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Food tips

Got some? Share 'me!

My few are . . .


  • Cucumbers will keep longer wrapped in either a paper towel or plastic wrap.
  • Know those Hawaiian rolls? They make loaves of bread. Delicious!
  • Easy way to de-silk corn...put a corn holder in one end and hold over a gas burner.
  • Don't refrigerate bread. Loses its flavor.
  • Keep avocados and tomatoes on the counter until they're ripe.

You?

When you go to Albertson's or Safeway and they have sirloin on sale in the family pack for buy one, get three free it's a good enough deal that you should buy them even if that means you'll have roughly 10 pounds of meat. That "Mr. Luther, you saved $89 on your purchase today" goes a long way to quieting that nagging voice in your head that keeps saying "what the hell are you going to do with this much meat?!"
 
When you go to Albertson's or Safeway and they have sirloin on sale in the family pack for buy one, get three free it's a good enough deal that you should buy them even if that means you'll have roughly 10 pounds of meat. That "Mr. Luther, you saved $89 on your purchase today" goes a long way to quieting that nagging voice in your head that keeps saying "what the hell are you going to do with this much meat?!"

:lol:
 
Got some? Share 'me!

My few are . . .


  • Cucumbers will keep longer wrapped in either a paper towel or plastic wrap.
  • Know those Hawaiian rolls? They make loaves of bread. Delicious!
  • Easy way to de-silk corn...put a corn holder in one end and hold over a gas burner.
  • Don't refrigerate bread. Loses its flavor.
  • Keep avocados and tomatoes on the counter until they're ripe.

You?

Egg cooking tips and temps:


For omelets I go with the traditional french way, med-high to high heat in a well buttered fry pan and do the double fold instead of the half moon fold.

Scrabbled eggs, low and slow in a sauce pan not a fry pan. You should remove the pan from the heat often and stir, also never whip the eggs before hand.

Fried eggs: It’s best to have a well buttered non stick pan of the correct size, just big enough for two or three eggs to spread out. Medium heat for this and use a lid to cook the yokes. You can flip the eggs but I do not, I want my yolks exactly medium done and the only way to easily do that is with a lid. You will know when the yolks are just perfect, the white from the egg will start climbing the yellow of the yolk.
 
The secret to sauté or pan-frying:

the pan isn't glued to the center of the burner and there are knobs for those burners...use them...


The secret to properly seasoned food:

1. Season in layers

2. Use dry herbs in the beginning, fresh herbs at the end.



The secret to grilling Kabobs:

Grill meat with meat, peppers with peppers, onions with onions etc...etc... and assemble afterward. (the only way to ensure even cooking and prevent burning)


The secret to keeping Avacado/guac from browning:

Add lime juice/acidic
store with the pit in the mix
plastic wrap actually touching the surface and then another wrapped around the bowl/dish


Here's the big one......




The secret to Classic French Cuisine:

When in doubt, add butter.

(or properly put, "mount the butter...")

:2razz:
 
Not exactly a food tip, but a useful thing.

We have a big family, so lots of glasswear and pans get moved around and often don't get back to the owner. So... I got some high temperature engine enamel (Walmart, in automotive) and a stencil (Hobby Lobby) and put a small design on the bottom.

Tip: There is a heating and cooling curing method, but you don't have to cure beyond what you cook at.

IMG_0671.JPG

BTW, that image is on the bottom outside, not inside. :confused:
 
Got some? Share 'me!

My few are . . .


  • Cucumbers will keep longer wrapped in either a paper towel or plastic wrap.
  • Know those Hawaiian rolls? They make loaves of bread. Delicious!
  • Easy way to de-silk corn...put a corn holder in one end and hold over a gas burner.
  • Don't refrigerate bread. Loses its flavor.
  • Keep avocados and tomatoes on the counter until they're ripe.

You?

Excellent thread. :)

I'll try to add some later.
 
Overheating cream sauces causes them to break. You don't want to get them too hot. When making cream sauces you want to bring the cream just hot enough to melt cheese, without letting it get too hot. Otherwise when you're finished, as its cooling it will break.

Reminds me of broken Hollandaise sauce. It can usually be re-assembled by adding a little mayo and stirring vigorously. Or, of course, you can start over.
 
When making a Dutch Baby decrease the salt in the batter and then use salted butter in the pan, dont listen to all these recipes that say to use unsalted butter (It is a modern fetish)
 
Chefs may disagree, but I don't really notice any difference in flavor.

