Simple Cooking Advice Straight From Professional Chefs

Cooking is something you keep learning about your whole life. Learning the best ways to prepare different kinds of foods can turn your cooking from average to spectacular. The tips below are here to help you prepare delicious dishes.

For the most beautiful homemade chocolate chip cookies, do not add all of the chocolate morsels into the mix! Save about a quarter of what your recipe calls for until after the cookies are all arranged on the cooking sheet, then add them evenly to the tops of the dough drops to create bakery looking, perfect chocolate chip cookies!

When cooking a big meal, try to do your prep work the night before. This saves you time when you're getting things ready for your dinner the next day. Have everything washed, chopped, and ready to go. You'll thank yourself because there is less stress the night of the big meal.

Damp paper towel and a plastic bag can extend the life of your greens. If you wrap your fresh herbs or fresh greens with a damp paper towel and then place them in a plastic bag, they will last longer. They will normally stay fresh three to four days longer if you do.

Before you start cooking or baking make sure you have all the ingredients gathered together. This will save you time and prevent cooking mishaps. You'll have a better product in the end.

To discover when oil is really hot enough and ready for the food, look to its' surface. If it is no longer completely smooth and appears to be shimmering it is hot enough. When oil is allowed to over-heat it actually starts breaking down and releasing unpleasant compounds and will begin to smoke, so know when to say when!

Cooking is all about preparation. To take the edge of cooking, whether it is a small appetizer, simple dish, full nine course meal, or elegant dessert, prepare for your cooking a day or two ahead. Plan what you are going to make and for how many people you are going to make it for. Gather your ingredients ahead of time to ensure that you won't have to rush.

Pumpkin preparation involves slicing it in half, from top to bottom. On a baking sheet, put one of the halves face down. Use a different baking sheet for the other half. Sprinkle your baking sheets with a little water, and roast the pumpkin halves for an hour at 350 degrees.

No matter what kind of cheese you may have in your refrigerator, be sure that air cannot enter it by wrapping it tightly. Air contributes to mold growth on cheese. If your cheese does happen to have a little bit of mold on it, you can still use it by just cutting off the part with mold.

If you want to get a better hand in cooking, you have to use the advice and tips that are offered to you. These suggestions can help you with things you should know to make better meals for family, friends, or a crowd.