Use these recommendations to maximize the flavor and benefits of your dishes.
Useful Tips for Cooks
1. Should you rinse pasta?
The unequivocal answer is: no, this is a mistake. This habit originated in Soviet times when only pasta made from regular wheat flour was available, which would stick together if not rinsed immediately.
Today, we mainly use pasta made from durum wheat, which will not stick together if cooked in a large amount of water without a lid. If they do start to stick, add a little butter or vegetable oil.
By the way, the water in which quality pasta was cooked is always used by Italian housewives to prepare sauce for pasta, so don’t rush to pour it out!
2. Can you fry with olive oil?
When we cook Mediterranean dishes, our hand reaches for olive oil. Often, in an effort to enhance the dish, we choose first-press oil for frying.
However, it’s better to save it for salads or cold dishes. The smoke point of extra virgin oil is relatively low, which can lead to an unpleasant aftertaste and the formation of carcinogens. Use regular refined olive oil.
3. When to add tomatoes to soup or stew?
In a rush, we often want to throw all the ingredients into the pot or skillet at once to save time. In some cases, this is possible, but not when it comes to tomatoes.
To avoid this mistake, remember the main rule: acid (and tomatoes are an acidic product) speeds up the cooking of meat but slows down the readiness of vegetables.
Thus, if you are making soup, tomatoes or tomato paste should be added after the potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and other vegetables are already cooked. If you are stewing meat, you can add tomatoes right away — this will make the meat more tender.
4. Should you boil potatoes with the lid on or off?
Water boils and spills over — a familiar problem for those busy with many tasks. You might want to remove the lid to avoid this hassle. But if you are boiling potatoes and other vegetables, this is a mistake.
By covering the pot, you preserve the vitamins, aroma, and flavor of the ingredients, as well as speed up the cooking process.
5. Why does turkey fillet turn out dry?
Turkey is a healthy, protein-rich, and lean meat. However, the common myth about its dryness is based on a mistake in cooking time.
The breast cooks very quickly — about 7 minutes in a skillet and 15 minutes in the oven. Remove it from the heat when you think the meat is still slightly undercooked.
6. How to properly cook broccoli?
This well-known healthy product doesn’t always inspire love. The reason is a common cooking mistake: overcooking, which leads to an unpleasant taste and appearance. Green vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, and peas should be cooked in a large amount of salted water.
Do not overcook them! After cooking, drain them in a colander and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. This method is called blanching and helps preserve the flavor, color, and nutritional properties of the vegetables.
7. Is liver a medicine or a delicacy?
Liver is often recommended for people with low hemoglobin levels, and they perceive it as medicine, without enjoying the dish. But if you avoid some mistakes, liver can become a true gastronomic delight.
First, choose beef liver instead of pork, as it is more tender and uniform in texture.
Second, be sure to remove the bile ducts; otherwise, the dish will taste bitter.
And third, do not overcook! If you cut the liver into pieces 1 cm thick, they will cook for about 2 minutes on each side.
8. How much filling do you need for pizza?
After you have kneaded or bought pizza dough and rolled it out, the question of filling arises. Let’s not discuss what filling should be used, but rather its quantity.
A common mistake is using too much sauce, sausage, cheese, and other ingredients, which turns the pizza into an open pie. A moderate amount of filling is necessary to keep the dough crispy and not sagging, allowing you to eat a slice by hand as intended.
9. Why does fish fall apart and burn?
Unfortunately, this happens quite often. The reason is that we forget about salt. Salt the pieces of fish prepared for frying 15 minutes before cooking, and don’t forget to salt the oil in which it will be fried. This will help you achieve a whole and beautiful dish.
