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Tips to enhance your eating experience. Making food easier to prepare, tastier and better for you.
Sweet Treat at the Barbecue: Banana split down the middle, fill with marshmallow, wrap in foil, leaving hole in top. Remove when marshmallow is right consistency (monitored through hole in top). - Barry McDonnell
Brussels Sprouts - Cut a small cross in the bottom of the sprout and speed up cooking time - Regards Dianne Dimke 14 Oct 2005
Kitchen and Carving Knives - Many good chefs and cooks use carbon steel knives (so did Hannibal Lecter) the blades can get a bit dull and stained, however you can brighten them up with half a potato dipped in sodium bicarbonate. Rub each side for half a minute and it will come up nice and shiny. Carbon steel can take and keep an edge. To sharpen them I use a diamond Lap obtained from a specialist tool shop. I have two, one is medium and the other fine. James A Mohammed St Ives UK 17th Sep 2005
Subject: Easy ... Saving chicken broth without the grease: Pour all into container and place covered into the refrig. The oil will float to the top and "set". You can then just skim it off and have fat free broth! (Well, almost fat free?) ~~ "Betty Angel" 10 Oct 2002
Mussels - do not wrap your live mussels, they could suffocate - never freeze and do observe the sell by date, discard mussels that do not close when given a sharp tap and discard the ones that do not fully open after cooking. Regards Dianne Dimke 14 Sep 2005
Using the Microwave. - When Microwaving food on the plate that is to be used to serve up the food make sure that the plate has been heated before the food is placed on it. If the pate is cold then it will suck much of the heat away. I use hot or boiling water to heat the plate up before use. - Davina Martin 18 Jun 2007
Removing the top of a jar - If the top of a jar refuses to budge put an elastic band around it and you will find it much easier to remove ~~ Regards Dianne Dimke 13 June 2005
Cake Crumbs: Fed up with the cake or other crumbly food disintegrating when you cut it? Use a wetted knife. ~~ Wendel Quinn 01 June 2005Subject: Pasta , add a lapsang souchong tea bag to water when boiling pasta, gives it a really nice smokey taste.. Steve Clarke 31 Jan 2004
Subject: How to Decaffeinate Tea Many people buy "decaffeinated" tea, however it is easy to take the caffeine out of any tea... just steep it for about a minute, this releases the caffeine... pour that off and add water to re-steep. You won't notice a difference in the taste, but the caffeine will be mostly gone. ~~ Sylvia PF 12 Oct 2002
Veggie wannabes Want to try being a vegetarian but miss meat a lot? Check out a dry soy product called textured vegetable protein, which can be made up quickly and inexpensively into entrees that taste like your favorite meat products. Health food stores, on-line soy companies, and some supermarkets carry this product, which takes only 15 minute of marinating in hot veggie juice, fruit juice, or bouillon to create the meaty-tasting component of your favorite flesh-based recipe. For a hundred such recipes~~including calzones, shepherd's pies, creole sauce, stuffed cabbage rolls, fajitas, szechuan stew, etc.~~check out the book Meatless Meat: A Book of Recipes for Meat Substitutes by Dorothy Jane Mills, from Xlibris, toll-free 1-888-795-4274, or from your favorite online or bricks-and-mortar bookstore, ~~ Dorothy Mills 8 Jul 2002
Batter: Substitute the water with beer to make a very nice batter. – Scott Edmunds.
Rice: Rinse uncooked several times to remove excess starch, as this causes the rice grains to stick together. Also try not to stir the rice as it cooks as this damages the grains and produces more starch in the water. A bit of oil, margarine, or butter in the water also helps reduce sticking. – Essy Edmunds.
Subject: Decaffeinating tea - Although tea contains about one-third the caffeine there is in coffee, and some teas are already decaffeinated, you can remove most of the caffeine from any tea by steeping it for about a minute, discarding the liquid and adding water to steep it again. ~~ Sylvia PF 21 Sep 2002
Butter: To prevent butter burning when frying with butter, add a little cooking oil to the melting butter. – Anon.
Cream. If you don’t have single cream, a mixture of milk and melted butter is a useful substitute. To 4 units of milk, add one unit of melted butter. - Jonny Koh, Washington.
