Peeling Ginger

The next time that you need to peel some ginger for your favorite recipe, grab a spoon instead of a knife.

The spoon can fit into the crevices easier and you will not loose as much of your ginger down the drain.

Whole Walnuts

You have a recipe that asks for whole walnuts. You got a bag of them, but every time you try cracking it open, the meat comes out in pieces. What are you doing wrong?

This takes a bit of forethought, but the day before you need the walnuts, fill a large bowl or pan with water. Add the walnuts and about a teaspoon of salt.

The next day, drain the water from the bowl and place the walnuts on a large towel.

Now when you crack the walnuts, the meat will remain whole.

Equal Defrosting For All

I have found when I defrost a Chicken Breast or other solid cuts of meat that have an irregular shape, that they do not defrost evenly.

When you pull them out, some pieces are cooked while others are still frozen. I recently found an great way to defrost with out this happening.

I found a bowl that was large enough to hold my chicken breast and filled it with water.

I placed the chicken breast in the water and set it in the microwave to defrost.

When the defrost cycle was over, my chicken was defrosted with out any "white" cooked spots.

Leaky Graham Cracker Crust

You are making a cheese cake with a graham cracker crust. The only problem is that when you bake it in a spring form pan the butter melts onto the oven floor causing smoke. How can you prevent this from happening?

There are several different methods for this. You can choose which one will work the best for you:

Try using a bit less butter. If you used too much butter it cannot be fully absorbed into the graham cracker crust and will leak out of the sides of the pan.

Try wrapping the base of the pan with aluminum foil instead of parchment. Leave a little bit around the edges outside to hold the butter instead of dropping it onto the floor of the oven.

or

Bake it as normal, exept place it on a cookie sheet with a small lip to prevent the butter from dripping onto the floor of the oven.

Uneven Cakes

You are baking a cake and when you check on it you see that the top of the cake is very uneven.

One side is much taller than the other. There are several reasons that can cause these results. Here are just a few:

If you are baking more than one pan in the oven, you may not have adequate air circulation. If the side of the pans are touching or too close you can get results like this.

When you poured the batter into the pan, did you tap it down or spread it out to make sure that it was evenly distributed across the bottom?

Your oven may be heating unevenly. You will need to test this by placing pieces of bread across every inch of rack space with your oven set at 300º. After a few minutes start keeping a close eye on the bread. Are any pieces browning faster than others? Once your test is complete (before the bread starts burning) turn off the heat of your oven and open the door to let cool a bit. Using a pair of tongs remove the bread and save for breadcrumbs.

Your oven may not be level. While the oven is cool grab a common level to check and see if your oven is truly level. It may be your oven or just the racks. Check both (oven first, then rack)

Slick Casseroles

When you are preparing your casserole for baking, use this quick and easy tip for greasing the pan.

Place your butter or oil in the pan, grab a piece of bread and use it to spread the butter/oil around.

When you are done, break up the piece of bread and use it in your casserole recipe.

Picking Pans for Baking

You are getting ready to bake and you have several different types of pans to pick from. But which one do you use?

When you are baking pies and breads, use a dark pan. This will aid in browning the crusts better.

When baking cookies or cakes, use a shiny pan. This will help prevent over darkening of the bottoms and sides.

If you decide to use a glass pan, don’t forget to reduce your oven temperature by 25º. You may also want to check for doneness a few minutes before the timer goes off.

Stove Top Saavy

You are making up a recipe on the stove top, but you are not getting the results that the recipe is indicating.

There are several factors that can affect your recipe.

The type of cookware that you have selected may be a cause. Pans that are too thin will not conduct heat properly. If you are using too small or too large of a pan for your burner may over/under cook.

You may not be using the correct size of pan; if the pan is too large the food may cook too fast, if you use a pan too small it may not evenly.

Another factor that has to be taken into account is the voltage of your range or the gas type used.

Some times you have to experiment a few times before you get the final results that you are looking for.

Cake Mountain

You are baking a cake and when you pull the cake out of the oven and you see that the middle of the cake is much higher than the rest of it.

There are several reasons for this to occur, here are just a few:

When you were baking the cake the oven temperature may have been too high.

When you were mixing your cake you might have added too much flour or over mixed it.

