Cooking Knife Basics For Chefs and Others Who Love to Cook
Knives matter but most kitchens have at best mediocre knives that may be dull and have never been sharpened. For most people, this is probably fine, as few people really love food and cooking. There is a big difference between being into food and loving to eat! My family kitchen growing up had perfectly adequate knives for family meal preparation, but for example my Uncle Charlie, a restaurateur, hated them and would sharpen them every few years when he visited, shocked at how dull they were. If you love to cook, a good set of knives certainly add to the pleasure and remove frustrations you might not even know existed! You can buy individual knives, but most people buy a knife set, usually with a wooden block to store them in. This gives you most of the knives you may ever need and is convenient. There are many knives that are typically included. The most popular is called a Chefs Knife and is an all around utility knife that you may use for most of your cutting. It has a broad and relatively heavy blade an...
How To Use Marinades To Take The Taste Of The Food You Cook To Another Level
I am considered to be a very good cook by all of my friends and family. I have been cooking since the age of nine or so and therefore have a lot of experience in the kitchen and on the grill. I can tell you without hesitation that when it comes to cooking any kind of meat that the marinade you use as well as the time you allow the meat to soak in it makes all the difference in the flavor and tenderness.Marinades are just a simple way to prepare certain foods that you want to have an extra kick to. Marinades to meats, serve two different purposes to tenderize and to give more flavor. Less fatty foods have a blander taste than most steaks and such. Marinades are just an easy way to tenderize and add a lot more flavor. To make a marinade you need something of acidic base with herbs and vinegar to make the meats tasty. A marinade with a little bit of chili powder, garlic and oregano with give the food you are a making sort of a Mexican taste. Maybe for an Asian marinade some ginger and sesame seeds with a litt...
Choosing The Right Chefs Knife
There are many things an aspiring chef or an adventurous home cook needs to learn in order to get the most out of the kitchen. One of the more overlooked is the need to know the differences between the various types of chefs knives. Why are there so many different kinds, and are there any that are better at some jobs than at others?A chef's knife - sometimes called a French Knife - is usually 8 inches long with a blade that is 1 1/2 inches broad and that tapers towards the end. Knives can range in size, though, up to around 14 inches long. Historically, the chef's knife was designed to help cut large slices of meat, especially beef. Today, however, they can be used to dice, slice and chop almost any kind of food.It's very important when choosing a knife to consider a number of different things. Quality is, of course, the most important. In the next paragraph, we will look at some of the better named brands that offer reliability and sturdiness as standard. Firstly, though, some general points to consider. Whe...