Cooking Ideas

Food for thought:

• To determine if an egg is fresh, immerse it in bowl of cold water with a pinch of salt.  It if sinks, it is fresh – if it floats, trash it.
• Slightly frozen meat is much easier to cut into thin slices.  It usually only takes 15 to 20 minutes.
• Need a cherry pitter?  Using a straw by pushing it through each cherry (from the bottom) to force the pit out.
• A roast with a bone will cook faster than a boneless roast.  The bone will bring the heat to the inside.
• A couple of drops of lemon juice dropped in the water will whiten boiled potatoes.

 

Instead of:

• Recipe calls for vegetable oil?  Split the difference and use 50% oil and 50% applesauce.  This will lower the fat content and it isn’t noticeable in the taste.
• Don’t use white flour to coat the pans for cake baking, use a little bit of the cake mix.      
• Draining fried foods on a paper towel, use a rack with a plate underneath.
• Use sugar in the water with corn instead of salt.  The salt can toughen the corn.

 

Make food last longer:

• Cottage cheese will last longer if you store the tub upside down in the refrigerator.
• Add a slice of soft white bread to brown sugar that has hardened in a sealed container.  The brown sugar will soften.
• Place a bay leaf in the container of flour to repel insects.
• Lettuce will keep better if you store it in the fridge without washing it.  The leaves should be dry.

 

Miscellaneous:

• Use a turkey baster to fill muffin tins for less mess.
• Use glass or wood bowls when mixing salad.
• Rub a dab of butter over the spout of your gravy boat to stop the gravy from dripping down the side.