When you placed the batter into the pan, did you use the proper size pan? The pan might be too full.

It could even be that the pan color is too dark or dull.

Cracked Cheesecake

You made a cheesecake you followed all the rules and it cracked. What can you do to get rid of the crack now that it is there?

Find a wide cloth ribbon or fold a towel to the thickness of your cake. While the cake is still warm gently remove the sidewall from the cake. Wrap the cloth around the outside of the cheesecake, and holding it firmly to pull the cake together and smooth out the crack secure with a large binder clip.

When the cake has had a chance to cool, remove the clip and the ribbon. If the cake still has an obvious crack top with fresh or canned fruit.

Pepperoni Peace

You just love making pepperoni pizza and the kids chow it down. The only problem is that when you make it, you always have pools of red oil dripping down off the pizza and all over your hands and clothes.

Fortunately there is a way that you can prepare the pepperoni so that it does not drip all over.

Grab a large microwave safe platter and place a couple of pieces of paper towel on the plate. Lay out a layer of pepperoni on the towel and cover with a couple more sheets. Place another layer of pepperoni and cover. Continue until you have all the pepperoni that you will need for your recipe.

Place the plate in a microwave oven and cook for 30 seconds on high. Let the plate sit for 5 minutes or so and cook again for 30 seconds. Let the plate sit for 5 minutes and now your pepperoni is ready for use.

Once you have placed all your pepperoni simply toss the soaked towels in the trash.

Perfect Preheat

The recipe requests that you preheat your oven. What exactly does that mean?

Most ovens have a preheat feature. You set the oven for the temperature that you desire. It will usually beep or a light will go off to let you know that the temperature has been reached.

Remember when preparing your recipe that it can take up to ½ hour for the oven to reach temperature. I usually let it go for about 5-10 minutes after the beep to make sure that the oven is ready.

If you do not preheat your oven you could see results of burned bottom or over cooked as the elements are actively hot while baking for longer than if the oven has been preheated.

Cutting Carrots

Cutting carrots is actually quite easy if you do it right.

1) Wash your carrot well and trim off any dark spots as well as any green tops.

2) To make the carrot more managable, cut the carrot into several sections. Depending on the size of your carrot will determine how many piece you will need to make. I like working with about 3 inch sections.

3) Take each section and cut it in half so that you have a flat section to lay on your cutting board.

4) Make several, usually 2 or 3 lengthwise cuts to each of your carrot pieces.

5) Now just cut across the pieces that you cut lengthwise.

You now have a diced carrot that was quick and easy.

Juicing Lemons

When juicing a lemon, it will yield more juice if it is left at room temperature for at least an hour before juicing.

Don’t forget to wash the outside of the lemon to remove any pesticides or dirt before grating the peel.

Applesauce for Cooking

You love using applesauce instead of butter or fat in some recipes, but you have a hard time keeping some fresh all the time.

You open the jar and before you can use it all you have to toss it.

An easy answer to this is to buy the snack sized containers like you would throw in a lunch. Now you have some pre-measured packages to use whenever you need it.

Better Butter for Struedel

When making fruit crisps or anything with a strudel you find it hard to blend the cold butter with the flour or sugar.

To make this task easier you can shred your butter using your cheese grater.

It will break the pieces up small enough to easily incorporate in your recipe.

Groovy Gravy

When you are making fried pork chops or chicken you like to include a bit of gravy for the potatoes.

Truth is, you really can’t make a good gravy. Worry no more. Just grab a can of creamy soup.

After you have fried up your food, remove it from the pan and drain any excess grease. Reduce the heat to medium.

Add your can of cream style soup and add about a half a can of milk.

Gently warm up for a minute or two stirring often while your are completing the rest of your meal.

Prepping Potatoes

When preparing potatoes for hash browns or frying, make sure that they are completely dry before placing in the pan.

When grating your potatoes, grate directly into a strainer. This will allow any excess liquid to drain off.

Just before you place in the pan, place the potatoes onto a large clean cotton towel.

Now your potatoes will cook up crispy instead of mushy.

Crab Meat Know How

You are at the store looking for crab meat. There are so many kinds, what do they all mean?

Lump Crab Meat is usually white meat that is found inside the main shell of the crab. This meat is usually used in salads where you would like it apparent that there is crab in it.

