Storing
Cheese:
Store cheese in your refrigerator,
which approximates the
temperature of aging rooms.
Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic,
away from air. Air helps mold
grow on cheese. If you get a little
mold on the outside, just
cut it off. The English say if mold
won't eat your cheddar it
can't taste very good.
Bring cheese to room temperature
before melting. Melt cheese
over a low heat to help prevent
toughening and separation of
oils and liquids.
Most ripened or aged cheese
is low in moisture content and
can be frozen without drastic
flavor and texture changes. Thaw
slowly in the refrigerator
for 24 hours or more. If frozen for
several months, the cheese
may dry out somewhat and become
crumbly when thawed.
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Tricks for
using Skewers:
Soak wooden skewers in water
for 30 minutes before using
them so they won't burn during
cooking.
If you prefer metal skewers,
which have a long life, use
square or twisted types, which
will hold the food better
than round ones.
To keep food from slipping
off during cooking and turning,
use two parallel skewers rather
than a single skewer.
If you're using a wooden skewer,
as you thread the food
move the pieces close together,
with no space showing.
If the skewer is metal, you
can leave small spaces between
the pieces.
When using foods with different
cooking times (such as shrimp
and beef), don't combine them
on the same skewer. Instead,
make skewers of just shrimp
or just beef, start cooking the
beef first, and then combine
them on a serving platter.
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How to
use Chopsticks:
Place the first chopstick
so that thicker part rests at the
base of your thumb and the
thinner part rests on the lower side
of your middle fingertip.
Bring your thumb forward so that it
traps the stick firmly in
place. At least two or three inches
of chopstick should extend
beyond your fingertip. Relax.
Now position the other chopstick
so that it is held against
the side of your index finger
by the end of your thumb.
Tap the ends of both sticks
on the plate, while holding them
at a slight angle to the table.
Allow them to slide just a
little so that the ends line
up. Place a little pressure on
the top chopstick. It will
pivot on your index finger just
above the second knuckle.
Remember: the bottom chopstick is
stationary. The tip of the
top chopstick will move towards
the tip of the bottom chopstick.Encourage
this. Hold those
tips together firmly enough
to grasp a piece of food and
lift it off the plate. Place
delicately into your waiting
mouth. Although there's no
need to stoop, you may wish to
lean over your plate a bit
during your first attempts.
It might save you a clean-up!
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About Honey:
To substitute honey for sugar
in recipes, start by substituting
up to half of the sugar called
for. With a little experimentation,
honey can replace all the
sugar in some recipes.
When baking with honey, remember
the following:
Reduce any liquid called for
by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
Add l/2 teaspoon baking soda
for each cup of honey used.
Reduce oven temperature by
25 F to prevent over-browning.
Because of its high fructose
content, honey has a higher
sweetening power than sugar.
This means you can use less honey
than sugar to achieve the
desired sweetness.
When measuring honey, coat
the measuring cup with non-stick
cooking spray or vegetable
oil before adding the honey.
The honey will slide right
out.
To retain honey's wonderfully
luxuriant texture, always store
it at room temperature; never
in the refrigerator. If your honey
becomes cloudy, don't worry.
It's just crystallization, a natural
process. Place your honey
jar in warm water until the crystals
disappear. If you're in a
hurry, place it in a microwave-safe
container and heat it in the
microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes,
stirring every 30 seconds.
Remember, never boil or scorch honey.
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About Saffron:
Saffron is the dried, bright
red stigmas of the flower Crocus
sativus, which is a relatively
easy-to-grow perennial. It lies
dormant all summer, then pushes
its purple blossoms up through
the mulch just as other plants
are succumbing to frost. Each
blossom offers up to three
scarlet stigmas. Plant the bulbs in
summer and harvest the stigmas
in fall. A starter supply of about
50 bulbs costs about $30 and
will produce about a tablespoon of
the spice the first year.
However, each year more flowers will
grow, and therefore you'll
get more of the spice. Ultimately,
your investment will pay off.
Fresh saffron threads can be used
immediately for cooking, or
they can be dried and stored. To dry
them, place on paper towels
and leave for several days in a warm
place. Then transfer them
to an airtight container and keep in
a cool, dry place.
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Left Over
Halloween Pumpkins:
Scoop out seeds and strands
if using a new pumpkin.
Stand pumpkin upright and
cut down the middle. Halves should
be able to fit on a baking
sheet. Place one half pumpkin, or two
if they fit, cut side down
on the baking sheet. You may sprinkle
a little water on the sheet
first. Bake at 350F for 30-60 minutes,
depending on the size. When
done, the skin darkens and the pumpkin
begins to collapse. Check
for softness with a fork or knife. It
will go in easily if done.
Remove from oven, cool about 20 minutes.
Scoop pumpkin flesh away from
skin. Discard skin then puree in food
processor.
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 tsp. melted butter or oil
(olive oil or vegetable oil work well)
salt to taste
Options To Taste:
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
seasoning salt
Cajun seasoning blend
Preheat oven to 300F. While
it's fine to leave some strings and
pulp on your seeds (it adds
flavor), clean off any major chunks.
Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl
with the melted butter or oil and
seasonings of your choice.
Purist will want only salt as a
seasoning, but, if you're
feeling adventurous, experiment and have
fun with seasoning blends.
Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer
on baking sheet and bake for
about 45 minutes, until golden brown,
stirring occasionally.
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Clarified
Butter:
For clarified butter, slowly
melt unsalted butter over low heat.
Don't let the butter come
to a boil, and don't stir it. This
allows the milk solids to
separate from the liquid butter.
Once the butter has separated
into three layers--foamy milk
solids on top, clarified butter
in the middle, and milk solids on
the bottom--turn off the heat.
Skim the foamy white solids from the
top. Then ladle off the clarified
butter. Be careful not to disturb
the milk solids at the bottom
of the pan.
Clarified butter can be used
immediately. Or, let it solidify and
keep it in the refrigerator
for up to three to four weeks.
Just remelt to use. One pound
of unsalted butter yields 1-1/4 cups
clarified butter.
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About Shallots:
The Latin name for shallot
is Allium Ascalonicum. The name refers to
Ascalon , an ancient Palestinian
city where the shallot is thought to
have originated.
The flavor is a pungent blend
of onion and garlic. Their color can vary
from pale brown to rose, and
the flesh is off-white and barely tinged
with green or purple.
Shallots burn easily because
of their high sugar content. For this
reason, saute briefly over
low to medium heat. When using raw minced
shallots in salad dressings,
lessen their pungency by reducing the
juice; wrap the minced shallots
in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze
the shallots so the cloth
absorbs some of their juices, then add the
shallots to the recipe as
directed.
Shallots will keep for approximately
six months if stored in a
cool, dry location.
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Cooking a
Turkey:
* If you hate the memory of
dry turkey from the old days, buy a
fresh-killed (meaning, never
frozen) turkey. They truly are juicier,
tenderer, and tastier than
frozen birds.
* Turkeys range in weight from
the 6- to 8-pound category to as
large as 26 pounds. Very small
and super-big are not better.
Small ones get blotchy. Big
ones present food safety problems
because their mass resists
total heat penetration. Best to go
with a basic 12- to 16-pound
turkey.
* Trussing: The point of tying
string around a turkey is to make
the bird into a round -- no
protrusions, no wings sticking out.
This prevents burning of exposed
areas. Twist the wing tips, which
will burn first, under themselves,
using some force. Now run a strand
of string under the turkey's
girth and up each side, catching the
wing tips under the string.
Continue the string over to the drumsticks,
catching them and the fatty
tail flap (Pope's Nose), and tie tightly.
* Turkey lifter: This major
help comes in two styles. One resembles
an L-shaped metal prong. The
prong goes right up the turkey's cavity
while a handle remains in
your hand. All you do it lift. If you've
stuffed the turkey, get the
type that looks like snow chains, lies
under the bird, and acts like
a sling. Either device ends burned
hands, greasy potholders and
lost drumsticks.
* Instant-read thermometer:
This is your most important tool. With
this, you don't need a roasting
chart or a clock. Read the facts on
the dial. There will be no
question about the internal temperature
of your meat. If you don't
have one, get one!
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Herbs and
Spices:
Storage Tips:
Store spices in a cool, dark
place. Humidity, light and heat will cause
herbs and spices to lose their
flavor more quickly. Although the most
convenient place for your
spice rack may be above your stove, moving
your spices to a different
location may keep them fresh longer.
As a general rule, herbs and
ground spices will retain their best flavors
for a year. Whole spices may
last for 3 to 5 years. Proper storage should
result in longer freshness
times.
When possible, grind whole
spices in a grinder or mortar & pestle just
prior to using. Toasting whole
spices in a dry skillet over medium heat
before grinding will bring
out even more flavor. Be careful not to burn.
Because the refrigerator is
a rather humid environment, storing herbs
and spices there is not recommended.
To keep larger quantities of spices
fresh, store them in the freezer
in tightly sealed containers.
Usage Tips:
Use a light hand when seasoning
with spices and herbs. Your goal is to
compliment your dish without
crowding out the flavor of the food.
Remember, it's usually impossible
to "un-spice" a dish!
For long-cooking dishes, add
herbs and spices an hour or less before
serving. Cooking spices for
too long may result in overly strong flavors.
Finely crush dried herbs before
adding to your dish after measuring.
Do not use dried herbs in the
same quantity as fresh. In most cases,
use 1/3 the amount in dried
as is called for fresh.
Keep it simple. Unless the
recipe specifically calls for it, don't use
more than 3 herbs and spices
in any one dish. The exception to this rule
is Indian cooking, which often
calls for 10 or more different spices in
one curry dish!
Black pepper, garlic powder,
salt and cayenne pepper are excellent
"after cooking" seasonings.
Allow guests to season dishes with these
spices at the table.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and
allspice have a special affinity for
sweet dishes.
If you're feeling adventuresome,
try replacing herbs and spices called
for in recipes with something
different! Marjoram instead of oregano,
savory instead of thyme, cilantro
instead of parsley,
anise seed instead of fennel,
etc.
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Shucking
Oysters:
Oysters are available seasonally.
