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6 Tips To Help You Be A Better Cook
By Pat
Lockhart
Do you wish you were a better, more confident cook?
Do you lack the self-assurance to try new recipes? One of the essential
elements of being a proficient cook is to love what you do, so it stands
to reason that the more successes you have in the kitchen, the greater
will be your enjoyment and self confidence. Follow these tips and you will
be well on your way to realizing your goal of becoming a better cook.
-
Start with a good cookbook and learn the basic
techniques. There are thousands of cookbooks on the market, you can
find a cookbook on almost every aspect of diet and eating, from those focused
around types of cuisine - French, Italian, Indian, etc.; to others that
emphasize the nutritional or health aspects of eating and diet. And, there
are also cookbooks that feature cooking styles such as slow cooker recipes,
casseroles, barbecue. A dedicated cook will collect a wide assortment of
cookbooks; however, most will tell you that they have a basic cookbook
that is a useful learning resource and not just a bunch of recipes. "The
Joy of Cooking" is one such resource. Browse, read reviews and buy a basic
cookbook that has clear, easy to follow recipes for the kind of food that
appeals to you and your family.
-
Use fresh ingredients. This is fundamental
to really good cooking. There are an overwhelming number of processed and
boxed meal products available; marketed as quick and easy alternatives
to cooking from scratch. Nevertheless, they will not result in a finished
product anywhere near as good as something that is prepared with fresh
ingredients. And, there are lots of meals that can be prepared quickly.
Rachael Ray, for example, has cookbooks with recipes featuring meals in
less than 30 minutes. You can double the recipes when making casseroles,
soups, and stews and freeze half portions for another meal. Consider purchasing
a slow cooker and a good slow cooker cookbook.
-
Invest in good kitchen equipment. You don't
have to buy everything at once, but it is a good idea to gradually stock
your kitchen with good quality cookware, utensils and other labor saving
devices. If you have the right equipment, cooking is less frustrating and
takes less time. Most basic cookbooks will have a section on kitchen essentials
that you can use as a guide.
-
Follow recipes carefully, but don't be afraid to
use your own judgment. Although this sounds like a contradictory statement
it really isn't. It is important, particularly when baking, to measure
carefully and follow the cooking times and instructions given. However,
no matter how precisely a recipe is written, other variables may effect
how something will turn out. For example, maybe the temperatures in your
oven are not quite accurate and things take a little longer or a little
less time to cook. Recipes may be written to work at sea level and require
adjustment for higher altitudes. Be flexible and trust your judgment which
will become sharper with practice. When you modify a recipe be sure to
make a note of what you did differently for future reference.
-
Experiment with new tastes and recipes. It
is easy to just keep cooking the same things over and over, but it is also
very boring. As you become a more proficient cook try new foods and recipes.
It's exciting and rewarding as long as you don't get too stressed out if
something doesn't turn out well. All good cooks make mistakes and have
disasters in the kitchen from time to time. The process of trial and error
is part of the learning curve. Consider keeping a food journal, maybe try
out one new recipe a week and record how you liked it, what changes you
make to ingredients or seasonings; whether you would make it again. Free
E-cookbooks and recipe sites on the internet are an excellent way to get
recipes at no cost.
-
Seek out opportunities to learn more about cooking.
Ask advice from more experienced cooks and watch what they do. You could
join cooking forums such as: discusscooking.com or cookingforums.net. The
food channel is a good resource, or consider a cooking course in your community.
Become skilled at the 'whys' of cooking not just the 'how to follow instruction'
approach. This is a lifelong challenge but worth the time and effort in
the personal satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment and the pleasure you
give others. The following quote sums it up.
"Cooking is an art and patience a virtue... Careful
shopping, fresh ingredients and an unhurried approach are nearly all you
need. There is one more thing - love. Love for food and love for those
you invite to your table. With a combination of these things you can be
an artist".
Keith Floyd, "A Feast of Floyd"
Pat Lockhart is the author and publisher of the
website: Super Cookbooks, a comprehensive cookbook resource. The website
features a cookbook directory of best selling cookbooks in a number of
different categories; resource information about how to create your own
cookbook; a weekly featured recipe; as well as articles and cookbook reviews;
and links to free e-cookbooks. Visit our website at: http://www.supercookbooks.com
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