When you’re thinking about taking up a hobby, consider cooking. Cooking is often overlooked because you’re probably doing so much, but the truth is, cooking can be a wonderful source of relaxation for the home chef, as well as a way to create and explore. Here are some tips to help you in your culinary exploration.

Make sure you have your place settings set beforehand so you can reduce the stress you’ll have when getting food to the table. High stress levels don’t mix well with cooking, given the danger, so you want to reduce it as much as possible.

When frying food, hold it under the oil with the straps for a few seconds. Holding the food under the oil for about five seconds will create a useful seal around the food. This seal will work to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

To improve your comfort level in the kitchen, one thing you can do is freeze excess sauces you create in ice cube trays. This will allow you to reheat them when you need sauce again and will also save money on excess sauce you saved up.

As you cook your food over the course of the evening, be sure to try it at several different spots. This will let you know exactly when it’s done so you don’t risk overcooking. Tasting your food is important to achieving the quality you want. Looking for an indoor grill? Take a look at the Hamilton Beach Electric Grill and see why this little indoor grill is big on features and flavor.

When it comes to cooking, a good habit after preparing the garlic is to rub your hands briskly on the stainless steel sink for about 30 seconds. This will remove the unwanted odor from your hands. Washing them for less than 30 seconds will not remove all of the odor.

When you’re cooking for your family, try not to stick to one style. If you cook the same food over and over again, it can get boring and your family will get tired of the dishes you prepare. Change things up every night so you can introduce new foods and cuisines to your family.

An important tip to remember when cooking dishes focuses on the size of the dish being prepared. The smaller the dish you are cooking, the higher the baking temperature and the less time it will take to cook the dish. Smaller dishes usually take only a few minutes at high temperatures to fully cook.

You may or may not have heard of schmaltz, but it is a very useful ingredient in cooking. Schmaltz, also known as chicken fat, is very tasty. Schmaltz has a deeper flavor than duck fat and can be used for many things, such as cooking meats or poaching fish.

Plan your meals in advance. One of the biggest time wasters is engaging in “what am I going to make for dinner?” debate. Often, we could have dinner on the table by the time we care to examine the options. Over the weekend, or when you have free time, think about the week ahead and plan four or five meals that you know your family will enjoy. This advance planning allows you time to stock your refrigerator and pantry with the items you need.

Be sure to only use wines that you enjoy as ingredients in your recipes. You risk the final flavor of any dish if you prepare it with an unknown or unpleasant-tasting wine. Look through your grocery store to find wines that are specifically used for cooking.

If you and your partner love to cook, consider taking a couples cooking class! Couples cooking classes can help you explore new cuisines, enjoy each other’s company, and also learn more about working together in the kitchen. A well-kept secret is that the guys enjoy these classes just as much as the ladies, and it often leads to the guys taking on a bigger role in the home kitchen.

Take these tips and use them on your dishes to make them come alive. Serve them to guests, enjoy the compliments, and then do it all over again. The wonderful thing about cooking as a hobby is that you can always recreate or create anew; you will always need something to eat!