Flake Crab Meat is usually all the leftover meat from the main shell after the main meat has been removed. Flake crab meat is usually used in sauces and dips to add flavor and a bit of texture.

Claw Crab Meat is usually meat from the claw of the crab only. Firmer in texture and not quite as flakey as any of the above meat. Claw meat is good for casseroles or soups. It can stand up to the cooking process well, while providing good flavor.

All of these types of crab meat can be used for making crab cakes, although for best results I would use a combination of all. Easiest way to do that is to buy a full crab. Have the butcher clean it for you. When you get home it will only take about 10-15 minutes to clean all the meat from the crab.

Meeting the Meat

You love to buy meat in a can, but sometimes you have issues getting it to come out of the can in one piece.

The easiest resolution to this problem is to fill up your sink or a bowl large enough to hold the can with hot water.

Drop the unopened can in the hot water for a few minutes.

The heat will melt some of the fat that sticks to the can.

Now just dry off your can, open, and your meat should slide right out.

Potato Prep

When you are preparing a recipe that uses fresh potatoes, make sure to prepare the potatoes just before you are ready to cook.

If you prepare fresh potatoes too much in advance, the potatoes can turn black. It does not really affect the taste, but it certainly changes the appearance.

If you do find it necessary to prepare potatoes early, after they have been peeled, drop them into a bowl of water making sure that they are completely covered.

Hot Oil?

You are deep frying, but you can’t determine if the oil is hot enough for cooking in yet.

You can drop in a fresh bread cube, if it turns brown after one minute your oil is warm enough.

Better yet, grab a thermometer, it should read at least 365º.

Mincing Anchovies

You have a recipe that asks for minced anchovies, you look at the little critters and wonder how this is going to be done?

There are two simple resolutions to this problem.

First, grab a small bowl and a fork. Place one anchovy at a time in the bowl and press against it with the fork until it is broken up. Move the minced anchovy into another bowl and repeat the process until all anchovies have been mashed.

If you only have a couple of anchovies to mince, you can just grab your garlic press.

Cheesecake Tips

Here are a few useful tips to help you make a successful cheesecake. Although a cheesecake is quite simple to make, the right techniques can help make it a success every time.

Before starting your recipe, let your eggs and cream cheese sit at room temperature for at least a half an hour. The cream cheese will be softer and easier to incorporate and the eggs will blend in easier also.

When mixing the cheesecake batter, remember that you are blending the ingredients, not whipping them.

If you mix them too quickly you will get air into the batter, then as the cheesecake cooks, the batter will continue to expand.

After the cheesecake has been removed from the oven and allowed to cool, the cake will settle and deflate causing cracks.

Dried Herb Fresh Test

When cooking with herbs it is hard to tell if what you have in the cupboard is fresh.

Dried herbs actually have a shelf life of about 1 – 1½ years, but if you are like me, most of my herbs have been there for much longer!

Before using the herb in your recipe, pinch a few of the leaves between your fingers and roll a bit. If you can smell the herb it should be good to use.

If you don’t smell anything or the smell is very faint toss the herbs and buy some new ones.

Lemon Juice Plus!

When juicing a lemon, it will yield more juice if it is left at room temperature for at least an hour before juicing.

Don’t forget to wash the outside of the lemon before squeezing. Now when you have extracted all of the juice you can grate the peel and freeze it in a tightly sealed container. Now when you need some lemon peel just grab a container from the freezer and you have it fresh and ready to go!

Garlic Prep & Storage

My family loves garlic. It does take a bit of time to prepare so I have found this simple solution to always have some on hand.

When you go shopping, pick up a few heads of garlic.

When you get home chop up all of the garlic at once and place into an airtight glass container.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil for each head of garlic, then seal tightly.

Place the jar in the coldest shelf of your refrigerator.

Now you will have fresh chopped garlic whenever you need it for up to 2 weeks.

Chopping Nuts

When chopping nuts, they are actually easier to chop when they are warm. The meat will be more pliable and you will not have to chase pieces down all over the kitchen.

To warm the nuts, place them in the microwave and cook on high for a minute or so, mix with your hands and see if more time is needed.

