My wife and I just looked at this and decided I'd spill it all over the place!
+1
Kitchen tips
- Thread starter ouch
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My wife and I just looked at this and decided I'd spill it all over the place!
+1
You can sharpen your vegetable peelers on a plate. Take a ceramic plate, turn it upside down, and look for where the enamel isn't there on the ring where the plate would touch the table. Use it like a steel and hone your peeler - the ceramic is harder than the metal, and it works like a charm.
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- #43
And, if possible, whole spices. There's a place in the world for garlic powder and dried oregano, but whenever you can, try to use fresh herbs and freshly ground spices.
Coriander, cumin, nutmeg, allspice, cardamon, star anise, fennel seed, all peppercorns, clove, cinammon, you name it- they will all taste better and last longer if you buy them whole. A $10 bladed coffee grinder that isn't good enough for your espresso is perfect for grinding your spices. To clean the grinder, simply grind some kosher salt in it between uses.
Many of the aformentioned spices will also benefit from briefly toasting them until fragrant in a dry pan.
This one might be obvious but, bring your pan to the cutting board. After many nights of cleaning chopped bits of what-have-you off the floor, I realized that if I brought the pan to the board and just shoveled chopped vegetables from the board into the pan, I could avoid transporting the chopped bits across the kitchen to the pan.
Few products have more uses than baking soda and vinegar. Alone, or in combination, they can clean and/or deodorize most anything.
Regarding fresh spices, I like using Penzey's. I've taken to doing one annual order. When the box comes, I date each bag and jar, swap the new ones for the old, then pitch the old stuff.
There is NO substitute for freshly-ground peppercorns and nutmeg.
Regarding fresh spices, I like using Penzey's. I've taken to doing one annual order. When the box comes, I date each bag and jar, swap the new ones for the old, then pitch the old stuff.
There is NO substitute for freshly-ground peppercorns and nutmeg.
An outdoor cooking tip for those using gas grills.
Only twist the tank valve open 1/2 a turn or so when in use. I saw first hand a grill fire w/ the hose burning near the LP tank and the user had to give the valve just a quick half twist to close before running.
Only twist the tank valve open 1/2 a turn or so when in use. I saw first hand a grill fire w/ the hose burning near the LP tank and the user had to give the valve just a quick half twist to close before running.
Grilling tip for those who have serious gunk baked on their grates (charcoal grill, of course):
Light your charcoal, dump it out and put your cooking grate in place. Then throw an el cheapo foil pan over where you are going to cook. Leave it in place with the grill lid off for about 10 minutes. This will superheat the grate just like a self-cleaning oven and incinerate all the junk. You'll see white ash after, which you can just take your grill brush to.
You can also do this by covering the grate with foil, as long as you leave areas at the side open to let air through.
Light your charcoal, dump it out and put your cooking grate in place. Then throw an el cheapo foil pan over where you are going to cook. Leave it in place with the grill lid off for about 10 minutes. This will superheat the grate just like a self-cleaning oven and incinerate all the junk. You'll see white ash after, which you can just take your grill brush to.
You can also do this by covering the grate with foil, as long as you leave areas at the side open to let air through.
Anothee tip is to put a pinch of kosher salt in with the coffee gorunds before you make your daily pot. Really wakes up the flavor.
It's been mentioned already, but I think it should be added again-
Step away from the teflon! Use cast iron, stainless steel, or ceramic coated cookware instead. You will only need to buy those type of cookware once in your life, where teflon needs to be replaced often.
Step away from the teflon! Use cast iron, stainless steel, or ceramic coated cookware instead. You will only need to buy those type of cookware once in your life, where teflon needs to be replaced often.
Better yet, get yourself a knife block with horizontal slots for the knives, so they always rest on their sides, and it's basically idiot-proof from 'helpful' relatives and the like.
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- #51
Good idea, but if you already have a typical, vertically slotted wooden block, my way is cheaper.
Here's some sage advice that I got from a chef: After cutting Jalapeno peppers, wash your hands before going to the bathroom! Yeah, I asked him how he knew.
In professional kitchens we used to strip the seasoning off of cast iron skillets by flipping them upside down over the stove top burners and literally burn it away. After it has cooled some, then wipe out with a wet towel while it is still warm. Let dry and reseason.
Microwaves are wonderfully useful tools for assembling recipes. For instance, you can melt butter in them for that bread dough that you are creating.
Put you gas or electric oven to good use when preparing a big meal. With a little practice, you can time it so that the meat, potatoes and vegetables are all done at the same time.
In professional kitchens we used to strip the seasoning off of cast iron skillets by flipping them upside down over the stove top burners and literally burn it away. After it has cooled some, then wipe out with a wet towel while it is still warm. Let dry and reseason.
Microwaves are wonderfully useful tools for assembling recipes. For instance, you can melt butter in them for that bread dough that you are creating.
Put you gas or electric oven to good use when preparing a big meal. With a little practice, you can time it so that the meat, potatoes and vegetables are all done at the same time.
Wow.
Maybe we shouldn't do that one.
At least a full 1/4 of the country, the southwest, has perpetual water shortages, sometimes to crisis levels like our dead-lawn and unwashed-car friends in Texas have been writing about.
Water rights are some of the most hard fought legal issues in these states, and providing fresh water and sewer infrastructure is one of the most budget-busting issues that municipalities around the country face.
I'd urge that we think twice about sending (what, 5+?) gallons of water down the drain before starting kitchen tasks. Let's save that water for ice in our cocktails!
Roger
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Not to disagree with you, but if it takes 5+ gallons of water to get hot, you have some serious plumbing problems!
Well, yes and no.
In my home, the hot water heater is at the other end of the house (near the bathroom, not the kitchen) and it takes a full 3 gallons to start warming, perhaps another gallon to be hot.
It's funny, because we do just the opposite of the previous advice. We run the laundry whenever possible before cooking/handwashing dishes just so we don't send that much water down the drain. The washing machine water gets warm enough to dissolve the soap powder we use, which is probably the only thing we're really looking for the heat in the water to do.
And guys, let's not let this side point about hot water take over the thread. There's been a couple of suggestions, I imagine we'll all pick the one that makes the most sense to us.
Roger
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Never cook bacon in the nude.
Well, there are some...painful...drawbacks, but the fragrant greasy spritz of la graisse de bacon makes one irresistibly sexy. Unfortunately, the dog will lick you uncontrollably as well.
Not that I would know...
Roger
I vow to never test this premise, yet follow it forevermore.
For my own (unoriginal) contribution, try brining. A cup of salt and a cup of sugar in enough warmish water to cover a whole chicken for an hour. Rinse a little and pat skin with random dried herbs. Then bake it on a decent rack 22 minutes a side and 24 minutes breast up at about 425 degrees normally measured temp (fahrenheit obviously). Unbelievably different than what you would expect from a roasted chicken.
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