Principle 1. Take into account the cooking time of the food when you put it in.
Why is it important? There are situations when the food does not taste good. Immediately it is difficult to even understand what was done wrong. Such little things like overcooked cabbage in borscht or crispy potatoes in soup can spoil the dish. So when putting food into the pot, take into account how long it takes for each ingredient to reach readiness. Principle 2. Take into account the environment in which the product is put.
Vegetables have this peculiarity: in an acidic environment they stop cooking. Exactly the opposite effect of acid on meat. It will be more tender if cooked with the addition of tomato, wine, fruit juice. Take into account this feature when you cook the soup. If you put pickles into rassolnik first, and then potatoes, then the latter risk to remain hard and not to boil. The same principle applies to making borsch. Some people like soft cabbage, some like it crispy. If we put it after roasting, it will take a long time to get soft. And if we decide to wait until it boils, the potatoes and other vegetables can turn into mashed potatoes, because they were almost ready. Never put sauerkraut ahead of potatoes. The second one will still be woody. Principle 3: Slice it right.
What does "right" mean? Properly, in my understanding, is in accordance with the dish you are preparing. For example, large tomato slices would be good in a fresh salad, but not appropriate in a soup. But for soup, a small cube will do, which will look strange in a salad. The second rule of this principle is that all ingredients in a dish should be of similar shape and size. If you cut potatoes into soup in slices, then cut carrots into straws or grate them. If you're roasting vegetables, cut them into roughly the same size cubes.
Of course, the size and shape of the pieces does not always affect the taste. It's a matter of aesthetics first and foremost. But the variation in cutting for a salad will affect its appearance. And serving the dish affects the appetite of the guests.
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