Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumKitchen tips anyone?
If you're like me the stock pot always boils over and makes a mess of the cook top. Easy solution is to use your remote read thermometer! Set it at 200f and when it sounds off you are alerted to an almost boiling stock pot.
To clean my spice grinder I use rice. Grind a hand full of rice and discard the rice dust along with the residual spices.
If you grind your own meat; ground chuck for burgers or pork butt for sausage, clean the grinder with bread to push the last of the meat through.
Speaking of sausage I grind 10lbs of pork, seal it in 1lb food saver bags and mix the sausage spices separately. I keep sweet Italian spice, breakfast blend and a few other favorites in glass jars. When I want a type of sausage I thaw a pound of pork mix in the spice and let sit for a few hours.
You guys have others?
TexasTowelie
(111,288 posts)The food tastes better when it isn't mixed with leftover odors of previous meals.
(Sorry, but I'm not much of a cook).
flamin lib
(14,559 posts)Sentath
(2,243 posts)When making pie from a high moisture fruit; put the fruit, sugar, and any acid in a colander or strainer and let the sugar pull the excess juice out of the fruit. Reduce the drained juice to syrup before adding it back to the fruit to keep the finished pie nice and firm.
locks
(2,012 posts)won't get soggy if you always use a glass pie plate and check the bottom before you take it out of the oven to see if its done. Also, cover the outside ring of the crust with foil (or a metal ring) so it doesn't get too brown before the pie is cooked. Brush top crust with egg/water mix for a lovely color.
applegrove
(118,008 posts)eyes as quick and you don't cry.
JayhawkSD
(3,163 posts)Put it in the fridge for about an hour before chopping it. No tears.
pinto
(106,886 posts)When I'm on point I lay the whole meal out, prep it all - dice, slice, season, marinate, whatever. Put everything else away when I'm done. Then make the dish.
It really works well. And at times I just throw stuff together as I go, especially with left overs.
Fortinbras Armstrong
(4,473 posts)If you peel it, slice it, put it in a jar, cover the ginger with dry white wine and put it in the refrigerator.
Response to flamin lib (Original post)
Jenoch This message was self-deleted by its author.
grasswire
(50,130 posts).....put the top crust on will enhance the flavor of your pie. I always mix the sugar with toss the fruit with a tablespoon of flour and any spice as well as a spoon of cornstarch if I know the fruit will be extra juicy. Then I toss the fruit in that sugar mixture, fill the bottom crust, add a few dabs of butter, and put on the top crust and cut vents. For some pies (such as rhubarb) I sprinkle a bit of sugar on the top crust. The butter and flour combine with the juices to make a flavorful pie ant is not overly runny.
And I always put a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil on the rack below a fruit pie
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)toss your cooked chicken in there with the paddle attachment and let it go.
Inkfreak
(1,695 posts)Nac Mac Feegle
(969 posts)Keep a 'trash bowl' handy when prepping. I have this old cheap, stainless steel bowl that was the 'prize' from some salesthing, that I keep on the counter. Just the thing for onion skins, carrot / celery ends, fruit peels, egg shells, bits of packaging, or whatever. Put a plastic grocery bag in it to make for easy transfer to the big trash can when ready. Saves a lot of steps.
When using an egg wash on a pie crust, sprinkle on some Turbinado sugar (large raw sugar crystals) for a crunchy accent to the glaze.
If you have to peel more than few potatoes, spread out a couple sections of newspaper on the counter, and peel onto that. Just fold the peels up in the paper when done and toss the whole mess.
Instead of cream cheese for a cheesecake, use yogurt cheese. Get a container of plain yogurt, put a coffee filter into the colander, put the colander in a large bowl, put the yogurt in the filter, and let set in the fridge for an hour or two. Do NOT use non-fat yogurt. This has so many emulsifiers in it that the liquid won't drain out. You can use this as a direct replacement (weight or volume) for cream cheese. This works best in sharper flavored cheesecakes, such as lemon. You're essentially making Greek yogurt.
If you store knives in a block type holder, place them so the edges are upward, to keep anything from dulling the edges.
Clean as you go. When you're through with prep bowl or knife, or tool, clean it. you may need it clean later, and it makes for much less work after you're done. If you don't have to do anything right now, clean something. The kitchen won't look like a war zone at the end of the day.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)Never let them get dull an use an oiled stone to sharpen them. Make sure they stay in their own little protected area and preferably wrapped in their own little jacket. Wash them and dry them right away.
And always let your sous chefs know how precious they are and that they should treat them with great respect, because they are very, very sharp.
DrDan
(20,411 posts)right after use (as you suggest) and put back onto the magnetic holder
pinto
(106,886 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)It makes everything harder, but does draw on my shallow ability to be creative, lol.
We bought a sharpening steel yesterday and are going to work with them. Hopefully we will coax some improvement.
DrDan
(20,411 posts)he charges only 3 bucks a knife - or $25 for all I bring in.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)I hate to see them tossed, but they really have been unusable.
I don't think they were very good to begin with.
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)DrDan
(20,411 posts)you will get it all without digging for it with a spoon
mtnester
(8,885 posts)They cost a bit more, but worth it when thinking about discovering that unused paste in the fridge by surprise
DrDan
(20,411 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)I never used a whole can. The squeeze tube is the best and is also good for anchovy paste and basil puree.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Then I just slice off a chunk when I need it.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)I never can use the whole can, but love to have them around.
That is SO helpful to me. Makes perfect sense!
MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)I'm without my kitchen as a result of a long term renovation going on in our little home. I'll remember a few more ways to appreciate a new kitchen!
I already learned (probably here) how easy it is to peel garlic by putting the whole garlic in a glass jar, shaking it vigorously for about 15 seconds. I couldn't believe how clean and chop ready it was!
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)i hate peeling garlic.
Inkfreak
(1,695 posts)My Mom bought it for us cause we hate peeling garlic, too. But use it in everything.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_0_9?ie=UTF8&k=garlic+peeler&sprefix=Garlic+pe
It kicks butt for something so simple.
Inkfreak
(1,695 posts)I did.
Seriously....I'm horrible. So these tips are great. And I can impress my wife with my "know how".
bif
(22,559 posts)And an open bottle at your side while you cook. You can blame it on your mistakes.
Galileo126
(2,016 posts)Grab a magazine insert (postcard size subscription nuisances) and fold it in half lengthwise. Fill the insert with salt (or whatever) and pour into the shaker. No mess, no funnels, and you finally get a use out of those annoying inserts.
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)It's so much easier than greasing cookie sheets, and you can wrap up fish and veggies in individual packets for baking. I get the big flat box at a restaurant supply store. I keep it in a shelving unit in my breakfast nook, with the "open" end loosely covered in a kitchen trash bag to keep the paper clean.