never hear about, let alone cook, the folks immersed in the art and science of making pasta won't let you down. Aren't you glad somebody is creating all these styles of pasta so we can just enjoy them? There is a sort of “pasta personality” that, when we think about it, makes sense. We attach emotions to our food, so pasta does create a bit of a feeling when we see it in dishes.  Either we know it and love it, or it just seems wrong.

Specific shapes of pasta, along with the texture, varies from culture to culture.  The spaghetti sold in America is different than the spaghetti you would eat in Italy. For years, at least in America, spaghetti, the pasta, was confused with spaghetti, the dish.  It wasn't until the fact that spaghetti is the pasta got  straightened out that we started to see dishes using spaghetti in ways other than topped with red sauce. But, for many, ordering or making 'spaghetti' still means a dish of thin noodles piled high with red-sauce. Old habits die hard.

Other pastas went through the same naming process, where the dish became known by the name of the pasta itself.  Take, for instance, Baked Ziti.  This delightful casserole is simply named after the pasta used in making the dish - ziti. 

And then, of course, there's Macaroni and Cheese. The term 'macaroni' actually refers to the type of dough used to make this pasta.  But the shape, the elbow macaroni, is the original image of “Mac and Cheese” in every child's hungry imagination.  However, things changed, and now this cheesy plate of noodles, whether the noodles are 'macaroni' or not, is still called Macaroni and Cheese.  You can use rotini, shell, rigatoni, penne, rotelle, or any combination of these popular pastas and you still have “Macaroni and Cheese” on your plate.

No matter how attached we are to these styles of pasta dishes, we know that just about any pasta can be used in just about any dish.  It's fun to try new shapes in order to see if you stumble upon something better.  The first person to use shell pasta instead of elbow macaroni in their Macaroni and Cheese probably noticed the pool of cheese sitting in the shell.  Why not make it that way all the time?  Or perhaps a hearty meat sauce seemed even more hearty when served over penne pasta rather than spaghetti. Even lasagna doesn't need to be made with lasagna style pasta!

Pasta has a variety of textures, flavors, and styles. There is always an open invitation to experiment and find a new twist on an old favorite pasta dish. Scrub your old habits and bring out a pasta you have never tried. Re-examine and re-discover all your favorite pasta dishes by exploring the big, wonderful world of pasta.

How Cooking At Home Can Save You Money

Let's face it--many people do not know how to cook. This could be because they were never taught or they never had time to learn. But learning to cook is not as hard as people think it is. In the following article, you are going to be given advice that will make cooking simple.

When you have a recipe that calls for wine, you may be tempted to use a cheap wine or cooking wine. Avoid this mindset when you approach your cooking. A good rule of thumb is to consider whether or not you would drink the wine. If you wouldn't drink it, do not use it to cook.

To revive a milk-based sauce or side dish that has sat too long and lost moisture, simply add a little milk. Adding milk can make finished mashed potatoes fluffy and smooth again and can also make a pasta sauce lighter and less like a gravy without affecting the final flavor.

Don't be afraid to play with recipes and change the ingredients you don't like. Recipes are not the Bible; they are simply guidelines for preparing a dish. If you do not like an ingredient like oregano for example, replace it with thyme. Most of the time, the dishes flavor is preserved, and you're happier knowing you don't have to eat something with a flavor you dislike.

If are making a salsa or guacamole with raw onions, and it is not going to be eaten until later, make sure that you rinse the onions with cold water after dicing them, and then blot them dry. The sulfurous gas from raw onions can ruin the freshness of the food, so it's important to wash it away before mixing the onions with the other ingredients.

As was stated in the beginning of this article, it is common for people these days to not know how to cook, no matter what the reason may be. By reading this article, you have begun the process of becoming educated on cooking. Who knows, you may have what it takes to even become a chef!

