Tied in a Bow November 2015 | Page 84

Four Cooking Secrets to Help You Bake Like a Pro at Home

(BPT) - When it comes to food and cooking, Americans are becoming more adventurous and inspired to try new things. They buzz about the latest food trends with friends, share picture-worthy meals on their social feeds, binge on cooking shows and aspire to bring the unique dishes they eat in restaurants or see on TV to their own kitchens, recreating them for the entire family to enjoy.

And it’s not just the parents who have become swept up in this cooking revolution. An impressive 93 percent of parents with children 4 to 17 years old report that their kids help out with food preparation at home, according to results of a national survey conducted for appliance maker LG Electronics.

“One of my greatest passions is being able to cook with those I love and create warm memories together over food,” says Eva Longoria, celebrity restaurateur and author of “Eva’s Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends.” “It’s great to share that passion with those you love, but sometimes it’s not so easy to recreate what you see in restaurants or on TV. However, with the right equipment and a few tricks of the trade, the whole family can become home chefs and cook like the pros.”

Here are some tips to help achieve professional cooking and baking results at home:

1. Season smarter.

While the quality of your cooking skills and the dish ingredients are key, never underestimate the power that smarter seasoning can have on ensuring your dish is a real crowd pleaser. Any professional chef will tell you that it is essential to keep an extensive supply of fresh seasonings on hand, and not to be afraid to experiment to achieve new flavor combinations. The pros commonly add a little acid (think citrus or vinegar) to seasonings to help brighten food and take away the perception of some ingredients tasting bitter. You’ll also see them add woody herbs like rosemary, oregano, sage or thyme at the beginning of the cooking process, when they’re most effective at flavoring. Leafy herbs like parsley, chives, tarragon and basil do a better job of heightening flavors if you add them toward the end of the cooking process.

2. Upgrade your range/oven.

Does it seem like the food on restaurant menus and cooking shows gets more complex, perfectly executed and delicious every year? It probably does, and improved cooking technology plays a big part in producing these amazing results. While the cooking technology of bygone years was decidedly low-tech and made it difficult to achieve consistently great results, modern innovations like “ProBake” convection ranges from LG make it easier for home chefs to enjoy professional-style cooking at home. This new technology is a real game-changer for baking; the heating element is located at the back of the oven (rather than on the bottom), providing even heating on the top and bottom of every dish. Home chefs can take comfort in knowing that this kind of new professional baking technology means burnt cookie bottoms and unevenly cooked dishes are things of the past.

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