Keeping fresh coffee in the fridge or freezer preserves the taste ~~ Wendel Quinn ; Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Filling Devilled Eggs: After boiling your eggs, and cutting in half - scoop out the yolks and make your filling for the eggs. Put the mixture in a ziplock baggie. Then - making sure the bag is sealed - cut one corner of the bottom of the bag. Squeeze the filling into the halved egg whites - simple & easy -! When all egg halves are filled - simply throw the baggie away. No more trying to fit a spoon into those small holes of an egg! :) Martha
An easy way to get the "paper" off of garlic without peeling is to smash the clove with the palm of your hand, the garlic will slide right of the "paper". So much easier than spending all that time peeling. ~~ "kelly" Sep 2002
Store sugar with vanilla pods, lemon zest, rose petals, or lavender to give it a nice flavor. ~~ David Edmunds.
Soften Brown Sugar by covering the container with a damp cloth. Some people use a small piece of bread ~~ David Edmunds.
Baking with Flour: If you run out of self raising flour, the general rule is 2.5 teaspoons of baking powder to 250g (1 lb.) of plain flour. ~~ Scott Edmunds.
Cake Mixes: How to use cake mixes and add other ingredients to make it taste like homemade: '... Use a white cake mix. One can of Cherry pie filling or 2 depending on the quantity you are making. Spread the cake mix over the pie filling. Cut up one cube of marj. or butter and place though out the top of the cake mix. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. It's fabulous. "Dump Cake" Top with whipping cream. They will think you slaved and it was simple... 'Jan Tani
A cocktail stick or toothpick can be used to test whether a cake is ready, If it comes out clean then the cake is ready. You can also tell from the elasticity of the crust ~~ Helen Budkiewicz Toronto Canada
Bread: it is so lovely to make your own bread, and I find that brushing the bread with salty water before baking gives it a lovely crunchy topping. ~~ Maggie Renton, Athens, Georgia, USA
Fruit Pies: I find that tossing the fruit in flour stops the pastry at the bottom of the pie from getting soggy. Also when making cakes with glace cherries toss the cherries in flour first.
Coffee: Check out our new coffee page
To prepare Italian Espresso coffee I saw this recipe in an English Newspaper. Use 50 coffee beans per person, this will produce 7 grammes each, Place the coffee in a filter and pour water at 88 degrees over it, the coffee should be served at 57 degrees in a small cup. I sometimes take it with a small amount of creme on top but it should be really be served in a small white undecorated cup. A Scottish friend of mine pours it over his ice cream (Italian of Course) and I must confess that I have tried it and found it to be an unusual and excellent sweet to finish off a good meal. Try these Websites:www.coffeeuniverse.com ~~ Germano, London
An interesting fact is that raw blackcurrants, and kiwi fruit contain more vitamin C than oranges. Green bananas go yellow quicker if there are ripe bananas with them ~~ Robbie Gill Heston England
Dates: if you are dieting, natural dates contain only half of the sugar of the sun-dried variety you get in boxes. ~~ A Husaini, London W6
Lemons: when squeezing lemon, if you put them in the microwave for half a minute makes them release more juice. ~~ Comi Edmunds
Wine:
Sparkling wines: If your champagne or other sparkling wine froths when you open it, dip your finger down the neck of the bottle to make the bubbles subside. ~~ Rupert J Graves, Paris
Wine is best poured from a height as it airs the wine and adds aroma ~~ Scott Edmunds.
Open red wines an hour before drinking to allow them to breathe, serving at room temperature, chill white wines and Rosé, opening just before serving ~~ Scott Edmunds.
Vegetables
Carrots are easier to peel if they are briefly blanched in boiling water. – Essy Edmunds.
A drop of lemon/lime juice will stop the browning (caused by oxidation) of vegetables or fruit ~~ Anon.
