Tonight you are planning to do a special meal. You are really into it and hope this time everything comes out right.
So you have all the ingredients and you start to prepare the meal.
You finish and begin to cook, an hour later it’s ready and it’s time to eat.
The family sits down for dinner and here you are expecting compliments but nothing.
You take a taste of it and it taste awful. Of course you’re disappointed, after all that hard work and love that went into it, it came out awful. After this meal, you don’t want to try anything else and you stick to the simple and bland menus. You have given up. Well, don’t do that, keep at it. Next time it will be the best meal ever. See, the problem is not that you are a bad cook; it’s simply that you missed a step, an ingredient, etc. First, when cooking a big or special meal, you need time. Never do these types of meal when you are rushed for time.
What you may want to do is prepare the meal in advance and cook the next day if you want. You come home and put it on the stove or the oven and soon it will be cooked. Leaving prepared meals over night in the refrigerator enhances its flavor. Another big mistake we do is if the recipe states the oven should be set at 300 degrees, we are so impatient and set it for 350 degrees figuring it won’t hurt. Wrong, what happens is it cooks on the outside and dries up while the inside is still uncooked.
At times we don’t have all the necessary tools to prepare or cook our meals. We should have everything necessary in our kitchen. For instance, when preparing meals, we should always add salt to the meat, not just the marinade or the breading. Always keep a meat thermometer handy, this helps, it lets you know when the meat is cooked inside. Once the meat is cooked, let it rest for a few minutes so you it’s not too dry when you cut it. Also, when slicing meat, cut it against the grain, not with it and never put meat in the oven or the grill when it’s still frozen. Remember only the outside will cook and burn.
Recipes always come in handy and at times, we don’t read them thoroughly. We also substitute ingredients because we don’t have the ones we need. If you haven’t cooked this meal before, don’t substitute anything. You have to at least cook it once as it is stated on the recipe. Next time you cook it, you can substitute ingredients and you will know what to expect. Always taste your foods as you season them. Don’t assume that it’s right. Your meals make come out salty or bland.
One thing most us love to do is bake, however, we can ruin a simple cake recipe. Follow cake recipes to the tee, don’t skip any ingredients. Flour or butter the dishes as noted. Make sure to preheat and set the oven as noted on the recipe. Once the cake or bread is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool. Don’t rush anything, take your time. Remember, you want everything to be perfect.
As you can see, the reason our meals don’t come out exactly as we want is because of the following:
- Missing ingredients
- Don’t follow the directions
- Rushed for time
- Once cooked, not allowed to rest or cool
- Overcooking our meals by not doing it as noted
So, don’t give up on cooking, give yourself another chance. Anyone can cook a great meal as long as they follow the instructions on the recipe. If done exactly as noted, you will have nothing to worry about. You will cook the best meal ever and everyone will love it.