Useful Tips
Kitchen Hacks
Peel Ginger with a Spoon
Storing Leftover Tomato Paste
Most recipes for pasta sauce and chili call for only a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste. If your paste comes in a tube, leftovers aren’t a problem. But if it’s in a can, don’t toss the remainder or let it dry out in the refrigerator.
Instead, freeze it in tablespoon-size portions in an ice-cube tray. Once they’re solid, transfer the cubes to a plastic freezer bag. Later add them directly to recipes—no need to thaw. Try this with chipotles in adobo and pesto, too.
Instead, freeze it in tablespoon-size portions in an ice-cube tray. Once they’re solid, transfer the cubes to a plastic freezer bag. Later add them directly to recipes—no need to thaw. Try this with chipotles in adobo and pesto, too.
Keep a Small Strainer for Citrus
Keeping a small handled-strainer in your tool crock next to the stove is a good idea so that you can quickly cut a lemon or lime in half and squeeze it directly through the strainer into the pot. Much easier than picking out seeds afterwards!
Peel a Potato in One Step
Freeze as Flat as Possible
Freezer trick: freeze things flat and stack them. Whether it's soups, stews, or ground meat, the flatter and wider you can get them, the faster they'll freeze and defrost, which not only makes you more efficient, it also improves the quality of the
When freezing vegetables, cut them into pieces 1-inch or less and blanch any green vegetables. Place them on a large plate or sheet tray spaced apart from each other and freeze them solid before transferring to a plastic freezer bag and storing flat.
Defrost Meat on Aluminum Trays
The smartest way to defrost meat is to place it on an aluminum sheet tray or skillet. Aluminum is a great conductor of heat and will draw energy from the surrounding environment into your frozen meat much faster than a wooden cutting board or wood or stone countertop. You can cut defrosting times down by about 30 percent this way. It also works on soups, stews, and anything frozen flat.
Buy Pre-Peeled Garlic
Do you want to save time in cooking? Use pre-peeled garlic instead.
I find peeling garlic form a whole head to be a bit of a pain in the butt and usually can't be bothered. The pre-peeled stuff, so long as you buy it fresh, will last for weeks in the refrigerator and despite what some snooty chefs may tell you, it tastes just fine. Just make sure to buy it from a trusted store.
Use Small Strainer for Eggs
That same strainer can be used to make perfectly shaped poached eggs. How? Crack the eggs into the strainer over the sink and swirl them around gently to remove the excess watery white. What's left will be a tight, egg-shaped egg that poaches up clean.
Partially Freeze Meat Before Cutting
Slicing meat to grind or cook in a stir-fry can be tricky even with a sharp knife. To make it easier, place the meat in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to stiffen it up.
Keep Your Knives Sharp
Don't use those awful electric grinding machines which will strip off far more metal than is necessary, wearing your knife down and shortening its useful lifespan.
Even with a sharp knife, you'll want to hone the blade by stroking it across a steel to align any microscopic dings and bends before each use.
How to Blanch Vegetables
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a vigorous boil; set a bowl of ice water next to the sink. Add the vegetables to the boiling water and cook, or “blanch,” until crisp-tender, about 45 seconds for smaller vegetables (green beans, snap peas, peas) and about 2 minutes for bigger ones (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli).
Drain; transfer the vegetables to the ice water to stop them from cooking (this is called “shocking”). Let cool completely. Drain, pat dry, and enjoy as crudités or in salads.
Store Greens and Herbs with a Damp Paper Towel
You can extend the lifespan of washed herbs and greens by several days by rolling them up in damp paper towels and placing them in zipper-lock bags with the seals left slightly open.
The paper towels will even give you a built-in freshness indicator. At the first hint of decay, you'll see darker spots of liquid forming on the paper towels. This is a good sign that you should use up your herbs and greens within a day or two.
For chopped or picked herbs, store them in a small deli container with a folded up damp paper towel on top of them.
Shredding Semisoft Cheese
Salt is Great but Don't Forget the Acid
Restaurant food tastes great because chefs season things with salt at every stage of the process.
But here's another secret: balancing acid is just as important as getting salt levels right when it comes to making things delicious. A squeeze of lemon juice in your sautéed vegetables will brighten them up. A dash of vinegar can alter your soup or stew from heavy and leaden to fresh and flavorful.
Keep several different types of acid on hand at all times—lemons, limes, sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, and white vinegar for starters—and use them judiciously when the occasion calls for it.
Use Egg Shells to Remove Egg Shells
Use Tongs to Cooking Pretty Much Everything
Spatulas are awesome for anything that needs to be flipped or scraped, like eggs and pancakes. For everything else, tongs are the way to go. They’re much more nimble and less awkward to use, and you’ll find far fewer things jumping from your pan onto the floor. If you have non-stick cookware, be sure to use tongs with nylon tips. And always go for the 12-inchers.
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Useful Tips
Reviewed by Jake Arandela
on
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Rating: