Chief's Tip of the Day:

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Tip Of The Day

When preparing a meal, be it beans and wieners, or a 5-course Italian spread, take a little time to think about the meal. You might just find that with a little thought, you can re-purpose leftovers to create wonderful appetizers, or side dishes, or even main courses. For instance, left over mashed potatoes can be used to make potato-bread rolls. Cooked carrots can be mashed, and used to make sweet carrot tarts, (similar to pumpkin pie custard). Left over pasta can be turned into a flavorful soup appetizer, and so on.

And remember, plan your meal, make sure you have all of the ingredients, and organize them to make preparation of the meal easier, and more efficient.

A little imagination can turn those leftovers into something special.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Tip of the Day:

Never assume that any seasoning, or ingredient you used previously is going to taste the same, or react the same way as the last time you used it. Herbs, and spices, even when stored properly, lose their savor over time. Flour settles and becomes more dense per unit volume. Moisture from the air causes baking powder to lose its leavening ability.

There are very few constants in cooking. If you want constants, make math your hobby. Pi will always be pi, unless its fry-pie.

About the only constants that I can think of: water us always water, and will be neutral in flavor and reactivity, unless of course, you draw it from your sister's well, which is rich in sulfur, compared to your well, that's rich in iron.

Salt is always salty, and doesn't lose it's savor, unless it's that special French salt that gets a good portion of its flavor from the impurities of the sea from which it's extracted.

The point is, be aware that ingredients need to be updated, or more fresh. Recipes may need to be altered slightly, depending on the ingredients available. Nothing is set in stone. Cooking is a science, and an art. Sometimes you need to follow exacting procedures. Sometimes you have to adjust those procedures on the fly. It is by understanding both disciplines that you become competent.

My post - "Holy Jalapeno" demonstrates this concept. I was surprised by the intense heat of one jalapeno pepper that I tasted. It was far hotter than the habanero peppers that I had tasted just thirty minutes earlier. Just so you know.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Tip of the Day

To season stuffing, or dressing, combine the chopped veggies such as onion, celery, and such with the bread, cornbread, or rice. Add enough poultry stock to moisten. Fold the ingredients together. Don't stir them. Add the seasonings, a little at a time. Universal seasonings for stuffing/dressing include ground, rubbed, or fresh sage, thyme, ground black pepper, garlic, onion, and salt. There are others that can, and are used, depending on other ingredients. Old Bay is great in a savory bread dressing/stuffing that has clams, liver, or oysters added to the mix. Sweet Basil, tarragon, and fennel work with pork sausage. And don't forget that various ingredients such as cranberries, or currents can help "season" the stuffing as well.

Don't forget that your broth, or stock contains salt. So be careful with adding extra salt. With all of the above, add a little, stir it in, let it sit for a few minutes, and then taste it. Then adjust the seasonings as required. Don't fold in beaten egg until the seasonings are correct. That way, you can taste the stuffing before cooking it.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Phocaena]

Don't squat when wearing spurs

 

[Kylie1969]

Good one Derek

OUCH

 

[CWS4322]

I can't find the kitchen tricks thread:

To keep a "plastic" cutting board from slipping, dampen a dish towel and position it between the cutting board and the counter top.

 

[Kylie1969]

That is a good one CWS...Jamie Oliver does that all the time in his 30 Minute Meal shows

 

[Addie]

I know I mentioned this before. But on ATK they showed a really good one.

Keep your hasp grater in an empty paper carboard roll. Tape over the end so it doesn't slide through. They are very sharp and you can get a nasty scrape or cut if they are just floating around in your utensil drawer. One day I was feeling crafty, had a small piece of contact paper left over from another project and covered it. Now it looks pretty as well as functional.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Tip of the Day

Think about the properties of the tools you are using. Case in point. There is a current topic about what the best non-stick pans are. There is a discussion on that thread about cast iron pans where one person says that pre-seasoned new pans by a particular maker are just garbage, and won't perform as well as older, well seasoned cast iron.

I own, and have used several makes of cast iron pans, including a new label that has recently been introduced to me. The newer pre-seasoned Lodge pans that I have work as well as do my venerable Griswold and Wagner pans. But there is a definite difference in them. The Lodge have a more grainy surface, though I haven't perceived that to make them any less stick free, once seasoned. Out of the box, they aren't seasoned well enough to perform like my older pans. An hour in a 350' oven, after wiping with cooking oil takes care of that.