Easy Angel Hair Pasta With Hot Curry Sauce

1 (1 lb) pkg uncooked angel hair pasta
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp hot curry paste
2 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup of chopped scallions
salt and pepper to taste
grated fresh Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Cook pasta in large pot of salted water according to directions on box, being careful not to overcook as angel hair cooks fast; drain well and return to pot to keep warm.
In a separate pot, add the chicken broth, hot curry paste, and whisk together.
Put pot over medium-low heat and bring just to a simmer, then whisk in eggs, whisking constantly for 30 seconds.
Pour this sauce into the cooked pasta, add the scallions, stir, salt and pepper to taste, and heat through.
Serve hot in pasta bowls, and top with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Will serve 4 to 6.

Help! What Pasta Do I Use For My Sauce

Select The Correct Pasta To Suit The Dish

There is a fine art to selecting the most appropriate pasta for a dish. Matching the most suitable pasta at your disposal to the sauce in a recipe takes some understanding of what's readily available and how the flavors and textures blend. Let's take a look at how pastas stack up.

Choose the Size

If every pasta was small like ditali, how would you be able to pick up large amounts of creamy, cheesy goodness with every single bite? You would have a lot of little noodles sunk inside a sea of ricotta and Parmesan. Size is very important when it concerns pairing pasta with a sauce or filling. Some pastas are small and delicate, not necessarily meant to pick up heavy sauce. Other pasta, like jumbo shells or manicotti are large and open so they can either be stuffed or the sauce will naturally fill the hollows.

In a world where pasta is all the same, it would all be spaghetti and it would always be served with a simple tomato sauce. That does not sound very exciting. Matching a variety of pastas to a variety of sauces is how meals stay interesting, and tasty.

Small pastas are supposed to be light in their 'bite' and delicate, and dished up with light, fresh sauces. Ingredients should all be small and light in weight, such as freshly grated Parmesan cheese as opposed to chunks of Cheddar or melted mozzarella. Larger pasta is heavier and firm, suitable for big pieces of meat, vegetables, and heavy cheese, and can stand up to more flavorful, sturdy sauces.

Choose the Texture

If your pasta has a heavy sauce it will need to 'grab' and hold, you want to think about texture. With just a change in the variety of pasta you use, you can make a big difference in how your meal turns out. Ridges, holes, openings, cups, spirals, bumps, waves, and whole grains are all ways that pasta hangs onto sauce to create a dish which is richer and deeper in flavor.

A delicate, slippery pasta, like angel hair, won't stand up if you serve it with a chunky tomato sauce. Your dinner guests will wind up eating the pasta separately from the sauce, since the heavy chunks of tomatoes will slide right off the pasta. Choosing a heavier textured pasta, such as corzetti, orecchiette, or even rotini will grab the larger pieces and let your fork hold onto everything with greater success.

If you are trying to figure out what pasta would go best with your sauce, consider texture as a starting point. Find a texture that will do what you want with the sauce and then work from there to start narrowing down the pasta you choose.

Choose the Function

After size and texture, function is a key to picking the right pasta for your dish. If you have big chunks of meat and veggies in your dish, you will need a pasta that won't disappear under the weight and be useless. So, consider what you want your pasta to do.

If you need a pasta that just sucks sauce to it like a magnet, you might think about quadrefiore or fusilli. Then again, soups generally contain small hollow pasta like trottoli or tubetti rigati, such as pasta fagioli at an Italian restaurant.

You have pasta intended to stuff and pasta intended to form a large pasta layer. You have very, very tiny pasta that is used to make light fluffy salads that look more like rice than pasta salads. If you want a big, heavy, hearty dish, you need to choose a big, heavy, hearty pasta.

Pick the best pasta to go with your dish to get the best results. Look at the size you will need, the texture the pasta has, and even the function the pasta should serve. By comparing these three elements, you can pick out a great style of pasta for your dish and impress everyone at the table with your perfectly executed pasta dish, at every layer.

Everything But The Chef's Hat: Cooking Tips

When it comes to cooking, you are extremely comfortable with your skills and love the food that you make, but for some reason not everybody that eats your food feels the same way. Follow some of the tips provided, and you will find that you will be able to improve on your already honed skills.