The old rule for shellfish
generally holds that any month
(in the English language)
containing the letter R is
a good month for shellfish.
(Note: this rule only works
for the Northern hemisphere.)
These are the colder winter
months, and shellfish prefer
cold water. More importantly,
warmer waters mean an increase
in bacteria levels, and the
shellfish can be dangerous to eat.
Shop for a good oyster knife
at a good kitchen supply store
or at your local fish market.
The features to look for are
a thick, solid handle made
of sturdy wood or plastic, a
finger-guard (essential),
and a short, thick blade. Strength
and durability will be more
important than sharpness or size.
Fresh oysters should be closed
tight, and kept either in fresh
sea water or on a bed of ice.
Never select shellfish that are open!
Store oysters on ice until
ready to serve. Cover them with a wet
towel or keep them in a closed
container. An ice chest works well.
Look for the hinge of the
shell. It should look like an exposed
seam which wraps around a
smooth corner. Insert the oyster knife
into the seam, with the blade
parallel to the seam. Use the point
to do this, gently but firmly
rocking the knife back and forth.
Once the knife has been inserted,
you can twist the blade to open
the hinge a little more. Repeat
this process, gradually inserting
the oyster knife until you
have cut the hinge completely.
Now slide the oyster knife
along the inside edge between the shell
and the meat. As you work
at this step, try to keep the oyster level
so that the liquid inside
doesn't spill out. Some oyster eaters
consider this liquid, or liquor,
to be the finest part of the
oyster-eating experience.
There's one muscle, which looks like a
thick cord, that holds the
shell tightly together. Use the knife
to cut this cord at the point
where it adheres to the shell. This
can be done in a sort of scraping
motion with the knife angled
against the shell.
Once the cord has been cut,
the two halves of the shell should
fall neatly apart. Discard
the empty half-shell and place the
full one on the serving platter.
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Formal Table
Setting:
Generally, the more formal
the occasion, the more courses are served,
which of course means more
flatware. There should be a different set of
utensils for each course:
salad fork, dinner fork; dinner knife,
bread knife; and so on.
Some special dishes such
as oysters have special utensils. These can
be served at the presentation
of the food, but generally are placed
on the table in order of course.
When oysters are served as an appetizer
for example, set the oyster
fork to the right of the spoon.
Building from the basic set-up
(dinner fork on the left of the plate;
knife to the right of the
plate, dinner spoon to the right of the knife):
On the left side of the plate
put the salad fork to the left of the
dinner fork. On the right
add a soup spoon to the outside of the dinner
spoon if soup will be served.
Place the soup bowl above the soup spoon
and to the right. The bread
plate goes to the left, about two inches
above the fork. Place the
butter knife across the bread plate at a
diagonal, upper left to lower
right. Small salad plates go to the
left and a little below the
bread plate. Dessert spoons, or in some
cases knife and fork, are
placed about an inch above the top of the
plate with the handle(s) on
the right side.
The largest glass on the table
is the water glass which goes on the
right side above the dinner
knife. It may be filled and iced when
guests arrive or left empty
to be filled at each diner's request.
If wine or some other beverage
is served, set the appropriate glass
to the right and a little
down from the water glass.
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Low Fat Cooking:
* Get into the habit of measuring
the oil you use while you cook,
rather than just pouring
it out of the bottle. It will be much
easier to moderate
the amount you use.
* Use non-stick cookware so
that you don't have to use as much,
if any, fat. When sauteing,
use a small amount of chicken broth
or wine instead of
butter or oil.
* To make fat-free broth, chill
your meat or chicken broth. The
fat will rise to the
top, and you can remove it before using
the broth.
* Many vegetables and fruits,
including potatoes and apples,
retain many of their
nutrients in their skin. So when possible,
leave the skin on your
fruits and vegetables and cook them whole.
* Romaine lettuce is loaded
with vitamins compared to iceberg.
It has three times
as much Vitamin C and six times as much
Vitamin A.
* Vitamin C is destroyed quickly
in cooking - so cook your
vegetables with Vitamin
C
in the smallest amount of water
possible and for a
short amount of time.
* Stock up on spices. One of the
keys to cooking low-fat and not
getting bored is to
spice your food well. When you have finished
your recipe, always
taste it and adjust the spices to meet your taste.
* Purchase the best (i.e. heaviest)
set of non-stick cookware you
can afford.
* When cooking a dish with
both vegetables and meat (i.e. in stir frys
and stews), reduce
the amount of meat by 1/3 and increase the amount
of vegetables by 1/3.
You will hardly notice!
* Thicken gravies with milk
or broth blended in the blender with
flour. Be sure to cook
long enough to remove the raw flour taste.
You'll never notice
the lack of fat.
* Use olive oil for cooking
when appropriate. It adds to the taste
of the dish and is
better for you.
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Problems
with Breads:
PROBLEM: What is the best
way to bake brown and serve rolls?
First, brush their tops with
melted butter or margarine. Bake at the
recommended temperature (on
their package), but be careful of dark
coated baking sheets. Dark
coated baking sheets may cause the bottoms
to burn before they are done.
