Cooking Hints & Tips Archive 22
Cooking Tip: Pasta releases a starchy substance while it's being boiled. If there is not enough water to dilute the starch, the pasta will be coated with that starchy substance. If you cook pasta with very little water, the water thickens, which causes a heat transfer causing the pasta not to cook evenly.
Cooking Tip: Pasta added to water before it starts to boil gets mushy. You need the intense heat of boiling water to "set" the outside of the pasta, which prevents the pasta from sticking together.
Cooking Tip: Most dried pasta doubles in volume when cooked. For accuracy, measure pasta by weight rather than by cup. A general rule is one pound of dry pasta or freshly made pasta will serve six as an appetizer or four as a main course.
Cooking Tip: Four ounces of uncooked elbow macaroni, shells, rotini, cavatelli, wheels, penne, or ziti pasta will yield 2 1/2 cups cooked pasta.
Cooking Tip: Four ounces of uncooked spaghetti, angel hair, vermicelli, fettuccine or linguine will yield 2 cups cooked pasta.
Cooking Tip: To store fresh artichokes at home, sprinkle them with a little water and refrigerate in an airtight plastic bag. Do no wash before storing. They should last a week when stored properly.
Cooking Tip: It is both proper and polite to pluck the leaves of an artichoke with your fingers. Pull off a leaf, holding it by the pointed end. Put the other end in your mouth and pull it between your teeth, scraping the length of the leaf. Just before you get to the very center, leaves will become almost white with purple tips. Be careful of these leaves because their purple ends are prickly. When the leaves are pulled, you will be left with the base, the heart, crowned with a fuzzy patch. You have now reached the best part of all, the very reason for eating artichokes: the heart. Carefully scoop away the fuzzy stuff with your knife or spoon. With knife and fork, cut bites from the heart.
Cooking Tip: Select artichokes that are deep green, with a tight leaf formation, and those that feel heavy for their size. A good test of freshness is to press the leaves against each other which should produce a squeaking sound. Browning of the tips can indicate age, but can also indicate frost damage.
Cooking Tip: Baby artichokes are not a separate variety but merely smaller versions of larger artichokes. Their size comes from their location on the artichoke plant. They are picked from the lower parts of the artichoke plant where the plant fronds protect them from sun, in effect stunting their growth.
Cooking Tip: Always use a stainless-steel knife and a stainless-steel or glass pot when working with artichokes. Iron or aluminum will turn artichokes an unappetizing blue or black. For the same reason, never let aluminum foil come in contact with artichokes.
Cooking Tip: Coriander is the dried seed of the cilantro. The seeds are round like tiny balls. They are used whole or ground as a flavoring for food and as a seasoning. The seeds are used in curries, curry powder, pickles, sausages, soups, stews, and ratatouille. The essential seed oil is used in various herbal remedies and dietary supplements, and to flavor gin, vermouth, liqueurs, tobacco and perfumery.
Cooking Tip: Cilantro is the Spanish word for coriander leaves. It is also sometimes called Chinese or Mexican parsley. Technically, coriander refers to the entire plant. It is a member of the carrot family. Chopped fresh leaves are widely used in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking, where they are combined with chilies and added to salsas, guacamoles, and seasoned rice dishes.
Cooking Tip: If a recipe calls for unsalted butter and you only have regular butter, you can safely use the regular butter. In your recipe just use less salt.
Cooking Tip: Mirepoix is a standard ratio of onions, carrots, and celery used in classical cooking. The ratio is 50% onion, 25% carrots, and 25% celery. Mirepoix is often used in the making of stocks and soups. Sometimes ham or bacon is added for more flavor. It is used to season sauces, stews, and soups. Mirepoix can also be used as a bed on which to braise meats.
Cooking Tip: Just because flowers are served with food does not mean they are edible. It's easy and very attractive to use flowers for garnish on plates or for decoration, but avoid using non-edible flowers this way. Many people believe that anything on the plate can be eaten. They may not know if the flower is edible or not and may be afraid to ask.
