One of the underrated skills you can have is cooking. Its not about making fancy 3 course meals. Or cooking a flash in the pan. You don’t have to be a kitchen maestro. Here are 10 tricks to turn you into a Kitchen Maestro and save you time.
10 Tips to master in the kitchen
- A stainless steel knife is your workhorse for 90 per cent of your chopping chores, but a blunt blade will really slow you down. Use a sharpening steel to keep it sharp so you can slice and dice with speedy precision. Also invest in a good pair of kitchen scissors to snip fresh chilli and herbs directly into the pan.
- Want to make mash in a flash ? Peeling and cutting one or two large spuds is quicker than preparing four or five smaller ones – The same logic applies for other veggies, too. For a smoother peel, trim potatoes at both ends and then go from the middle to each end, working around.
- Eliminate mess by spreading a coupe of sheets of newspaper onto your kitchen table or bench. Peel all your vegetables into the paper, then wrap up the debris and slam-dunk into the bin.
- Make light work of peeling garlic by putting the flat slide of a large knife over a clove and squashing down on it with heel of your hand. When the garlic clove cracks, you’ll be able to whip of the skin with ease.
- When frying onions, hold back on the sale until they’re nicely browned. If you add the salt too soon it will slow down the caramelisation process.
- Plump for a bigger mixing bowl then you think you need to that you can combine ingredients quickly with out them overflowing. Haven’t been to many Tupperware parties lately ? a Large cooking pot will work just as well.
- Make sure your meat cooks quickly and evenly by bringing it to room temperature before it gets near the stove. Leaving it on a plate on the counter for 10 minutes will do the trick.
- Need to peel tomatoes for a salsa or sauce? Rub them all over with the back of a knife and the skin should side of easily. Alternatively drop in a pot of boiling water for 15 seconds, drain and then slip off the skins under cold running water.
- If you need to separate an egg in a hurry, grab hold of a small funnel and stick it in a container. The runny egg white slips straight through, while the more solid yolk will stay sitting up top.
- Cooking seafood or garlic can leave you with a lingering stick in the kitchen. Neutralize the odor before your guest arrive by heating four cups of water in a saucepan. Drop in two or three cinnamon sticks and the smell will vanish before your very nostrils.
Like we said you don’t have to be Gorden Ramsey in the kitchen. Take the time to learn  few skills and you will be a kitchen maestro in no time.