Bake brown and serve rolls at a high
temperature to insure a crispy,
flavorful crust.
PROBLEM: Breads that are always
too hard and heavy.
Breads made from scratch or
from a mix must have an internal
temperature of about 80 degrees
for the yeast to work properly. Cold
dough will not expand properly.
Make sure the bread rises in a warm
draft free environment.
PROBLEM: Bread that rises too
fast in the pan.
Use cool or cold water in
the mix. The place you let the bread rise
in bulk should be about 80
degrees. Place the dough in the refrigerator
for a few minutes to cool
down (while the dough is still in bulk form).
PROBLEM: French bread that
has a pale crust.
Spray or paint the loaves
with water (before cutting). Use an egg
wash to make the crust really
brown up. French bread must have a high
temperature to bake properly.
Check your oven to make sure the
temperature is correct. Add
a little sugar to the mix.
PROBLEM: Tough pizza crust.
Most of the time a pizza crust
dough should be wet and sticky (use
a little extra water). Toss
in plenty of spices. Oil your pan with
olive oil. Try baking the
crust first, then add any topping and bake
only to melt the cheese. Try
dipping your fingers in olive oil when
you flatten the crust in the
pan. Use plenty of olive oil and the
crust will be flavorful and
crispy.
PROBLEM: Bread loaves and rolls
that are heavy and soggy in the middle.
When everything else has been
done right, maybe the unit weight is
too heavy. Try making the
pieces smaller and let them rise longer.
PROBLEM: Bread loaves that
cave in on their sides when removed from
the pan.
Always remove bread from the
pan as soon as taken from the oven. The
crust sweats and may fall.
Make sure that you use Bread Flour in the
mix. Weak flour will cause
loaves to fall. Make sure the loaves are
done. Thump the top and if
the loaf sounds hollow, it is done.
Setting (just baked) loaves
in a cool draft of air will sometimes
cause their sides to cave
in. When the dough is allowed to rise too
much before baking the loaves
will sometimes collapse.
PROBLEM: Soft crusty breads.
The secret to good crusty
breads is to use very little (if any) fats,
egg yolks, milks or sugar
in the mix. Always serve crusty breads as
soon as they are baked for
the best flavor and appearance. Use only
Bread Flour and make sure
the dough is on the stiff side rather
than soft and sticky. However,
some crusty breads are very sticky
(excess water). These breads
are made by using an extra warm dough
and baking quickly at a high
temperature.
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Fruit Pies:
* Save the drained juice
from frozen or canned fruit and use
fruit juice instead of water
in your recipe. This is only a good
idea if the juice does not
have a lot of sugar in it.
* Add fresh butter to your
fruit pie filling after it has been
cooked. Or dot pieces of butter
over the fruit before you place
on the top crust.
* Don't cut apples pieces
too thin when you are using fresh
apples. Larger chunks will
hold together and have more apple flavor.
* Use a little red food color
and a drop or two of almond extract
in your cherry pies when
you use fresh or canned cherries.
* Use a little yellow food
color and a teaspoon of lemon juice in
your apricot and peach fruit
pies. The lemon juice will enhance
their flavor and also help
keep a bright color.
* Mix a few raisins with fresh
chopped apples and make a easy,
new apple pie.
* Do not over-cook pie fillings,
especially those with corn starch
used as the thickener. The
filling will break down and quickly become
watery. Over cooking fillings
made with flour will cause the filling
to be thick.
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Icings:
* Use the icing as soon as
it is made. All icing sets up quickly
and either forms a crust or
becomes very stiff.
* Buy a icing spatula to apply
icing. A good icing spatula will
enable you to work faster
and the results will look great.
* Thin buttercream icing with
evaporated milk or warm water. Use
only a little liquid and use
a icing spatula to mix in.
* Thin cold chocolate buttercream
icing with a little hot water
or hot coffee. Use only a
small amount and mix in with a icing spatula.
* Always sprinkle toppings
on while the icing is fresh, wet and
sticky. When the icing is
too dry for topping to stick, thin it
with a little water or milk.
* Store buttercream icing in
an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Fresh is best, so don't make
buttercream icing in advance if possible.
* Always let the buttercream
warm to room temperature before thinning
it down for use.
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Chocolate
Chip Cookies:
* Always add the chocolate
morsels last to the mix. It's best
when they are very
cold. Just barely stir the morsels in --
don't over mix.
* Cream the shortening and
sugar well. All the rest of the
ingredients can be
just mixed in, but proper creaming of the
shortening and sugar
is important.
* Make sure that your baking
pans are cool between cookie batches.
* Substitute cherry flavored
morsels for 1/2 of the chocolate
morsels for a new taste
treat.
* Drop your cookies extra thick
(use an ice cream scoop), flatten
the top a little, then
place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator
for twenty minutes.
Take the sheet from the refrigerator and bake
at 375 degrees until
the cookie's edges are slightly brown and you
will have a soft centered
delight.
* Warm cookies always taste
better than cold ones. Heat releases
the flavor of chocolate
and nut-meats. Try warming cookies in your
microwave oven for
a few seconds or in a 300 degree oven for
about 5 minutes.