Cooking Tip: Saffron, the yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple saffron crocus, is the world's most expensive spice. That's because each flower provides only three red stigmas, and it takes approximately 14,000 of these tiny threads for each ounce of saffron. One ounce of saffron equals the stigmas from approximately 5,000 crocuses. It takes an acre of flowers to produce a pound. The tiny red threads of saffron must be handpicked from the center of the crocus flower. They leave behind the yellow stamens which have no taste. This spice comes either powdered or in threads.
Cooking Tip: Capers are the unopened green flower buds of the Capparis spinosa, a wild and cultivated bush that is grown mainly in Mediterranean countries and also in California. Manual labor is required to gather capers, for the buds must be picked each morning just as they reach the proper size. After the buds are picked, they are usually sun-dried, then pickled in a vinegar brine. Capers generally come in brine but can also be found salted and sold in bulk. Either way, rinse before using to flush away as much salt as possible. The taste is slightly astringent and pungent, and they can lend piquancy to many sauces and condiments; they can also be used as a garnish for meat and vegetable dishes.
Cooking Tip: When adding whole spices to a recipe that calls for ground spices, use 1 1/2 times as much as the recipe call for.
Cooking Tip: Dried herbs are stronger in flavor than fresh leaf herbs. When adding dried leaf herbs to a recipe that calls for fresh ones, substitute 1/3 the amount called for in the recipe. When using dried herbs, crush them in the palm of your hand or between your fingers. This will release the flavor quicker. Use only one strong-flavored herb in a food. A strong-flavored seasoning may be combined with several mild-flavored ones. Whole herb leaves are a better choice than ground or powdered herbs because they hold their flavor longer in storage; pulverize just before using.
Cooking Tip: Whole spices will keep their flavor indefinitely as long as they are kept in tightly closed containers away from heat and light. Herbs in leaf form will keep longer than herbs in ground form. Ground spices and herbs will keep their flavor for up to a year after purchase, as long as they were fresh when purchased and kept in tightly closed containers in a cool place. If kept at room temperature, in a pantry for example, herbs and spices will keep for only 6 months. Never store herbs and spices next to or above the stove. To tell if a herb or a spice has lost its flavor, smell it - if it has no aroma, it should be discarded.
Cooking Tip: Mincemeat developed as a way of preserving meat without salting or smoking some 500 years ago in England, where mince pies are still considered an essential accompaniment to holiday dinners just like the traditional plum pudding. It is, very simply, a mixture of fruits and spices that are cooked with or without minced meat and generally doused with brandy, rum, or whiskey. It improves and becomes more moist as the weeks pass, so allow it to mature for at least four weeks before using.
Cooking Tip: Baking soda is used as a leavening agent when a recipe contains acid ingredients. Baking soda, an alkaline ingredient, plus an acid ingredient, such as buttermilk, vinegar, molasses or sour cream creates a chemical reaction to form carbon dioxide gas in a baked product making it rise and become light and porous. Heat is not necessary for the chemical reaction, so the reaction begins as soon as liquid ingredients are added.
Cooking Tip: Baking Powder is a leavening agent that consists of a combination of baking soda, cream of tartar, and a moisture absorber. It has the action of yeast but it acts much more quickly. It's used in batters where there is no acid present. such as many baked goods: cookies, cakes, pastries, pies, quick bread, etc. It makes these types of food products voluminous by allowing gas formation when an acid comes into contact with it and/or when it's heated. Baking powder acts immediately upon addition of water, therefore a filler (usually cornstarch) is added to absorb the moisture and prevent premature activity.
Cooking Tip: It is a good idea to check your oven temperature with a freestanding oven thermometer. An oven thermometer is very handy (and inexpensive) to find out what temperature your oven really is cooking at. An oven thermometer can be left in the oven to verify that the oven is heating to the desired temperatures.
