Cooking can be a great way to save money in difficult economic times. By preparing meals and not eating out all the time you can put more money in your pocket and give less to fast food places and restaurants. This article can help you find ways to do more home cooking.
Freezing meat slightly before cutting it will help you to get a nice, even thin slice. This works great when you are cutting steak thin for philly’s or if you need to cut pancetta into thin slices or strips. Do not freeze it solid; freeze it just enough that it is slightly firm.
Take the guesswork out of reducing liquids. When a recipe calls for you to cook until the liquid is reduced by a certain amount, dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the liquid to mark the depth. This will leave a line on the wooden spoon. Later, you can dip the spoon again to see how much the liquid has actually reduced.
Leave the bone in a roast to speed up cooking. By leaving the bone in, heat moves to the inside of the meat faster, speeding up the cooking process. Because the bone transmits heat, the entire roast cooks more evenly throughout the cut of meat by leaving it in rather than removing it.
Do you want to cook with fresh basil? Try putting a bunch of basil that is fresh inside a glass. Make sure the stems are submerged in water. Place the glass of basil leaves on the counter in your kitchen, and watch it keep its freshness for weeks. Your basil will even send out new roots if you change its water regularly. Trim or cut the basil from time to time for additional growth. Now you can enjoy your fresh basil anytime!
When you are cooking for your family, try not to stick to one style. If you cook the same meal over and over, it can get boring and your family will become jaded with the dishes that you make. Change things up every night so that you can introduce new meals and cuisines to your family.
To cook healthier, try replacing highly refined goods with whole-grain alternatives when you bake. Enriched white flour and other such refined grain products are low in nutritional value. Even replacing a fraction of them with natural whole-grain products will improve the healthiness of the finished dish. Consult packaging directions for specific replacements; whole-grain products do not always replace refined ones at a 1:1 ratio.
When making a sandwich, spread the mayo from one corner of the bread to the other. People usually just quickly spread the mayo on so that one side of the bread has more than the other. By spreading it from one corner to the other, all parts of the bread will contain an equal amount of mayo.
Home cooking can save you money. Restaurant and fast food costs can quickly add up. By cooking in quantity and freezing leftovers for later, you can really save money. By using the tips in this article, you can add to your cooking repertoire, and put that extra money towards something you really need.