Tips & Tricks

Below are some tips & Tricks that I thought I'd share with you:

·     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. 

·    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. 

·    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.

·    Never heat pesto sauce - the basil will turn black and taste bitter.

·    Noodles, spaghetti and other starches won't boil over if you rub the inside of the pot with vegetable oil. 

·    To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

·    Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

·    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.

·    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. 

·    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.

·    When making roux for a recipe, make extra and keep in the refrigerator for future use. 

·    To remove egg shells from a batter, use the remaining shell to attract the piece.

·    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. 

·    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. 

·    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. 

·    To keep salt from clogging in the shaker, add 1/2 teaspoon of uncooked rice.

·    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.

·     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, about 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.

·     Before opening a package of bacon, roll it. This helps separate the slices for easy removal of individual slices.

·     Marinate red meats in wine to tenderize.

·     Marinate chicken in buttermilk to tenderize.

·    Use margarine instead of butter to panfry or sauté. Butter burns quickly.

·    Thaw frozen meat and poultry in the refrigerator and not on the kitchen counter where bacteria can grow.


Do you have any tips and tricks to share?