In our modern world today, most of us have a habit of dining out and generally miss eating at home. Food prepared at home is much healthier because you can control your portions, select your ingredients and don’t have to worry about any possible allergies.
Home cooking will allow you to have your hands on the ingredients and put love and dedication into every dish you make.
Here are 6 easy ways on how to improve your home cooking, and always keep in mind that there is nothing better than a home-cooked meal made fresh on the homestead.
Ingredients
Before you start cooking it is always important to focus on the ingredients. Every professional chef will advise you to always use fresh ingredients instead of frozen ones. If you’re using herbs then you should treat them like flowers. Herbs should be kept in freshwater in order for them to stay fresh as long as possible. If parts of the herb are starting to wither then you should probably clip them off because this will prolong their life as long as possible. Although package spices will save you time, we all know that fresh spices are the real deal. Keep in mind when you open your seasoning of choice and if it doesn’t have much of a smell then it probably won’t have much of a taste either. Fresh spices will bring fantastic flavors into your home cooking whether you’re roasting or sauteing them in a skillet pan.
Kosher or sea salt
Table salt is commonly used in most home kitchens. If you want to bring your home cooking to the next level, consider switching to kosher salt or sea salt. These salts have a much better flavor than ordinary table salt. Although food should never be prepared too salty, you shouldn’t go the opposite direction by using too little salt and therefore making your food taste flat. The right amount of salt can bring out a lot of natural flavors in your dish.
Use the ingredients you have
Home cooking sometimes can cost a lot of money. You need to buy that perfect piece of cookware, you need three kinds of salts, should you buy cherry vinegar or balsamic? and the list just goes on and on. Spending money on good tools and healthy foods is a priority, but also making do with what you have is equally important. Savvy and thrifty cooking skills are basically the foundation of many great cuisines. These cuisines have created dishes like bread panade, pasta e Fagioli and other classic rustic dishes that have a root in using what you have.
Read the recipe all the way through
How many times have we all gotten halfway through a recipe and in the end discovered that we have forgotten some ingredients? Yes, this has happened to all of us, and it can be very frustrating knowing that you have destroyed a dish you wanted to make for so long. To avoid this you should go back to the basics. Always read the recipe all the way through and take time to memorize it in your head because not only will this help you cook better, but it will also give you a better understanding of the mechanics of what is happening.
Use your hands
Don’t be afraid to use your hands while home cooking. Hands are extremely sensitive sophisticated tools in the art of cooking. By using them often, you can develop a sense of touch that will help you feel how different foods feel at different degrees of doneness without having to check them with a knife, toothpick or thermometer. For example, meat is very soft when it’s rare and quite firm when it’s well done. Also, your hands are the best tool for mixing up a salad.
Use the right tools
Everyone can appreciate great tools in the kitchen. Not only will the right tools allow you to cook better but they will make home cooking more fun and that’s how cooking should be. A good kitchen knife is a basic item everyone should have. You should select a knife that is well balanced and it’s easy to control. If you really love Chinese food but never really managed to get the flavor and texture rise has in restaurants consider buying a rice cooker. With this type of specialty rice cooker you will be able to make that Chinese rice you always wanted. For cutting delicate herbs and trimming the fat off your meat kitchen shears are the best way to go. Ideally, the best shears are the ones that can be separated because they are easy to clean. Also, consider getting an electric pressure cooker because they will help you make sure your food is cooked perfectly every time.
To sum up, home cooking is supposed to be a fun activity whether your cooking gluten free pancakes for your family, friends, or making a meal just for yourself. Always experiment with recipes and new cooking tools because the more you know the more you will enjoy.