Cooking Tip: A study conducted several years ago showed that alcohol remained in several recipes after the preparation was complete. In the study, a pot roast was simmered with burgundy for two and a half hours; a chicken dish was simmered for only ten minutes after the burgundy was added; scalloped oysters made with dry sherry baked for 25 minutes; and cherries jubilee was doused with brandy, then ignited. The results showed that anywhere from 4 to 78 percent of the initial amount of alcohol remained when the dishes were done. The study's authors concluded that cooking will result in the removal of some, but not all, of the alcohol.
Cooking Tip: Gravy is a sauce made from meat juices, usually combined with a liquid such as chicken or beef broth, wine or milk and thickened with flour, cornstarch, or some other thickening agent. A gravy may also be the simple juices left in the pan after the meat, poultry, or fish has been cooked.
Cooking Tip: Truffle oil is created when truffles are soaked in olive oil. Before commercial truffle oil was introduced in the 1980s, chefs in Italy and France traditionally made their own by steeping tiny bits of fresh truffles in high-quality olive oil.
Cooking Tip: Tahini is similar to peanut butter, only it is made from 100% crushed sesame seeds. It can be used as a sandwich spread, or mixed with a variety of other seasonings such as garlic and onion or cayenne pepper for a tasty dip or salad dressing. Tahini is a key ingredient in hummus, the traditional Middle Eastern chickpea spread.
Cooking Tip: Bouillon is any broth made by cooking vegetables, poultry, meat or fish in water. Bouillon is available on the market in the liquid, cube, granule, and packet forms.
Cooking Tip: Balsamic vinegar is an aged reduction of white sweet grapes that are boiled to a syrup. The grapes are cooked very slowly in copper cauldrons over an open flame until the water content is reduced by over 50%. The resulting "must" is placed into wooden barrels and an older balsamic vinegar is added to assist in the acetification. The age of the vinegar is divided into young (from 3 to 5 years maturation), middle aged (6 to 12 years), and the highly prized very old (at least 12 years and up to 150 years old).
Cooking Tip: Eggs can be frozen, but not in the shell. It's best to freeze eggs in small quantities so you can thaw only what you need. An easy way to do this is to put them in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer container and label. As with any frozen food, it is best to thaw eggs in the refrigerator and use them as soon as they are thawed. Only use thawed eggs in dishes that will be thoroughly cooked.
Cooking Tip: To freeze whole eggs or yolks crack them into a bowl and gently stir to break up the yolk somewhat. Try not to incorporate air into the eggs. Label the container with the date and the number of eggs. They can be kept frozen for a year, and should be thawed in the refrigerator the day before you intend to use them.
Cooking Tip: To inhibit egg yolks from getting lumpy when frozen, stir in a 1/2-teaspoon salt per 1-cup of egg or yolks. If using for desserts, use 1-tablespoon sugar or corn syrup per 1-cup yolks or whole eggs. Label the container with the date and the number of egg yolks. Use up extra egg yolks in recipes like sauces, custards, ice cream, yellow cakes, mayonnaise, scrambled eggs, and cooked puddings.
Cooking Tip: Raw egg whites do not suffer from freezing (cooked egg whites are very rubbery). No salt or sugar is needed. Break and separate the eggs one at a time, making sure that no yolk gets into the whites. Pour into trays and freeze until firm. Label the container with the date and the number of egg whites. Use up extra egg whites in boiled frostings, meringue cookies, angel food cake, white cakes, or meringue for pies.
Cooking Tip: Hard-cooked egg yolks can be frozen to use later for toppings or garnishes. Carefully place the yolks in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough water to come at least I inch above the yolks. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, in the hot water about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and package for freezing. Hard-cooked whole eggs and whites become tough and watery when frozen, so don't freeze them.
Cooking Tip: Creams will generally be labeled pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized. Ultra-pasteurized creams will remain fresh longer but pasteurized will provide a better flavor, will whip up fluffier, and will hold up longer. If pasteurized cannot be found, ultra-pasteurized will work.
