You Can Be A Success In The Kitchen

Whether you are living away from home for the first time or have been out of the nest for years, you no doubt yearn every now and then for the home-cooking that you so fondly remember. Learning to prepare hearty, home cooked meals starts with some simple tips and tricks, and this article has some for you. Image via Wikipedia TIP! Do not discard the stems of herbs like cilantro, parsley, or dill. The stems have just as much flavor as the leaves, and you can chop or snip them into soups, salads, sauces and other dishes just as you would use their leaves. If you want to preserve fresh basil longer, keep the stems in water and store it at room temperature. This will considerably extend the usability time of the herb, preserving the taste and saving you money in the long run. You can do this with other fresh herbs as well. Instead of rinsing fresh mushrooms under water, wipe them with a damp paper towel or a mushroom brush. Mushrooms already contain a high water content, and their porous flesh will absorb even more if you run them under the faucet. Wiping them gently removes the dirt while preventing sogginess or sliminess. TIP! If you can't purchase fresh legumes, commonly called beans, your options are dried or canned servings. However, canned beans will contain extra salt and is never desirable. Try cooking your favorite baked casseroles in muffin tins. Not only will you have individually-sized servings, but each person can have some of the crispy, brown edge pieces. As a bonus, the casserole freezes well in these portion-sized pieces, so you can pull out leftovers for lunches and thaw them more quickly. TIP! If you use baking mix to make biscuits, replace the milk with a half cup of sour cream and a half cup of lemon lime soda to every 2 cups of baking mix. The biscuits will have a slightly sweet flavor and an extra-rich texture, and they make excellent vehicles for breakfast sandwiches. Clean up made easy! Don't make washing up a chore - if you have a dishwasher you really don't need to hand wash the dishes first. Simply rinse off the large chunks of food with warm water. The hand-washing detergent used on dishes can leave a film inside your dishwasher. Load the machine according to the manufacturer's instructions, turn it on, and relax! Rather than pouring out leftover wine, pour it into an ice cube tray, then place the wine cubes in a labeled bag in the freezer. You can add these cubes to sauces, roasts, soups and other dishes for extra flavor, and wine that you don't drink fast enough doesn't go to waste. TIP! 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. To avoid burning food, when you cook on the stove or in the oven, use a loud timer to help you remember to check on your food. Also, set the timer a little early so that it will give you extra time to grab the potholders and the cooling racks. If you need extra cooking time, don't forget to reset your timer. TIP! When you are sautéing anything, make sure that you use a big enough pan to accommodate the amount of food that you are putting in it. You do not want to overcrowd the food. To ripen fruits like tomatoes, pears and bananas faster, place the pieces of fruit in a paper bag along with an apple of any variety. Apples emit ethylene gas -- a natural plant hormone -- as they ripen, which will affect the fruit inside the paper bag, accelerating their natural ripening process. Buy fruit when it is at its peak at your local farmer's market. Use airtight containers, and then freeze it so you can use it to cook or bake with all year long. Not only will this save you from having to buy pre-packaged frozen fruit at the supermarket, but also you will have the items on hand when they are not in season. TIP! When it comes to seasoning fish, less is more. Use simple seasonings that will not overpower the natural flavor of the fish. Start to use what you've learned here, and you'll soon pick up enough knowledge to prepare home cooked meals for yourself and those you surround yourself with. You'll be amazed at how one cooking tip or trick often leads to the learning of another, and you'll soon be able to start teaching others what you know.