Bits of info

• Just because a recipe calls for it doesn't mean you have to use it (I hate cilantro but love parsley)
• Do not ever believe the number of servings because it makes a big difference on who you are feeding
• Good cooking does not have to be or should it be difficult
• Not everything has to be made from scratch
• Great ideas come from food magazines but be daring and change them up
• Cooking for family and friends is good for the soul

  

 

I have been cooking for over 40 years.  I can't begin to imagine how many meals that amounts to or how many groceries have passed through my various kitchens.  When you do the same thing repeatedly you're bound to pick up a thing or two, or as Heloise likes to call them, Helpful Hints.  I hope at least a couple of these are new and helpful.  They sure were to me when I finally figured them out.

 

Fresh mozzarella can be very difficult to slice.  Put it into the freezer for 15 minutes and then use your egg slicer to slice it up.

 

Save your Parmesan rinds in the freezer.  Throw one into your next stew or soup recipe.

 

Never, ever, ever use bottled lemon or lime juice.  When citrus is on sale buy a few and zest and juice.  The zest can be stored in a freezer bag.  I have a plastic ice cube tray that I marked with a permanent marker for a one tablespoon measure.  After the cubes are frozen, remove and store in a freezer bag.  I also do this with oranges.  If  I happen to want to eat the orange, I zest it first.

If you're storing a tomato based product in a plastic (think Tupperware) bowl, try lightly wiping with olive or vegetable oil to avoid the annoying red stain that never comes out.

When measuring honey or peanut butter, lightly coat the measuring tool with a little vegetable oil to make dispensing easier.  Also do the same with a spatula when stirring a sticky dough.

I do not own a rolling pin.  Instead I use a 2 liter bottle filled with ice water.  It rolls just fine and keeps the dough from getting too warm.

There are lots of tips for returning rock hard brown sugar to it's original consistency (15 seconds in the microwave).  Better still, prevent this in the first place by keeping your brown sugar in the freezer.  It doesn't take long to thaw and keeps it lump free forever.

When you add raw onions to a dish it can sometimes be too overpowering and sometimes create indigestion.  Put the onions in a col lander and pour a little boiling water over the onions.  Drain and pat dry.  It tames the onions.

 

Don't have a fat separator?  Allow the liquid to come to room temperature.  Fill a zip lock freezer bag.  After fat floats to top, snip a small hole in the bottom of the bag and controlling the flow with your hand, stop when the fat gets to the bottom.

 

Hate curling pork chops?  Cut slits, 2 inches apart through the fat and connecting tissue.

 

The best way to cook bacon is in the oven.  Preheat to 375, place bacon on a cooling rack set inside a rimmed cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.  Bacon comes out perfect every time and there isn't grease spattered all over your kitchen.

 

If you insist on frying your bacon and you don't want it to curl, dip the slices in cold water before frying.

 

Are your eggs still fresh?  I have noticed that eggs keep well beyond the date stamped on the carton, so how to tell?  Put the raw egg into a bowl of water, if it floats, throw it out.  If one end is upright, it is getting old and should be used soon.  If the egg doesn't float, it is fresh.

 

A damp paper towel brushed downward on an ear of corn removes all the silk.

 

I am not good at separating eggs so I use a funnel.  The white runs through and the yolk stays in the funnel.

 

When you have a million dishes to make (think Thanksgiving) there is one thing you can safely do ahead.  Make your favorite mashed potatoes.  Once finished, put the pan inside a larger bowl that has one inch of water that has been brought to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and your potatoes will keep for hours.  Keep an eye on the water, adding more if necessary.

 

Charcoal works better than baking soda in removing refrigerator odors.  

 

This tip is for the leftover pork butt, slice it up, warm it up, put it one a Kaiser roll with some horseradish.  Um, Um good!

 

Roast Pork Butt

 

 salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

6 pounds pork butt roast

2 onion, sliced

20 new potatoes, raw

16 carrots, peeled

2 cups mushrooms, halved

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle pork on all sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder; rub into meat. Sear the meat on all sides until lightly brown. Transfer to a roasting pan. Place onion slices over meat and in the roasting pan. Fill the pan 2/3 full of water. Cover and place in preheated oven for 3 hours. Add the potatoes and carrots; cover and cook 45 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook another 15 minutes. Remove and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.