There are a lot of speech to describe food. The following article can show you vastly improve your culinary skills.

Keep all dried spices in a location that is cool and dark. Exposure to heat, humidity, or light will affect the flavor of dried seasoning. Most ground spices will retain their flavor for at least one year. Spices which are kept whole form will keep their flavor for around 3-5 years. Storing your spices in glass containers with a

Bake pie and tart crusts a little longer time than you think they should be baked. They need to be a light golden caramel color rather than pale blonde. The darker color results when the sugar in the pie crust has caramelized and this will have a much sweeter and crisp flavor.

Cut meat very thin and with the bias when you are stirfrying. This can take up much time and be tricky.

You can always save the sauce if you use the following information. Mix 1 tablespoon of starch and two tablespoons of water. Stir the mixture into the sauce and it will get thicker. Make sure you combine them gradually and consistently so as to prevent the starch slowly while stirring constantly to make it not be too much.

Sharp knives are an essential to cooking. Dull knives make it very difficult to cut with and they are also dangerous.

Mashed Potatoes

Try adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes to cut some calories and fat. The taste of cauliflower will blend nicely with your potatoes while picking up the other ingredients. Cauliflower has the same texture and color as mashed potatoes, offering you a perfect way to add another vegetable to your dish while cutting calories.

Do you cook with fresh basil in your dishes? Store basil within a glass. Fill the glass with enough water till the stems are covered. Keep on your counter and it will stay fresh for weeks! The basil may even start growing roots if you occasionally change the water. You should also cut the basil so it grows even more.

Do you find it tough to know grilling time for meats? Use a good meat thermometer to tell when it is cooked properly.

Plan on preparing a large batch so that the excess can freeze and store it. Good homemade chicken stock is a wonderful base in soups, stews, stews and other dishes.

When cooking pumpkins, stand it up and then slice it down the middle. Place them upside down on separate baking sheets.

This will enable you have access to fresh fruit any time your heart desires. This also a good way to have access to seasonal fruits that are out of season.

Prepare things the day before to save time and headaches. Cut up vegetables and make marinades or sauces before you plan on cooking a meal to save some time.You won’t be as stressed when you wake up.

Many veggies and herbs give off a strong odor which tends to leave your cutting boards even after they are washed. Use permanent pen to make a mark one end of the cutting board to identify which side you are using.

You should clean your dishes as you use them.

If you want to serve a complicated meal, doing the prep work a day before can ease some stress. Get all of the ingredients that you will need, and chop or measure anything you can in advance. You will only have to get everything together and putting heat to it if you do good advance preparation.

Food is the foundation of living, and in doing so it holds great potential. Use what you have learned here to wow the important people in your life!

By Muezza