Cooking for Two
Whether you are cooking for two out of a sense of romance or necessity you will find that there are many resources online
and off when it comes to finding the perfect combinations for those terrific twosomes.
One thing to keep in mind however is that when cooking for two, it is sometimes best if two are doing the cooking. This gives cooking an opportunity to become a communication event rather than a chore.
Despite the fact that there are many resources and recipes available to those that are cooking for two there are also equal occasions to take traditional recipes that are designed to feed four and make them an opportunity to stretch your food dollars even further.
By cooking traditional meals for four and feeding a portion you have managed to cook two meals for the time investment of one. It’s a good deal for many, particularly those that do not relish the idea of cooking at all, much less of cooking for two.
Young couples and older couples alike often find that it is easier and almost as inexpensive to hit the fast food or other casual dining establishments than it is to prepare a nice healthy meal for two at home.
The one thing they often forget is that cooking for two can be an interesting way to bring a little romance into the evening when done right of course.
Cooking is an art that most people have forgotten as it is also a necessary act unless you wish to live on sushi and raw vegetables. Even in these situations however there is typically some degree of preparation that is involved in the process.
Food is beautiful and can be beautifully arranged if you are of the mind to do so. This means that you can spend a great deal of time not only creating new and delicious foods, but also visually appealing food combinations as well.
When cooking for two you will have the most opportunity for experimentation when it comes to food as any other time in your life.
You have the option of trying great new cuisines and the knowledge that if you do not like the food, you are not wasting multiple servings.
You can try to mix and match flavors and textures. You can make works of art on your plate or go for the guts, gore, and eyeballs galore.
Cooking for two opens doors that aren’t necessarily available when cooking for larger crowds with more limiting tastes.
Cooking for two is a great way to get your partner involved in the cooking process as well. When cooking for two you can discover the many great things that you both enjoy and those that aren’t so appealing to one or the other of you.
Make sure that when you are cooking for two that you invite an open and honest dialog about the things that you like and dislike about the meals being prepared.
This will help you discover things to add to your regular menu as well as things to avoid making a part of your dinner rotation.
Perhaps the greatest thing about cooking for two is the fact that you can afford to enjoy special occasion cuisine more often when you are only feeding two than when you are feeding larger crowds. Bring on the steaks and lobster tail.
Learn how to make shrimp scampi and filet mignon. Take the time, when cooking for two, to prepare those dishes that you love most. After all, it is really living when you live to dine rather than when you dine to live.
Cooking for two is so much more than a cliché. It is a great way to explore the culinary universe while exposing your palates to some wonderful surprises along the way.
The Internet, bookstores, and libraries are filled with books about cooking for two. Take advantage of the opportunity to do just that and you’ll be amazed at the world of flavors you’ve invited into your kitchen.
Tips To Sharpen Your Cooking Skills And Tickle Your Taste Buds
Cooking is an art. It is also a practical, everyday activity. This combination may account for the tremendous popularity of TV cooking shows, cookbooks, and cooking classes.
Recipes are part of the heritage passed down in families. Here are some tips to help you expand your culinary adventures and finesse your kitchen skills.
Before grilling any foods, make sure your grill is clean. A dirty grill surface can cause many problems.
Excessive smoking, soiling of flavors, potential for bacterial illness, not to mention being a fire risk, are all side effects of a filthy surface. Clean your grill with a wire brush often for best results.
To keep salt in shakers fresh and dry, add uncooked white rice to the shaker.
The rice will absorb any moisture from the environment instead of the salt, and stops the salt from dissolving or caking. Rice is not noticeable in a glass shaker and is too large to be shaken out with normal use.
To remove a batch of fudge from the pan with ease, first line the pan with aluminum foil that you have generously greased using butter, margarine, or a butter-flavored cooking spray.
When set, simply lift the block of fudge up and out of the pan using the aluminum foil and you will then be able to peel the foil away from the fudge for cutting without the sticky mess.
In addition to staples, condiments and seasonings, keep your kitchen stocked with healthy convenient foods and quick-fix items.
A no-stress kitchen should include eggs and dairy, fruits, vegetables, breads, baking products, canned and bottled items, grains, refrigerated and freezer items, and condiments.
When you run out of a product, don’t forget to make a note of it, so you won’t be caught out if you need it in the future.
Use this tip when cooking chicken. Rather than using a roasting rack to cook the chicken, slice an onion and put the slices in an oiled pan.
Then take the chicken and place it on top of the onions. While cooking, the the onions will absorb the juices of the chicken.
