Recipe: Cooking Tips

recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap
4-23-2000 - Assorted Cooking Tips

Kelly~WA (12:30:19) :
COOKING TIP:

How to peel a hard cooked egg

Cold eggs peel more easily than room temperature eggs. Gently tap the egg shell on the counter along the egg's "equator." Place the egg between hands and roll back and forth as if you were making a hot dog out of clay. You should feel the shell and membrane loosening from the egg white. Peel off the shell. If the shell is still coming off in irritating bits, peel under running water (this is the last
resort).

Kelly~WA (12:27:16) : How to guarantee a clean, lint-free window

Run out of Windex? Don't panic. Don't even put it on the shopping list! Fill up the bottle with 3 parts of water and 1 part vinegar (don't waste the balsamic - use white or cider vinegar) and start spraying. Wipe your windows clean with newspaper.

Kelly~WA (12:24:52) : How to remove baked on food from your baking dishes~~

Scrape off loose bits of food. Put a couple of tablespoons of dishwasher
detergent in the dish and add hot water. Stir the solution - a small wire whisk
helps. The solution should be so heavy with detergent that it doesn't all quite
dissolve. Leave it overnight. By morning, the baked on food will have lifted right off the surface of the dish. This works particularly well with glass baking dishes. Don't use this method on non-stick surfaces.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:22:10) : NO USE CRYING OVER Your child will be able to hold onto a glass of milk better if you place two tight rubber bands around the glass an inch apart. This makes it easier for little hands to hold. ...

Kelly~WA (12:21:20) :
Tips on freezing cheese

Most ripened or aged cheese is low in moisture content and can be frozen
without drastic flavor and texture changes. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more. If frozen for several months, the cheese may dry out somewhat and become crumbly when thawed.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:20:08) : ICE CREAM: To keep ice cream from leaking through the bottom of a cone, put a marshmallow in the bottom.

Kelly~WA (12:19:50) :
Tips on melting cheese

Bring cheese to room temperature before melting. Melt cheese over a low heat to help prevent toughening and separation of oils and liquid.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:19:41) : POPCORN TIP: It should always be kept in the freezer. It stays fresh, and freezing helps eliminate "old maids" when you pop it.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:19:07) : CHEESE TIP: To keep cheese from drying out, wrap in a cloth dampened with vinegar.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:18:40) : CARPET TIP: Club soda makes a great and cheap spot cleaner for carpet.

Kelly~WA (12:17:15) :
Out of baking chocolate?

Substitute 3/4 cup cocoa (unsweetened) and 1/4 cup Crisco for 4 squares (ounces) of chocolate

Kelly~WA (12:15:27) :
How to use gluten in bread machines

Pure gluten has the appearance of flour. Add one tablespoon of pure gluten to the flour mixture of a 1 x1/2 pound loaf of bread destined for the bread machine. The gluten feeds the yeast. You will turn out a lighter and better loaf.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:14:10) : A SWEET IDEA: Add a few teaspoons of sugar and cinnamon to an empty pie tin and slowly burn over the stove. Your family will think you have been baking all day.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:10:05) : EGGS... NOT JUST FOR EASTER ANYMORE: To determine if eggs are old, put them in cold water. If they float, throw them out!

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:07:55) : BUSY KIDS?: Endust takes crayon off walls. Spray directly on crayon and wipe.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:07:21) : TIPS/TIPS/TIPS: AFTER YOU EMPTY THAT SQUEEZE BOTTLE OF MUSTARD, wash and dry it well. It is great for decorating cakes and cookies when the bottle is filled with icing. TO CLEAN FRESH MUSHROOMS EASILY, put mushrooms in a bowl of lukewarm water, add a tablespoon of flour and gently stir with your hand. Then rinse the mushrooms. EVER RUN SHORT OF POWDERED SUGAR OR BROWN SUGAR? Whip up some easily by following these instructions: Powdered sugar - combine 1 cup of granulated sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and put in blender for 45 seconds. Brown sugar - combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 to 2 tablespoons of molasses and mix well.