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Food Safety:
- Barbecues
and Picnics -
* Try to plan just the right
amount of foods to take. That way, you
won't have to worry
about the storage or safety of leftovers.
* When taking foods off the
grill, put them on a clean plate, not
the same platter that
held raw meat.
* When preparing dishes like
chicken or cooked meat salads, use
chilled ingredients.
In other words, make sure your cooked
chicken has been cooked
and chilled before it gets mixed with
other salad ingredients.
* It's a good idea to use a
separate cooler for drinks, so the one
containing perishable
food won't be constantly opened and closed.
* A cooler chest can also be
used to keep hot food hot. Line the
cooler with a heavy
kitchen towel for extra insulation and place
well wrapped hot foods
inside. It's amazing how long the foods
will stay not only
warm, but hot. Try to use a cooler that is
just the right size
to pack fairly tightly with hot food so
less heat escapes.
* Wash ALL fresh produce thoroughly.
When preparing
lettuce, break
into pieces - then wash.
* Cook foods to the required
minimum cooking temperatures:
- 165 F
> Poultry, poultry stuffing, and stuffed meat.
- 158 F
> Ground Beef, fish, and seafood.
- 150 F
> Pork and food containing pork.
- 145 F
> shell eggs and foods containing shell eggs.
* Separate raw animal foods
from other raw or ready-to-eat
foods during
storage and preparation.
* Cool leftovers as quickly
as possible. Reheat to
165 F before
serving again.
* BY ALL MEANS, REMEMBER
THIS:
Bacteria
on food will rapidly multiply when left at a
temperature
between 45 F and 140 F. Avoid this danger
zone as
much as possible.
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General Shelf
Lives For Common Items:
Flour unopened: up to 12 months.
Opened: 6-8 months.
Sugar unopened: 2 years. Sugars
do not spoil but eventually
may change flavor.
Brown sugar unopened: 4 months.
Confectioners sugar unopened:
18 months.
Solid shortening unopened:
8 months. Opened: 3 months.
Cocoa unopened: indefinitely.
opened: 1 year.
Whole spices: 2-4 years. Whether
or not opened.
Ground spices: 2-3 years.
Whether or not opened.
Paprika, red pepper and chili
powder: 2 years
Baking soda unopened: 18 months.
Opened: 6 months.
Baking powder unopened: 6
months. Opened: 3 months.
Cornstarch: 18 months. Whether
or not opened.
Dry pasta made without eggs
unopened: 2 years.
Opened: 1 year.
Dry egg noodles unopened:
2 years.
Opened: 1-2 months.
Salad dressing unopened: 10-12
months.
Opened: 3 months if refrigerated.
Honey: 1 year. Whether or
not opened.
Ground, canned coffee unopened:
2 years.
Opened: 2 weeks, if refrigerated.
Jams, jellies and preserves
unopened: 1 year.
Opened: 6 months if refrigerated.
Peanut butter unopened: 6-9
months.
Opened: 2-3 months.
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Deep-Frying
Tips:
* The oil must reach a good
temperature to brown the exterior of
the food quickly while
cooking it. That temperature is almost
always between 350F
and 375F degrees. To be sure the oil is
right use a frying
thermometer.
* Use canola oil for frying.
It is low in saturated fat, has a
high burning point,
and does not detract from the flavor of
the food you are frying.
* Avoid crowding food that
is deep-fat-fried. The food must be
surrounded by bubbling
oil, and you must keep the temperature
from falling too much.
If you add too much food to a small
amount of oil, the
temperature will plummet, and the food will
wind up greasy and
soggy.
* Never fill the pot more than
halfway with oil; this will
prevent bubbling over
when the food is added.
* Dry food well with paper
towels before adding to the pot;
it helps reduce splattering.
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Make Your
Own Spice Mixes:
FIVE SPICE POWDER
1 tsp. Ground
cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground
cloves
1 tsp. Fennel
seed
1 tsp. Star anise
1 tsp. Szechwan
peppercorns
ITALIAN HERB SEASONING
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Marjoram
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Rosemary
1 tsp. Sage
CINNAMON SUGAR
7/8 cup Granulated
sugar
2 Tbsp. Ground
cinnamon
TAMARIND PASTE
1 tsp. Dates
1 tsp. Prunes
1 tsp. Dried
apricots
1 tsp. Lemon
juice
CHILI POWDER
3 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. ground
cumin
2 Tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. red or
cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic
powder
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Barbecue Tips
* Approximately 30 minutes
prior to grilling, prepare the charcoal
fire so coals have
time to reach medium temperature. At medium,
the coals will be ash-covered.
To check the temperature of the
coals, spread the coals
in a single layer. CAREFULLY hold the
palm of your hand above
the coals at cooking height. Count the
number of seconds you
can hold your hand in that position before
the heat forces you
to pull it away: approximately 4 seconds for
medium heat. Position
the cooking grid and follow recipe directions.
* Never place meat directly
over an open flame. An open flame is an
indication of incomplete
combustion, the fire will discolor the
meat by leaving a black
carbon residue on the meat. Actually an
open flame has a lower
temperature than coals that are glowing red.
