Buongiorno amici:
Here, some fresh new tips for the better cook in you.
1) Hot food in the fridge, not a good idea.
Leaving cooked food out at room temperature for over two hours could develop unwanted bacterias. Also, placing hot food in the fridge could impact the refrigerator’s temperature and seriously affect the food stored inside. To avoid uncertainty, I suggest that you divide the food cooked into smaller containers and place them in the fridge leaving ample space between them. The fridge ventilation system will run while cooling the food much faster and properly.
2) Read the recipes in full before you begin the cooking process
To avoid those unfortunate times when you get the recipe almost done, you forgot to read that the lamb needed to marinate for 4 hours. My suggestion: read the recipes twice and work on the mise en place. Run your steps once again in your mind, and it’s ago.
3) What is the mise en place.
It is the French phrase that differentiates amateur cooks from professionals. Prepping all our ingredients is a fundamental rule. Once all the layout is ready, you will find it much easier to cook and not stop between steps. Some dishes require more focusing than others, and you want to offer full attention. Make your cooking fun and exciting and remove unwanted stress.
4) Always deglaze your pan.
When sauteeing proteins, you will notice that some of the bits and remanents are stuck on the pan’s bottom. Please don’t throw them away, but work them to enhance your base, called fond. Usually, a liquid connected with the recipe will do the job. Wine is an excellent de-glazer, as well as lemon juice, tomato, brandy, or any broths. You will develop a great sauce to complement your primary dish. A tab of butter at the end will add creaminess and sheen.
5) Use a meat thermometer when checking meat protein.
If you don’t work with meat protein regularly, the task of checking for doneness becomes increasingly arduous. Your brother-in-law suggests listening to the meat or uses your thumb for the response. When it comes to meat protein, trust an instant-read thermometer for accuracy, especially chicken. Also, ovens and grills are known to change temperatures if not calibrated regularly. My suggestion is to invest in a $ 15 thermometer to use to check all proteins as well as your ovens.
6) Rest your meat protein for few minutes after cooking.
Allow meat protein to rest for an extended period, between 8 to 15 minutes. The interior juices will travel across the flesh and will ensure a tender and juicy product. Getting the natural juices reabsorbed by the meat is essential for tenderness. If you cut the meat quickly, you will lose all the flavorful juices on the plate, and the meat may turn tougher. Avoid all of this by covering the meat with metal foil and wait. Besides, the meat will continue to cook while waiting, and it is advisable to under-cook anything at any time.
7) The rule of 3-2-1 when making pie dough.
Many of you have a preferred pie dough recipe, perhaps a family favorite or one that never fails. I have always used the 3-parts flour, 2-parts fat, and 1-part of cold water in my baking years. I mean all-purpose of the 00 Italian hard-durum wheat for flour, keeping in mind that this method will not work with gluten-free flours. For the fat portion, butter, margarine, or Crisco, but olive oil ensures great results based on what you are making. Let’s say that you will need 12 ounces of flour, then 8 ounces of butter, and 4 ounces of water will give you a stable and HASSLE-FREE pie dough.
8) Correctly measure when baking.
Let’s start by saying that baking falls into the science category. And while you may get away with eying when making savory, in baking, you will fail. Pastry, cookies, cakes, pies, and more requires precision. How many of you reach into a bag of flour with a measuring cup? Probably many. Once you use that quick method, you will pack into the cup much more flour than you need, even if it looks right at the surface. The safest way to measure when baking is the weighting method. It is an excellent investment to purchase a scale, and lean-to-weight ingredients like bakers do. If you don’t own a scale, then work on the fluff, sprinkle and scrape method when you measure. Fluff the flour using a fork, fill the measuring cup with a spoon without compacting the flour, and use a flat to level the cup’s top. Again, for the best results, the scale method is the safest.
9) Parchment paper your best ally.
I strongly suggest using parchment paper even if the recipe calls for buttering a pan. Cut the piece to fit, and you will have a cake that falls out of the pan without any problems. I also use parchment when I roast chicken breast and vegetables. There is no loss of juices and flavors but a neat and trouble-free procedure. Also, when the batter is ready, get it into the oven as quickly as possible. Very often, we tend to get the batter in place, but the pan is not prepared. Getting yourself into the habit of working on the proper steps reduces time and makes you more efficient.
Thanks for reading. Eat safe and wear a mask! Ciao Chef W
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