Whether you're a just learning how to cook or an expert in the kitchen, there are cooking questions that confound all of us. Some of these questions may be simple enough, still it can be difficult to find the answers to a certain question or there may be several correct answers to a question. We've collected some of these common questions, as well as the answers to such inquiries.

What staples should I keep on hand?
This answer depends on what type of cooking you do, but some very basic items are cooking oil, flour, salt, pepper, milk, butter or margarine and eggs. Pasta and bread are good to have around all the time for a quick meal as well. If you do a lot of Asian cooking, then rice and soy sauce are a must.

When I reheat my food in the microwave, what covering should I use?
There are several answers to this question and the answers depend on what you're reheating. For breads, a paper towel would be sufficient, while vegetables should be covered with wax paper. For larger, denser foods, a lid should be used.

How do I make the perfect vinaigrette?
A vinaigrette is a salad dressing made of oil and vinegar, plus an assorment of flavors and spices. A basic vinaigrette consists of 2 parts oil for every 1 part of vinegar, but it really depends on your preference.

How long can I keep meat in the freezer?
You really should consume fresh meat as soon as possible, but since this is hardly the case these days, meat can be stored up to a year in a freezer, providing it is kept at a constant 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celcius) never thawed out and re-frozen. However, the larger the cut of meat, the sooner it should be eaten.

Can I broil chicken/pork/beef instead of grilling it?
In principle, broiling and grilling are similar - cooking meat as close as possible to the heat source. The broiler in your oven might not heat up as much as a grill, so compensate by moving your food closer to the heat.

Why is my chicken breast dry?
Chicken meat is notorious for turning out dry. This is due mostly to overcooking, especially when baking chicken. Cooking times vary per chicken and even per oven or grill, so the best thing would be to watch the meat carefully to determine if it's cooked. There are also other methods to keep chicken moist - soaking it in brine, cooking with the skin on, coating in extra virgin olive oil, covering it while cooking - all of them work, just choose the one that works for you and recipe you're using.

How do I substitute dried herbs for fresh ones?
Dried herbs are much stronger that fresh ones, so you should keep that in mind when switch them. An easy way to remember this would be to change tablespoons to teaspoons when using dried herbs in place of fresh ones.

Help! My soup is too thick/thin!
Thick soups can easily be remedied by adding more liquid (such as water or broth), but be careful not to thin out the flavor as well. For too-thin soups, just take off the lid and some of the liquid evaporate. Adding some heavy cream and mashed potato flakes works as well. A mixture of flour or cornstarch and water will thicken a soup, but use sparingly or your soup will taste like flour.

Do you have any questions for us? Drop us a line and we'll answer it next time!

Labels: Tips