* Whenever barbecuing, use
tongs to turn the meat. A fork should
never be used. For
it will punch holes in the flesh and allow
the natural juices
to escape and loose flavor and become chewy.
* Tomato and/or sugar based
BBQ sauces should be added only at the
end of the grilling
process. These products will burn easily and
are seldom considered
an internal meat flavoring. Once added, the
meat should be turned
often to minimize the possibility of burning.
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Household
Tips:
Stubborn stains can be removed
from non-stick
cookware by boiling, 2 tablespoons
of baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar,
and 1 cup of water for ten
minutes. Before using the pan again,
season it with salad oil.
Burnt food can be removed
from a glass baking
dish by spraying it with oven
cleaner and letting it soak for
30 minutes. The burnt-on residue
will be easier to wipe off.
Whenever you empty a jar of
dill pickles,
use the left-over juice to
clean the copper bottoms of your pans.
Just pour the juice in a large
bowl, set the pan in the juice
for about 15 minutes. Comes
out looking like new.
To restore color and shine
to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels
in it for a few minutes, then
rinse and dry.
Instead of using expensive
silver cleaners, put a dab of toothpaste
on a clean rag and rub it
on your precious possession. After you've
rubbed it in, just clean it
with another clean rag.
Your silver will look like
new.
To clean copper bottoms on
pots and pans, simply open a can of tomato
soup paste, rub it on and
scrub then rinse. If you do this weekly,
your pots and pans stay shiny
clean. This is a very inexpensive
way to clean copper and brass
items!
Stains and sediment in cut
glass or hobnob bowls or vases respond
to olive oil. Pour some in
and let stand until the stains or
sediment disappear.
Clean eyeglasses; Wipe each
lens with a drop of vinegar.
When preparing lunches
for your children (or anyone), try "drinkable" ice packs: Fill a 12-ounce
plastic bottle about halfway with drinking water and freeze it
overnight, tilting the bottle so
the water will freeze at an angle (if you freeze it straight up, the expanded
water will make the bottle bulge). Next morning pack the lunch, add more
drinking water to the bottle, and stick it in the lunch box to keep the
food cool and be melted enough to drink by lunchtime.
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Miscellaneous
Tips:
* To slice meat into thin
strips, as for Chinese dishes -
partially freeze
and it will slice easily.
* A roast with the bone in
will cook faster than a boneless roast -
the bone carries
the heat to the inside of the roast quicker.
* For a juicer hamburger add
cold water to the beef before grilling
(1/2 cup to 1
pound of meat).
* To keep cauliflower white
while cooking -
add a little
milk to the water.
* Let raw potatoes stand in
cold water for at least half an hour
before frying
to improve the crispness of french-fried potatoes.
* Buy mushrooms before they
"open." When stems and caps are attached
snugly, mushrooms
are truly fresh.
* Lettuce keeps better if you
store in refrigerator without washing
first so that
the leaves are dry. Wash the day you are going to use.
* Do not use metal bowls when
mixing salads.
Use wooden, glass
or china.
* A Perfect Pastry Crust?
In your favorite recipe, substitute a
4:1
ratio of lard:butter.
* To make your own corn meal
mix: combine 1 cup corn meal, 1 cup
all-purpose
flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 teaspoons baking
powder.
You can store it in a tightly covered container for
up
to 6 months.
* It's important to let a roast
-- beef, pork, lamb or poultry --
sit
a little while before carving. That allows the juices to
retreat
back into the meat. If you carve a roast too soon,
much
of its goodness will spill out onto the carving board.
* Microwave a lemon for 15
seconds and double the juice you get
before
squeezing.
* Microwave garlic cloves for
15 seconds and the skins slip
right
off.
* When slicing a hard boiled
egg, try wetting the knife just before
cutting. If that doesn't
do the trick, try applying a bit of
cooking spray to the
edge.
* Rescue stale or soggy chips
and crackers: Preheat the oven to
300F. Spread the chips
or crackers in a single layer on a
baking sheet and bake
for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool,
then seal in a plastic
bag or container.
* The best way to store fresh
celery is to wrap it in aluminum
foil and put it in
the refrigerator--it will keep for weeks.
* Store freshly cut basil on
your kitchen counter in a glass
with the water level
covering only the stems. Change the
water occasionally.
It will keep for weeks this way,
even develop roots!
Basil hates to be cold, so NEVER put
it in the refrigerator.
Also, regular cutting encourages
new growth and healthier
plants.
* A dampened paper towel or
terry cloth brushed downward on a cob of
corn will remove every
strand of corn silk.
* Fresh eggs' shells are rough
and chalky; old eggs are smooth and
shiny.
* No "curly" bacon for breakfast
when you dip it into cold water
before frying.
* When working with dough,
don't flour your hands; coat them with
olive oil to prevent
sticking.
* Use a gentle touch when shaping
ground beef patties. Overhandling
will result in a firm,
compact texture after cooking. Don't press
or flatten with spatula
during cooking.
* Never heat pesto sauce -
the basil will turn black and taste bitter.
* Butter pie pastry scraps:
sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and
bake like cookies.
