Good food is more than tasty things to eat. Use the tips offered in this article and you can bring your cooking up a notch.
You should store all herbs and spices in cool, dark places. If they are exposed to light, moisture, or heat, they will lose much of their flavor. When properly stored, ground herbs and spices can retain full flavor for up to a year. Spices that are raw, or whole, can keep the original flavor for as long as five years, though it usually falls somewhere between three and five. If the spices are stored properly, they will stay fresh for a longer period.
Try going to a library or buying a cook book if you are wanting to cook different foods. Work your way through a few different recipes, but do not allow yourself to become discouraged during the learning process.
There is a secret to thicken up your weak sauce. You need to mix 2 tablespoons filled with water and 1 tablespoon filled with corn starch in a bowl. Slowly add to the sauce while on simmer and your sauce will gradually thicken. Be sure to gradually stir in the solution, and frequently stir the sauce so that it does not become too thick.
Meat can easily be sliced into thin strips if it is partially frozen. This technique is especially useful for the meat slicing styles typically used in Asian cuisine. If you freeze meat partially, you get a cleaner slice, without the stretching or tearing of fibers. Just remember, though, to let the stripped meat completely thaw out before you start cooking. This keeps the meat from cooking unevenly.
If your burgers seem to be sticking to the surface of your grill, it may be hard to take them off without breaking them. Before you put the burgers on the surface of the grill, you should brush it with some oil.
To make it easier for you to slice meat into thin strips, you should partially freeze it. For Asian meals, such as Thai and Chinese dishes, this technique creates strips that are particularly ideal. The knife can cut the partly frozen meat with less damage than if it were thawed. This is because the partially frozen meat fibers are not as easily stretched or torn. For the most even cooking, you should let the strips thaw before you cook them.
The pleasure of partaking in a great meal is priceless. It does not take a long time to learn to cook amazing meals. Any person really applying themselves can become a good cook. Having read this article, you are prepared for a good cooking experience.