Lettuce should never be cut, but torn instead – Vanessa Echols
Cook vegetables quickly and in a closed pot with only 5cm or so of water. Taste an color are better this way ~~ Bruce Snyder England Dec 98
Before you peel your onion heat it up in the microwave for one minute. No tears, I guarantee ~~ Bruce Snyder Radlett England
Meat
Subject: Turkey Tips: We all have trouble getting the stuffing of the turkey. Next time put a piece of cheesecloth inside the cavity, then put in the stuffing. Then all you have to do is pull the cheesecloth and the stuffing comes right out. ~~ Kris Anderson
Tough meat can be tenderized by marinating with vinegar or pineapple juice for several hours. The marinade must be washed off to get the taste away though. The other day I read in the paper that marinating meat prior to barbecuing it reduces the danger of cancer greatly ~~ Graham Peck London England
Excess gravy can be frozen and used for stocks and sauces later on. Poultry: I found that my turkey or game casserole is even nicer when I add just a little bitter chocolate. I never tell the people eating it though. ~~ Anon. Withholding your name means that they will never find out !! ~~ Ed
To check to see if a chicken or similar bird is completely cooked try flexing the legs from side to side. If they "give" easily then it is ready ~~ Sally Edwards Toronto Canada
Minced Beef. If you don’t have minced beef to hand, minced pork, lamb, or veal are useful substitutes. - Sarah Hughes, Kingston
Avocados:
Unripe avocados ripen twice as fast as usual if stored in a brown paper bag and stored in a warm place. – Anthony Elliot.
Put lemon juice on your avocado after slicing to stop it browning - - Vanessa Echols.
When preparing guacamole, leave the avocado seed in the mix until it is ready to serve. That way it will not go brown so quickly ~~ Wendel Quinn Kuala Lumpur
Onions: IF cutting onions caused your eyes to watered, try using your hand to sprinkle some fresh water onto your toes (left hand sprinkled to right toes, or vice versa). strange ... but it works. I learnt from the older generation. Jaslyn .... Wah Fong & Jaslyn"
To avoid onions discoloring, use a very sharp knife – Vanessa Echols
Bread in the mouth helps stops tears when peeling/slicing onions – Wendel Quinn Kuala Lumpur
Small Onions: These are peeled much easier when you pour boiling water on them. ~~ J Breakspear. Peel/slice onions underwater to stop eyes watering ~~ Anon
Onions. An easy way of preparing onions for cutting is to trim the ends off, but don’t peel them. Microwave the onion on high for one minute. It is then easy to peel off the skin, and also you won’t cry when you chop them up. - Alex Adams
When frying onions if the oil starts to dry up, add a drop of water instead of more oil. The same goes when stir-frying anything ~~ Comi Edmunds, UK. July 98.
To brown onions more quickly add a little sugar to caramelize them. ~~David Keller.Tomatoes To peel tomatoes blanch them in boiling water briefly and ~~ Voila! - the skin now comes off easily. – Comi Edmunds.
Unripe tomatoes can be made to ripen quicker by having a ripe tomato stored with them to activate the ripening process of the others. Store them at room temperature as well. – Janet Wyatt.
Slice tomatoes from end to end to stop the seeds falling out – Ian Richards Herbs/Spices Keep fresh herbs, and fresh spices such a root ginger in the freezer to stop them going off. The ginger or garlic can be grated into the food while still frozen ~~ David Edmunds, UK, Jul 98.
Chew some parsley after eating garlic to sweeten your breath– Wendel Quinn Kuala Lumpur Jun 98.
Chili Peppers: Check out our Chillies Page
Wear gloves when chopping hot peppers, always wash your hands after touching them, and never rub your eyes or touch other parts of the body when handling them as they will burn and sting. ~~ Sara Sutherland age 10
If you’ve overdone the spices in a dish, a bit of sugar will balance it out. Lemon juice helps, as does putting in half a lemon cooking for a few minutes then removing ~~ Rathna Ali London England.
Spices should be roasted and cooked for a few minutes before cooking the rest of the dish to get the most of the flavours, and remove the really choking burning sensation if they are hot. ~~ Rathna Ali London England.