After the first minute, only microwave in increments of 30 seconds. You don’t want them so hot that you can’t handle them and when they cool off they may be a bit crunchier.

You can also heat them in the oven by baking for about 5 minutes at 325º.

High Altitude 101

If you are baking at high altitude, there are few easy adaptations that you will need to make in order for your recipes to turn out correctly. (High altitude is generally above 3,000 feet)

For each cup of sugar that you use, reduce the amount by 2 or 3 tablespoons.

Increase each cup of liquid in your recipe by 3-4 tablespoons.

If your recipe requires Baking Powder, reduce the amount by ¼ teaspoon for each teaspoon.

Finally, don’t forget to increase your oven temperature by 25º F.

You may need to experiment a bit with each recipe, and depending on your altitude minor adjustments may need to be made.

PASTRY BRUSH POSSIBILITIES

You are spreading butter with your pastry brush and you are going crazy. Your brush is leaving little bristles all over your creation. What can you do to prevent this from happening?

Go down to your local craft store and pick up some sponge brushes. These are relatively inexpensive to buy.

When you get them home, wash them well and let them dry.

The next time that you are cooking a need a brush, us one to spread your sauces or butter. They will spread much smoother and are much easier to clean when you are done.

TRICKY TEMPERATURE

You are making up some bread and the recipe says to use warm water or milk that is anywhere from 110 - 120. Is there a quick and easy way to tell if the water is warm enough?

Really when making bread you will need to go down to the store and pick up a good thermometer. The problems that can arise from "guesstimating" are bad enough that you don't want to risk it.

If your water/milk is too warm, you can kill your yeast and the recipe will not rise properly.

If you use water/milk that is not warm enough it will not activate the yeast and your recipe will not rise.

So for now, it is better to be safe than sorry.

GROCERY MAYHEM II

There are certain things in your pantry that you really shouldn't run out of, especially if you have kids in the house.

There are certain staples such as Flour, Sugar, Ketchup, and BBQ sauce that is just really inconvenient to run out of.

Now I keep an extra of each item in the pantry.

When I run out of the item in use, I grab the one from the pantry and place the item on my shopping list.

Even just going shopping once a week, I still have plenty of time to pick up the item before we are out again.

OILING THE BOTTOM OF A PAN?

You have a recipe that asks you to oil the bottom of the pan only. How in the heck are you supposed to do this. Especially if you are making muffins! The answer is quite simple. I have my oil in an old syrup container so that I can control the flow.

Place a drop of oil in the bottom of each muffin cup. Now using a small (new) clean paintbrush, brush the oil around the bottom until it is covered.

You can use a paper towell also if you don't have a brush handy.

QUICKLY THAWING GROUND BEEF

You love cooking with ground beef, but you have the same problem every time. You take it out of the freezer and it is a huge brick. When you try defrosting it, the outside get's soft and the outside is mushy and soft. Try this little hint to help defrost it faster.

When you get home from the grocery store, take your ground beef and break it into meal sized chunks.

Place the chunks into large zip lock bags and gently press the beef so that it is flat and fills all of the crevaces of the bag.

Now place in the freezer. Packaged this way, they stack easier in your freezer and when you are ready to cook, they will defrost faster.

You can defrost in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or you can place it in a large container of water for about an hour or so.

Your hamburger is now ready for your creation.

EASY BACON STRIPS

You are getting ready to make breakfast for your bunch and you pull out the bacon and try to pull off a piece. You get an nice long lacey looking thing. Well, that didn't work too well. What can you do to get bacon off easier?

Once you get home from the store, place your bacon in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to make your bacon, remove it from the refrigerator and place the package of bacon on to the counter. Now starting from one of the short ends, start rolling it into a tube from short end to short end. It does not have to be real tight, just a nice loose cinnamon roll type shape.

Once you have it rolled, hold it that way for a minute or so.

Now just unroll and unwrap and your bacon should now pull off and separate easier.

SALTY CASSEROLE HELP

You have made a casserole and you take a bite, WOW! Way too much salt. How are you going to save this one? This great little tip may just save your meal!

You can try to save it by placing some thinly sliced apple strips into the dish for a while.

When you pull out the pieces of apples, they will have absorbed some of the salt.

