Cooking Tips & Tricks 1

Herbs, Pasta, Pies, Soups and Vegetables!

Herbs

* Ground herbs keep best in containers that shield them from light.
* For more flavor, crush dried herbs between your fingers before adding them to a dish.
* Place herbs in a small bowl and snip them with scissors until minced.

Pasta:

* If you accidentally oversalt sauces, add a small amount of vinegar and let cook for 5 minutes. If it's still too salty try adding a little more vinegar. As an alternative try adding a teaspoon of sugar or a cut up potato.
* Use an egg slicer to slice mushrooms. To make peeling tomatoes a snap, dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds then plunge them in cold water. The skin should peel right off.
* Cook pasta in lots of water to avoid having it come out sticky.
* Don't put salt in the water until it comes to a boil. Salted water has a higher boiling point, so it'll take longer to boil.

Pies:

* To avoid soggy pie crusts, brush crust with egg white or sprinkle with bread crumbs, and prick all over with a fork.
* If juice from fruit pies overflows while baking, sprinkle salt into it. The juice will then burn to a crisp, rendering it easily removable.

Soups:

* To absorb soup fat, place a piece of tissue paper or lettuce on the surface of soup, then remove and discard it.
* Use a hand blender to puree soup
* To make corn stock cut kernels from the cob, scraping them to get the corn milk. Put cleaned cobs in 1-1/2 quarts of water and let simmer for 1 hour.
* Try using a hand blender to puree the soup....it's easier than transferring to food processor.

Vegetables:

* Peel tomatoes by placing them in boiling water for a minute or so and then plunging them into cold water. The skin will peel right off.
* A damp paper towel rubbed on corn helps remove cornsilk from the corn.
* Use an egg slicer to cut fresh mushrooms.
* Leeks are full of hard to get at sand and dirt, chop them first, then give them a bath in cold water and drain in a colander.
* Try using carrots instead of sugar to sweeten your sauces.



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That's very helpful in cooking. You can use these tips in your own kitchen.

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