Cooking tips

List of tips from my cooking experience

Olive oil

When I mention olive oil in my recipes, I mean of excellent quality, that plays a big role in taste. I did not do research on olive oil, and without wanting to sound chauvinistic, anything similar to greek olive is the standard. Try original greek olive oil to get to know what I mean and then I hope that you can tell the difference :) Better try it row in a salad, that's for me the easier test for non-professionals like me :))) Do not look for a fancy bottle, original for me means traditional and this most of the time is simple as most traditional things in Greece, like my recipes ! Simplicity will reward in taste though ... at least I hope...

Proportions in cooking

While for cakes, one have to be careful on proportions and stick to the recipe, when cooking, one have to watch out for the consistence and adapt the proportions. For example, water or flour can vary according to several parameters like high or low temperatures for water or type of flour. So, always check with your instinct the following ingredients and do not stick to the exact recipe:
water, flour, salt, spices, oil, ...

Cooking time

In the same sense, adapt the cooking time according to the cooking dish that you use. For example, if it is bigger than the one suggested to the recipe, it will be lower thus, diminish the cooking time.

Missing ingredients

It is possible to replace an ingredient with an equivalent one, in case that you do not have it. Although, if there are several missing, never improvise, and wait the next day to do a refill before. Milk for example, can be replaced from several things
- with yoghurt (just add some more of another liquid ingredient),
- with orange juice in a cake
- cake flour with all-purpose flour added by salt and baking powder  

Cooking recipients

Use good quality and materials that are resistant to high temperatures and healthy like steel. My favorite brands are Fissler for casseroles and for the oven either inox or latest technology Tefal and my favorite are the graniteware american roasters that keep the oven clean and give a tasty result. Read this article on my favoutite cookware to see more details (updated often).  

Induction

Once we have changed to induction I think that there is no way back... fast and so perfect to adjust the right temperature that I think that is difficult to beat :) Ok, in exchange we have to accept to update our cookware that sometimes means some sacrifices still...