You can also use apples to remove the burned taste from foods and sauces that have cooked just a bit too long.

STICKY KNIVES

If you are cutting up sticky items like raisins, dried fruit, marshmallows, etc. it will go a lot easier if you place a large glass of cold water next to your cutting board.

Dip your knife in the water before you start.

As you continue to cut and notice that your fruit is sticking, wipe off the blade with a soft cloth, dip in the water again and continue cutting.

GREASY SOUP

You are making up some soup and just as you are ready to serve it you notice that there is some fat floating on the top of it. You don't want to serve it that way, but skimming it off with a spoon is not working. How are you going to get all that fat off before you finish it and serve it?

Grab a piece of cheesecloth and place a couple of ice cube in the center and tie it off.

Now just drag the cloth over the surface of the soup and the fat will stick to the cheese cloth.

The ice will cool the fat enough to make it solidify a bit and stick to the cheese cloth like magic!

Now just toss the cheese cloth and finish preparing your soup!

NO MORE MESSY MEATLOAF

When you are making meat loaf, you really don't like to get your hands in there and mix it up.

The next time that you make some meatloaf try placing all of the ingredients into a large zip bag.

Now when you are ready to mix it up, press most of the air out of the bag and knead the bag to mix all of the ingredients together.

Now just gently shape your meatloaf a bit and drop it out of your bag into your baking dish.

Bake away and your family will enjoy!

ANNOYING EGG SHELLS

You are making your favorite recipe using eggs and when you are cracking the eggs a piece of shell falls into your mixture.

You have been fishing around for it for a while now and you are getting frustrated.

Should you just finish making it and hope that no one notices?

The simplest solution is to grab the piece of egg shell that you still have.

Scoop out the piece of shell that you dropped in your mixture using that piece of shell.

The piece that dropped in will be attracted to the shell that you are scooping with kind of like a magnet.

EASY BREAD CRUMBS

Not everyone likes the heels of bread, this is an easy way to use them up.

Take the heels of the bread or any extra slices that might be a bit stale and place them into a large ziplock bag into the freezer.

When you have a recipe that askes for bread crumbs, grab your bag out of the freezer.

Break the bread into pieces and drop into your food processor or blender.

Process and now you have instant bread crumbs.

CRACKING A COCONUT

You are shopping and you see that there are some fresh coconut.

You pick one up with lofty aspirations of sweet desserts.

As you are looking at them you have no idea how to pick one out.

The easiest way to pick out a fresh coconut is to shake it. If you can hear juice inside it is fresh.

If you don't hear anything, pick out another one. It will be too old and rubbery.

You get it home, and you look at it, where do you start?

The easiest way to crack a coconut is to grab a screwdriver and a hammer.

Place the screwdriver tip into one of the "eyes" and strike the end of the handle gently with a hammer until you have a hole.

Repeat the process for a second "venting" hole.

Now pour out the juice into a glass and reserve for later use.

Place your empty coconut into the freezer for at least an hour.

When it is good and cold and you are ready to get cracking, get your coconut and wrap it in an old dish towell.

Using your hammer gently start tapping on the shell all over.

Gently increase the pressure of the hits until you crack the shell.

When it breaks open, you can remove the white meat from the shell and prepare it for your recipe as needed.

CREAMY SMOOTH BUTTER FOR LARGE GROUPS

You are getting ready to serve a load of people at a pancake feed.

You are on a limited budget but you want to serve the best.

Try this extender to make nice creamy easy to spread butter.

In a large mixing bowl combine 1 pound of butter (4 cubes), 2 cups of evaporated milk and a teaspoon of salt.

Blend well until all of the milk is absorbed into the butter.

Now you have 2 pounds of butter to place in individual serving containers.

SPICE ORGANIZATION

When you are cooking and the recipe asks for a specific spice you find yourself rummaging around the cupboard looking for it.

If you take just a few minutes one afternoon you can organize your cupboard.

Remove all of the spices and products from your cupboard.

Wipe each one down and replace the spices back in the cupboard in alpahbetical order.

Once all of your spices are in order, now replace all of the other items by size and how each one is used.

I group things like Corn Syrup and Molasses in one area and all of the types of vinegars in another, etc.

Now when you are cooking you will have each item at your fingertips.