When it comes to cooking, try to do all of your preparatory work before you even start cooking. Not only will this make your cooking experience much more desirable and stress free, but you will also look a lot more professional to anybody that you may be trying to impress.

Keep a few cut up, washed, and prepared vegetables in your freezer. This will reduce your prep time when you're cooking a recipe. Onions and peppers are great to freeze. Just buy them fresh, wash and cut them when you have time, and store them in individual zip lock bags.

Make homemade vinaigrette dressings instead of purchasing them from the store. Your homemade dressing not only tastes better, but it uses fewer ingredients and is often healthier. You can easily whip these up by just dumping all the ingredients into a sealed contained and shaking it up vigorously, and voila! You have delicious tasting dressing for marinades and salads.

Do not treat the recipe as the bible of your dishes. You need to feel free to experiment and let yourself come out in your cooking. You should try adding things, you think may taste good together, to recipes you are trying out. Do not hold back because the item wasn't on the list.

In conclusion, you need to know that there is always room for improvement when it comes to cooking. Even if you may love what you do, your style might be a bit too personalized. Follow the advice that is in this article, and you will find people drooling every time you cook.

Easy Cooking Ideas To Make Great Tasting Dishes

Food is such an essential part of our lives. Cooking is a survival skill, but it can also be a passion. The love and effort that can go into cooking even the simplest dish can shine through to the recipients of this food. By showing respect for your ingredients and paying attention to some small details, you can make the very most of your food no matter what ingredients to which you have access.

Ditch the roasting rack when roasting a chicken, instead laying the bird on a bed of thick onion slices lining an oiled pan. The onions will absorb the juices from the chicken as it cooks, and you can whip up a delicious sauce with them by adding some stock or water and reducing the mixture while the chicken rests on the carving board.

When you are making guacamole you need to make sure that you have a lime on hand to squeeze over it after it is prepared. If you do not sprinkle lime juice on the top of guacamole the avocado will start to turn brown and it will give the guacamole a very unappetizing appearance.

If you are making pastries, you should try to maximize the accuracy of your measurements as it is a very exact science. By adding one gram too much or too less, you are going to put the taste of your pastry in jeopardy. Always try to be precise when baking.

Cooking is an activity that is what you make of it. You can either let it be a chore or enjoy it as the creative process it is. Cooking can be very satisfying. The creation of an edible piece of artwork that started as such a different ingredient can be an almost miraculous event and is as rewarding for the cook as it is for the person who eats the final product.

Cooking Tips And Ideas For Would-Be Iron Chefs

Cooking is one of the finest skills to study on your own. Cooking well can improve your health, save you money and be fun. Better yet, cooking is a skill you can always improve. Even the greatest kitchen veterans can learn a little something new. Here are a few handy tips for getting better results out of your kitchen:

Cook correct portions. Many people cook much more food than they actually need or will even eat. Account for how many people will be eating and prepare the meal accordingly. This will not only save your household some money by cutting down on wasted leftovers, it can also help you eat healthier.

Store your cooking spices in a cool dry place. This will ensure the longevity and potency of the flavors in your herbs and spices. A dark cabinet away from the stove is the ideal storage place. Spices kept in bright, hot environments usually fail to maintain their flavor long before any expiration date comes.

For the moistest banana bread ever, peel and then freeze the bananas slated for the next loaf. Bananas placed in a covered container in the freezer will absorb moisture from the freezing process and that little extra "juice", goes a long way. Not only will your bread be more moist, it will also have a more intense banana flavor.

Write out a list for all of the ingredients that you will need for a recipe before you go to the grocery store. This way, you will not forget anything. Many people forget one or two important ingredients for the recipe, which causes them to not be able to make the meal.

Hopefully, some of these ideas will prove useful to you. Not only is cooking a field in which there is always something new to learn, it is a very personal skill set. You retain full control of what you learn and how you apply it. Keep your eyes peeled for more tips that you can use to cook the way you want to.

