Two Basic Cooking Techniques - Sauteing and Cooking Pasta Correctly

While you may chuckle at the thought of not knowing how to boil water, some people will tell you how they ruined their favorite pan when it boiled dry! Basic cooking skills are something that everyone should know, even if they have never set foot in the kitchen. From making a grilled cheese sandwich to creating a five-course meal, you really have to start somewhere! Below, you will find some information on basic cooking skills that can get you started in the kitchen.

Sizzling Sauté

The word "sauté" means "to jump" in French and that's the whole premise behind sautéing meat or vegetables. You'll want to use a frying pan and a bit of fat or butter to keep whatever you are sautéing from sticking to the pan. Prepare your meat by trimming the excess fat and cutting it up into smaller pieces. Prepare the vegetables, such as onions and mushrooms, and dice them up, too.

Place your pan over a high heat and melt the butter or heat the oil. It's ready when the butter starts to foam a little and just begins to turn brown. Add in your meat in first, as it will benefit more from the flavors in the pan. Keep the food moving and shaking until it's done on all sides. This is a great way to prepare a topping for a steak or starting a base for a soup.

Cooking Perfect Pasta

While you would think that this is a rather simple task, how many times have you had a pot boil over on the stove? There are few tips to keep this from happening and to make sure you have the perfect pasta when you're done.

First, make sure you use a large enough pan. Many people try to cook an entire bag of pasta in a small pan and it just doesn't work well. You can figure on four to six quarts of water for every pound of pasta. Next, add a teaspoon of salt to the water.

You can add a tablespoon of oil to the water to keep the pasta from sticking together. It's s not necessary if you stir the pasta enough while it is cooking; however, it does help keep the water from boiling over. Another trick is to lay a wooden spoon over the top of the pan. This works well, too.

Bring the water to a full rolling boil. Add your pasta and stir continuously for the first two minutes. This will give some of the starch a chance to boil off and you'll be much less likely to wind up with a clump of noodles stuck together. Cook for the recommended time, but stir every minute to two minutes while cooking.

Begin checking the pasta for doneness about a minute before the time is up. You can do this a couple of ways. First, you can remove a piece of pasta with a spoon and taste. Be careful - it's hot! Secondly, you can try to pin a piece of pasta with a spoon against the side of the pan and see if the spoon cuts through it easily.

Most people like their pasta "al dente" which means "firm but not soft." This is usually what the time recommendations on the packages are for, too. Once the pasta is done, drain it immediately or it will continue to cook. You can rinse it with cold water for a pasta salad or immediately add your favorite sauce to keep it from sticking together. If your sauce isn't ready, a tablespoon of butter or olive oil will keep it from sticking.

Michelle adores just enjoying free time in trying out great new recipe techniques along with her crockpot recipes. One of her all time winter season most favorite is with out question crock pot pasta recipes

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