The flavor of sesame seeds is strongest when they are lightly toasted at 350F degrees for 20 minutes and stirred frequently during roasting.
Cooking Tip: White and black pepper come from the same berry. White pepper is made from the fully ripe berry from which the dark outer shell is buffed before the berry is ground. Black pepper comes from the green, underripe whole dried berry that has been cured.
Cooking Tip: To make superfine sugar, as is called for in many recipes, whirl granulated sugar in a blender or clean spice grinder until of the desired consistency.
Cooking Tip: To revive limp celery, fill a wide-mouth jar or glass with very cold water. Slice the bottom off the celery stalks and place them in the water, standing with the cut side down. Place the celery in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to make it crisp again.
Cooking Tip: To easily fill a pastry bag, stand an empty pastry bag in a tall drinking glass. Roll the bag's edges over the sides of the glass and fill the bag. Roll the bag's edges back up and use as usual.
Cooking Tip: If you drink a lot of tea or lemonade you can easily make ice cubes that won't dilute them. Simply freeze some tea or lemonade in ice cube trays. When ready to serve use tea or lemonade ice cubes and as they melt they add more to the glass.
Cooking Tip: To prevent meringue from weeping, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then sprinkle the sugar on top of the egg whites. Allow the egg whites and sugar site for 5 minutes without stirring. Beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue over pie filling and bake as usual.
Cooking Tip: When you need to strain stocks or sauces, line a mesh strainer or colander with a paper coffee filter. The liquid goes through an all the solids are left on the paper.
Cooking Tip: To freezing cookie dough, use a cookie scoop to make balls of dough and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour, or until the dough balls are frozen. Place the frozen balls into a resealable plastic freezer bag. To make cookies bake the frozen dough balls at the usual temperature, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
Cooking Tip: To quickly proof yeast, dissolve the yeast in a large glass measuring cup using the recipe's measurements for warm water (or liquid). Place the cup in a bigger bowl that's filled with warmer water. The warm water in the larger bowl proofs the yeast in about half the time of regular proofing.
Cooking Tip: To make clarified butter, slowly melt unsalted butter over low heat without stirring. Do not let the butter come to a boil. Once the butter has separated into three layers turn off the heat. Skim the foamy white solids from the top. Then ladle off the clarified butter. Be careful not to disturb the milk solids at the bottom of the pan. One pound of unsalted butter yields 1-1/4 cups clarified butter.
Cooking Tip: To make your own Creme Fraiche, combine 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons buttermilk, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a glass bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 24 hours, until thickened. Can keep up to a week in the refrigerator covered tightly.
Cooking Tip: Store uncooked dried pasta in a tightly sealed package or container in a cool, dry place. Store and use non-egg pasta for up to three years and egg pasta for up to two years.
Cooking Tip: Herbs and spices will keep for about a year if they are stored in a tightly sealed container, preferably out of the light. They will still be safe to eat after the year is up, but will have lost most of their flavor.
Cooking Tip: To extend the life of a cucumber once it has been cut open, wrap it in a paper towel and keep it in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.
Cooking Tip: Dampen a paper towel, wrap it around your celery, and then wrap completely in foil. It will stay crisp in your refrigerator for at least a month.
Cooking Tip: Hard cheeses will keep in the freezer, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, for two to three months. It is best not to store a soft cheese in the freezer.
Cooking Tip: To easily get a rolled pie crust off the board and into the pie pan, fold it lightly in half, then in half again. Unfold it in the pie tin.
Cooking Tip: Pastry made with cold water is flaky. Pastry made with hot water is crumbly.
Cooking Tip: Hard-boiled eggs will peel easily when cracked and placed in cold water immediately after taking them out of the hot water.
Cooking Tip: Brown sugar won't harden if an apple slice is placed in the container. If brown sugar is brick-hard, grate it with a cheese grater.
Cooking Tip: You won't waste flour if you dust it from a large salt shaker onto meats, fish or patties, instead of dipping the food into the flour.
Cooking Tip: A few drops of lemon juice added to whipping cream helps it whip faster and better.
Cooking Tip: Cook potatoes and other root vegetables in their jackets to prevent loss of vitamins and minerals.
