Kitchen Basics refers to the essentials you need to keep a stocked pantry and handy cooking tips Many times, great meals come down to knowing your way around the kitchen, first and foremost.
That means keeping the core ingredients stocked, knowing what you will need for prep, and having a kitchen hack or two up your sleeve. Or behind your apron…
With a few core tips, tricks and techniques, you can be the master of your own kitchen.
And pantry!
Kitchen Basics 101
If you have a few of basics down pat, then you don’t need to worry about having every kitchen gadget or a huge collection of pots and pans destined for the Smithsonian.
Truth be told, you can also get by with a few basic seasonings in the pantry. Because if you know how to blend them, then you can create all sorts of seasoning blends perfect for any dish.
Basic Broth Stocks
Knowing how to make a broth comes in handy and it is so simple to do too. A great broth adds depth and character to a dish. Your homemade broth makes a wonderful soup, or an amazing sauce. You can braise with it.
And homemade broths keep well in the fridge or the freezer too. So it is easy to keep some handy too.
Kitchen Basic Seasoning Blends
If you stock the pantry with some standard seasonings, then blending them is easy. Better yet, with the right basic seasonings on hand, you possess the culinary DNA to create dishes from simply provincial, to absolutely exotic.
Some Basic Prep Techniques
It is all about technique. At the end of the day, if you master a few basic skills, then you have the power to make “basic” seem extraordinary. It might just be understanding basic kitchen terms. Or it might mean knowing your way around a few utensils, most importantly things like knives, where safety plays a meaningful part.
Chili is a delicious meal and is great to make because, after hours of cooking, you have plenty of servings, with minimal dishes. But what about the storage process of all the extra chili? When does chili go bad? I love a steaming hot bowl of homemade chili. It’s my favorite of the cold-weather dishes …
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So you’ve made a spaghetti dinner and it was a hit but now you’re left with a bunch of cooked spaghetti. It would be a waste to just throw it away so you think to yourself “can you freeze spaghetti?” Good news! You definitely can and here’s how! Can you freeze leftover spaghetti? The main …
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If you’re like me, then spaghetti sauce is a pantry staple. Whether it’s a simple pasta dinner or maybe a chili, pasta sauce can be used in so many different ways. Here are my best tips and tricks for preserving any leftover sauce in the fridge. I love spaghetti sauce because I can use it …
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Spaghetti is a great go to meal when you’re looking for something quick and delicious. It is also easy to cook in large quantities, meaning you’ll have plenty of leftovers to spare. But how long is spaghetti good for? Check out these storage tips and tricks to store your leftovers correctly to make sure they …
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Who doesn’t love Taco Tuesday? I’ll take taco night any day of the week! But if you make too much and need to store it… How long is taco meat good for? How long does taco meat last? Every time I make tacos, there is leftover meat because I learned to cook for an army. …
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It seems like every time I make mashed potatoes I always end up with so much left over. If you also find yourself with heaping piles left in the pot, and wonder how long mashed potatoes last, don’t worry. Just follow these tips to save leftover mashed potatoes for meals to come. Leftover Mashed Potatoes …
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Wondering if you can cook frozen ground turkey without waiting to defrost it? It’s great for saving time, but what about just starting with frozen ground turkey? Is that ok? In short, yes, you can use frozen turkey straight away without thawing first. But you have to keep a few things in mind. How do …
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If you are like me then you probably buy ground meat in bulk, portion it, and freeze it for later. Store it correctly and be sure to put a date on it because it won’t last forever. So how long can you freeze ground turkey before it goes bad? I love cooking, just not every …
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Need to know how to tell if your ground turkey is bad? Ground turkey does have a decent shelf life, but like all packaged meats, better safe than sorry. So, despite all your best efforts to store it correctly, sometimes you just have to make to toss it. Here are some tips to help! Signs …
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Make ground turkey last in the refrigerator or freezer so it’s there when you need it most. It actually keeps fairly well if you store it correctly. So, don’t feel like you have use up a whole package right away. How long does raw ground turkey last? The short answer is 2-3 days in the …
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