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Cooking Advice, Straight From The Chef's Mouth

There has been a resurgence in home-cooking as a way to save money and to cut down on expenses. Cooking large meals and freezing leftovers can be a great way to stretch the family food dollars. This article can help you to save money by helping you come up with new ways to cook common foods.

Tin foil is indispensable for campfire cooking! You can make hobo meals either at the campsite or before you ever leave home. Just lay a serving of your meat of choice in the middle of a large square of aluminum foil. Garnish it with some cubed potatoes, onions, celery or whatever vegetables you like. Fold the tinfoil around the packet of food and cook it right on the coals!

Stop grabbing breakfast out and whip up a quick breakfast sandwich at home to save money. To make the perfect round egg for topping a bagel or muffin, cut both the top and bottom off a tuna can and use it as a mold in the skillet while cooking your egg. You can wash and reuse your mold over and over again.

While cooking is fun, generally, the cleaning up that follows, is not. To avoid having to deal with a big mess after a day of experimenting or meal preparation in the kitchen, keep your sink filled with hot soapy water (refreshing when necessary) and clean up as you go along. Besides keeping your end of day cleaning down to a minimum, you will also have clean hands as you touch and prepare food throughout the day.

Try plunging your veggies in a container of ice water right after you blanch them so that they do not become pale and unattractive. The ice water will allow them to settle without losing their appetizing, bright colors. This is especially important when serving food at functions where pleasing aesthetics at the table are a primary goal.

When baking or roasting, use olive oil to seal the outside of meats so that juices are less likely to escape during the cooking process. Be sure and cover both sides of the meat that you are cooking before seasoning. The olive oil will coat it nicely and also add some flavor.

Learn to saute your food. One of the best ways to improve your cooking skill fast is to learn proper saute and braising techniques. Educate yourself on the correct form when braising, and teach yourself how to deglaze a pan. You can quickly make five star meals once you get good.

To lighten up recipes that call for sour cream or mayonnaise, substitute plain Greek yogurt for half of the creamy ingredient. This thick, rich version of yogurt is full of protein and is often non-fat, so you can skimp on calories without altering the rich texture of your salad dressing or other recipe.

For a pie that is browned underneath as well as on top, use a glass baking dish or dull metal pie plate. If you cook a pastry in a shiny metal pan, there is a chance that it will get soggy. If you use a disposable metal pan, be sure to choose a deep-dish pie pan, as this is very close to the size of a standard pie plate.

It is a well known fact, as stated above in the article, that there has been a resurgence in cooking at home. Going out to eat can be nice, but nothing beats good home-cooking. A family meal is one of the best gifts you can give your family. By using the tips in this article, you can give even more good cooking to your family.

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