The real strength of the Lodge pans is their mass. Because they are so heavy, they have more heat retention capability. It makes them harder to move around, and so I use my lighter cast iron for everyday use. But when I want to brown a half frozen roast, or pan fry in three or four inches of oil, I reach for the lodge pan. As I add food to it, the pan isn't cooled nearly as much as my thinner pans are. This means that the temperature regulation is more even, resulting in more controllable, and predictable temperature control.

It also means that once the pan reaches the desired cooking temperature, it is less apt to have hot spots. The heat is more evenly distributed across its cooking surface.

On the other hand, if I'm frying eggs, or making stir-fries, sauteed food, etc, I reach for my Griswold or Wagner, depending on the amount of food I'm cooking (my Griswold pans are smaller, 10 inch, and 6 inch). They are lighter in weight, and heat more quickly. They allow me to hand toss the food, or swirl it around in the pan.

All of my cast iron is pretty much stick free. But the different thicknesses of the pans means that they have different cooking properties, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

In the same way, my aluminum and stainless steel pans each have strengths and weaknesses.

Get to know the cooking properties of your cook-wear. Use them within their limitations, and they will serve you wonderfully.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Aunt Bea]

It seems that CI pans all have an individual personality.

I now have five by four makers and they all do a fine job but the 6 inch Griswold is as slippery as any modern nonstick pan, the two oldest with no markings come in second and the two Wagner's come in third.

I am curious if all Griswold's are super slippery or if I just got lucky on this little gem!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

It seems that CI pans all have an individual personality.

I now have five by four makers and they all do a fine job but the 6 inch Griswold is as slippery as any modern nonstick pan, the two oldest with no markings come in second and the two Wagner's come in third.

I am curious if all Griswold's are super slippery or if I just got lucky on this little gem!

My ten inch Griswold is very slippery as well. But my six inch pan, like yours is ridiculous. It's the slipperiest pan I own, including my non-stick pancake griddle.

My other pans resist sticking really well, even the Stainless steel pan. I just heat it before adding a thin coat of oil. When I place food it it, even bacon, the food literally slides across the pan If I tilt it. Ya just have to understand your pans.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Sprout]

Chief's Tip Of The Day:

To familiarize yourself with herbs and spices, practice this exercise frequently. Walk to your spice rack, pantry, or spice drawer, close your eyes, and grab a container, any container. Open the lid and smell the contents. Try to identify the ingredients without opening your eyes. Before long, you will be able to distinguish the aromas, and correctly identify them.

When you have mastered this ability, do it every now and again, just to keep the knowledge fresh in your mind.

The skill will enable you to pick out the herbs and spices in foods from restaurants, or a friend's home, or allow you to play with the flavors in your mind before actually adding them to your own food creations. You will then begin to develop the intuition to create, or recreate foods that you enjoy.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

He did this to us when we were kids. "Close your eyes. What's this one? Keep 'em closed!" No wonder I feel anxiety whenever I can't identify a smell...
JK, I actually though that game was pretty cool when I was a kid. (Oh, you though I was kidding about him doing this to us? Nope. Just about feeling anxiety over it.)
My husband, however, plays this game where he gets on Youtube or a playlist on the computer and fires song after song at me and asks "Who's this? What song is this?" I guess it's true what they say about daughters marrying their fathers. The only difference is their weapon of choice. Dad used spices to educate us, DH uses obscure music.

 

[Addie]

I hate when someone does that to me. You want to educate? Get a classroom. And don't ask me to do mental math. If I am in a good mood, I will just say, "I don't know." If not, then you get a nasty answer. I make no bones about it. Math is not my forte`. Geography and history are. I don't know music from the 70's, 80's or any day forward. I was too busy raising kids to pay attention. During my working days, the only time I had the radio on was first thing in the morning to listen to the weather.

 

[CWS4322]

He did this to us when we were kids. "Close your eyes. What's this one? Keep 'em closed!" No wonder I feel anxiety whenever I can't identify a smell...
JK, I actually though that game was pretty cool when I was a kid. (Oh, you though I was kidding about him doing this to us? Nope. Just about feeling anxiety over it.)
My husband, however, plays this game where he gets on Youtube or a playlist on the computer and fires song after song at me and asks "Who's this? What song is this?" I guess it's true what they say about daughters marrying their fathers. The only difference is their weapon of choice. Dad used spices to educate us, DH uses obscure music.