This is useful for later when you make a sauce from the onions by pouring water or stock into the pan and cooking on high heat for three minutes.
When you need to package cupcakes individually for bake sales, table decorations, or party favors place each cupcake in a clear plastic punch cup, then wrap the cup–from the bottom–with clear or colored cellophane.
Use a twist tie, a piece of twine, or ribbon to secure the wrapping at the top.
Get creative when you cook your food. Cooking is an art-form.
You should not limit yourself to the usual flavors and combinations. Try adding different fresh vegetables in place of canned vegetables. Use varieties not found in canned vegetable mixes. You will soon find your meals have much more flavor.
This is a rich and bountiful set of cooking tips and lore to help both the novice and the chef. We hope they will challenge you to try new dishes and expand your list of ingredients.
This can bring new enjoyment to you and those who share your table.
Cooking Cajun Food
Cajun cooking is something that has often been imitated around the country and around the world but can very rarely be accurately duplicated.
One of the fascinating things about Cajun cooking is the fact that there are very few exact recipes. Most, if not all authentic Cajun cooking is done to taste rather than measurements.
The major reason for this is that in addition to being an art form in and of itself, Cajun food is often made even more delicious or mysterious simply by the mood of the one doing the cooking.
I’m sure that many of you have watched as Emeril Lagasse makes some special concoction and exclaims “Bam!” there is a good bit of that when it comes to Cajun cooking.
There is a reason that many southern cooked dishes are referred to as soul food and you should not for one second forget that New Orleans is in the heart of the Deep South.
The most difficult thing, perhaps when it comes to preparing good Cajun dishes outside of the New Orleans region is finding the right ingredients.
Not only that, but fresh crawfish and andouille sausage are a little difficult to come by during the heart of a Michigan winter.
If you are determined to learn to make Cajun food of your own, you must first find the ingredients. Specialty food shops or those that will special order might be your best bet.
It has a way of letting you know when it is ready that is almost mythical until you’ve experienced it for yourself.
Cooking Cajun food will try your patience, try your talents, and in some cases zap your energy, as it tends to be an emotional process for many.
Tips For Cooking On A Busy Schedule
Cooking a delicious meal is not nearly as difficult as some people think. The most important part is having a good recipe.
After that, it’s just a simple matter of buying the right ingredients, knowing your household measurements and following the steps. There’s no reason to try to be a gourmet chef right away.
Learn the fine art of making sauces. You do not need to be a saucier to make great accompaniments to your meats and pastas.
The art of sauce is ancient, and all the methods that have perfected the process are available to you now. Seek traditional sources to make the best sauces.
Add salt when boiling pasta. Not only does it shorten the cooking time by increasing the temperature of the water, it also adds great flavor and keeps the pasta from tasting bland.
A general rule is to add one and a half tablespoons of salt to each pound of pasta.
Wash your mushrooms off with a damp cloth. Don’t put them under running water to clean them. Mushrooms are like little sponges and running them under the tap will cause them to absorb too much water.
This can affect their taste and your cooking time as well.
If you are following a recipe, make sure that you do not follow this religiously, as you should always add a personal spice to your meal.
Instead of following a pizza recipe to the tee, add some red pepper to inject a punch into your dish to make it unique and individualized.
When you open a can of tomato paste for just a spoonful and are wondering what to do with the rest, place dollops on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and stick the sheet in the freezer.
When the blobs of paste are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. You can then pull out just enough tomato paste for your next few recipes, without wasting partial cans.
Store your cooking spices in a cool dry place. This will ensure the longevity and potency of the flavors in your herbs and spices. A dark cabinet away from the stove is the ideal storage place.
Spices kept in bright, hot environments usually fail to maintain their flavor long before any expiration date comes.
When cooking, one of the things that you need to do is to read the recipe before starting. This will prepare you for all the necessary steps you will need to follow to make a successful dish.
Once you read the recipe, gather all your ingredients so that you have them lined up and ready to go. Doing this makes the cooking experience go smoothly and it will be much more enjoyable.
It doesn’t matter how old or young, anyone can learn how to cook a fantastic meal. Start with a simple recipe and follow the directions exactly as written.
Thousands of recipes are available online. As you get more comfortable with cooking, you can start changing the recipes to suit your particular taste preferences.
Cooking Has Never Been This Easy Before!
In an era of many restaurants, processed foods, microwaves, delivery pizza and Chinese take-out, the art form of cooking is becoming a lost art.
