Sunday, October 11, 2009

A Little Cooking Know-How

By Esterah Shergold

If you are ready to start cooking and need to learn some cooking basics, you've come to the right place. If you are able to do simple math, follow directions, and have a bit of common sense, you will be able to learn to cook. There's no reason you wouldn't be able to whip up a decent meal on your first try.

Utensils and pots and pans. Every cook should have these items, and while there are products available that will cost you thousands of dollars, here are some basic things to start with. No matter what kinds of pots and pans you will use, get them with non stick surfaces, including any baking pans and cookie sheets. They will be much easier to clean, and use, and the greater the quality, the easier the food comes away from the surface.

Cooking also require utensils like measuring cups, and spoons, knives, and whisks. It may also be a good idea to buy a basic mixing bowl set, metal is easier to clean and maintain. You will need to also buy plastic and metal spatulas, larger spoons and forks. You will also need two basic can openers, one that removes the inner lid for draining things like tuna, but also the safe one that removes the whole top with now rough edges.

Most cooking will require a few staples that you will use almost every day when cooking common items. You should get some basic spices like salt and pepper, and some others like garlic, cinnamon, and oregano. You can find nice spice sets at kitchen supply centers and retail stores.

You will also want to stock your pantry with baking soda, baking powder, cooking oil, light brown sugar, flour, and sugar. You can find complete lists of items needed for cooking basics online. You can use these same websites to find some basic recipes, but remember to start off small. You can also order some great cook books online that will be very helpful.

Many people find cooking charts to be very helpful. They include the cooking times and temperatures for different cuts of meat, fish, and poultry. There are useful as a quick reference when learning the cooking basics. There are also charts that give detailed measurement explanations that include weight and volume that are very useful. You will be able to find these online and instantly download them for free. Proper measurement is critical to the taste and quality of the food you prepare.

You will be able to stay organized if you keep all your cooking basics information in a binder. You can put all the recipes you get from family, friends, magazines, and the newspaper in the binder. If you care for it properly it would be a great thing to pass on to your children.

You can find these tips and many more online, at your local library, and even local retailers. Many community colleges offer classes in cooking basics, as the way up to advanced chef courses. There are many cooking career opportunities available as well.

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