Cooking Ideas To Boost Your Confidence In The Kitchen

Everyone wants to be a great cook, but just the thought of cooking evokes fear in many would-be chefs. Whether you want to whip up quick meals for the family, fill the perfect picnic basket or throw an elegant dinner party, you are sure to learn things here that will increase your culinary skills.

Take chances when you want to become a better cook. Do not be intimidated by recipes that seem complicated. Usually if you break the process down, and only focus on one item at a time, you will get through any recipe fine. Make sure you read the whole recipe once before you begin.

Let roasts rest before carving to allow the juices time to retract from the surface of the meat. Slicing beef, pork, poultry or lamb immediately after roasting lets most of the juice run out of the meat which makes it drier and less flavorful. Giving the meat time to rest prevents the loss of the juices.

If you are new to cooking, remember that there are great meal kits that you can use to save time and avoid a taste mishap. Meal kits are designed to offer a quicker method of creating a meal, while ensuring that those that need a great meal idea have all they need to make a delicious meal that is completely fail proof.

Figure out when the turkey is properly cooked. The only way to find out if your turkey is properly cooked is by using a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the inner thigh muscle, but don't touch the bone. The temperature should be between 180 and 185 degrees. The juices should run clear, not pink.

Now that you've read the basic tips that you need to become the talented cook that you've always wanted to be, practice tonight in your own kitchen by making a meal that will knock their socks off. In time, you're going to be the best cook in the whole neighborhood!

Cooking Can Be Easy! Try These Ideas!

Many people are intimidated by the thought of trying new recipes and learning new ways to cook, but cooking can be fun if you know what you are doing. If you follow the tips in this article, you will be on your way to cooking gourmet food in your home kitchen.

Rather than using a traditional store bought dressing when making a salad, try making your own vinaigrette. A vinaigrette that is homemade will contain less ingredients than store bought ones and have no preservatives. This makes the vinaigrette more natural and better tasting. Simply shake the ingredients in a sealed container and enjoy.

In order to make the process of cooking easier, you should take to time to make large amounts of meat or vegetable stock and store it in the freezer. Not only is making your own stock less expensive than buying it from a retailer, but it makes it easy to keep a large supply on hand. Simply freeze the stock in small and clearly labeled portions and then take out what you need when you need it!

Having trouble with your meats sticking to your pan or grill? This is an easy thing to fix. Just spray your pan or grill with a spray oil before you begin to cook. This will put a coating on the surface of the pan or grill, and will keep your meats from sticking to a dry surface.

Oil added to a pan while sauteing needs to be fully heated before it is absorbed by your ingredients. Slowly pouring the oil along the edge just inside the pan will ensure it is the correct temperature by the time it reaches your ingredients.

As was stated in the beginning of this article, cooking gourmet food at home is really just a matter of proper education and practice. Anyone can cook tasty, healthy food if they can follow directions. Apply the tips in this article and soon you will be known as the neighborhood's gourmet chef.

Cook Like A Pro When You Follow This Advice

One of the best things about cooking, is that whether you are not so great at it or a cooking virtuoso, you can benefit from recipes and great cooking tips. Anyone can follow a recipe and implement tips. Whether you think you're a great chef or if you think that you can't cook at all, here are a few cooking tips you can use today.

Make sure that you let cookies cool down completely - at least 15 minutes - before removing them from the cookie sheet. Otherwise, they are more likely to stick to the sheet and break apart. Also, by eating them while they are still hot, you could possibly burn your mouth.

Cooking tip "“ sweet treat for smelly fingers! Cleaning fish or shrimp is a messy task and leaves a distinctive smell on your hand for at least a day. There is an effective way of removing the smell. Squish a few fresh strawberries between your fingers for a couple of minutes and rinse your hand with soapy water. The smell will disappear instantly!

