Nancy

I thought it would be a great idea to start a thread where we can all share our tips/tricks when it comes to cooking. It'll surely benefit us all!

I'll start by mentioning two things (maybe this'll help you understand what kind of tips/tricks I want you to share)

1. No one likes to cut onions because the juice irritates the eyes. I've discovered that if you cut the onions standing below a range hood going at a medium speed then it's not a problem at all..

2. There's nothing worse than accidently putting too much salt into the meal you're preparing. Just put in a peeled potato and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes and it will absorb all the salt!

your turn

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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy.
I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

la petite moi

Squeezing a lemon over apples will keep them from browning as quickly.

There's my cliche tip.

Chingal0

Submerging in water works well too

Also, rolling the lemon on the table will loosen the membrane and make it juicier for when you squeeze in on your lemons.

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rockzilla

That's a great tip. Before my kitchen at work was renovated, there was a spot with great air circulation that made chopping onions painless. The new kitchen has no such sweet spot. You can also throw the onions into the freezer for a few minutes before you cut them.

If you're slicing meat (like for a stir-fry), do so when the meat is still partially frozen, this makes it much easier to get really thin slices.

Nancy

excellent tips Rockzilla - gotta remember those!

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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy.
I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

WarWagon

Remember to let your meat sit for a few minutes before slicing, so you don't lose any of the juices. Also, for thick cuts of meat, try searing each side of it. This too will help to retain the juices during cooking.

Also, if you've been working with garlic with bare hands, try rubbing your hands on a piece of stainless steel under the faucet for a few seconds (like a spoon). It should get rid of the smell.

Nancy

Thank you so much for that tip Warwagon!!! You have no idea how many years that particular problem has annoyed me!

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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy.
I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

maleficent

[*]a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar, softens it up again.
[*]Spraying plastic containers with nonstick cooking spray before putting in a tomato-based sauce will help prevent stains to the container.
[*]To know whether an egg is fresh or not, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh. If it rises to the surface, throw it away
[*]Add 1/4 tsp. of baking powder per quart of potatoes while mashing them and they will be fluffy, smooth, and more tasty

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Polyphobic

Olive oil is a godsend for BBQing.


1) Mist veggies when grilling to avoid burning them.
2) Coat any meat to keep it from burning on the outside.
3) Coat fish when BBQing. This negates the use of tin foil. Coat the fish on both sides and wait until it stops sticking to the grill to flip. This takes a little practice to get your timing down. However, you end up with wonderful tasting fish (especially with charcoal).

--edit--
what is flig? changed it to flip. My spelling is uber crappy

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edmos1

a little vinegar on copper pots keep them shiney

pixelbend

But do you know why cutting an onion stings your eyes? When you cut into the membrane of an onion, it releases sulphuric particles into the air. If the particles reach a moist surface (like your eyes), you have sulphuric acid. No wonder it stings.

Anyway, one of my favorite tips, add a pinch of kosher salt into your sweet baked goods (cookies, brownies and the like). It won't dissolve completly in the batter so you will get a subtle salt taste in every few bites. It helps counter the sticky sweetness of some confections.

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But I don't want ANY Spam!

mrsandman

For you (canned) tuna lovers, this trick also works for THAT smell...
(wonder what it is about that stainless?)...also does it work for
other smells? BAD BREATH, stick a spoon in your mouth?

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Hail to ALL the troops and shadow warriors.

splck

A flat onion is sweeter than a round one.

Poke a hole with a pin in the round end of an egg to stop it from cracking while boiling.

Some salt in your frying pan will keep the grease from splattering.

Heat your pan before you add oil to prevent sticking.

Bashing a coconut over your mother-in-laws head is an easy way to open it. yes I mean the coconut..

Kiss the cook.

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nice line eh?

WarWagon

Don't thank me, thank Martha Stewart? She may be a corrupt bitch, but at least my hands don't stink.

mtsgsd

As long as we're talking onion so much, another way to reduce tears is to leave the root end of the onion on while slicing. Most of the acid is at this end of the onion, so this keeps it from getting into the air.
Works!

Nancy

thank you so much for that particular tip! I've always hated when the grease is splattering all over the place, grrrr!

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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy.
I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

00111000

Some more BBQ tips, since I love to grill so much

Keep that grill clean! No matter what. I like to clean it anytime I take somthing off the grill. Invest in a nice grill brush, one with replaceable heads. Charcoal Companion sells some nice ones.

Oil it down. As Poly said olive oil is perfect for this. Before you put anything on the grill lubricate it with some olive oil. This will keep things from sticking and give a nice surface to grill on. A peice of fat will work here also.

For a nice cross hatch look on the meat cook it for 2 mins on one side, flip, 2 mins the other side, flip again but rotate the cut 45. Do this to the other side once again an you got some quality lookin meat!

exponent_doobie

Especially when cooking without an apron and shirt!!!

pappymojo

here's my tip:

never let your meat loaf.

Blackthorn

Here's a simple one for anyone who has trouble with food sticking to your pan.

