Do you ever look and wonder how friends and family make such fabulous meals? The following article can help anyone become a better cook.

Bake pie and tart crusts for a longer than you think they should be baked. They should be a golden caramel color rather than pale in color. The golden color results when the sugar from the pie crust has started to caramelize and this will give a sweet and crisper flavor.

It is essential that you are prepared before you start to cook a meal to serve to your loved ones. Make sure you have all the ingredients ready. Check the day before you start to cook to make sure that you have everything that you need to cook the dish you have planned. This will help to alleviate your anxiety and maximize your potential.

This will help to maximize the food’s flavor of your food when you are done.

There are ways to fix your dish and make it so you are able to instantly use it. Mix two spoons of water and one spoon of cornstarch in a bowl. Add this mix to your sauce to thicken it up. Make sure to introduce the starch slowly while stirring constantly to make it not be too much.

Always slice your meat thinly and on the bias when you are cooking stir-fry. This technique is somewhat tricky and can take a little time. Take the meat out as soon its gets firm (not frozen), then cut it across the grain at a forty-five degree angle.

Meat Strips

Partially freezing meat is easier to cut into thin strips easier. This is an especially strong technique for Asian meals. To ensure that the meat strips cook evenly, you must let the meat strips thaw thoroughly before cooking.

Your spices should be stored in any area that is dark and cool. Putting them in a warm, lighted area can reduce their useful life, due to light and heat exposure. Store spices in a dark, cool location to keep them flavorful and fresher for longer. Using fresh spices makes meals even more delicious.

To make your French fries crisper, let the raw potatoes soak for about half an hour in cold water prior to frying.

Sauteing vegetables in a small amount of chicken broth is a healthy and delicious way to cook them. This is a tasty way to cook healthier while not skimping on flavor.

When adding oil to a pan or skillet that already contains food, drizzle the oil down the side of the pan. The oil will heat as it flows toward the center. This will give your food the flavor you crave.

Always measure the cooking oil. This will help you lower the fat is present in your cooking.This will enable you to keep track of exactly how much oil that you are using.

Fresh Garlic

To reduce the calories and fat of mashed potatoes, and to avoid sacrificing taste or texture, replace some potatoes with the same amount of cauliflower. Cauliflower has little taste of its own, so it will blend right into your potatoes and pick up flavors from whatever other ingredients you use. Cauliflower is also the same texture and color of potatoes when mashed so it’s a great way to add more veggies, while lowering calories from classic mashed potatoes.

Always use fresh garlic for your dish. A rule of thumb is that fresh garlic will have a sweet taste to it. Fresh garlic is firm skin and no bruises or soft spots.

It is important for every cook to have all cooking supplies nicely organized. If your kitchen supplies are not organized, you’ll be a disaster in the kitchen. Keep things that are similar in one area. For instance, you want to organize your spices such as parsley and basil in one cabinet.

If you want to lose weight or adopt a healthier diet, use less oil when cooking. There is a lot of unnecessary fat in butter and oil. Nonstick cooking spray is a great alternative that will give you the same end result as the oils with less unhealthy ingredients.

Place unripened fruits in a plastic bag that is perforated right after you have poked small holes into.If you put them in the bag with holds the air will go through the bag, and the gas will stay in, keeping the fruit fresh and tasty.

Always clean your cooking with utensils that are spotlessly clean. Any leftover food matter missed during washing can spoil the dish you plan on cooking next. This could allow for bacteria to easily spread.

When purchasing the ingredients to make a recipe, take the time to read the nutritional information on the food packaging. There are many hidden, unhealthy ingredients put into common cooking preparations. Health issues can be avoided if you carefully read labels to assure that the ingredients do not have excess sugar or salt.

Always blot your ground meat before cooking to remove excess fat. It’s never a good plan to blot away wetness that is on ground meats. Any moisture remaining will be released during the cooking process. The heat will then cook in the heat of the pan. This can cause the meat to become steamed instead of seared as you intended; it will steam instead.

It would be wise to use the advice provided to you. Everyone you know will be bothering you for cooking tips!

When making a meal that needs milk or water, try a different substitute to make the dish taste different. Broth is a great substitute for water, and milk adds delicious flavor and extra nutrition to soups and stews. To replace milk, yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk can make good substitutes. Adding different and interesting liquids to a recipe can help the dish become more interesting and nutritious.