Cooking tips

[op_liveeditor_element data-style=””][text_block style=”undefined” align=”left” font_size=”20″ top_padding=”2″ bottom_padding=”2″ left_padding=”2″ right_padding=”2″ top_margin=”2″ bottom_margin=”2″ width=”960″]Cooking tips may not be the first thing you learn about culinary.

However, ninety-nine percent of us will look for the recipe they like instead, and overlook the importance of knowing how to simplify the kitchen work.

As a result, you make a mess in the kitchen, cook without the utensils required and use a substitute for the unavailable ingredients. Worst still, you need to clean, wash and to finish up the insipid, bland and tasteless meal.

This set of slides will help you work smartly in the kitchen, save your valuable time, get you out of frustration and make cooking more enjoyable.

You can click the slides, read the script on this page, or download it for your reference.[/text_block][/op_liveeditor_element]

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Slide #1: Make a large batch

Cooking large batches can save you plenty of time. Keep the right amount of food for each meal in small containers. The food will be almost as good as freshly prepared as long as you keep it in a freezer at minus 16 to minus 18 degrees Celsius. Most freezers have the temperature set at this level by default. When you need to use the food, remove it from the freezer and let it defrost at room temperature. Use the microwave oven if you are running short of time.
(1 cooking tip in this slide)

Slide #2: Ten minutes of preparation in the morning will save you half an hour in the evening

– Marinate the meat in the morning and store it in the refrigerator.
– Portion the salad greens, herbs, and vegetables into resealable plastic bags and store it in the refrigerator.
– Prepare the stew and soup by putting the ingredients into the slow cooker.
– Let the frozen items especially meat, for your meal thaw at room temperature before you leave the house in the morning.
– Setting the table in advance is also an advantage.
(5 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #3: Organize your workplace

Over time, you lose precious working space in the kitchen as electric appliances start to occupy the table. Cutlery that is seldom used remains on the table over time.

Keep the kitchen tables and countertop organized. Reorganize your kitchen to create more working space for yourself. Keep the electric appliances away from the table if they are not required in your daily cooking.
(1 cooking tip in this slide)

Slide #4: Buy convenience products to save preparation time

– Buy peeled garlic for general cooking such as sautéing and stir frying. You can use garlic paste or peeled garlic as part of the ingredients to marinate chicken wings, but you need to chop fresh garlic and ginger as the main ingredients for the topping of Chinese steam fish.
– Minced meat. If you need five to ten minutes to cut and mince half a kilo of meat, why not leave the job to your butcher?
– Spices. Buying a spice mix for various purposes saves you time and reduces wastage.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #5: Buy convenience products to save preparation time

– Asian ingredients. Nowadays there is lemongrass paste, garlic paste, galangal paste available in grocery shops and supermarkets. Make use of these convenient items if you are cooking Asian food occasionally.
– Frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables are convenient because they can be kept for a long time.
– Cut and washed fresh vegetables. Buy the mixed vegetable salad in bags- it has been washed and ready to eat. Stir-fry vegetable mixes are a great way to get your meal to the dining table in a short time.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #6: Keep the kitchen clean and organized

– Cleaning as you go is the best way to accomplish cleaning and washing work. Since no one likes to clean dirty plates and cooking utensils after a satisfying meal, make a habit of cleaning the utensils immediately when you put them into the sink.
– Keep a smaller container next to the sink for food scraps and wrappers.
– Wash the chopping board immediately after cutting vegetables, meat, and fish. Use the edge of the chopper to scrape off the food debris adhering to the surface from time to time.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #7: Keep the kitchen clean and organized

– Clean up spills as they occur. Dried spills are difficult to remove. Some stains may not be possible to remove even with scraping and scrubbing. However, cleaning them right away takes seconds.
– While you are waiting for the water or soup to boil, wash knives, plates, garlic press, measuring cups and anything you have on the table.
– Scrubbing cast iron woks or pans with soapy water will remove the oil on the surface and cause it to rust easily. Just use water and a brush for cleaning cast iron kitchen utensils.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #8: Learn how to cook simple and quick meals