SMALL AMOUNTS OF PRODUCE ITEMS

If you are making a recipe that only calls for 1 cup of broccoli, or maybe a half a cup of sliced mushrooms, check with your local grocery store and see of they have a salad bar.

If they do, simply buy the amount that you need, already prepared in most cases for your recipe.

Now you will not have a large amount left over that you may not use.

A FRESH EGG

When you are preparing your ingredients for your recipe, you look in the fridge and you can't remember when you last bought eggs.

Are the ones that you have still fresh?

Grab a large bowl and fill it up with water for this quick test.

Place a fresh egg into the water and see where it settles.

If it settles on the side the egg is fresh.

If the egg stands at a bit of an angle the egg is anywhere from 3-9 days old.

If the egg stands completely on end your egg is at least 10 days old

MAKING STOCK

When you are making home made stock you do not need to measure everything or prepare everything perfectly.

Start your stock with cold water in a large pot.

When you are preparing your vegetables, you don't need to peel and trim them. You can just wash them and cut them up coarsley into about 1 inch pieces.

For the best flavor, simmer your stock. You don't want a rolling boil, the bubbles should move slowly from the bottom of the pot and burst just before they reach the surface.

When you are ready to strain the stock, don't try to pour it from the pot. Instead use a large measuring scoop or ladle and transfer the stock to another container that has a strainer removing the large pieces. This may take a bit loger, but it is worth the trouble and a lot less messier.

Try not to use any seasoning when you are making up generic stock. As you use it for a recipe then you can add seasoning as needed to suit your recipe.

PRE-PREPARING FOR LUNCHES

Putting together bagged lunches can be really hectic in the morning.

You can actually save a lot of time by preparing a lot of the items before you need them.

When you go shopping, pick up larger packages of snack items like pretzels, chips, vegetables, and even cereal.

When you get home, break each larger package into small zip lock style sandwich bags.

Now when you are ready to make your lunch all you have to do is make a fresh sandwich and grab a few bags of your pre-prepared snacks.

Lunch is ready to go!

SOUP STOCK SUBSTITUTION

If you have a recipe that calls for chicken or beef broth you don’t always have to make it from scratch.

Although home made tastes better, you can use any one of these commercial substitutions.

You can buy a can of beef or chicken broth to use in your recipe.

Some will need to be diluted before use so make sure that you read the instructions on the can first or your recipe may turn out too salty.

Instant boullion is usually my preference because it doesn't take up as much room for storage and I can make exactly how much I need.

I will always mix it up with hot water according to the instructions and then let it sit for about 20 minutes for the granuals to totally desolve and for the flavor to develop.

LEFTOVER BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Not everyone likes brussel sprouts, but if you are a lover of them you may occasionally find yourself with some leftovers.

Here is a quick and easy idea to use them up.

Cut leftover brussel sprouts into quarters and drop in the same italian dressing container as some beans or by themself.

The next time that you have a salad use as a garnish or serve by itself as a side.

SOUP STOCK STORAGE

If you decided to make up your own stock, you probably aren't going to use it right away.

I will usually make up stock after I have prepared a beef or chicken dinner that left me with some decent bones.

Just pour the finished stock into plastic containers and refrigerate immediately. It will keep fresh for a few days.

If you don't plan of using the stock for at least 6 days, place in the freezer after you have marked the container well.

You should be able to freeze it for 6 months.

If you find that you need smaller quantities of stock you can also freeze it in ice cube trays.

Once it is frozen, dump the trays into tightly sealed plastic containers or zip lock bags.

Each cube will be the equivelant of about a tablespoon of stock.

You can also freeze any left over stock from a can in this manner if you don't need all of it for your recipe.

RECIPE RECALL

It is hard to keep track of your favorite recipes. When you get busy you can't remember which book had which recipe and special notes about ingredient changes and preparation.

There are a lot of different computer programs that can help you keep your recipes organized and within easy access. I found a program that I liked called Now You’re Cooking! Recipe Software. You can download the program at http://www.ffts.com.

This program is great for organizing recipes, creating shopping lists and has more helpful information than I can remember.

I keep several different cookbooks within the program for easy access. I have created a book for tried and true recipes as well as a book for things I want to try.

You can also find lots of recipes that y