No matter what kind of cheese you may have in your refrigerator, be sure that air cannot enter it by wrapping it tightly. Air contributes to mold growth on cheese. If your cheese does happen to have a little bit of mold on it, you can still use it by just cutting off the part with mold.

Don't waste the seeds from your pumpkins, roast them. Scoop the seeds out, and rinse them thoroughly until the membrane has separated and washed off. Blot the seeds and let them dry for fifteen minutes. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the seeds evenly over a lightly oiled tray. Lightly salt, and let them roast for at least ten minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.

Cooking is not something you stop learning. You eat every day of your life, so you can use cooking skills every day of your life. What you learn about cooking today, you can use forever. Use these tips to boost your cooking skills and put your own spin on them, to make everyday eating a pleasure.

Be A Good Cook With Cooking Advice That Works Well!

A lot of people think that cooking is a science, while others argue, it is an art. No matter what your opinion, there is certainly something you can learn. By following the tips below, you will be well on your way to becoming the best chef that you possibly can.

Trying to deep fry at home? Whenever your food is ready for the fryer, use tongs to gently hold the item just below the surface of the oil so that it has a sealed exterior and then let it go. If you toss it in without holding it for a few seconds, you might see your food stick to each other or to the fryer itself.

Learn the fine art of making sauces. You do not need to be a saucier to make great accompaniments to your meats and pastas. The art of sauce is ancient, and all the methods that have perfected the process are available to you now. Seek traditional sources to make the best sauces.

Make sure that when you are making your pasta, not to use oil in the water upon cooking. This will reduce the risk that the pasta will stick to the sauce, which can ruin the quality of your meal. Avoid oil in water when you are cooking pasta for maximum results.

To prevent the top layer of cheese from peeling off your lasagna or other casserole when you remove the foil, spray the foil with cooking spray prior to covering the dish with it. When you remove the foil so the cheese can brown, the cheesy layer will remain intact.

This article just scratches the surface of what is available to learn about cooking. However, if you pay attention to these tips, your abilities in the kitchen will improve. Your friends and family are sure to appreciate the hard work you put into learning these skills and even more, they will enjoy the food that you create.

Bake, Broil, Fizz And Fry: Cooking Advice For All

In today's declining economy, there is a bright spot for families. More and more people are cooking at home instead of eating out. Cooking food at home can bring families together. The enjoyment of a shared meal is an important aspect of our social natures that dates back to the beginning of time.

Taking on cooking is a great way to make yourself feel better about your food choices. You can see what you put into a dish and then be rewarded by the tastes and flavors you've tailored to you specifications. Getting a few recipes from close family members or magazines are great places to start.

To keep your burgers flat, indent the middle of the burger with your thumb, nearly leaving a hole, before frying or grilling the patties. As the meat draws up and shrinks while cooking, the indentation will close itself, leaving you with flat burgers instead of small patties with extra thick middles.

If you are going to be trying to get the jello salad out of the mold all you have to do is dip the mold in some warm water for 30 seconds. Loosen the edges of the mold with a knife and lightly flip it over onto a plate and voila!

If you are going on a picnic, put lettuce and other vegetables in separate containers from condiments. Condiments are not to make sandwiches soggy, so by separating them, you are ensuring your sandwich will taste fresh. Also, do not place any food items next to drinks inside of the basket.

Food and family are almost synonymous. Whether it's the holidays, or just the evening meal, it is a wonderful thing to see the return of the home cook. The shared act of cooking a meal can only strengthen our families and improve our overall health in this society.

Awesome Tips For Cooking Well And Efficiantly

A task that nearly everyone does is cooking. For some, cooking is an enjoyable experience, filled with chances to try out and experiment with new ingredients and recipes to create masterpieces. For others, cooking is a mundane and sometimes complicated task. The tips in this article should help anyone turn cooking into an enjoyable task.

When baking, here is a tip for eggs and butter. Let your eggs and butter set out overnight at room temperature. Doing so will soften the butter which will make it easier to spread, melt, and mix with other ingredients. The eggs will be easier to beat, and foaming egg whites will be easier as well.