Kelly~WA (12:07:05) :
Sticky rice? (when you don't want it sticky) Rinse rice thoroughly with warm water to wash out the excess starch. Grains will separate.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:05:33) : RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS: One heartful of love Two hands of generosity Dash of laughter One headful of understanding Sprinkle generously with kindness Add plenty of faith and mix well Spread over a period of a lifetime Serve to everyone you meet

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:04:00) : MORE TIPS: Make gingerale or sprite ice cubes. Immerse cherries into each cube. Keeps punch from diluting. For a child's party ice large cookies. Press animal cookies around edge to make a merry-go-round. Put stick candy in center. Ice 2 animal cookies together and insert birthday candle between to make candle holder. Vinegar is a good tenderizer for tough meat or game. Make a marinade of 1/2 cup of vinegar to a cup of heated water or bouillon. You'll shed less tears if you'll cut the root end off the onion last. Or place onions in freezer for four or five minutes before cutting. When pan frying always heat the pan before adding the butter or grease.

Kelly~WA (12:01:29) :
Too much sugar? Add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar.

Kelly~WA (12:01:00) :
Too much salt: Add a little vinegar and sugar, then taste. A raw potato helps absorb salt in soups or stews.

RAY,.Cleveland,.OH (12:00:41) : HERE'S A TIP: Use small marshmallows as candleholders for a birthday cake. They prevent the wax drippings from running into the frosting.

Kelly~WA (11:58:48) :
Dry, granulated honey? Place honey container in a pan of heated water.

Kelly~WA (11:57:07) :
Dried out coconut? Put coconut in a strainer over a steaming pot of water for a few minutes.

Kelly~WA (11:55:58) :
Onion or cabbage cooking odor? While cooking, set a tin cup of vinegar on stove and let it boil.

Kelly~WA (11:55:07) :
hints to fix common cooking problems: lumpy gravy, bitter coffee, onion smells, and more.

SAUCES / GRAVY
Lumpy sauce or gravy: Pour gravy or sauce through a strainer and mash out lumps
with a wooden spoon. Reheat very slowly.

Gravy won't thicken: Stir a small amount of flour into a cup of cold water. Add
mixture to gravy slowly, stirring constantly.

Too much fat in gravy: Cool and skim off the fat, or pour through ice cubes into a
bowl. The fat will solidify and can be removed.

Curdled/separated mayonnaise: Mix 1 tsp mustard, 1 tbsp curdled mayonnaise in a
bowl. Beat with whisk until creamy. Add mayonnaise slowly until blended.

COFFEE / TEA
Weak coffee: Add a little instant coffee to the pot.

Bitter / Overbrewed coffee: Add a pinch of salt to pot.

Weak tea: Add a pinch of baking soda to the teapot.

COOKING / FOOD ODORS ?
Smell of onion or garlic on hands: Rinse hands in cold water, rub with salt or baking powder, rinse again, then wash with soap and water.

Kelly~WA (11:54:30) :
Bitter / Overbrewed coffee? Add a pinch of salt to pot.

Kelly~WA (11:54:02) :
Too much fat in gravy: Cool and skim off the fat, or pour through ice cubes into a bowl. The fat will solidify and can be removed.

Kelly~WA (11:53:36) :
Lumpy sauce or gravy?: Pour gravy or sauce through a strainer and mash out lumps with a wooden spoon. Reheat very slowly.

Kelly~WA (11:44:32) : DOES YOUR RECIPE CALL FOR SELF-RISING FLOUR???

Packages of self-rising flour include both baking powder and salt. To mimic
their proportions add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt
to each cup of flour called for in the recipe.

Kelly~WA (11:34:31) :
A COOKING TIP

Yet another way to soften up brown
sugar: dump it into a bowl, cover the
bowl with a damp cloth and let it sit
over night. (Works best with finer
grained brown sugars.)

Kelly~WA (11:33:08) :
A COOKING TIP

Has the cheese dried out and
become hard? Save it by grating it
and mixing with dry breadcrumbs.
Store in a small container for
sprinkling on vegetables, pasta or ?