#3. Simplest yogurt sauce
So, I am slowly going through How to Cook Everything in an effort to learn how to cook. Right now I’d put my skill level at….poor-to-fair. My heart’s in the right place, though.
Anyway. I’m going to post photos of the stuff I make, just so you know how it’s going. This first chapter is all about sauces and marinades and such, so it may start out ( Read more... )
One good trick is to taste what you're making, smell some spices/herbs individually, then add whatever you think it needs. Repeat until you get the desired flavor. And remember you can always add more not less, so start slowly and keep adding until you reach the flavor you want.
Fresh herbs are stronger than dried so be careful when substituting. Usually, 1 part fresh herbs equal 2 parts dried, but that's not always the case. It depends on the herb and the recipe. If something calls for fresh herbs you'll usually want to use fresh. You can ruin something by adding too much dried herbs, the flavor might be right but you just ended up putting half a cup of oregano into your meal to get there!
Soups and stews are harder because it can take a while for the full flavor to come out (especially when using dried herbs). So again just start by adding a little, let it cook, then see if it needs more. And always be careful when adding salt. A little in the beginning is fine, but don't add too much. Salt and pepper can always be added at the last minute to achieve the right taste, but if too much is added too soon it will ruin the soup/stew.
With dips you'll want to test with whatever you're going to be eating it with. It may taste good on it's own, but it might not be right with whatever you're dipping. This is especially true when you're dipping something salty, like a chip, and the dip has salt. It'll taste great on it's own, but on a chip it's super salty.
In general, baking is the hardest. There's the issue of getting the perfect temperature, placement within the oven and baking time. Plus you don't really know how it'll taste until it's done. The best thing you can do if you want to bake cakes or cupcakes is buy an oven thermometer. Perfect temp is key and tho you may think the oven is at 350 it might be 340 or 360. So spending $5 can really help you avoid over/under cooking.
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Also, I think knowing what what you're cooking is supposed to taste like helps. Like, if you're making a thing for the first time, I, personally, feel sort of in the dark. I think I'll get some experience under my belt and I should hopefully be better at this. :)
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