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Posts by Luis Castro

Chef’s Corner: How To Properly Prepare Duck

May 16, 2017 Luis Castro Food
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Many see cooking meals as simply a chore that has to be done. It can also become your gateway to a way to a healthier style of living. A good cook will always continue to learn new and innovative methods, this article will deepen your knowledge of cooking and help you to enjoy your time in the kitchen.

Prepare in advance as much as you can ahead of time.It is essential to have all the prep work done before you start cooking. You can spare yourself a great deal of hassle by doing prep work done early.

You do not want to cook the whole dish after seasoning it. Cook a small amount in a patty first.

You don’t ever want to try new ingredients or recipes you don’t have experience with. This can keep your stress you cook.

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

Quickly cooking vegetables makes them to retain much of their nutritional value.Vegetables which are cooked slowly can lose their taste and nutrition. These cooking techniques tend to preserve the health benefits of vegetables that are healthier and taste great as well. Cooking vegetables is all about cooking them for only a short amount of time possible.

Fresh ingredients are often inexpensive, and can turn out to be less expensive over time.

Plan to make a large pot of stock in order to freeze and store it. Good chicken stock that you make at home makes a great starter for soups, casseroles, casseroles and more.

Oil and butter both have lots of fat. Try using nonstick cooking spray instead: this product does not contain anything unhealthy and keep it free from fats that contribute little to a healthy lifestyle.

This step will stop the skewer from burning when they are cooking. Use two parallel skewers instead of one skewer to keep food falling off.

Read the labels for recipe ingredients. Many common cooking supplies contain hidden ingredients include substances that may not be very healthy. You want to ensure that is not high in sugar or salt because both can cause major health problems if eaten too much.

If the recipe has called for water, switch it up by using a broth, juice, or cooking liquids. If a recipe calls for milk, try substituting with buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream. Using different liquids can increase nutrition and improve their flavor.

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

Storing herbs and spices in warm locations will lead them to lose their flavor.

Spices don’t last forever; replace them every six months. The flavor of spices fade just a few months after opening the container. If you find yourself buying a spice that you aren’t going to finish, share some of it with a fellow cook.

It is important to properly care of wood cutting board. A wood cutting board can warp or split by too much exposure to moisture, heat and dryness. Do not submerge the board to clean it, instead, clean it using a sponge and warm water. You can find oil designed for this purpose.Make sure that the cutting board is completely dried before you use it.

Fresh herbs and other kinds of natural seasonings can help spice up even the traditional dish. Dried herbs aren’t quite as conspicuous in recipes that are filled with a variety of flavors. Fresh herbs produce a stronger flavor and can improve the taste of any dish.

There are a wide variety of potatoes, and they are not all the same.

There are many fresh new ways to prepare fresh oysters. You can prepare oysters in other ways than raw on the half shell with some drizzled lemon juice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and grated pepper and broil until it bubbles. Another tasty method is to take the oysters is to saute them. You can also bake oysters right in their shells. Place in a casserole dish, dab some butter on the oysters and sprinkle some breadcrumbs on the top, and bake at 425 degrees for four to five minutes. Serve your butter starts bubbling.

Set a watch timer that you can easily carry with the oven timer.

A great way to make the most of the stray meat and vegetable items left over from other dishes is to cook up some fried rice. Fry your veggies and meat in a little oil and then put rice, add your rice and then season it with ginger, soy sauce, soy sauce and other spices.

You can reduce the stress of preparing a large meal for family meal. Don’t get stressed the day of the event, do some of the preparations in advance. This involves measuring everything out, measurements and marinades.

Always use silicone or rubber spoons when you cook on nonstick cookware that you’re cooking with. Metal or wooden utensils could scratch the nonstick coating. This is both unappealing and possibly dangerous.

This will help you don’t end up in a mad search for an ingredient while your meal is burning. It is actually quicker to prepare everything in advance than to try to locate items while you are in the headache from not being prepared and it really doesn’t take any more time to do this.

Try using ketchup as a batter ingredient in fried foods. Ketchup isn’t only a condiment to dunk your food in, prior to covering it in breadcrumbs.

In conclusion, a great cook is constantly learning. The best part about cooking is not simply meal preparation, but learning about all the kinds of foods, ingredients and techniques. It is also about passing on what you have learned to others. Cooking is about sharing tips and secrets with your friends and family.