After you have cooked a piece of food in the oven, you should give it several minutes to rest before serving. The last thing that you will want to do is serve any part of your meal that is too hot, which will ruin its overall quality for the person you are serving.

To discover when oil is really hot enough and ready for the food, look to its' surface. If it is no longer completely smooth and appears to be shimmering it is hot enough. When oil is allowed to over-heat it actually starts breaking down and releasing unpleasant compounds and will begin to smoke, so know when to say when!

A granite surface is great for thawing frozen foods, usually taking less than half of the time necessary for typical counter top thawing because granite absorbs the cold (and heat) of items placed on top of it so granite literally "sucks out" the cold from your frozen foods. Granite is also an amazing surface for pastry preparation when dusted with a little flour. If you can't afford to redo your kitchen in granite, check out a granite dealer for scrap pieces or have a smaller piece cut and polished for a fraction of the cost of remodeling your kitchen.

As stated in the article above, nearly everyone cooks. Many find cooking to be an enjoyable and experimental process, while others find it mundane and difficult. Using the cooking tips found in this article, anyone can shed their previous negative conceptions of cooking and turn it into an enjoyable experience.

All About Cooking, Strategies That Work Well

There are so many resources available for good cooking information, it may be hard to decide where to start. Cooking is an important part of day-to-day life and you should take any opportunity to expand your knowledge. Here you will find some of the best cooking tips compiled in one place.

To make chopping canned tomatoes less messy, try chopping them in the can. Take a pair of scissors and use them to slice through the tomatoes without removing them from their container. This will save you from dirtying a bowl, and will keep hard to clean tomato juice from splashing onto your clothes or work surface.

A well-stocked pantry is a cook's best friend! Never is that more true than when you are faced with unexpected company and you have nothing specifically planned to serve. Maintaining a pantry stocked with the basics gives you the flexibility to create easy meals at the last minute. For help in creating a great cook's pantry, think hard about the items you go back to again and again. You can also find great tips on items for the pantry in most good cookbooks and online at cooking sites.

When frying frozen foods it is sometimes best to let them defrost. When water combines with hot oil it has a tendency to spark up violently, and since frozen foods generally have frost, or frozen water on their outside the interaction of the two, ice and oil, can be extremely dangerous. Unless directions explicitly say otherwise always let things reach a medium temperature with one another.

When you go forward after reading these tips, you will find plenty of ways to apply this information to your own kitchen. Do not be afraid to try new things or experience new flavors. A world of delicious food awaits when you remember the great information you learned in this article.

Advice For Cooking Like A Pro

Cooking can either be simply a means of feeding yourself or it can be a fantastic and fun creative process that will provide you with fabulous meals! Read on to discover some great ideas on how to make cooking an easier and more pleasurable experience for you before your next meal!

When you open a can of tomato paste for just a spoonful and are wondering what to do with the rest, place dollops on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and stick the sheet in the freezer. When the blobs of paste are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. You can then pull out just enough tomato paste for your next few recipes, without wasting partial cans.

Save your carrot peelings, the ends of onions, and celery leaves in a container in your freezer. The next time you roast a turkey, a chicken, or bone-in beef, place the bones or carcass into a stock pot with your frozen veggie parts and cover with enough water to cover it all. Let this simmer as long as you can stand it (up to 8 hours) for a rich, flavorful stock that you can use in recipes or as a base for soup.

Check your ingredients before starting a recipe. There is nothing worse than getting halfway through a recipe, only to realize that you are missing a vital ingredient. Also, you will save time by assembling everything. Measure everything out, and prepare any ingredients in advance. This way, you won't suddenly find yourself having to chop an onion or grate cheese when you are right in the middle of your recipe.

We all need to eat so we might as well make the process of preparing food something we love. Hopefully you have found some fresh ideas in this article on improving your life in the kitchen! It can be a great way to enjoy a major part of our lives so take what you have learned here and apply it to your next meal and bon appetit!