There are many sayings and cliches that have been written about food. Use the tips presented below to advance your cooking to new heights.

Bake pie crusts a little longer time than you would think is really necessary. They should be golden caramel color instead of pale blonde. The golden color results when the sugar from the crust has caramelized and this will have a sweet and crisper flavor.

All of the prep work can be done ahead of time. You’ll be glad you have your prep work done when it’s time to cook. When you have a timeline for your meal to be ready, things can get a bit stressful once you start cooking. You can save yourself a lot of stress by doing as much preparation ahead of time as you can.

Always have your spices away from light in a dark and cool place.Using fresher spices can make your food taste better.

You can save the work you’ve done and quickly rectify the situation with this little trick. Mix two tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir this mixture into the thin sauce and it will thicken it. Make sure you combine them gradually and consistently so as to prevent the starch slowly while stirring constantly to make it not be too thick.

Pie crusts and tart crusts should be cook a bit past the point that you think they should be cooked. They should be golden caramel in color instead of pale blonde. When you see the golden color it indicates carmelization, which lends a crisp, sweet flavor to the pie crust.

Mashed Potatoes

Try adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes to cut some calories and fat. The taste of cauliflower will blend seamlessly with the other ingredients. Cauliflower has the same texture and color as potatoes, while lowering calories from classic mashed potatoes.

If you are trying to impress a new guest or important visitor, cook proven dishes that you excel in preparing. New recipes can be difficult to make and can create unnecessary stress. Doing this will take some of the stress out of cooking.

Use fresh foods any time you can, as they bring out the flavor in a dish, and they are also less expensive.

Plan on preparing a large batch so you can freeze and used later. Good homemade chicken stock is a wonderful base in soups, stews, stews and other dishes.

You have probably felt guilty for pitching moldy fruits before. Do you think it is accepted practice to salvage the fruit by removing the rotting parts? There are no two ways about it; rotting fruit is unhealthful. Get rid of them quickly, as mold can develop and cause health problems.

If you are trying to cook pumpkins, get it into an upright position and then split in half straight down the center. Take both halves with the cut sides down and place on different baking sheets.

If the recipe calls for water, switch it up by using a broth, beef broth, or juice when suitable. Instead of using milk, you can substitute yogurt, yogurt or buttermilk. Using different liquids is an easy way to make an old dish more interesting and improve their flavor.

If you are left with extra sauce after a meal, find a clean ice cube tray to pour the leftovers into and store the tray in the freezer. Then, at a later date, it is a simple process to reheat the cubes on your stove top in a pan. Do not worry, the sauce will still be edible after it has been in the ice cube trays!

Roma Tomatoes

Try making your own tomatoes. You can use Roma tomatoes cut lengthwise, or by cutting Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. Dried tomatoes could also be stored in a jar with fresh herbs and olive oil. The jars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Always read the labels of what you buy. Most cooking supplies have hidden ingredients that could be unhealthy. You must make sure that your ingredients are not high in either sodium or sugar because these may cause health problems if consumed in large amounts.

Everyone needs food to live; it holds a huge importance in life. Show those you love your new found skills by applying these tips to your next meal.