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How many times have you dreaded going into the kitchen to make breakfast, lunch, or dinner? You might need a new perspective. Cooking can be enjoyable and relaxing if you try to see it in another way. Here are a few cooking tips that are sure to get your taste buds tingling and entice your inner chef to come out.

Before preparing a nice meal for friends and relations, be sure to make a good plan. Review your recipes, and be certain the ingredients are readily available in your kitchen. Prepare everything the day prior, including the correct utensils and other cooking tools. This will aid you in keeping calm and doing your best.

Find a dark, cool area in which to store herbs and spices. Herbs and spices can quickly lose their flavor if exposed to continuous light or heat. Spices and herbs that are ground usually retain their flavor for close to a year. Whole spices can keep their flavor for up to five years. They can remain fresh longer if stored properly.

When possible, complete all of the prep work in advance. Save time by doing the prep work before you begin cooking the meal. Trying to cook a meal that has to be on the table by a certain time can be stressful. You can save yourself a lot of stress by doing as much preparation ahead of time as you can.

A must when cooking is the availability of sharp knives. Make sure your knife is not dull when you are cutting something, this is very dangerous. A sharp knife, however, makes quick and clean work of vegetables, meat, and anything else that you're cutting. You won't have to force the issue; a sharp knife glides through the task.

It is a good practice to place cut potatoes in a bath of cold water for about half and hour, before frying in order to get crispy fries. Soaking the sliced potatoes in cold water strengthens the potato fibers so they will not break down so much when you fry them in the hot oil.

You can sprinkle it on many other foods besides meat. You can use your favorite spices and seasonings to enhance the naturally delicious flavor of scrambled eggs and roasted pumpkin seeds. You will have everyone asking what the secret spice is!

When you are making chicken stock, think in terms of high volume. If you make a large amount of stock you can freeze it for future use. There's nothing better than homemade chicken stock as a flavorful base for casseroles, stews and soups. Let your stock cool off and pour it inside Ziploc bags.

Many people love the taste of garlic, but cooks are more ambivalent about it because its scent sticks to the hands. Rubbing your hands on something made of stainless steel, such as your sink, can help to get rid of these odors. Hands will then be clean, and odors will not be transferred on.

When you make chicken stock, a good piece of advice is to make it in a big quantity. Make a giant pot and store what you don't use in your freezer. Stock is perfect for many dishes like stew, soup, and even casseroles. Put the stock into freezer bags and put it in your freezer.

Add the seasonings a little at a time throughout the cooking process. Doing this helps the food get the most flavor and more out of the ingredients you used.

As we have discussed, there are a large variety of things you can do to make cooking much more fun and enjoyable. Use the advice in this article, and start taking a more enjoyable, fun, and delicious approach to cooking. learn more