Bake, Broil, Fizz And Fry: Food preparation Guidance For All If your family doesn't run to the table, maybe it is time to take an honest look at your cooking routine and see if you have fallen into a menu rut. Generate some mealtime enthusiasm and put a smile on your family's faces with some fresh new ideas that are sure to please. You can always save the sauce that you put so much effort into. Try mixing in 1 tablespoon corn starch and another 2 tablespoons water in a container. Stir the mixture into a warm thin sauce to thicken it. For a sauce that's too thick, add more liquid. One of the things that you will need to realize when you are making meats or fish is that you need to spread your seasoning evenly. Adding too much seasoning in one area of your food can reduce the flavor or lead to a tangy taste that will reduce the quality of your meal. An electric mixer is a blessing when you have to make your dough, but even this relatively easy task can turn into a nightmare when the dough sticks to the dough hook. To avoid the sticky mess, spray the hook with vegetable cooking spray and your dough will never stick to your mixer again. Trying to cook with little children running around under your feet? Give them something to do. Any small and simple task will make them feel like they are helping with the meal, and it will keep them out of trouble for a little while as you try to finish up the dish that you are working so hard on. You should use nonstick cooking spray when cooking a meal or snack. The nonstick cooking spray keeps food from sticking to a pan without adding unneeded fats and calories. There are some sprays that are flavored, so that you can get the same flavor as if you had used butter. There is an easy way to peel garlic. There are many tips and techniques for peeling garlic, but there is a simple way that doesn't involve any fancy gadgets. Take a rubber jar lid gripper and lay it on the counter. Place a clove of garlic on it and fold it over. Using a little pressure, simply roll the garlic clove around a few times inside the rubber gripper, and the skin will instantly be removed. If you plan to use wooden skewers when cooking, soak them in water for about thirty minutes prior to use. Being soaked in the water prevents them from getting burned when exposed to the cooking heat. To ensure that your food stays on the skewers, use two skewers instead of one to hold the food firmly in place. When preparing chicken stock, make a large amount. Instead of making just what you need, make a huge pot so you have some to freeze and use later. A rich chicken stock makes a savory base for soups, stews and other dishes. Simply cool the stock, and then freeze it into Ziploc, heavyweight freezer bags. If your family tends to eat a lot of chicken and often, remember to always brine the poultry as it will lock in flavor. Otherwise you are left with a dry piece of chicken that merely has whatever spices and herbs you chose coated on the outside rather than penetrating every bite. While cooking is fun, generally, the cleaning up that follows, is not. To avoid having to deal with a big mess after a day of experimenting or meal preparation in the kitchen, keep your sink filled with hot soapy water (refreshing when necessary) and clean up as you go along. Besides keeping your end of day cleaning down to a minimum, you will also have clean hands as you touch and prepare