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With the right spices, you can easily make a good dish taste great! This guide will help beginners learn how to cook with spices.

Spices add excitement. Their scents evoke tropical climates and distant exotic lands. They transport us.

By definition, spices come from other parts of the plant than garden herbs do. Herbs are the leaves of soft, nonwoody plants. They tend to have milder flavors than spices, and are more likely to be used fresh. However, some plants bear both herbs and spices, like coriander and dill.

Selection

It is best to buy whole spices, because their essence stays vibrant much longer. Flavors dull relatively quickly when spices are ground. If you buy ground spices for the sake of convenience, get the smallest container possible, and mark the date on the jar. Throw out ground spices after a year, or sooner if they seem to have lost their zest.

Tools like a nutmeg grater, a ginger grater, and a small coffee grinder (that you never use for coffee), can help you make the most of your spice collection. A pepper grinder is handy too, and a mortar and pestle to pulverize a few spices without making a lot of noise.

Be willing to spend more for better quality. Top quality products do make a substantial difference in taste, and you are only using a small amount in each dish, so your cost per meal remains manageable.

Don’t buy every pretty jar in the store. Many people have a huge collection of dusty jars growing stale in their pantry. For example, you probably don’t need Greek oregano, wild oregano, and Mexican oregano as well. Choose the varieties that you are likely to use most often.

Buy some spice blends. Serious gourmets may be horrified, but spice blends will help casual cooks to flavor many dishes in a balanced and interesting way.

Storage

To keep them flavorful longer, store spices in a cool dark place that’s convenient for the cook. A pantry is ideal, or a cabinet with doors that shut out light and moisture. If both of these options are impossible, at least put your expensive collection in opaque or dark glass jars. Do not store your spices on top of the oven or right next to the cooktop.

Go through your collection frequently, and be sure to clean your jars thoroughly before refilling them with new spices.

Use

To cook with spices, begin by adding less than you think you might need, and taste as you go. Too much spice will overwhelm the food instead of enhancing it. You are working to achieve a balance, in which you taste a combination of flavors, not a mouthful of overstated spice.

Flavors interact. A bit of salt, though it isn’t a spice, will tone down the bitterness of spices like cardamom. A tiny amount of vinegar will modify saltiness. A pinch of sugar intensifies the bouquet of many foods. Ginger lessens fishy flavors, and gaminess in wild fowl, but too much ginger will burn unpleasantly.

Spices often become more fragrant if they are toasted or sauteed, rather than simply being tossed in the pot with everything else. Curry blends and chili powder, in particular, will not taste good raw.

On the other hand, be very careful not to scorch your spices, or they may become bitter.

A Selection of Spices

Stick cinnamon, allspice, and cloves are basic sweet spices. Vanilla, made from an orchid, is essential.

Saffron, the stigma of the autumn crocus, is a delightful but costly spice. Turmeric or mace will also color foods pleasantly, and some believe turmeric to be a very healthy ingredient.

Chilies, mustard seeds, and wasabi all add heat, and must be used with discretion. Useful ginger must be refrigerated, and even then will mold.

Coriander, caraway, dill, and cumin are all fragrant seeds that retain their fragrance indefinitely. Crush lightly to release the aroma.

Spices add interest and intensity to everyday foods. They must be added with a light hand, but can raise home cooking to a delightful new level.

Interested in cooking with cheese? This guide will teach you about the different types of cheese, their flavor profiles, and how to cook with each of them.

From Mozzarella to English Cheddar, your guide to cooking with cheese and the great cooking cheeses.

There are thousands of varieties of cheese available, from every corner of the world not all however, are great cooking cheeses. Here are some of the classic cheeses for cooking with.

What are the Qualities of a Good Cooking Cheese?

This is somewhat of a trick question, as the answer depends upon the style of cooking and what is to be achieved. Here are some of the key considerations.

-- Melting Habit – In cooking, cheeses melt in a different ways all of which give a cheese a suitability or not for a given usage. For sauces, a cheese is required which will completely melt away into the sauce, leaving only the flavour. On the other hand, a cheese such as Haloumi has an ability almost to avoid melting, making the cheese perfect for use in dishes such as vegetable kebabs.

--Flavor – One of the prime reasons for using a cheese in cooking is to impart flavor upon a dish. Strong varieties such as Cheddar will add a strong cheese flavor to a sauce or dish. Not all cheeses however, have such strong flavors a point to note in the selection of a cooking cheese.
 Texture – Whilst some cheeses are used to impart a strong flavor on a dish, others with a milder flavors are used for texture. Mozzarella is a classic example, the cheese in itself does not have a massive flavor, the cheese is cooked with, instead to lend its unique chewy texture to dishes such as pizza and grilled sandwiches.

