Are you one of those people who can't cook to save your life? Have you burned water or spilled an entire carton of milk? Don't worry -- cooking is easy, and this article is here to show you how! Read on to find out simple tips to help you cook better!

Your spices should be stored in a cool place that is free of light. Exposing spices to heat, humidity, and light will shorten their lifespan. Spices last longer and taste better when stored in cool, dark locations. These fresh spices will help add flavor to your meals, making them tastier!

One of the things that you will need to realize when you are making meats or fish is that you need to spread your seasoning evenly. Adding too much seasoning in one area of your food can reduce the flavor or lead to a tangy taste that will reduce the quality of your meal.

When cooking steak, make sure the pan you are using is really hot so that it sears the outside of the meat and keeps all of the juices inside. This will make your steak taste great, and it won't be dried out, since all of the flavor is still sealed inside of the meat.

If you are cooking pastries or foods that can get very messy, make sure that you wear an apron at all times. The last thing that you will want to do is to get food on your clothes and have to change before you eat your meal with friends or family.

When shaving vegetables for dishes such as a vinaigrette or a salad, use a coarse microplane, also known as a grater or zester, to grate them into smaller pieces. The flavors of the vegetables are truly unlocked when grated with the microplane.

You need to remember to poke holes in a pie crust before you put it into the oven. A pie crust made from scratch can be very delicious, but if tiny holes are not poked with a fork, it will cause the crust to bubble in places which can make it difficult to fill with yummy ingredients.

When sautéing vegetables using Pomace olive oil is a great substitute for butter that should be used. The Pomace olive oil is very affordable and will give vegetables a mild flavor that is quite delicious. You can purchase the Pomace olive oil at any Middle Eastern grocery store. It is low in carbs and in price which makes it extremely appealing.

Make sure that the oil is hot enough, before adding food to it. By using oil that is not hot enough, you may not be cooking the food properly. Home Cooking can make sure it has the perfect temperature by sticking a wooden spoon in it. If you see bubbles around the spoon, it is okay to put the food in.

Find a convenient cool dark place for storing herbs and spices. The quality and freshness of spices and herbs will diminish when locked in warm areas.

While cooking or baking, wash the dishes as your sauce simmers or your cookies bake. If you have a double sink, be sure to keep one half filled with hot, soapy water and the other with clean rinse water. It will be much more effective to wash bowls as soon as you are finished with them, leaving them available for the next task.

Use this tip when cooking chicken. Rather than using a roasting rack to cook the chicken, slice an onion and put the slices in an oiled pan. Then take the chicken and place it on top of the onions. While cooking, the the onions will absorb the juices of the chicken. This is useful for later when you make a sauce from the onions by pouring water or stock into the pan and cooking on high heat for three minutes.

Rinse your chopped red onions gently in cold water to reduce the bite and sharpness that are inherent in onions. This will give you more flexibility with the types of items you can use your onions in without overpowering the flavors of your dish. You can also use this technique to keep the texture of an onion without the overwhelming flavor.

As you can see, cooking isn't so difficult as you might have made it out to be. As long as you stick with simple recipes and follow the simple tips laid out in this article, you'll be cooking like a pro and saving yourself money on food in no time.