Yet anyone who wants to eat healthily, cheaply or just at home can learn the science of food preparation. This article has some pointers for anyone who wants to better in the kitchen.
When roasting a large chicken or a turkey, prevent over-browning of the skin by loosely tenting aluminum foil over the bird for part of the cooking time. You can remove the foil during the last 20 minutes or half hour of cooking for a perfectly browned bird that isn’t overly crispy.
Make your own stock for better tasting meals. You can easily make your own stock anytime you cook chicken, turkey, or beef. Retain the juices, and let the fat rise to the top, skim the fat, and freeze. Now next time a recipe you are making calls for stock, you will have fresh stock on-hand.
Avoid lumpy gravy! Don’t make the mistake of getting ready to serve the gravy, only to discover it’s full of lumps.
Simply pour the gravy through a fine strainer and reheat if necessary. To avoid lumps in the first place, slow down the cooking process – you are probably adding the liquid too quickly and the heat may be too high. Always remember to whisk the gravy constantly while it is cooking.
If you plan on making an elaborate meal for dinner, prepare a few elements of the dish that can be refrigerated or left out the night before you want to cook.
This eliminates stress and frenzy in the kitchen so you can focus on giving your family a meal worthy of the finest five-star restaurants.
If you are going on a picnic, put lettuce and other vegetables in separate containers from condiments. Condiments are not to make sandwiches soggy, so by separating them, you are ensuring your sandwich will taste fresh.
Also, do not place any food items next to drinks inside of the basket.
Here is a good cooking tip to use when making meatloaf or meatballs. Take a portion of the meat used for the meatballs or meatloaf and fry it in a pan as if it were a hamburger.
Doing so will allow you to test the meat before you make the loaf or a batch of balls. You will be able to taste the seasoning in the meat and adjust it before you produce the final result.
To clean your hands after cooking a recipe that includes garlic, vigorously rub your hands on your stainless steel sink or counter. Do this for 30 seconds to one minute, and then wash your hands.
This will remove garlic odor from your fingers, and it will be as if you’d never touched it.
Preparing delicious, healthy dishes and meals for one’s self or guests and loved ones does not have to be troublesome.
Apply the advice in this piece for success in the kitchen. Use the knowledge here to feed yourself and those around you with delightful meals sure to bring full bellies and smiles to faces.
Super Tips For Cooking At Home!
Cooking is an art that many people enjoy. Many people aspire to be the next Emeril Lagasse or Julia Child in their kitchens, but lack the skills and knowledge.
The following article will provide you with a myriad of cooking tips and tricks that will get you on the road to being as good as any top chef.
When shopping for meat, always get the freshest cuts available. If you are shopping for meat at the butcher shop the meat is being fresh cut or ground.
However, when shopping at the grocery store try to find out when the store typically cuts meat for the day and try to arrive near that time.
Otherwise ask at the meat counter for a fresh cut or grind if you do not know the time of the last cut.
Keep a few cut up, washed, and prepared vegetables in your freezer. This will reduce your prep time when you’re cooking a recipe.
Onions and peppers are great to freeze. Just buy them fresh, wash and cut them when you have time, and store them in individual zip lock bags.
Drinks are an essential part of every meal as you will want to have the appropriate wine with your dish if you are eating meat.
Make sure that you choose a fine red wine if you are having a quality meat, and this is sure to maximize the quality of your experience with friends and family.
If you want to make banana bread and do not have any bananas on hand but have a baby try this! Banana baby food is a great alternative.
Two small jars of banana baby food equals about one cup of mashed bananas. Baby food is easy to store and will not go bad.
Here is a good cooking tip to use when making meatloaf or meatballs. Take a portion of the meat used for the meatballs or meatloaf and fry it in a pan as if it were a hamburger.
Doing so will allow you to test the meat before you make the loaf or a batch of balls. You will be able to taste the seasoning in the meat and adjust it before you produce the final result.
Keep it familiar when you are having guests. Cooking can quickly go from fun to entertainment disaster when you try too many complicated things at the same time.
A good rule of thumb successful cooks follow is to never-mix a new ingredient and new recipe in the same meal.
Choose local seasonal ingredients as a showpiece for your dish when you are cooking on a budget. Ingredients that are in the peak of their season are also at the height of their flavor and affordability.
The flavors from these peak ingredients will allow you to take an inexpensive item and turn it into a star.
In conclusion, many people enjoy the fine art of cooking. They work in their kitchens with food, in the hopes of emulating successful chefs from around the world, but often lack the skills and knowledge to do so.
If you use the tips from this article, you can become a master chef at home.
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