* A jar lid or a couple of
marbles in the bottom half of a double-boiler
will rattle when the
water gets low and warn you to add more before
the pan scorches or
burns.
* When mincing garlic, sprinkle
on a little salt so the pieces won't
stick to your knife
or cutting board.
* If your cake recipe calls
for nuts, heat them first in the oven,
then dust with flour
before adding to the batter to keep them from
settling to the bottom
of the pan.
* Noodles, spaghetti and other
starches won't boil over if you rub
the inside of the pot
with vegetable oil.
* Brown gravy in a hurry with
a bit of instant coffee straight from
the jar... no bitter
taste, either.
* To hasten the cooking of
foods in a double boiler, add salt to the
water in the outer
boiler.
* Stuff a miniature marshmallow
in the bottom of a sugar cone to
prevent ice cream drips.
* To keep potatoes from budding,
place an apple in the bag with the
potatoes.
* Cure for headaches: Take
a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your
forehead. The throbbing
will go away.
* Don't throw out all that
leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for
future use in casseroles
and sauces.
* If you have a problem opening
jars: Try using latex dishwashing
gloves. They give a
on-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.
* Add a little lemon and lime
to tuna to add zest and flavor to tuna
sandwiches. Use cucumbers
soaked in vinegar and pepper in sandwich
instead of tomatoes.
Use mustard instead of mayo to cut the fat
and add a tang.
* Instead of the water your
recipe calls for, try juices, bouillon,
or water you've cooked
vegetables in. Instead of milk, try
buttermilk, yogurt
or sour cream. It can add a whole new flavor
and improve nutrition.
* Steak Sauce With A Kick:
Deglaze your frying pan (after searing your
New York steaks) with
brandy. Add two tablespoons of butter, a little
white wine and a splash
of Grand Marnier. Serve over steaks -
you'll never use steak
sauce again.
* When browning ground meat,
brown several pounds and drain. Divide
evenly in freezer containers
and freeze. Unthaw in microwave for
quick fixing next time.
* Ground spices really should
be replaced every 6 months or so!
Unless you know you
will use them up fairly quickly, buy a bottle
in partnership with
a friend and split the contents.
You'll each benefit
from fresh spices.
* Sunlight doesn't ripen tomatoes,
warmth does. Store tomatoes with stems
pointed down and they
will stay fresher, longer.
* Place green fruits in a perforated
plastic bag. The holes will allow
air to circulate while
retaining the ethylene gas that fruits
produce during ripening.
* Marshmallows won't dry out
when frozen.
* Poke a hole in the middle
of the hamburger patties while shaping them.
The burgers will cook
faster and the holes will disappear when done.
* For fluffier, whiter rice,
add one teaspoon of lemon juice per quart of
water. To add extra
flavor and nutrition to rice, cook it in liquid
reserved from cooking
vegetables.
* Cheese won't harden if you
butter the exposed edges before storing.
* Sausage patties rolled in
flour before frying won't crack open
during cooking.
* Two drops of yellow food
coloring added to boiling noodles will
make them look homemade.
* When separating eggs, break
them into a funnel. The whites will
go through leaving
the yolk intact in the funnel.
* Fresh fish freeze well in
a milk carton filled with water.
* Make your own celery flakes.
Just cut and wash the leaves from the
celery stalks; place
them in the oven on low heat or in the hot sun
until thoroughly dry.
Crumble and store in an air-tight container.
* When picking a melon, smell
it for freshness and ripeness.
Check to see that the
fruit is heavy in weight and that the
spot on the end where
it has been plucked from the vine is soft.
* When tossing a salad with
a basic vinaigrette, always make the
vinaigrette at least
1/2 hour ahead of time and let the mixture
sit to allow the flavors
to marry. Pour the vinaigrette down
the side of the bowl,
not directly on the greens, for a more
evenly dressed salad.
* For the perfect boiled egg,
cover eggs with cold water and
a pinch of salt. Bring
the water to a full boil. Remove the
pan from the heat and
cover. Let the eggs sit for 8-9 minutes.
Drain the water and
place the eggs in ice water to cool to
stop the cooking process.
* When braising meat, cook
it at a low temperature for a long
time to keep the meat
tender and have it retain all the juices.
* When cooking any kind of
strawberry dessert, add a splash of
aged Balsamic vinegar
to the recipe to enhance the flavor
of the strawberries.
* For fresh flavor in orange
juice add the juice of one lemon.
* Tenderize pot roast or stewing
meat by using two cups of
hot tea as a cooking
liquid.
* When making roux for a recipe,
make extra and keep in
the refrigerator for
future use.
* Chefs pound meat not to tenderize
the meat, but to help
even the meat so it
cooks evenly.
* To remove egg shells from
a batter, use the remaining shell
to attract the piece.
* If a recipe calls for 1 cup
sour cream, you may substitute
1 cup cottage cheese
blended until smooth with 1 tablespoon
lemon juice and 1/3
cup buttermilk.
* When using fresh herbs such
as dill, chives, parsley, etc.,
hold them together
in small bunches and snip with kitchen
scissors. It is a lot
faster this way, and you'll find the
herbs will be light
and fluffy, not bruised and wet as they
often get when chopped.
