Alcohol Substitutes: Substitute chicken stock for wine in entrees.
Substitute 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. almond extract for each 1/4 cup of Amaretto or almond
liqueur requested. Substitute frozen orange juice concentrate and a little
orange zest for orange liqueurs. Substitute quadruple-strength coffee for coffee
liqueurs.
Brown Sugar: To keep brown sugar moist, store in an airtight
container with a whole orange, lemon, or lime. To soften brown sugar, place in a
microwave-proof dish, add a slice of soft white bread or an apple wedge, cover
tight and microwave at 100 percent power for 30 seconds. Discard the bread or
apple and stir. If you're out of brown sugar, try substituting an equal amount
of granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses (light or dark) for every cup of white
sugar.
Butter: To
soften butter, let it stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. No time
for that? Place it between sheets of wax paper and pound with a rolling
pin.
Cheese: To
easily shred cheese, let sit in freezer for 30 minutes. The firmer cheese is
less likely to make a melted mess on your grater.
Cottage Cheese: Keep cottage cheese fresh longer by storing carton in
the refrigerator upside down.
Curry Powder: When you use commercial curry powder, combine two or
more brands - each has a different mix of spices.
Dry Beans: Soak beans before cooking to soften them, which reduces
cooking time, and to allow some of the gas-generating substances to dissolve
into the water, making them easier to digest.
Eggs: The
simplest way to tell is an egg is fresh it to observe it's shell. If it's rough
and chalky, it's fresh. If it's smooth and shiny, it's old. You can also place
an egg in cold salted water. If it sinks, it's fresh. If it floats, it's old. To
tell if an egg is hard boiled or raw, spin it. A hard-boiled egg will spin. A
raw egg will wobble. It is easier to separate eggs when they are
cold.
Measuring Corn Syrup, Molasses, and Honey:
Dip measuring cup or spoon either in hot water or
brush with oil before pouring in the syrup. This way, you get all that's in the
cup to come out.
Milk: Rinse
the pan with cold water before scalding milk to prevent
sticking.
Nuts: To chop
or grind nuts fine in a food processor without turning them into nut butter, add
2 or more tablespoons sugar from the recipe. Toasting nuts intensifies their
flavor. Fire up a skillet (high temperature) and spread pecans, walnuts,
almonds, pine nuts, etc. over its surface. Stir constantly. When the nuts start
to turn brown, remove from the heat and reserve for use in salads, pasta, baked
goods and more. Keep a constant eye on them during the process - nuts can turn
from brown to black in seconds. Nuts can also be toasted in the oven (or a
toaster oven). Spread on a cookie sheet, then bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 10
minutes. Be sure to stir the nuts occasionally while roasting. Broken pieces
will toast faster than whole nuts.
Oil For Frying: To effectively strain debris from used cooking oil, use
a coffee filter placed in a funnel.
Rice: Does
your rice dry out when you reheat it? Next time, add 2 tablespoons of liquid for
each cup of cooked rice. Cover and heat for a few minutes on the stove or in the
oven. In the microwave, cook on high about 1 minute per cup. Fluff it with a
fork and enjoy! Perk up white rice by adding chicken broth with a pinch of
crumbled dried thyme, marjoram, rosemary, or basil in the cooking
water.
Salt: Sea
salt is the only salt used in my kitchen. The taste is more potent and the rigid
shapes of the grains don't roll off your food as easily. Now that it has become
more popular and more widely available, sea salt can be purchased iodized, which
I recommend getting. When salting a dish, less is always best. As we know, you
can always add more, but never take away. Less salt allows for your guests to
season to their own taste, not yours.
Soy Sauce: Use light (slightly sweeter) soy sauce for marinades;
use dark (slightly heavier) soy sauce for cooking and
sauces.
Sugar: A sack
of lumpy sugar won't be if you place it in the refrigerator for 24
hours.
Tortillas: Tough and chewy tortillas? Try spraying tortillas with
water (or running them quickly under the faucet), then sautéing them briefly in
a lightly greased skillet over medium high heat.
Vanilla: Make
your own vanilla by placing 2 split and chopped vanilla beans in 1 liter of
vodka or bourbon. Shaking the bottle once a day, let sit for 2-3 months, or
until desired color. This also makes great holiday gifts when poured into glass
bottles.
Wine: Don't
throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in
casseroles and sauces.