Fill Thier Bellies With Really Great Food

March 4, 2016 Luis Castro Food
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Many people want to learn the culinary arts but find that they are intimidated by the skill set required. The great thing about cooking is that you can take it one step at a time, and if you follow the advice below, you will be convinced that you have what it takes to be the next top chef.

Boiling your vegetables may cause you to miss out on many of the benefits and nutrients in the water that you’ll drain from the vegetables after boiling. To keep them loaded with nutrients that are beneficial to your body, cook them quickly with methods like steaming or sauteing, and you could always enjoy them naturally in their raw state.

You don’t ever want to try new ingredients or recipes you enjoy. This can lessen the stress you may feel.

Do you have trouble deciding how long you should grill your meat should be grilled? Use a good meat thermometer (a digital one is more accurate) so that you can ensure the inside is cooked properly.

When you are grilling burgers, it can be hard to loosen them without damaging the food. Try brushing a thin coating of vegetable oil on the grill or pan to keep food does not stick.

Read the labels when shopping for any product that you buy to use in a recipe. Many common cooking supplies contain unhealthy hidden ingredients. You want to produce a product that anything you buy is not high in sugar or sodium.

When serving a salad at a social gathering, always offer the dressing on the side rather than pouring it directly on the salad. Some people prefer more dressing when eating salads so it is important that each person add their own dressing.Offer many different types of dressing.

Try drying your own dried tomatoes. You can use Roma tomatoes cut lengthwise, or by cutting Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. You can also pack dried tomatoes in jars packed with herbs and olive oil. The jar can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Many veggies and herbs have a scent that remains on cutting boards well after they are washed. Use indelible ink to mark the cutting board so that you know which is which.

It is important to buy new spices around every six months. The flavor of spices fade just a few months after opening the container. If you know you will not use the whole spice bottle, share some of it with a fellow cook.

Always begin your utensils that are spotlessly clean. Any residual food matter missed during washing can ruin whatever you plan on cooking next. This can allow harmful bacteria.

Blot raw meat with a paper towel before you start cooking it. It is a good idea to always blot away moisture that is present on ground meat. Any moisture left on the meat will be released upon cooking. The moisture will then cook in the moisture. This prevents the meat to become steamed instead of seared as it should be.

Allow the food to sit a bit before serving. Many people do not realize the importance of letting their cooked food rest. It is very tempting to serve a meal straight off the grill. If you serve immediately off the grill, you will really be missing out.Always allow your meat sit for a little while.

This allows you to economize on the amount of gas or electricity used when cooking, as well as prevent other dangerous situations resulting from distractions.

If you plan to prepare food outside for a cookout, it’s a good idea to prepare your grill beforehand so that it’s already ready for you when you need it. The charcoal will need to burn about 30 minutes before it is used for cooking. The charcoal should have a light coating of ash at medium heat and covered in ash. This is the optimal temperature to begin grilling.

It is important to take proper care of wood cutting board. A wood cutting board can warp or split by too much exposure to moisture, heat and dryness. Do not submerge the board to clean it, just sponge it off using warm, clean it using a sponge and warm water. You can find oil designed for this purpose.Make sure it is completely dried before you use it.

Be careful to neither over-bake nor under-bake your cake.The recommendations on the package are only guidelines, but these suggestions can be misleading; other factors, including oven variations, can have an effect on how long it actually takes a cake to cook. A better way is to test the cake by inserting a cake is finished is by sticking a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done; if batter is on it, the cake needs to be baked longer.

A great way to cook is with brine. Soak your poultry in the brine water for at least an hour prior to cooking to enhance the flavor.

Set a watch timer that you can easily carry with the oven timer.

Add some spices to your dish is ready. Pepper, cayenne, cayenne seasoning, and garlic are yummy additional seasonings you can add. Many people have different things in terms of spices. Each person can personalize their own customized meal.

Fruit works especially delicious cooked on the grill. You can slice nectarines, and melon slices can work well too. Place the fruit directly on a grill that has been cleaned until you see grill marks. Serve these grilled fruit with ice cream for instance.

Try using ketchup as a batter ingredient for your fried foods. Ketchup is not only for dipping cooked foods into, prior to covering it in breadcrumbs.

Learning how to cook an amazing meal will help you throughout your life, whether it’s to impress a date or your boss. All over the world, people eat their meals with family and friends. Using what you’ve learned through this article will allow you to become a better cook!

