topic Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share in Kitchen

Cooking tips and tricks to share

qualitygal — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 12:52:01 GMT

Going through some cookbooks today, I came upon a tip that might help others.

"If there's too much liquid in your crockpot (or slow-cooker) put a toothpick under the edge of the lid to tilt it slightly and allow steam to escape".

That might help someone out.

Do you have some tips to share?

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

nomless — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 14:09:31 GMT

This is a good one: for things that are rich / contain a lot of fat, add a splash of acid ( vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) to brighten the favor. This even applies to the gravy you make for Thanksgiving. Just a bit of lemon juice or vinegar will enhance the flavor.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

Yahooey — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 15:18:32 GMT

Fresh ginger - use back of spoon to scrape skin off. No need for knife or peeler. This removes skin only and can get into the nooks and crannies easily too.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

Yahooey — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 15:25:15 GMT

This isn't cooking but rather storing my Kitchen Aid mixer. I only use it for baking so it gets used occasionally. I keep the attachments inside the bowl and place cling plastic wrap to seal the bowl. Make room for the head. This keeps the bowl ready and clean.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

Poodlepet2 — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 15:48:00 GMT

On the subject of ginger, Christine Pirello (PBS Christina Cooks) maintains that you can keep fresh ginger indefinitely by sticking it in a jar of sand (which of course has been sterilized-I need to investigate that!) Poodlepet

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

Lynneuk — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 16:40:30 GMT

Saw a good tip on The Chew yesterday to make Thanksgiving a little easier. You know how it is always hard to make the gravy at the last second and then if you put it in a gravy boat it doesn't stay hot. Also if you leave it in the pan on the stove it evaporates, not good,lol. You can make the gravy while the sides are heating in the oven and put it in an insulated coffee carafe. It will stay hot and at the right consistency for a long time and you won't be panicking at the last second trying to juggle everything. I thought it was an excellent tip. I might buy an extra carafe though in case the one I have might flavor the gravy with coffee. Not very expensive and useful for all big dinners.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

justathought — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 16:45:30 GMT

My Grandmother taught me this-Never add cold water to a hot pan that has meat in it. only hot-cold water would toughen the meat

add a little poultry seasoning to home made chicken noodle soup.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

Pipsqueak — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 18:58:02 GMT

Thought Tyler Florence's tip on how to shorten the time of roasting a turkey was good.

He used the example of a 16 lb. bird and by cutting the backbone from the turkey it opens the surface area up and cooks it faster. He said in their test kitchen, what normally takes 3 hours for a 16 lb. bird, instead only takes an hour and a half at 375 degrees. But he made this stuffing, pulsed it in a blender, then piped it underneath the skin. So when he sliced into the breast meat the stuffing was on top under the golden brown skin. Looked so yummy and a very pleasing presentation on how to serve turkey at Thanksgiving. Would really like to try this roasting technique this year.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

Zhills — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 19:03:27 GMT

When making a sauce or gravy, be sure that all of the flour is mixed with the oil.

Dry flour + liquid = lumps.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

denisemb — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 21:24:52 GMT

I use the recipe from food dot com for The Best (Do-Ahead) Turkey Gravy. Instead of buying extra wings, I simply remove the wings from my thawed turkey before brining (no one eats the wings anyway) and make the gravy a day or so before to avoid last minute craziness.

This gravy tastes *wonderful* and also freezes well.

I love the idea of using a coffee carafe to keep it warm...

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

Poodlepet2 — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 22:12:03 GMT

Denise, the coffee carafe is a great idea, but thinking along that line, does anybody know if Thermos products are still being made? When my DD was in elementary school, she loved soup and I looked everywhere for a thermos-the type we who are over the age of fifty remember! I remember a jar type that was made by Thermos: it was perfect for a single serving. You used to be able to find Thermos products everywhere....are they now only sold with camping gear? Are they being sold at all? I was thinking it might be easier to clean than a carafe... Poodlepet

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

brewhaha — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 22:28:29 GMT

Pizza Hut delivers.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

denisemb — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 22:52:04 GMT

Poodlepet, you just got me into trouble. I was curious about Thermos as well, yes, they're still around, have a website and offer an insulated carafe for French Press Coffee (I don't drink it, but husband loves FP). So I was told to order it and now I have to order something for myself to get free shipping from Amazon.