Herbs
Dried Herbs. The general rule of thumb is one tablespoon of fresh herbs is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried ones. - Anthony Daniels, Los Angeles
Eggs
Subject: eggs, boiled. ~~ Boiling water hardens the protein in egg whites. To avoid this, cover eggs with 3" of salted water, heat to boiling, turn off stove and let sit for 20 minutes in the hot water. Run under cold water for easier peeling. Bill Shockley San Francisco, CA. ~~
Boiling Eggs using boiling water: Soft boiling takes 6 minutes, hard boiled eggs take 10 minutes.~~ Wendel Quinn Kuala Lumpur
Shelling Boiled Eggs: Use a wetted teaspoon, it has just the right curvatute and slips under the shell ~~ Davina
To test eggs for freshness put in cold salty water, and bad ones will float to the top. – Wendel Quinn Kuala Lumpur
If you accidentally break an egg onto the floor put some salt onto it, leave for 10 minutes, and then the egg is much easier to pick up as it had clotted. – Bonnie Pacifico
Boiling eggs : Eggs that are cracked may be boiled by wrapping them tightly in aluminum foil before placing them in the water – Ricardo Bos
Egg Whites: To stiffen egg whites I find that adding a pinch of salt or cream of tartar does the trick. ~~ Michael Goldstock, USA
To discourage cracking It is best to perforate your eggs before boiling them. Sausages too, like to be perforated. ~~ Dave Edmunds
Need Boiled Eggs for recipes. Whenever I need boiled eggs for a recipe or a salad ,instead of the nuisance of boiling eggs and the frustration of peeling them, I use one of those poached egg cookers (found at any large discount store) and cook the eggs in the microwave. Within a minute or less, I have a perfectly cooked egg for chopping without the shell mess. Great for when you need only one or two boiled eggs. ~~ Nancy Collins
Seafood
Fresh Caught Fish - Nothing tastes better than fish frewsh from the ocean, however fish if allowed to die slowly build up lactic acid in their flesh, so for better tasting, longer lasting and less smelly fish you should kill your catch straight away. For sushi and sashimi the Japanese spike the brain. My preferred method is to rapidly cut off the head using a very sharp knife ~~ DM
Cooking fish: When shallow frying fish always coat in seasoned flour or egg as it holds the fish together and keeps it moist. ~~ Kay Chan.
Mussels: with live mussels clean first by scrubbing, remove the beards and barnacles with a knife, rinse several times in cold water and soak them a couple of hours so they clean themselves. Any mussels that float should be discarded along with any with cracked shells. Any mussels with open shells should be tapped, if they don’t close these should be discarded. Make sure they open when cooking, and keep stirring because they may have trouble opening if they are too packed together. To remove grit from the cooking liquor sieve through muslin or use a (clean) sock. - - Anon
Tartar Sauce. A quick way of making a nice substitute sauce is by adding 7 tablespoons of mayonnaise to 2 tablespoons of chopped mixed pickles. - Shelia MacDonald
Eating Lobster. Use electricians side cutters (sterile) instead of the conventional mallet. Jaz D
Rice
Don't settle for any Risotto rice, there are several varieties, my favorite is Carnaroli. it is less sticky than Arborio and it usually tastes more like the rice I am used to. My local store stocks Vialone Nano risotto rice is similar in texture but is shorter and the ones I have tried have been a bit blander than the others. ~~ Scott Edmunds
Other rices to use for Risotto are; Baldo, Roma or Arborio. Viale Nano can also be used in Minestrone soup and is the best one to use in timbales (dry rice dishes). Carnarole takes a little longer to cook; 18-20 minutes whereas Viale Nano is ready in 14-15 minutes.
Risotto (and Paella): When making Risotto you must have the stock pre-heated so as not to interrupt the cooking process and the stock should be added gradually while gently stirring. If using wine it should be added before the stock. As with Paella, the rice should be gently fried before adding the stock, a little onion, herbs and spices should be added before the rice and be patient when adding the stock. Slowly does it and test continuously. Remember that rice will cook after heat is taken away so stop before it is fully cooked. ~~ S. Edmunds
Misc
Many top chefs never wash their frying pans. They scour them with salt and some-times salt and oil. One chef I know used to "condition" his pan by raising to a high temperature with just salt and then, when it had cooled some, he got rid of the excess salt, and only then he added the oil ~~ Dave Edmunds
Check out this interesting Food Website is www.epicurious.com
Another Excellent Recipe Website is www.pazsaz.com/pattye.html
A weird foodie site: Wildrecipes
BIG, extremely comprehensive and easy to use ~~ www.mealsforyou.com
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