– Cook with simple and common ingredients. Tofu topped with soy sauce can be ready in minutes; egg dishes are nearly always delicious.
– Look for recipes with a wide margin of error. The omelet is a sure-fire dish. A plate of salad can hardly go wrong.
– Mastering a few one-pot recipes is a way to save time cleaning up. Fried rice or pasta are easy one-pot meals.
– Buying already seasoned beef, lamb or chicken is the fastest way to cook a meal at home.
(4 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #9: Learn how to cook simple and quick meals

– Slow cooker is the best kitchen equipment for busy people to prepare a one-pot meal. You can get all the preparation work done in ten minutes, and it tastes like you have put in an all-day effort.
– Find a simple recipe idea by using the Internet. Check what you have in your kitchen cabinet and refrigerator. Type in the main ingredients and the word ‘recipe’ into the search engine.
– Leftovers are great as part of the ingredients of a new dish. Think creatively to make a simple meal out of what you left from the last meal.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #10: Keep the kitchen well stocked

– Take five minutes to organize your shopping list before heading to the stores.
– Check the stock level of the common items you use on a regular basis. Things like dry herbs and spices, canned food, sauces and dry fruits have long shelf life and you can keep a larger amount.: Keep the kitchen well stocked
– Make full use of your freezer. Keep a variety of meat, frozen vegetables, cured meat, fish fillets and frozen soup so that you have more options to plan for your meal.
– Make a large batch of soup and stew. Store it in small containers, so you only defrost the amount you need.
– Keep food items square plastic containers of identical size to maximize the space in the kitchen cabinet, freezer, and chiller.
(5 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #11: Keep the kitchen well stocked

– Make full use of your freezer. Keep a variety of meat, frozen vegetables, cured meat, fish fillets and frozen soup so that you have more options to plan for your meal.
– Make a large batch of soup and stew. Store it in small containers so you only defrost the amount you need.
– Keep food items square plastic containers of identical size to maximize the space in the kitchen cabinet, freezer, and chiller.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #12: Use the right kitchen tools

– Use digital scales with 1g accuracy that can measure up to 1 kg. If you are cooking a small amount, by all means use teaspoons and cups as measuring tools.
– A kitchen timer is invaluable when you are multitasking in the kitchen. It is the timekeeper for several cooking processes concurrently.
– A food processor is a tool that can shorten the cooking time by half. While most people only use the food processor for blending and purée food, it is also good for slicing and shredding.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #13; Use the right kitchen tools

– Use kitchen scissors to trim fat from a roast, open pitas, cut chicken meat into strips, or cut spring onions and chilies into short pieces.
– Non stick pan is easy to clean and maintain. This is the best pan for cooking an omelet and scrambled eggs, because eggs can easily stick to the surface of other types of pan.
– The slow cooker is the most useful kitchen equipment for cooking food items requiring long passive cooking time. Use a slow cooker to cook beef stew, Chinese herbal soup, congee and casserole dishes.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #14: Kitchen tricks: Potato, tomato

– Keep potatoes white. Submerging peeled potatoes in cold water can prevent them from turning grayish due to oxidization.
– Remove potato skins without a peeler. Place the potatoes in cold water and boil until they are soft. Transfer the potatoes to an ice bath. The skin can then be removed easily.
– Peel tomatoes easily. Immerse tomatoes in boiling water for one minute. The skin will start to detach and can be removed easily.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #15: Kitchen tricks: tomatoes, fruits, eggs

– Slow down the ripening and rotting of tomatoes by keeping them in the refrigerator. Tomatoes starts to rot rapidly at room temperature, especially in the sweltering heat of summer.
– Prevent cut fruit from browning. Soak the cut fruit in the salt water for about ten minutes, then drain and store for later consumption. Rinse the fruit in tap water before serving to remove the salty flavor.
– Check whether the eggs are fresh. Place raw eggs in a bowl of water. Bad eggs will float, good eggs will sink.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #16: Kitchen tricks: Eggs