Cooking Tip: Buy milk fresh, keep it cold and protect it from light. Properly held milk should still be acceptable beyond the code date, but milk does not improve with age and will not be as fresh tasting. Unopened containers of food can be kept longer than opened containers. Opened containers of milk can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week after they have been opened.
Cooking Tip: Sweetened condensed milk is a mixture of whole milk and sugar, 40%-45% of which is sugar. This mixture is heated until about 60% of the water evaporates. The resulting condensed mixture is extremely sticky and sweet.
Cooking Tip: Cream of coconut is a smooth, thick liquid made from fresh coconuts. It is thick and very sweet, and commonly used in mixed drinks.
Cooking Tip: Coconut milk is not the juice found inside a coconut, but the diluted cream pressed out from the thick, white flesh of a well-matured coconut.
Cooking Tip: To freeze sweetened whipped cream, place small mounds of whipped cream on cookie sheet. Once frozen, repackage so the mounds won't be crushed. Thaw in refrigerator or serve frozen.
Cooking Tip: Corned beef in its original pouch with pickling juices can be refrigerated for 5 to 7 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Cooking Tip: Butter can be refrigerated for 1 to 3 months or frozen for up to 6 to 9 months in its original wrapper.
Cooking Tip: Unbaked cookie dough can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months before using.
Cooking Tip: Fresh bread can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 5 days, Stored in the refrigerator until stale, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Cooking Tip: Using dry heat is the best way to cook steaks and other tender cuts of meat. Dry heat cooking causes the exterior of the meat to brown and caramelize which gives the steaks a richly browned complex flavor. This is partly a result of the sugars inherent in the meat going through a series of complex reactions. The moisture on the surface of the meat also evaporates and the juices becomes concentrated, forming the appealing brown crust.
Cooking Tip: Thai sweet rice, also called waxy or glutinous rice, has short, plump rice grains with a chalky white, opaque kernel. When cooked, this rice is very glutinous. It is more often used in commercial product formulations than in recipes. The starch and flour from waxy rice is used frozen as a binder for gravies, sauces, and fillings, because it is resistant to breakdown during freezing and thawing.
Cooking Tip: Use only Italian short-grain rice varieties such as Aroborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and Baldo to make risotto. Short-grain rice has a high starch content and tends to absorb less liquid, resulting in a stickier, more compact risotto.
Cooking Tip: To toast rice, add it to the saucepan on the heat without any liquid. Toasting the rice quickly heats up the grain's exterior. Toast until the rice is hot to the touch and the color remains pearly white, not brown.
Cooking Tip: To make a green beer for St. Patrick's Day, add one drop of green food coloring to a pint glass. Pour the beer into the glass. Lighter beers will be green throughout, while darker beers like stout will have a nice green head atop their normally dark bodies.
Cooking Tip: Clotted cream is also know as Devonshire or Devon Cream. It is a thick, rich, yellowish cream with a scalded or cooked flavor that is made by heating unpasteurized milk until a thick layer of cream sit on top. The milk is cooled and the layer of cream is skimmed off.
Cooking Tip: Double cream is the British term for heavy or whipping cream in the United States, but it is a little thicker than our whipping cream. It contains about 48% butterfat. Double cream is so rich, in fact, that it is easy to over whip it and get it too thick.
Cooking Tip: Heavy cream whips denser than whipping cream. It whips up well and holds its shape and doubles in volume when whipped.
Cooking Tip: Whipping cream is cream with enough butterfat in it to allow it to thicken when whipped. It does not whip as well as heavy cream but works well for toppings and fillings. Almost all whipping cream is now ultra-pasteurized, a process of heating that considerably extends its shelf life by killing bacteria and enzymes.
Cooking Tip: In the United States, half and half is a mix of 1/2 whole milk and 1/2 cream, typically used as a cream in coffee. Half-and-half does not whip, but it can be used in place of whipping (heavy) cream in many recipes for less fat cooking.