Cooking Tips That Are Good For The Entire Family

December 20, 2015 Luis Castro Food
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Cooking methods which will result in a diverse and varied. Some are easy and some are very easy to execute.

If using skewers made of steel or metal, the square or twisted kind are much better than round ones for holding food in place.

There is a secret to thicken up your sauce so it isn’t wasted. Mix two tablespoons of water with one spoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir this mixture into your sauce while it’s simmering and it will thicken up. The mixture needs to be added slowly so that it doesn’t get too thick.

Partially frozen meat makes it easier to slice it into thin strips easier. This works especially well for meats used in many Asian dishes. However, to ensure that the meat cooks evenly, take the time to let it thaw out prior to cooking.

It is important to have sharp knives whenever you cook. Dull knives can be dangerous and they are less productive as well.

You can avoid stress of trying to make something that you have ever done before. This will help to make cooking more enjoyable and less stress.

Do you ever feel bad for disposing of fruit with a lot? Is it possible to save the fruit by cutting around the mold? There is no way to salvage fruit is unhealthful. Mold grows inward to places that you see and can make you ill.

Look at your recipes before starting and determine whether or not certain steps that can be completed beforehand. You can simplify the day prior to actually cooking. This takes a lot of the stress out of even more complex recipes fun and fast.

When burgers and other foods become stuck to the grill grates, they sometimes lose their shape when they stick to your grill and become hard to remove.Try brushing a thin coating of vegetable oil on the cooking surface prior to cooking so that food does not stick.

Plan to make a large batch so that the excess can freeze and used later. Good homemade chicken stock is a wonderful base in soups, casseroles, stews and other dishes.

Oil or butter both have fat that is often unnecessary. A nonstick spray is a wonderful substitute for the oils and fats that you are using.

This will keep your fruits fresh for much longer. You also have the benefit of having fruits out of season whenever you want them.

Leave the bone in your roast when you are cooking and pressed for time.The bone will retain the heat and make the interior of the roasting pan.

Many popular veggies and herbs have a scent that can remain on cutting boards even after they are washed. Use indelible ink to mark the cutting board so that you know which is which.

Be creative with your cooking.You need not have to follow a recipe to the “T”. That is really a genuine cook!

This will prevent you from wasting resources or overcooking your food, including flare-ups from overheated oil or choosing the wrong temperatures for your needs.

It is important to maintain a wooden cutting board. A wood cutting board can warp or split by too much exposure to moisture, heat and dryness. Do not immerse the cutting board in water, but instead, soapy water. You can find oil designed for this purpose.Be sure to let your cutting board dry it off completely before using.

Do prep work to save cooking time. You can frequently get many of the ingredients ready one or two days before you cook your meal. There are certain instances in which the flavor of the ingredients is actually improved by early preparation.

There is not just one kind of potato, and they are not always adequate substitutes for each other when cooking.

There are a number of ways to cook oysters. You can prepare oysters in other ways rather than just raw with some drizzled lemon juice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and grated pepper and broil until it bubbles. Another option is to saute oysters. You can bake oysters while in the shells. Put them in a dish made for casseroles, add a bit of butter and freshly-made breadcrumbs to every oyster, and bake for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot on toast points or a baguette when your butter starts bubbling.

Set a watch timer that you can easily carry with you as well.

The very high temperature in the microwave causes oil to leave the food.Baking will keep all its parts cohesive.

Red potatoes are too thin-skinned to hold up to a dense fillings.

Use soft butter not melted butter for creaming sugar and butter for cookies. If it is melted, however, or just put the dough in the refrigerator. Your dough will not spread if you use cooler dough.

When preparing mashed potatoes, mix the potatoes using hot, but never boiling. This alternative to the addition of cold milk will give your potatoes much airier and fluffier. Nobody really wants lumps in their mashed potatoes full of lumps.

Get rid of the extra fat in your soups and stews. Place an ice in a spoon and rub it gently on your dish. The fat will collect the surface of the spoon and be easily removed from the dish. You could also remove excess oil by soaking it up with a paper towel.

It is possible to over-think things in the kitchen. Meals can easily be ruined by making them too complicated. Simple recipes and techniques can yield very impressive results. Implementing these tips will allow you to understand how to become a better cook.