Cooking Tip: A little oatmeal adds much flavor and richness when used as a thickener for soups.
Cooking Tip: Eggs will beat up fluffier if they are allowed to come to room temperature before beating.
Cooking Tip: For baking, it's best to use medium to large eggs; extra-large eggs may cause cakes to fall when cooled.
Cooking Tip: Drop fresh celery leaves in the pot while cooking shrimp to destroy the odor.
Cooking Tip: Chopped fruit and nuts will disperse more evenly in cake batter if they're lightly floured before adding them.
Cooking Tip: To get more juice out of lemons, quickly heat them in hot water for several minutes before squeezing them. Or roll them to soften them.
Cooking Tip: When measuring flour, level the cup without packing the flour by passing a knife over the top to scrape off the surplus.
Cooking Tip: Cream will whip faster and better if you first chill the cream, bowl and beaters well.
Cooking Tip: If you only need half an onion at a time, save the root half. It will last longer.
Cooking Tip: Spray your plastic storage dishes with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
Cooking Tip: Breaking up blue cheeses by hand can be a gooey mess. To avoid this, chill the piece of cheese in the freezer for about 10 minutes, or until firm. This sets up the cheese, making it mush easier to break it into fine-grained pieces without smearing.
Cooking Tip: Use a powder puff with flour for dusting cake and other baking pans before you pour in the batter.
Cooking Tip: To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh, but if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
Cooking Tip: Don't buy or use food in leaking, bulging or dented cans (also avoid cracked jars or ones with loose or bulging lids). Botulism and other food-borne diseases may cause illness or even death from eating food in those containers.
Cooking Tip: Keep fresh milk products refrigerated. You can store unopened evaporated milk and nonfat dry milk in the cupboard up to several months. Store whole dry milk in the refrigerator because it contains fat, and use it within a few weeks. Do not drink unpasteurized milk or milk products.
Cooking Tip: To store most fresh herbs, wrap the stems in a damp paper towel, then put the herbs in a plastic bag and refrigerate.
Cooking Tip: After measuring dried herbs, crumble them in your hand to release their flavor before adding to your recipe.
Cooking Tip: The traditional ratio for substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs is to use 3 times as much fresh as dried to get the same flavor.
Cooking Tip: Fill plastic soda bottles with water to about 2 inches from the top and freeze until water is solid. Then put them in your picnic cooler instead of ice cubes. Food will keep cold without getting soggy, and as the ice thaws you will have ice water to drink.
Cooking Tip: When a recipe requires only 2 ounces of tomato sauce, or only a portion of a can of tomatoes, freeze the remainder in covered ice cube trays so that you will have individual cube portions ready the next time you need them.
Cooking Tip: When you chop onions and green peppers, make several cups more than you need. Freeze the vegetables in plastic bags for use in soups, sauces, and casseroles.
Cooking Tip: When plastic wrap won't stick to your bowl, moisten the edges of the bowl and it will stick.
Cooking Tip: To unstick marshmallows, out some powdered sugar or cornstarch in the bag and work it in with the marshmallows. You may have to separate some of them by hand, but they shouldn't be sticky after they are well coated.
Cooking Tip: To section a grapefruit, remove the outer skin, pull into halves, and split the membranes. Pull the membrane down and around the outer base of the section. Let the released membrane hang loose. With your thumb, separate the section from the remaining membrane.
Cooking Tip: To seed an avocado cut the avocado in half. Hit the seed with the sharp edge of a knife. Grasp the fruit, then twist the knife to loosen and remove the seed.
Cooking Tip: To measure flour, stir it in the bag or canister to lighten it. Gently spoon flour into a dry measuring cup or measuring spoon. Level it off with the straight side of a knife.
Cooking Tip: Eggs should not be washed until ready for use because they are protected with a soluble film which protects the porous shell against bacteria.
Cooking Tip: Unwaxed dental floss is a good choice for trussing or tying up a turkey or chicken because it will not burn.
Cooking Tip: When a yeast dough has been kneaded to develop elasticity, it will fight the rolling pin when you want to roll it out. Allow it to relax for 10 to 15 minutes and it will be stretchy again.
Cooking Tip: Use a crock-pot to revive stale potato chips and crackers. Place them in the pot but do not cover. Heat on low setting for 2 to 4 hours and they'll be crisp and warm.
