No one likes the idea of serving their guest a meal that turns out to be a flop! Everyone needs a little help now and then. So, before you head to the kitchen, read up on some tips that will help you cooking food that is not only edible but spectacularly awesome. Follow these tips to impress your guests and improve ordinary family meals, as well.
Freezing meat slightly before cutting it will help you to get a nice, even thin slice. This works great when you are cutting steak thin for philly’s or if you need to cut pancetta into thin slices or strips. Do not freeze it solid, freeze it just enough that it is slightly firm.
Use a heavy-duty, zip-lock plastic bag to separate pan drippings. After roasting the meat, pour the pan drippings into a zip-lock plastic bag. Let the fat rise to the top. Carefully snip off one of the bottom corners of the bag, and pour out the fat-free broth. The fat will stay in the plastic bag, and you will have a tasty broth as a base for gravy or a sauce.
To reduce the fat and calories in a recipe that calls for a lot of mayonnaise, simply replace half the mayonnaise with sour cream. Since mayonnaise serves primarily a textural purpose in many of these recipes, replacing it with similarly textured sour cream gives you the same texture with a lighter, healthier taste.
Save your butter and margarine wrappers to use when baking. The wax paper that butter and margarine are wrapped in just happens to be the perfect size for greasing pans or rubbing onto a potato before popping it in the oven for baking. Save wrappers butter-side to butter-side in a closed storage container, so it stays fresh for your baking needs.
When you are going to the store, do not always have a large shopping list which can restrain you from just getting certain items. See what you like and what you are in the mood for and purchase based on that. This will give you the spontaneity to cook whatever you choose.
Now that you have read these great cooking tips, you can go into the kitchen armed with the knowledge that whatever dish you cook, you will impress your friends, family, and guests the way you want to! So, head over to the kitchen and get cracking.
