Useful Cooking Tips (14 pics)

1

Acids. Started when I was making a sauce that just it needed something. I added a squeeze of lemon, even though it seemed odd, and it was magic.

2

Try adding a touch of horseradish to your mashed potatoes…especially garlic mashed potatoes. It's a game changer. It adds a ton of flavor without being too noticeable or overpowering.

3

Add a little bit of soy sauce to your tuna or chicken salad. It gives it that extra salty tanginess. I worked at Jimmy John's for a while, and that was their secret. I've been making mine this way for 10 years now, and I could never go back.

4

Replace some of the liquid in your waffle batter with seltzer or another carbonated beverage, like ginger ale. It's the key to the fluffiest, airiest waffles ever.

5

If your homemade sauces or soups seem too thin or watery, try adding instant mashed potatoes as a thickener. Since I learned this trick, I've started keeping a box around for lazy days or emergencies. They're a lifesaver when you've added too much liquid to soup.

6

I add pureed or shredded carrots to my tomato sauce. It really cuts the acidity without the extra added sugar. Everyone always raves about my pasta sauce.

7

Garlic. Lots of garlic, recipes always say to use little garlic. And i mean the real deal, not the garbage they sell in those jars.

8

Anytime a recipe calls for water, I always use chicken broth instead. It makes just about anything taste richer, more complex, and better.

9

Most people use overripe bananas for banana bread, but I have another great trick. I freeze the overripe bananas first, then I thaw them when it's time to bake. Freezing them first somehow makes them taste even sweeter.

10

I add a pinch of salt to hot chocolate, and people go crazy for it. But it's only hot cocoa mix, milk, and salt. The extra sodium doesn't make it salty at all. In fact, it somehow brings out more of the chocolate flavor.

11

Anchovy. Works wonders in pasta sauces and all kinds of dressings. I used to fear funk and now I embrace it.

12

Fish sauce. Used properly, it doesn’t make anything taste like fish, and it’s a huge flavour boost in almost any kind of cuisine.
I use it in almost anything savoury I make.

13

When I was really starting out with home cooking in college and was making cottage pie and I added Worcestershire sauce for the first time. I have to admit that I probably overuse it at this point but I’ve found few savory dishes that can’t be improved with a few drops.