When you are a beginner at cooking Italian food and you have to try and pull something off (out of necessity or simply because you are in love with Italian cuisine…), improvising is not easy and you can feel a bit overwhelmed.
No panic though: cooking Italian food is simple!
With a good dose of will,you can get to the preparation of delicious dishes, starting from easy and quick recipes, like the ones you find in this website for example. With practice you will increase your confidence and you will be able to cook tasty dishes all by yourself, and even attempt brave experiments!
How to do it though? Here are some tips to get started right now!
The basic of Italian cuisine
What golden rules to follow in the kitchen when you are inexperienced?
When buying a coffee maker (Italian moka: watch this video to learn how to use it!), before using it, wash it with water (to be done always, even after the first time) and prepare the coffee with a minimum dose of powder; when the coffee is ready, let it rest in the coffee maker for half a day to remove the ‘new’ flavor.
It is useful to have in the kitchen a tall pot with handles for cooking pasta or rice and a pan for sauces and side dishes.
It is important to have a supply of basic necessities, such as pasta, rice, condiments, some frozen, canned or vacuum-packed products.
The main mistake of beginners is that of not knowing how to calculate the doses of the ingredients, so a scale cannot be missing: the dose of pasta for two medium-sized people is about 100-120 grams as a single dish, with 250 grams of sauce for both. During cooking, the pasta must always be stirred, to prevent it from sticking.
The salt should be adjusted according to the amount of water: with a 2/3 filled pot you need 2 tablespoons of coarse salt, but it is always advisable to taste before draining. In addition, when pouring water into the sink, run cold water to avoid damaging the pipes.
When preparing a dish rich in seasoning or with eggs or cheeses (a cornerstone of Italian cuisine!), immediately wash the pan or fill it with hot water to clean it then more easily.
Always drain and rinse the canned products (for example peas or tuna).
Always defrost and squeeze frozen vegetables, such as spinach, because they contain a lot of water.
Any more tricks in the kitchen?
- Salt the pasta / rice water only when it boils, in order not to slow down the boiling process.
- To speed up cooking, always use the lid (not for the pasta already being cooked) and remove it towards the end.
- Avoid adding salt at the start of any dishes because salt enables liquid coming out of your food.
- Help cooking food by adding a little water to prevent burning.
- Thaw the meat faster by immersing it in a bowl of cold water (provided that the wrapping is tightly closed).
- Use the boiling pasta water full of starch to create thick tasty creaminess in your pasta sauce, without adding any cream!
So... what to cook?
In order not to make a mistake, you can start by preparing cold dishes, just to get familiar with the kitchen, especially if the season is hot. Try this zucchini dish, for example.
Meatballs and fish dishes are the first step to tackle a more complex type of Italian cuisine, then moving on to frying and making first courses, such as pasta with tuna, salmon with cream, with vegetables. Do you have a sweet tooth? Try this tiramisu recipe and drown everything with an authentic Italian spritz!
© Italian Food Boss
Italian food is always best with favorite wine!
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