Cooking can be intimidating. Many people have convinced themselves that they simply can‘t do it, and then, waste hundreds of dollars a month on eating out or buying premade food. Don’t let this happen to you! Cooking can be simple and effective, and this article is here to show you how.

To make your sauce thicker, stir cornstarch into the simmering sauce. For every tablespoon of water, add half a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix as much as needed to get the right thickness. You can then stir this solution into your sauce to instantly thicken it. When adding, do so gradually and continue to stir so as to avoid making your sauce too thick.

Take care when storing chocolate for use in cooking. As a rule, only buy as much chocolate as you can use within a few months. Chocolate contains fat, and under the wrong conditions it can turn rancid. Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. A kitchen cupboard away from any heat sources is ideal. Keep the chocolate wrapped in foil or plastic and store it away from anything with a strong smell, as it absorbs odors easily.

Flouring the baking pan is called for by lots of recipes. It is necessary for the baking, but leaves an unattractive white coating on the side of the cake. Change the recipe a little and use dry cake mix instead of flour. The unattractive white residue from the side of the cake will disappear.

When you are going to the store, do not always have a large shopping list which can restrain you to just getting certain items. See what you like and what you are in the mood for and purchase based on that. This will give you the spontaneity to cook whatever you choose.

Store your cheese in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic, and away from air. This will help to keep mold away. While a little mold is not harmful to cheese, excessive mold is dangerous to consume. It will certainly affect the quality of your cheese as well.

Ginger roots can be used for several dishes so it’s worth learning how to store them. For a few days you can just put them in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer. For a much longer storage, freeze the unpeeled ginger root and cut the piece you need while it is frozen.

You should use applesauce when baking if you want to cut back on the amount of calories the baked good contains. The applesauce will not change the texture or flavor of the baked good. It will cut back on the number of calories that are in the baked good. It will also add fiber to the food.

As you can see, cooking isn’t hard when you know what to do. By following these instructions, you’ll be a home chef in no time. Stop wasting so much money, eating unhealthy fast food and prepackaged food, and start making your own easy meals at home! You can do it!