Sauces for Quick Gourmet Cooking

Written by Alannah Moore


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At table,repparttar only standard today is flavor, and red or white wines are served interchangeably. Traditionally, red is for meat and white is for chicken or fish - but these days, you can do as you please!

When wine is added directly to a dish during cooking, lowerrepparttar 140215 heat immediately orrepparttar 140216 meat will toughen.

7. Fats and Oils: For true gourmet cooking, there is no substitute for butter unless particularly specified. Sweet butter is preferable, becauserepparttar 140217 amount of salt varies in commercial brands; if salt butter is used, decreaserepparttar 140218 amount of salt in a recipe and check seasoning just before you serve.

Butter is absolutely essential for sauces and basting, but cannot be used for frying; at high temperatures, it decomposes chemically and burns.

For Deep-Fat Frying, use liquid or hydrogenated oils such as Crisco. These can be re-used once or twice, if you allow sediment to settle and decant (pour off)repparttar 140219 clear top fat after each frying. Once frying fat has been used for fish, it cannot be used for anything else! If you enjoy fried foods, it's wise to have two fat kettles - one for fish, and one for everything else.

For all Italian, Spanish or Latin-American dishes, a tablespoon of olive oil should replace butter in startingrepparttar 140220 dish.

Lard is excellent for greasing baking potatoes or pan-frying fish. It cannot be re-used, but is inexpensive enough to discard and start fresh next time. Bacon grease is equally good for baking potatoes or to saute fish, and can be smeared thickly over chicken breasts or squab before roasting. Because of its positive flavor, only tangy herbs will combine with it for added taste.

No gourmet cook ever uses margarine for anything.

8. Meat Glazes: For a handsome browned surface to meat or poultry, mix a tablespoon of commercial gravy coloring with two table spoons of water. Paint all exposed parts ofrepparttar 140221 poultry or meat before placing inrepparttar 140222 oven.

9. Shallots are a small onion bulb resembling garlic in formation of cloves, but very mild in flavor. Typically French, they are not always available but make allrepparttar 140223 difference in a sauce if they can be had. Minced scallions (spring onions) are an acceptable substitute - and in moments of stress, a tablespoon of grated white onion will equal 2 minced shallots.

10. Grated orange and lemon peel are readily available in jars; a teaspoon equalsrepparttar 140224 grated rind of a whole medium- sized fruit.

11. Garlic can be bought powdered (a quarter teaspon equals a fresh clove), but a garlic press will produce a much better flavor from a peeled garlic clove.

Onion and garlic juice are also available; use them purely for flavoring, as many dishes are better with sauteed pieces of onion. Onion flakes are good for home-cooking, but not sufficient for gourmet results.

Good luck with your quick gourmet sauces!

If you'd like to prepare wonderful, delicious and stylish dishes that will delight your family and amaze your friends - without spending hours struggling in the kitchen with complicated and potentially disastrous recipes - then our website is for you! All our recipes can be completed in just 30 minutes and are fun and easy to prepare. http://www.Easy-Gourmet-Cooking.com


A List Of Must Haves For Any Amateur Cook's Kitchen

Written by Michael Lansing


Continued from page 1

First out Pie Spatula

What could possibly ruinrepparttar perfect homemade Dutch crumb apple pie? Having it fall apart while you try to get that first piece out ofrepparttar 140089 pie dish. Well, here is a secret ofrepparttar 140090 pros – use a first out pie spatula. You bakerepparttar 140091 spatula in withrepparttar 140092 pie. Whenrepparttar 140093 pie comes out ofrepparttar 140094 oven and cools, you makerepparttar 140095 cuts and lift that first piece out in perfect appetizing condition!

Kitchen Companion Guide

Ever wonder how long you need to steam asparagus? Not sure how to stick a thermometer in a turkey? Never butterflied a pork chop before? For allrepparttar 140096 weird, rarely used information you may need, while preparing a feast, you can turn to a kitchen guide. Look for a kitchen guide which specializes in everything and anything you may need to know while cooking any meal in any kitchen. For a complete guide that has gotten rave reviews, check outrepparttar 140097 Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Companion: The A to Z Guide to Everyday Cooking, Equipment and Ingredients.

Many ofrepparttar 140098 above items may not be featured at your local retail store, so you might want to find a local kitchen specialty store near you or do your shopping online. But, if you enjoyrepparttar 140099 art of cooking and want to be armed withrepparttar 140100 best tools possible, you now have a few more to add to your arsenal which will help you cook likerepparttar 140101 pros.

Mike Lansing is a retired chef who spent most of his time as a Head Chef in New Orleans after training in France. He spends his free time cooking for family and friends, as well as serving as a contributing editor for http://www.CookingSchools101.com which offers information on Culinary Schools for those wishing to enter the trade.


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