When I was five, my father bought me water color paints--red, blue, yellow, burnt umber, sienna, china white, and a "blue" black. He would take the dog for a walk and bring things back--red maple leaves in the fall, pasque flowers in the spring, asparagus. Then he would challenge me to match the color using my paints. Supposedly, the average person's color memory is 30 minutes. I bought linen thread to match the paint I used in the living room (I was in California). When I got home, the thread was a perfect match. I never did get around to weaving the curtain fabric...and I've repainted the living room several times since then. But, it did prove that my color memory is well trained. I drive the clerks in the paint department crazy...I'd like this color at 1/2 the concentration and with 3% more of the blue/black/yellow...My brother loves it when I do that to match a paint chip to a color in a piece of fabric. I don't recommend doing that--you have to buy a gallon and if your color skills aren't great, you're stuck with paint that isn't quite what you want. It took two tries to get the color I wanted for the bedroom. I used the rejected can as primer.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Tip of the Day

To remove the core from a heat of iceberg lettuce, Turn the head so that the heel (where the stem attached) is pointing upward. Place the lettuce head onto a sturdy table, or counter in that position. Now, give that lettuce a severe blow, right on the heel, with the heel of your hand. Grab the remaining stem, five a light twist, and pull it cleanly from the head.

2nd tip of the day;

No Margarette, you can't spread toe-jam, on you little brother's toast. I don't care if it's call jam, and you uncle Bill says it smells just like his favorite cheese.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[CWS4322]

Chief's Tip of the Day

To remove the core from a heat of iceberg lettuce, Turn the head so that the heel (where the stem attached) is pointing upward. Place the lettuce head onto a sturdy table, or counter in that position. Now, give that lettuce a severe blow, right on the heel, with the heel of your hand. Grab the remaining stem, five a light twist, and pull it cleanly from the head.

2nd tip of the day;

No Margarette, you can't spread toe-jam, on you little brother's toast. I don't care if it's call jam, and you uncle Bill says it smells just like his favorite cheese.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Another way to remove the stem from iceburg lettuce is to grab the head in your hand and WHACK the stem on a counter. When my parents owned a restaurant, I cleaned a lot of lettuce. The stem will pop right out. The same is true if you want to get the core out of cauliflower.

When dicing/cutting sweet peppers, cut the stem and heel off, remove core, slit, lay it out, skinside down, and slice from the inside. It cuts better and is easier to cut this way.

 

[chopper]

Chief's Tip of the Day

To remove the core from a heat of iceberg lettuce, Turn the head so that the heel (where the stem attached) is pointing upward. Place the lettuce head onto a sturdy table, or counter in that position. Now, give that lettuce a severe blow, right on the heel, with the heel of your hand. Grab the remaining stem, five a light twist, and pull it cleanly from the head.

2nd tip of the day;

No Margarette, you can't spread toe-jam, on you little brother's toast. I don't care if it's call jam, and you uncle Bill says it smells just like his favorite cheese.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Your iceberg lettuce tip is one I have known all my life. I just recently learned that everyone didn't know that trick. That is just how mom taught us.

 

[Addie]

Another way to remove the stem from iceburg lettuce is to grab the head in your hand and WHACK the stem on a counter. When my parents owned a restaurant, I cleaned a lot of lettuce. The stem will pop right out. The same is true if you want to get the core out of cauliflower.

When dicing/cutting sweet peppers, cut the stem and heel off, remove core, slit, lay it out, skinside down, and slice from the inside. It cuts better and is easier to cut this way.

I core my lettuce the same as you. Why hurt my hand when I can let the counter take the abuse? I didn't know about the cauliflower.

I have always cut around the stem and twisted the seed pod out. The majority of the seeds stay intact when removing. Then I slit it to remove the white on the veins. Continue with skin side down. Like you do.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I enjoy giving the lettuce head a whack with my hand. It keeps my striking skills from martial arts, intact. I know it sounds funny, but it's true. I've never had to strike someone, but I do know that I can put my hand through pine boards, drywall, and knock a 200 lb. man back about four feet with an open hand, heel strike. With a two hand strike, well, I'm just going to quit now. This is about taking the core out of iceberg lettuce.

Oh, don't try and break a 3 X 4 piece of 3/4 inch plywood with a fist strike. I didn't break any body parts with that one. The guy holding the plywood goaded me into hitting it. I knew that he couldn't hold it sturdy enough, and it, and he would move. He was knocked back about three feet. I cracked the plywood, and my knuckles hurt for about a half hour. The guy had sore wrists, and never knew that I had felt any pain. The sides of 69 Dodge vans don't give much either. I won't say who made me mad enough to hit my van. But I still have never punched or hit another human being in anger. And I'm happy about that.

Oh, I was younger then. That's my excuse for being dumb.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Tip of the Day

Whip in three tbs. milk into your favorite buttercream cake frosting to make it silky smooth, and light. But, it will be so soft that it won't hold a peak as well. It will be very soft, and will work well in a piping bag. But don't expect to make icing flowers with it.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North