Cooking Secrets & tips


http://www.thursday-13.com/
Thank you Janet and Megan for resurrecting it!
  1. Buttermilk ~ Need it for a recipe and don't have any? Just add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and you have instant buttermilk.
  2. Mushrooms ~ Need them finely sliced? Put them in the freezer for 5 minutes before slicing to firm them up, making it easier to get an even thin slice.
  3. Stubborn Cork? ~ Wrap the neck of the bottle with a hot towel. This will expand the glass, but not the cork, making it easier to pull the cork out in one move.
  4. Puddle Free Cheesecake ~ Before adding the warm topping, freeze the cheesecake for an hour before. Doing this will make the warm sauce stop about 1/2 way down as it encounters the cold surface.
  5. Over baked bread ~ poke a few holes in the top with a skewer and drizzle honey, apple juice or maple syrup over the holes. Let sit for an hour or so before slicing.
  6. Defatting ~ Do you want to get the unwanted fat off the top of your soup or stew? Place a couple of ice cubes in a slotted spoon and skim the top. The ice cubes will attract the fat like a magnet. OR you can use a slice of white bread and float it on top. It too works like a magnet to attract the grease and fat.
  7. Chewy cookies ~ More is better! Add a couple extra tablespoons of butter more than the recipe calls for to make chewy cookies.
  8. Non-soggy pie crust ~ To keep your pie crust crisper (especially when transporting it to a potluck or such), paint a thin layer of melted chocolate on the cooked and cooled pie crust. Allow the chocolate to col and then add your fillings.
  9. Lemon Wedges ~ To keep lemon wedges from squirting everywhere, slit each slice in three places to break down the membrane so the juice won't squirt out so forcefully. Plus you get all the juice from each slice.
  10. Sweeter Cake Pan Coating ~ After greasing your cake pan use sugar instead of flour for a sweeter coating that's sticks better and clumps less.
  11. Pasta Filler ~ Use a ziploc bag to first mix your pasta filler and then snip the end off to make a pastry bag to fill manicotti or jumbo shells.
  12. Perfect slicer ~ If your freeze strawberries or mushrooms for a few minutes before slicing and then use an egg slicer you'll have perfect slices every time.
  13. Easy Cake Cutting ~ For smooth and even pieces with no clumping, dip your cutting knife in a tall glass of hot water before each slice.
final blog signature.

14 comments:

Inspiration CAN be found EVERYWHERE said...

great tips. I will admit I did know a few but not all of them. I'll be printing these out to add to the front of my cookbooks as well as adding them to my list for bridal shower gifts.

Kristen said...

Love the tips! Some are pure brilliance.

Journeywoman said...

I'll have to try some of these. Thanks!

Clara said...

Great tips. I knew a couple, but most are new to me. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Ahh, to have a kitchen again, never mind learn to cook. I moved all the way to South Korea just to have a real apartment again, but am not settled in yet....

Chris said...

thanks for the tips!

jeng said...

Very useful tips ; ) Mine is up at http://jengspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/05/thursday-thirteen-80s-love-songs.html

joy said...

It's great to have new ideas in cooking. If you are planning of putting up a business, it would be nice to have a good cook.

Carleen said...

The defatting tip will definitely come in handy around my house, so thanks for sharing it!

MommyBa said...

I'm no cooking/kitchen whiz so I certainly enjoyed your tips. I'll keep them in mind when I have time to face my kitchen and do something really nice for my family.

Happy Thursday!

Janet said...

that's a great tip about the wine bottle! I never knew that...thanks!

PMKU said...

Oh these are great! I especially like the tip for chewy cookies. :)

storyteller said...

Clever tips. I knew there was a reason I like chewy cookies better than crunchy ones. Methinks I'll keep #2 in mind the next time I try to open wine. The last time the cork ended up FLOATING in the bottle!
Hugs and blessings,

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Lemon juice? I always use vinegar. I bet it tastes better with lemon juice!