Brewhaha - yes, but do you have Pizza Hut on speed dial like we used to? LOL

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

chickenbutt — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 22:57:29 GMT

Can't you just remove some of the water in the crock pot? Or am I missing something? I don't cook in crock pots so I'm not all that familiar but the one I had you could just take the top off and remove anything. What I'd do, as a rule of thumb, is to go with less liquid and then you can add if you need to.

As for Thanksgiving cooking - It's become pretty difficult to me in the past few years so what I did was make a three day schedule (it was first two days but had to expand it to three) and spread everything out.

On Tues I can make the pies because that's better anyway, so that they have plenty of setting time. Last year I moved the turkey to Wednesday and, boy, did that make Thursday easier! I also start my work for the dressing (I don't stuff) on Wednesday. I make croutons with sourdough bread and I can do those early and, after they cool, I can put them in a L&L bowl until the next day when I cook the wild rice and sausage, saute veg, etc, and assemble it, then just seal it up in my Corning Ware baker so I can bake it on Thursday. Oven is empty because the turkey is already done the day before. I carve it out on Wed, also, and put some of it in another Corning Ware dish. On thurs, add some stock and in the oven it goes for part of the time with the dressing.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

house_cat — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 15:29:51 GMT

On 11/5/2014 Poodlepet said: On the subject of ginger, Christine Pirello (PBS Christina Cooks) maintains that you can keep fresh ginger indefinitely by sticking it in a jar of sand (which of course has been sterilized-I need to investigate that!) Poodlepet

I keep fresh ginger in the freezer. It lasts a very, very long time and still grates when I need to use some.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

house_cat — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 15:33:18 GMT

On 11/5/2014 Poodlepet said: Denise, the coffee carafe is a great idea, but thinking along that line, does anybody know if Thermos products are still being made? When my DD was in elementary school, she loved soup and I looked everywhere for a thermos-the type we who are over the age of fifty remember! I remember a jar type that was made by Thermos: it was perfect for a single serving. You used to be able to find Thermos products everywhere....are they now only sold with camping gear? Are they being sold at all? I was thinking it might be easier to clean than a carafe... Poodlepet

Yes! I bought a 16 oz. wide mouth, screw-top Thermos from Amazon a couple of years ago. It's all metal, except for part of the lid. I put coffee in it every morning and drink it at work when my students leave - that's 9 hours later and it's still hot. The screw top never, ever leaks no matter what I do to it. I can put it in my bag with papers and not worry about it at all. I think it was $25, but totally worth it.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

TrishTX — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 21:30:45 GMT

If you buy the frozen garlic bread slices that you heat in the oven try grilling the bread next time in a fry pan or griddle, as you would grilled cheese or French Toast. You don't have to add any oil or butter to the pan to heat it. I cook them until they have a little golden brown on the surface. ( this probably won't work with the ones with cheese)

It tastes so much better grilled. It doesn't ge dried out or too crunchy.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

Poodlepet2 — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 20:33:33 GMT

This is not a cooking tip per second, but certainly useful. I saw this on The Chew: they were lamenting the aggravation we all go through opening that darned clamshell packaging. One of the hosts had read that a safety can opener( the kind that rounds the edges of the can and lid so you can't cut yourself) could be used to open clamshell packaging. They did it and it works! I tried it and it works! Give it a try.... Poodlepet

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

misspammie — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 20:47:20 GMT

On 11/6/2014 house_cat said:
On 11/5/2014 Poodlepet said: On the subject of ginger, Christine Pirello (PBS Christina Cooks) maintains that you can keep fresh ginger indefinitely by sticking it in a jar of sand (which of course has been sterilized-I need to investigate that!) Poodlepet

I keep fresh ginger in the freezer. It lasts a very, very long time and still grates when I need to use some.

house-cat I also keep a hunk of ginger in the freezer in one of those (of long ago) green bags I got from the Q. It does keep forever.

Re: Cooking tips and tricks to share

Eliana — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 02:54:17 GMT

Keep a small bowl of vinegar on or nearby the stove to absorb cooking odors.