Get a big bag of pre-peeled garlic. Put into some kind of food processor that'll get it chopped down to ~1/16-1/8" bits (or completely mash it if you want that. I prefer it chunkier). Fill ice cube trays. Put in freezer.

Every time you need some nearly-mashed garlic, run the underside of a part of the tray under hot water, then pop out the amount of garlic 'cubes' you need. Saves a lot of time vs. hand-chopping or hand-pressing garlic every time you cook, if like me you use a ton of garlic.
 
Chefs may disagree, but I don't really notice any difference in flavor.

Get a big bag of pre-peeled garlic. Put into some kind of food processor that'll get it chopped down to ~1/16-1/8" bits (or completely mash it if you want that. I prefer it chunkier). Fill ice cube trays. Put in freezer.

Every time you need some nearly-mashed garlic, run the underside of a part of the tray under hot water, then pop out the amount of garlic 'cubes' you need. Saves a lot of time vs. hand-chopping or hand-pressing garlic every time you cook, if like me you use a ton of garlic.

Garlic is very easy to peel. Just place a clove underneath the flat of your knife and pound slightly with the base of your palm. The skin pops out quick. I can make a huge mound of chopped fresh garlic in no time.
 
When making a Dutch Baby decrease the salt in the batter and then use salted butter in the pan, dont listen to all these recipes that say to use unsalted butter (It is a modern fetish)



Unfortunately I'm prohibited under a NDA otherwise I could tell you how to make the best Dutch Baby ever. Fortunately I can still make myself one.... :lol:

Take I-5 South about 2 hours down and you can see how it's done.
 
Garlic is very easy to peel. Just place a clove underneath the flat of your knife and pound slightly with the base of your palm. The skin pops out quick. I can make a huge mound of chopped fresh garlic in no time.

Hmm..I could try that, but I'm lazy. I like pre-peeled. But anyway, I'd still be freezing the mash. Too convenient.
 
Take the cucumber salt water that comes off of cucumber salad or tzatziki and use it for Carolina Slaw, particularly broccoli slaw, after reducing the mix to a syrup.













I sure miss Mags.
 
Put a kiwi next to a banana or apple to ripen the kiwi faster.
 
Always use properly cured cast iron pots and pans, preferably older than you are.

Never touch them with soap. At the very most just cool water to clean.

When frying with butter always mix with a little olive oil oil, it ads flavor and increases the flash point so the butter does not burn as easily.

Oh and only a fool eats green hash...:)
 
When seeding jalapenos use a grapefruit spoon....I just discovered this as I made poppers.
 
if you are the cook, do not over season.

if you are not the cook, taste the food before adding any more seasoning (to do otherwise is an insult to the cook)

Meat, sear at high temperature and then cook at a lower temperature. Helps to retain the natural juices and flavor.
Alternately, Sous Vida method, do not sear but seal it in plastic bag and cook meat in boiling water until it is 165 to 185 in center of meat.
Then put in fridge until shortly before dinner, then remove the plastic, and grill until the meat is 165 to 185.

Veggies or other "pot" foods, bring to a boil, then cover with lid, put pot on a pot holder OFF the stove, wrap whole thing with a towel. Holds existing heat and allows it to continue cooking, it is like simmering. Leave it until everything else is on the table. Solves that cooling problem where your veggies cool too fast. and frees up a burner or 2.

IMO, many cooks use too much heat on eggs and meats...
 
if you are the cook, do not over season.

if you are not the cook, taste the food before adding any more seasoning (to do otherwise is an insult to the cook)

Meat, sear at high temperature and then cook at a lower temperature. Helps to retain the natural juices and flavor.
Alternately, Sous Vida method, do not sear but seal it in plastic bag and cook meat in boiling water until it is 165 to 185 in center of meat.
Then put in fridge until shortly before dinner, then remove the plastic, and grill until the meat is 165 to 185.

Veggies or other "pot" foods, bring to a boil, then cover with lid, put pot on a pot holder OFF the stove, wrap whole thing with a towel. Holds existing heat and allows it to continue cooking, it is like simmering. Leave it until everything else is on the table. Solves that cooling problem where your veggies cool too fast. and frees up a burner or 2.

IMO, many cooks use too much heat on eggs and meats...
My ex had a bad habit of putting the veggies on the stove first, turning up the heat, bringing it to a rousing boil, and let it boil the entire time it took to make dinner. :neutral:
 
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