– Differentiate cooked from uncooked eggs. Place the eggs on a smooth surface. Spin them with your hand. Hard boiled eggs spin much faster and longer than raw eggs.
– Never wrestle with eggshell pieces again. It can be easily scooped up with half of an eggshell. Alternatively, it is easier to pick up broken eggshell with wet fingers than dry fingers.
– Separate yolks from whites. Gently crack the egg and drop it right into your cupped palm. Let the whites drip through your fingers.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #17: Kitchen tricks: Skim the fat

– Skim the fat. An effective way to remove the excess fat from the surface of the soup and stew is to use a metal ladle filled with ice cubes. Fill a large metal ladle with ice cubes. Skim the surface of the liquid with the bottom of the metal ladle. The fat will congeal and adhere to the bottom of the ladle. Alternatively, put the stock or stew in a freezer safe plastic container. Freeze it until the fats solidifies like a piece of butter on the surface. You can then easily remove the whole piece of fat.
(1 cooking tip in this slide)

Slide #18: Kitchen tricks: Garlic

– Peel garlic the fuss-free way. Place the bulb of garlic in a plastic bag, whack it with the chef’s knife until the cloves detach from the bulb. The skin will fall off from the cloves. If you want to pee a large quantity of garlic, place all the whacked garlic bulbs in the microwave oven over high heat for about half a minute. Remove it from the microwave oven and the skin will easily slip off the cloves.
(1 cooking tip in this slide)

Slide #19: Kitchen tricks: Onions, bottles

– Prevent onions from making your eyes water. The best way is to peel the onions under running water. Running water constantly removes the chemicals released from the onions that cause your eyes to water, softens the skin so it can be peeled easily and cleans the onions at the same time.
– Deal with the hard-to-open bottle and jar. Wrap the lid with a few rubber bands and turn the cap. The rubber bands provide additional traction, and the cap of the jar or bottle is less slippery while you open it.
(2 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #20: kitchen tricks: Measure sticky liquids, Overboiling

– Measure sticky liquids without the mess. Warm up a measuring cup or a metal spoon by putting it in hot water for a while. Dab dry the cup or spoon to measure sticky stuff while it’s warm. The heat softens the sticky liquid and lets it slide off the cup or spoon without leaving a trace.
– Keep pots from overboiling. Leave a dry wooden spatula lying across the top of the pot. The dry spatula will break the bubbles and send them back into the pot, thus prevent overboiling.
(2 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #21: Kitchen tricks: Cutting boards, Knives

– Prevent slippery cutting boards. Place a damp towel underneath the cutting board to prevent it from slipping and sliding during cutting.
– Sharpen your knives. Sharp knives are safer because they cut easily. Learn how to sharpen your knives and do it regularly. The most dangerous thing you can have in your kitchen is a blunt knife. You tend to use more force while cutting with a blunt knife and there is a tendency to cause an accident.
(2 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #22: Kitchen tricks: Thermometer, Handle of pans

– Use a kitchen thermometer to test the doneness of fish, meat and vegetables. This is the chef’s secret weapon. You should have one in your kitchen.
– Make sure the handles of your sauté pan, wok, and pot are turned away from you so you will not hit them and knock them off the stove or table. It happens all the time, especially when you are in a hurry.
(2 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #23; Kitchen tricks: Keep cakes fresh

– Keep cakes fresh for days. Let the cake cool completely after removing it from the oven. Place the cake in a double layer of plastic bags. Keep the cake in the freezer. Before you serve the cake, remove it from the freezer and thaw it at room temperature in the plastic bags.
– When the cake has thawed, remove the plastic bags and the flavor and texture is just like freshly baked. You can use this method to keep rich butter cakes for one to two months.
(2 cooking tips in this slide)

Slide #24: Kitchen tricks: Freezer

– Steer clear from freezer burn. Place a piece of baking paper over the meat in a freezer safe container before freezing. The paper will help prevent freezer burn.
– Freezing meat partially before slicing it can enable you to cut it into very thin slices. Thin slices are especially good for stir-frying. It is easier to slice the meat into thin slices or uniform cubes while it is half frozen.
– Freeze shelled nuts and dry fruits for baking. Nuts and dry fruits can be kept in the freezer for a few months.
(3 cooking tips in this slide)

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