The general perception about preparing food is that it takes a lot of time and energy. This is true to some extent, but it is also true that many of us spend a lot of time on the food preparation rather than the actual cooking. This is what makes it a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. However, food preparation need not be time consuming if you plan ahead and know how to manage your time skillfully. In this book you'll discover numerous tips and ideas that will actually make food preparation easier and make it more fun: This book features dozens of great food preparation and cooking ideas, including food handling safety, and preparing great meals at home. These are simple tips that all cooks in the kitchen can follow for cooking a delicious and safely prepared food. The book covers all of the following: * Meat and Poultry * Fish and Seafood * Fruit * Vegetables * Eggs, Cheese, and Other Dairy Products * Salads * Soups, Sauces, Gravies, and Stuffings * Herbs and Seasonings * Bread, Rolls, Cookies, and Cakes * Pancakes, Waffles, Pies, and Dessert * Beverages * General Food Storage * Home Preserving, Canning, Freezing, Drying Here's just a small sample of the tips included: A mixture of olive oil and vinegar will tenderize meat. Rub the mixture on the meat and let it stand several hours before cooking. Another way to tenderize meat is to rub baking soda into it, let it stand for several hours, and then wash and cook it. Meats can be marinated in a plastic bag: Put the meat in the bag along with the marinade, seal the bag, and turn it a few times during the day. If you've forgotten to thaw meat but want to cook it anyway, cook it half as long again as you would if it were thawed. Meat will shrink less during roasting if it's cooked longer at a lower temperature. Since a roast will thaw more quickly if all sides are exposed to air, elevate it on a cake cooling rack-or use the burner grill from your range. Put newspaper or a plate under the rack to catch the water and other drippings. A shallow pan is better than a deep one for cooking a roast because it allows heat to circulate around the meat. If you need to defrost frozen ground beef quickly, try sprinkling it with the amount of salt recommended for cooking (salt is a great thawing agent), or heat it in your dishwasher turned to its drying cycle. A roast slices more easily if you let it stand for about 15 minutes after taking it from the oven.