Hot pan + cold oil = food won't stick.

Give it a try! Heat the pan first as you would normally only wait until the pan is hot before adding your oil. The addition of cold oil plus your food that you will be preparing will result in food that won't stick to the pan.

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pinklily

to peal peaches (and some other hard to peal fruits) poach them by putting each in boiling water for 10 seconds and then dropping into ice water. The skins come right off.

maleficent

That trick works great for peeling tomatoes too...

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splck

Hey....I already said that ^^^^

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nice line eh?

Pellaz

to dice an onion, instead of slicing a 'grid' before hand, just make 5-7 cuts radialy (_\|/_ Kind of).

Wooden skewers are the unsung heros of any kitchen, buy some and marvel at all the ways you find yourself using them.

Soak all poultry/fish in a salt water brine for juicier food.

Place frozen fish/poultry in a bowl under running tapwater for fast thawing without a microwave.

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" ' Big Mouth.
Remember it took three of you to kill me.
A god, a boy, and, last and least, a hero.' "

amonkie

A piece of bread also works well for softening brown sugar.

When trying to cut warm desserts, use a plastic knife, and the dessert (ie brownies) won't stick and come off when you remove the knife.

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Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

LordEden

I've always heard that running a steam of cold water while cutting onions will help with the sting of cutting those damn tasty things.

Also, not only kiss the cook, make out with him/her damn it! Cooks need love too!

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Vice-President of the CinnamonGirl Fan Club - The Meat of the Zombiesquirrel and CinnamonGirl Sandwich

skier

I like cutting onions. I don't know why, but it's just fun to do battle with them.

also, any moist object placed in a (mostly) sealed container with borwn sugar will soften it. No need to waste good bread or apples, throw in a moist paper towel or whatnot. The water evaporating from the wet thing will diffuse into the dry thing.

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"Asking a bomb squad if an old bomb is still "real" is not the best thing to do if you want to save it." - denim

Nancy

yay! another great tip!

I've never been able to cut cakes into neat little pieces but I can now! *runs down to the store to get plastic knives*

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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy.
I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

rockzilla

Which reminds me. I've been meaning to get an apron with "Blow The Chef" printed on it.

matteo101

Probably a very common tip but when cooking cake or brownies when you take it out of the oven stick in a toothpick. If it comes out clean its done, if there is cake on it, its not done yet.

Ace_O_Spades

I used this just last night while baking my cake haha... guess you learn some things innately from being around a mom while growing up.

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Feh.

Hedgehog

Marinate meat in ziploc bags in the fridge. Squeeze out the air and the meat is completely covered in marinade. Takes up less fridge space, and is easier to clean up, too.

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Wait a minute! Where am I, and why am I in this handbasket?

NoSoup

Here's an easy one that everyone probably knows already, but It's pretty much all I can offer

To prevent water from boiling over, add some salt to it

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I have an aura of reliability and good judgement.

Just in case you were wondering...

Hanxter

if you're boiling pasta that requires garlic, put the cloves ***unpeeled*** in water with the pasta - when the pasta is done and drained, fish out the cloves and just gently squeeze the garlic out of the skin...

left over steak you want to stir fry - slice it at an angle and add it as the last for just a few minutes - it will come out hot and still tender...

if you're gonna saute a great deal of burger for say pasta sauce or shepherd's pie - place the cooked burger in a large bowl and make a well in the center - the excess fat will puddle in the middle where you add bar sized ice cubes - the fat will coagulate and then easily removed - neat trick - beats draining in the sink...

speaking of draining fat(s) in the sink - if you're on a septic system - it's the worst thing you can do...

having lobster or cracked crab - rinse your hands in fresh squoze lemon juice...

fresh veggies keep their snap and color if sprinkled with a pinch of salt before cooking...

using extra virgin olive oil in a skillet - add a table spoon of ***butter*** to the pan to reduce smoking...

potato salad that reqire eggs - add the eggs when you boil the potatoes - save cleaning another pot...

shakran

to peel a garlic clove, set it on a paper towel, put the flat a chef's knife over it, and strike the knife with your palm. Comes right off.

To get avocado out easy, cut it in half, pop out the pit, then slice a grid pattern through the meat of the avocado. Now turn the skin inside out and the cubes pop off.

maleficent

th
That's the easiest way to cut up a mango too... thought Ihave yet to figure out how to get than danged pit out.. but the grid pattern makes it much less of a chore.

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tcm_eternal

add oil to boiling water will keep it from boiling over

Nancy

that doesn't seem to work for me

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I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy.
I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

Nancy

great tip - thanks!

__________________
I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy.
I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

doodlebird

left over bread = croutons

aftger it gets hard,
but before it gets moldy...

cube left over bread
toss in olive oil and dried herbs
(i like oregano and basil,
but i imagine you could use anything green)
toast in the oven at 375-400F until brown & crisp
maybe 5 - 10 minutes.

cooks illustrated has tips and tricks
at the front of their mag every month.
some are lame, some are good.
check it out.