* When going on a picnic, keep
sandwiches from becoming soggy
by packing lettuce
and condiments in separate containers.
Add them to sandwiches
just before serving.
* Maple-flavored syrup, commonly
found on the shelves in the
store and in restaurants,
is actually corn syrup flavored
with a bit of pure
maple syrup to keep the cost down.
* Thaw fish in milk for fresher
flavor
* Put meat used for stir frying
in freezer for 45 min. to 1 hr. to make
slicing easier.
* You can correct greasy gravy
by adding a little baking soda to it.
* If you need only 1/2 an onion,
save the root half. It will last longer.
* Keep popcorn fresh and encourage
more kernels to pop by storing in
the freezer.
* Lemons stored in a sealed
jar of water will produce twice the juice.
* Use paper bags rather than
plastic to store lettuce and celery in the
crisper. They will
stay fresh longer.
* Bread will stay fresh longer
if a celery rib is stored with it in the
package.
* Save butter wrappers in the
freezer to use for greasing pans when baking.
* To keep salt from clogging
in the shaker, add 1/2 teaspoon of uncooked rice.
* If guests are coming and
you're behind making dinner, throw some onions on
to saute and your kitchen
will smell wonderful and homey.
* Egg whites should always
be at room temperature before whipping.
Be certain there is
no yolk in the whites and that the bowl and
beaters are perfectly
clean. Cream, on the other hand, should be
well-chilled. For the
largest volume, chill the bowl and beaters
before whipping.
* When using spaghetti, keep
in mind that 8 ounces of uncooked
pasta makes 4 cups
cooked.
* When using all-purpose flour,
keep in mind that one pound flour
is the equivalent to
4 cups.
* When using dried beans and
peas, keep in mind that 1 cup dry beans
or peas makes 2 1/2
cups cooked.
* When using rice, keep in
mind that 1 cup of uncooked long-grain
white rice makes 3
cups cooked.
* When using granulated sugar,
keep in mind that one pound sugar
is the equivalent to
2 cups.
* Ultimate Disposable Pastry
Bag:
Take a heavy-duty zipper-seal
plastic bag and snip off
one corner, making
a slightly curved cut. Using a standard
two-piece plastic coupler
(available wherever cake decorating
supplies are sold),
insert the larger piece into the hole.
Choose a tip and secure
it with the coupler's ring. Fill the
bag and zip the top
closed. Decorate away, then remove the
coupler/tip assembly
and toss the bag. No messy cleanup!
* One way to preserve the flavor
of fresh herbs is to make herb butter.
Let the butter soften,
then add finely chopped herbs in any
combination, abbout
2 to 4 tablespoons per stick of butter. The
butter freezes well,
and you can serve it spread on French bread
or with seafood or
chicken.
* Pancakes are lighter and
fluffier when you substitute club soda
for milk in the batter.
* Before opening a package
of bacon, roll it. This helps separate
the slices for easy
removal of individual slices.
* Drain deep fried foods on
brown paper grocery bags as opposed to
paper towels to retain
crispness.
* Whenever possible, warm your
dinner plates slightly in the oven
before serving so the
meal stays a little bit hotter.
* To make lighter and fluffier
mashed potatoes, add a pinch or two
of baking powder to
the potatoes before whipping.
* Cookies will spread if your
dough is too pliable by allowing butter
to get too soft. If
your cookies are spreading too much, try
refrigerating the dough
for a couple of hours before baking.
* Cookie dough can be frozen
up to three months in an airtight
container or refrigerated
three to four days.
* Check cookies at minimum
baking time.
* Let cookies cool completely
before storing. Store different types
of cookies in separate
containers so they'll keep their original
flavor and texture.
* Marinate red meats in wine
to tenderize.
* Marinate chicken in buttermilk
to tenderize.
* Use margarine instead of
butter to panfry or saute.
Butter burns quickly.
* Instead of adding raw garlic
to sauces, saute the garlic
first for a milder
flavor.
* Thaw frozen meat and poultry
in the refrigerator and not on
the kitchen counter
where bacteria can grow.
* Add a small amount of lemon
juice to the artichoke cooking
water to retain the
color of the artichoke.
* A low-calorie solution for
high-fat frying of corn tortillas is
to place them in the
oven, directly on the rack. Bake at 350 F,
to desired crispness.
The tortillas will automatically fold over
into taco shell form
with just a little postioning help.
* A simple way to sharpen kitchen
shears: cut a piece of steel wool.
* Don't just keep dental floss
in your medicine cabinet. Keep some
in the kitchen. It's
a great tool. Unflavored dental floss is
often better than a&
knife to cleanly cut all kinds of soft foods,
soft cheese, rolled
dough, layered cake and cheesecake.
* If lettuce starts turning
a little brown (but not slimy) it may
not be suitable for
salads, but it is for sauteing. Sauteed
salad greens like lettuce,
radicchio, and endive make an unusual
but tasty side dish.
Saute lettuces just as you would spinach.
Cook them quickly in
a little olive oil, minced garlic, and salt.
They taste great, and
you cant tell that the greens were once
a little brown.
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