-- Salt content – Cheeses have a variety of salt contents present in their constitution. Remember that such salt levels will add to the salt content of the overall dish. As such consider that the use of a salty cheese may off set the need for seasoning of a dish.

Great Ingredients – Classic Cooking Cheeses

-- Cheddar – A staple English cheese. Cheddar is a cows milk cheese and is often made to have a strong flavor. The cheese melts well and as such, its melting point and flavor makes it the ideal cheese for the production of cheese based sauces.
-- Haloumi – True Haloumi comes from Cypress and is made of Ewe’s milk. The cheese does not melt readily, this may be considered a drawback in cooking for many purposes. However, the unique properties of Haloumi mean that it is great for inclusion on a kebab or other barbecued food.
-- Emmental and Gruyere – Both of these are classic Swiss cheese of the “holed” variety. Both cheeses melt well and go well with earthy flavors such as mushrooms. The combination of the nutty flavor of Gruyere and mushrooms make an ideal filling for a vegetarian version of ravioli.
-- Feta – This is the classic Greek goat’s cheese. The cheese is salty and bright white in color. Consider using this cheese in the cooking of rustic versions of pizza or grilled sandwiches. Grilled Feta goes well with olives and peppery green salad leaves, such as rocket.
-- Blue Stilton – The classic blue cheese of England, produced only in the three counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Blue Stilton is great cooked in a soup, Stilton and Broccoli is a classic.
-- Mozzarella – True Mozzarella is made from buffalo milk, although much of the Mozzarella which is sold in the supermarket is made from cows milk. Mozzarella has a very mild flavor, the true merits of Mozzarella in cooking its chewy texture and ability to stretch into long strings. Mozzarella is a classic cheese for inclusion on a pizza.
-- Ricotta – Another classic Italian cheese. Ricotta is a “whey” cheese with a grainy texture and does not ooze when cooked. Ricotta is ideal used in combination with spinach, this can then be used as a filling for baked pasta dishes such as Cannelloni.

Find out the basics techniques for cooking chicken, including how to season it and cook it in a variety of ways.

Find out the basics techniques for cooking chicken, including how to season it and cook it in a variety of ways.

One of the most useful and easy to accomplish kitchen skills is how to cook chicken. An extremely versatile ingredient, cuisines from around the world have a signature chicken recipe such as Chicken Cacciatore, Coq au Vin, and Southern Fried Chicken. Regardless of the origin, the majority of recipes use one of the following eight cooking methods.

In The Oven

Roasting is used most often to cook a whole chicken. Place the bird on a rack in an uncovered roasting pan to allow heat to circulate around and underneath the chicken and is basted with pan drippings to keep the meat moist and to help develop crispy brown skin.

Similar to roasting, baking uses dry heat but the food is cooked in a baking pan. Typically chicken is baked either as a casserole or as individual pieces that are cooked in a sauce.

Broiling uses direct heat from above and is most often used for pieces of chicken or a whole bird that has had the backbone removed and is then pressed flat. Preheat the broiler for 8-10 minutes. Use a broiler pan that has a slotted top piece and keep 6-8 inches between the broiler and the food.

On The Stovetop

Frying uses medium to high heat and depending on the type of frying, a varying amount of fat. Pan frying uses the least amount of fat, and deep-frying the most. To shallow fry, preheat a heavy bottom skillet. Add enough oil to reach midway up whatever you are frying and keep the oil at a constant temperature. Only flip the food once during cooking.

Sautéing is perfect for cooking thin cuts such as cutlets. Preheat a shallow, wide bottom pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, then the ingredients but do not over crowd. There needs to be space between each piece of food to allow steam to evaporate. Turn or flip the food frequently during cooking.

Stir-frying uses high heat and only a small amount of fat. Preheat a skillet or wok until the oil is very hot, add the ingredients in groups according to cooking time. Make sure not to crowd the pan so the food will fry, not stew and then keep stirring the food continuously until the vegetables are crisp tender and the chicken juices run clear.

Braising uses liquid and slow cooking process to create fork tender meals. Begin by browning the chicken in fat over a medium high heat, and then add broth or wine to deglaze the pan. After deglazing, add enough liquid to cover the meat and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for several hours at a low temperature either on the stovetop or in the oven.

On the Grill

For charcoal grilling, pile the briquettes into a pyramid in the center of the grill, wet with a good amount of lighter fluid and light. It will take about 20 minutes for the coals to be ready to cook on. If cooking boneless chicken parts, spread the briquettes into a single layer before placing the grill rack. Cook bone-in chicken over indirect heat by pushing the coals to the sides and then cover the grill.

Indoor grills and gas grills do not have the advantage of being able to distribute the heat by moving the ‘fire’ but they do have adjustable controls and heat zones. Whether indoors or out the idea for grilling is the same; direct (high) heat for quick cooking cuts and indirect (low) heat for slow cooking bone-in cuts or whole birds.

