All humans must eat food in order to live. But really, do you just want to survive? Eating someone else’s creation is never as rewarding as enjoying your own! Apply these tips to discover new things about cooking and improve your skills. Spices should be stored in a dark and cool place. Warmth, humidity and light will make them stale and unflavorful. It is normally the rule that spices that are ground lose their flavor after they keep for around a year. Whole spices can keep their flavor for up to five years. If you store them correctly, they will stay fresh for an even longer period of time. You need to prepare to cook a meal before you can actually cook it. Double-check to make sure you have all the necessary ingredients. Get all of the items you need prepared the day before so there will be no rushing. This can seriously reduce stress and anxiety levels. Do not throw your sauce away. This simple trick can save it. Take one tablespoon corn starch, and combine with two tablespoons water in a mixing bowl. In order to create a thicker sauce, add the mixture to the sauce, while it is cooking on low heat. Make sure to introduce the starch slowly while stirring constantly to make it not be too thick. if fresh basil what you’re cooking with? Take a bunch of it and place in a glass. Put enough water into the glass to cover the stems but not the leaves. You could let it sit on your counter and it will stay fresh for weeks. With some care, you may even be able to encourage the basil to grow roots. Encourage growth by cutting or trimming the basil now and then, and you will be able to use fresh basil for a long time! Learn some cooking skills and have fun at it! Absorb the tips below, and then add twists to make them your own. By doing this, your cooking skills will greatly improve and you will be the one people ask to bring food to different events.