Learning how to cook can be one of the biggest investments in your health and well-being. When young people move out of home, they rarely know how to cook or maintain a household. Instead of cooking at home they rely on fast food which may lead to obesity and food intolerances.
When you learn how to cook, you can create healthy dishes at the snap of a finger and save quite a lot of money, too.
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Ten things that will make you a great cook:
1. A chef’s knife
The large, dangerously sharp knife will serve you for many years, if not the whole lifetime if taken care of properly. Chef’s knife makes cooking a pleasure, not a chore. It allows making very thin slices which is useful if you are cooking Asian dishes. Keep your blade in good shape and use the sharpening steel every week.
2. Chicken stock
Chicken stocks are perfect for soups and stews and casseroles. If you regularly use chicken stock as part of your recipe, it is better that you make them in volumes so that you can put them in the freezer for future use.
3. Breakfast
Mornings can be a challenging time to cook. To avoid rushing, it is best that you prepare your ingredients the night before.
4. Vegetables
Shop for your vegetables and fruit at farmer’s markets and avoid packaged salads which are treated with chlorine to preserve them. Make vegetables, beans, fruit, and grains the center of your meals.
5. Food thermometer
Health professionals recommend measuring the temperature of the inner part of the meat when you are cooking them in large pieces. Making sure that they reach a certain cooking temperature will help ensure that bacteria present in most meats are destroyed.
6. Chopping boards
Take good care of your chopping boards. Make sure that you don’t leave it unwashed. Once you wash it, wash it thoroughly leaving no trace of spice, vegetable, meat or any other ingredients you use it with.
7. Iron skillet
Cooking in a skillet on high heat, or sautéing, is a great method for browning the outsides of your produce and meat. That “crust” that the browning leaves is packed with flavor! Use a bit of oil, add seasonings as you like, and add your ingredients.
8. Oven
Every kitchen has an oven! Baking is another familiar method of heating and should be one of your first when learning how to cook. Most ovens allow you to easily control the temperature.
9. Spices
Herbs and spices are what give different cuisines their distinct flavors. There are a few spices you really need to focus on when learning how to cook, such as oregano, basil, garlic, cilantro, thyme, parsley, chives, ginger, paprika, and cayenne pepper. For salt, go with either kosher or sea varieties and for pepper, the most flavorful option is to use black peppercorns and grind them fresh whenever you use them.
10. Imagination
Cooking by the book will never make you a better cook. Taking risks with some tastes, experimenting on to some recipes you met in restaurants will make you not just a better book at your specialties but actually widens your horizon as a kitchen professional.
The practical cooking tips and ideas you have been served in the preceding paragraphs are essential first step orientation for you to get yourself started. Saving money is a good reason why you should learn how to cook for yourself. Buying prepared meals or going out to eat is extremely expensive. While they are easy and quick, they are full of additives and preservatives, not to mention way too many calories. Of course, you will need to learn the basic skills in order to cook some decent meals. Once you do that, you’ll be able to create meals from scratch with great ease. For easy and practical housekeeping and cooking tips go to askmom.net.
About Julie Gabriel