Versatility

Beginning cooks are often intimidated by recipes that require sautéing or braising because of their unfamiliarity with cooking terms. The terms for cooking in the oven, on top of the stove, and on the grill are basic to the kitchen and can be easily learned and with a bit of practice, mastered. Once a cook becomes comfortable with these techniques, there is no end to the variety of meals that will show up on the dinner table.

Beginning a diet of low fat cooking, may be as simple as changing your method of cooking to baking, broiling, or grilling, in lieu of, frying.

To begin with, fried foods are going to contain more fat content, than foods prepared by baking, broiling, or grilling, especially when preparing meat. The excess fat is allowed to drain and run off the meat, for example, if you are grilling steaks, instead of frying them. Of course, in a low fat diet, lean red meats, and white meat , may be a better choice, since they don’t have as much fat content naturally..

Skip using the deep fat fryers, since they allow foods to absorb and saturate the grease or oil they are cooking in, resulting in more fat calories consumed. Most of these fats are also trans fats, which are the saturated fats found in animal products, that help contribute to high cholesterol and heart disease.

Next, we need to establish exactly what defines low fat food that is used in cooking.

Low fat food usually means that a particular food product has 3 grams of fat or less per serving. Labels are provided for the consumer on the back or side of food products to list the fat content of a particular food. Try to avoid foods that are listed with higher saturated fat content. Some unsaturated fat oils that can possibly lower your blood cholesterol levels, are olive and canola oils. Be sure to use these sparingly though, since they do add a lot of calories also.

Secondly, make a list of foods that are naturally low in fat and incorporate these foods into your cooking. Here are some of these foods listed below.

 Vegetables
 Fruits
 Whole grains
 Fish
 Soy products
 Chicken

Food products you may want to limit or avoid when wanting a lower fat content in cooking, are cheeses, ice cream, and egg yolks, which have a higher fat content .You can, however, use just the egg whites, low fat or fat free ice cream, and fat free cheeses to avoid this.

Although margarine is lower in calories and fat content than butter, beware of using any margarine, in lieu of butter, since a lot of margarine is high in trans fatty acids. There is trans fatty free margarine now available at most supermarkets.

Another step is eliminating fried foods, and avoiding processed foods, for example, cookies, crackers, and donuts, that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, both of which are high in trans fat. Trans fatty acids have been shown to lower good cholesterol, HDL levels as well as, raising LDL levels.

Remember, learn how to prepare your food in a low fat way. Try to bake and grill your meats, rather than frying them, avoiding the high fat content of oils and grease used in frying.

Finally, generally, to begin low fat cooking, use what nature provides, and avoid frying, processed foods, and oils and you’ll soon be off to a great start in preparing low fat meals.

A flat iron steak is a type of beef that can be cooked in many different ways. Here are some recipes to get you started.

Even though it is reasonably priced, many shoppers overlook the flat iron steak because they are not sure how it should be cooked. The flat iron is a relatively new cut of meat from the shoulder of the cow. It is called a flat iron because of its appearance, which is flat like an old-fashioned iron. It is boneless and sold in a package that looks like a brisket. It can be used in recipes that call for other flat cuts of meat such as the flank or skirt steak.

Grilling the Flat Iron Steak

Flat Iron steaks are good either grilled outside on a charcoal grill or on a George Foreman indoor grill. They can be simply salted and peppered and grilled, then served with a side sauce such as a prepared horseradish sauce or barbeque sauce, or flavor can be added by using a store-bought rub or a home-made one before grilling. A quick homemade rub can be prepared with:

3 TBSP brown sugar
dash of garlic powder
salt
pepper

Flat iron steak can also be marinated. Mix all ingredients, then let it sit in marinade a covered dish or sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 2 hours.

Easy Marinade:

half a cup of lime juice
quarter cup brown sugar
1 TBSP soy sauce
powdered garlic just a pinch
ginger just a pinch

Grill the steaks on each side for about five minutes. This steak tastes best slightly rare or medium and not overcooked.

To broil flat iron steak, prepare as if grilling, then place in foil-lined broiler pan about four inches from the top. Broil about 5-6 minutes on each side.

Pan-Frying the Flat Iron Steak

Here is an easy recipe for pan-frying the flat iron steak:

1-lb. flat iron steak
1 TBSP steak seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Rub the steak with seasoning and salt, then cook in hot oil in a large frying pan for about 5-6 minutes on each side.

Using the Leftovers to Make Stirfy or Fajitas

Leftover flat iron steak can be the basis for a good stir-fry or pepper steak served with rice. Fajitas are also an excellent way to serve the leftover steak. Since the meat is prepared, the work is almost done. Slice the meat into very thin strips, then heat in a skillet and serve with warm tortillas. As a garnish use shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, lettuce, sour cream and guacmole.