In today’s erratic economy, there is a bright spot for families. More and more people are cooking at home instead of eating out. Cooking food at home can bring families together. The enjoyment of a shared meal is an important aspect of our social natures that dates back to the beginning of time.

Basic Cooking Tips

Keep all dried spices in a dark space that stays room temperature. Exposure to humidity, light and heat all affect the flavor of your spices. It is normally the rule that spices that are ground lose their flavor after they keep for around a year. Whole spices may keep their flavors, possibly, three years or longer. Proper storage is essential to maintaining fresh, robust flavors.

When you are stir-frying, slice your cut of meat into thin pieces on the diagonal. This can take up much time and is also somewhat tricky. When the meat is not quite frozen, take it out of the freezer and slice it against the grain at an angle of 45 degrees.

Freezing or even cooling meat slightly before trying to slice it will help you to get a nice, even thin piece. This method really works great when you are slicing steak thin for a cheese steak sandwich or if you need to cut Pancetta into paper thin slices.  Do not freeze the piece of meet all the way through; freeze it just for a short period of time so that it is slightly firm.

Add Ingredients Carefully

When adding oil to cooking food, pour it on the sides of the pan. This way, it will already be heated by the time it reaches the food. This will give more flavor to what you are cooking.

Cook your pasta for one minute less than the box recommends. Look at the cook time on your box of pasta and subtract a minute. If you are including the pasta in a dish, it will cook the rest of the way when you are cooking it with the sauce.  Check your recipe, it will probably give you some directions about adding sauce.

If you are looking to reduce the sodium content of the meals you cook, take a careful look at your spice shelf. Many prepared spices are surprisingly high in sodium, whether or not they have a salty taste. And of course, avoid adding regular salt. Look to natural herbs and simpler spices to add flavor without sodium.

Food and family are almost synonymous. Whether it’s the holidays, or just the evening meal, it is a wonderful thing to see the return of the home cook. The shared act of cooking a meal can only strengthen our families and improve our overall health in this society.