Cooking Tip: A baked, unfrosted cake can be kept in the freezer up to three months wrapped in heavy-duty foil. Be sure to thaw it completely before frosting it.
Cooking Tip: If you bake in dark, nonstick baking pans you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 25F degrees to keep food from overbrowning.
Cooking Tip: Use a tablespoon to remove the skin from fresh ginger. Scrape the spoon down the length of the ginger and the skin will come off easily.
Cooking Tip: When using orange rind, take a vegetable parer and pare off the thin bright orange part of the rind that holds the flavorful oils. Be sure not to include any of the bitter white part.
Cooking Tip: To soften hard brown sugar, place an open bag of sugar in the microwave with a cup of water next to it. Microwave on high (100%) for 2-3 minutes, turning the bag after each minute.
Cooking Tip: To toast nuts, place them in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned. Cool before using.
Cooking Tip: To make homemade creme fraiche, combine 1 cup heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons buttermilk, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a glass bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 24 hours, until thickened. Refrigerate for up to an additional week in an airtight container.
Cooking Tip: Buttermilk is lowfat or skim milk to which a bacterial culture has been added. It is low in fat, thick, and creamy with a mildly acidic taste. Sour milk, made from milk and lemon juice or vinegar, can be substituted for buttermilk.
Cooking Tip: When using all-purpose flour, keep in mind that one pound flour is the equivalent to 4 cups.
Cooking Tip: When using a blender to make slushy drinks, add ice cubes, one at a time, through the opening in the lid as the blender is running.
Cooking Tip: Almond paste is made of ground blanched almonds, sugar, and liquid. Do not confuse almond paste with marzipan. Almond paste is less sweet and more coarse in texture than marzipan.
Cooking Tip: To ripen tomatoes, place them in a shallow box or basket and slip into a brown paper bag. Close the end and leave at room temperature.
Cooking Tip: When a recipe calls for one cup bread crumbs, you can use 2 slices of bread to make one cup.
Cooking Tip: Before you store carrots, beets, turnips, or other root vegetables, cut off their leafy green tops to prevent the tops from extracting nutrients from the roots.
Cooking Tip: Cottage cheese will keep fresh longer if it's refrigerated upside down in its original carton.
Cooking Tip: When marinating meat place it in a self-sealing plastic bag and add all the ingredients. Seal the bag, set it in a cake pan, and place it in the refrigerator. Turn the meat so that the marinade can reach all sides.
Cooking Tip: Soften cream cheese by removing foil wrapper and microwaving on medium (50 percent) until softened. A 3-ounce package takes about 30 to 45 seconds and an 8-ounce package takes 60 to 90 seconds.
Cooking Tip: Leftover cooked rice can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
Cooking Tip: To store gingerroot cut it up and place it in a small jar. Fill the jar with dry sherry or wine and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 3 months.
Cooking Tip: To measure sticks of butter or margarine, follow the markings on the wrapper. For unwrapped butter or margarine, soften it, then measure in a measuring cup.
Cooking Tip: To prevent avocado slices or pulp from turning brown toss or sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of lemon juice.
Cooking Tip: When freezing foods, force or draw out as much air as possible, seal tightly, label and freeze immediately for best results.
Cooking Tip: Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to each quart of water used to cook rice. The grains will stay white and separated.
Cooking Tip: To test the doneness of cakes, brownies, and pies, check them at the minimum baking time. If a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean cake, brownies, or pie is done.
Cooking Tip: To grate Parmesan cheese, move the wedge of Parmesan cheese up and down over the small holes on a grater until you have enough grated cheese for the recipe.
Cooking Tip: When buying broccoli, choose deep green bunches with tightly closed buds and crisp leaves. Store broccoli, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cooking Tip: To make carrot curls, use a vegetable peeler and cut cleaned carrot into strips the length of the carrot. Twirl strips into curls; fasten with wooden picks. Let stand in ice water until ready to use. Remove wooden picks.
Cooking Tip: To make citrus twists, use a sharp knife to cut an orange, lemon or lime into thin slices. Cut slit through slices to centers. Twist slices from slits in opposite directions to form twists.
