1: Cover the pot while boiling the water.
There’s a reason we turn up the heat when we boil water—the faster the water can heat up, the faster it will boil. Common sense, right? Take things a step further by covering the pot, trapping the heat and reducing the time it takes to boil the water. Try it when cooking pasta, steaming vegetables or heating soup. (However, skip this tip when a recipe calls for leaving the pot uncovered, so the recipe doesn’t affect the cooking times.)
2: After cutting the food, use the dull end of the knife to scrape the material off the work surface.
Ingredients like onions are often chopped, then scraped into a bowl or cooking pot. Always flip the blade over to use the opposite end of the sharp blade for scraping. Otherwise, the blade will dull considerably, making it less efficient and more likely to slip when chopping or slicing.
3: Heat the stainless steel pan properly to prevent food from sticking.
Place the cooking pot on medium heat for one to three minutes. When you add a drop of water to the pan, the pot or pan will be ready and it will immediately form a bead of water that will swirl around the pan. (If the water drips, wait another 20 to 30 seconds; if it sputters, let the pan cool briefly before trying again.) At this point, add the oil, tilting the pan to coat the surface. Give and allow the oil. to heat for about a minute. At this point, a stainless steel surface would be ideal for browning ingredients without sticking – even delicate foods like eggs and fish. The success of this process depends on a scientific reaction known as the Leidenfrost Effect, which results in the surface being heated to a point where the ingredients in the pan are “suspended”, or the contacts between the ingredients. but is separated from the surface by outgassing. hot pan.
4: Use the correct measuring device for ingredients.
The instrument needed to measure an ingredient depends on whether the ingredient is liquid or dry. Liquid ingredients, such as water, oil or honey, are measured in what is known as a liquid measuring cup, which is a single cup with markings on its inner or outer wall. When measuring an ingredient, be at eye level and fill the cup to the correct line. Dry ingredients, such as flour, any seasonings or condiments, such as ketchup or mayonnaise, should be measured in a dry measuring cup. Dry measuring cups usually come as a set of cups with each cup individually marked with its corresponding measurement. Fill the correct measuring cup with the ingredients, then level the surface using a knife, spatula or other flat edge. Measuring spoons are fine to use for both liquid and dry ingredients, as the difference in these small amounts is small enough that it won’t affect the final result.
5: Eat according to taste.
The taste of a dish depends on a number of variables, including the freshness of the ingredients, how it was prepared and how it was cooked. Once the salt and/or pepper has been added to a savory dish, taste it – if it tastes bland or lacks flavor, season it more and taste again. It takes an experienced hand to know how much salt is needed without tasting, and when you get the balance right, the difference between a properly seasoned dish and one that’s underseasoned is palpable. Professionals sprinkle salt about 12 inches from the top of a dish, to ensure an even coating and to prevent the salt from being too concentrated in one area. To prevent over-salting, use a little at a time to start.