Share your cooking tips

[Constance]

Since our young man has gone, most of the time we only have to run the dishwasher once a week. We run it on Thursday night...Annie comes in on Fridays to clean, and she puts the dishes away.
I don't put many plastics, big bowls, or any of my pot and pans in there...they get hand-washed. I usually soak them while I am cooking, then HB washes them up while I take a bath. He's a real jewel.

 

[Robo410]

Ventilation! if the recipe says brown the meat...do so and have plenty of ventilation...my new kitchen is getting an industrial hood. (this is why restaurant food tastes the way it does...they COOK it) season...salt and pepper as you cook not after...you'll use less to better effect. Buy fresh and seasonal whenever possible. You'll taste the difference.

 

[Haggis]

I didn't see it mentioned before, but consider it very important - start with an empty dishwasher. It keeps everything so much neater and better organized to stash the dishes as soon as it is finished. Also have as much chopping, shredding, etc as possible done before starting to cook. Cooking goes much more smoothly if you don't have to stop and chop.

However be aware that sometimes it is better not to prepare every ingredient before you start cooking, this is for two reasons:

a) the sometimes fragile and volatile nature of flavours, in particular those of herbs and spices
b) the potentially extra time needed to prepare the ingredients, as well as the extra dishes needed to hold them, particularly if they are to be added at different times

The way we write out recipes encourages this practice and although it is of course useful (such as when stir-frying when cooking time should be no more than, ideally, 2-3 minutes from go to plate) it is sometimes quicker and an overall better practice to prepare other ingredients while another process is going on.

As Daisy said it is a wise person who reads a recipe over a few times (providing your using one) before starting so you can go 'ok while the onions, celery and carrots are sweating for 15 minutes I can proceed to prepare X/Y/Z' (mirepoix of course being one of the prime examples where a cook is standing around with time to kill).

 

[kadesma]

I keep a zip lock baggie in the freezer and add pieces of raw chicken like neck, backs and wing tips..When I have enough, I use this to make chicken stock. Same thing with left over veggies, keep them til I have enough and add them to soup..
Parmesan rind, bag um and add to a pot of minestrone. They get soft, stringy and yummy..We elbow each other over them..
left over rice, add salt, pepper,eggs, parmesan and a touch of garlic powder, a little butter and evoo, makes a great torta.
I toss my dishwashing sponge into the dishwasher every load..
Orange rinds squeezed lemons into the garbage disposal, as well as the used baking soda from the freezer, keeps the drain smelling nice.

kadesma

 

[tilly]

making hot tea?
just put tea bags in coffee filters and proceed like making coffee
the tea stays hot and it is so easy and less mess........No one needs a tea machine!

 

[Hungry]

Amazing how many of Constances "TIPS" I use.
I would laike to add a couple:
Paper plates, (100pk)just a little thicher than paper towell.

Iuse them for a quick chop of onions, tomatoes, most anything. The secret here is a small quick chop.

I also keep my dish washing detergent in a bottle with a spray nozzzel. A quick squirt puts out about 1/2 tsp. Limit the amount of warer to about 4 cups and you will have enough soappy water to wash quite a few items.

Charlie

 

[grumblebee]

making hot tea?
just put tea bags in coffee filters and proceed like making coffee
the tea stays hot and it is so easy and less mess........No one needs a tea machine!

That is a really good tip! No need for a tea cozy either because the tea would be kept hot right in the pot.

I cant believe I've never thought to do this before... its so obvious but just one of those things you wouldnt normally think to do.

Thanks again!

 

[luke_121]

Ventilation! if the recipe says brown the meat...do so and have plenty of ventilation...my new kitchen is getting an industrial hood. (this is why restaurant food tastes the way it does...they COOK it) season...salt and pepper as you cook not after...you'll use less to better effect. Buy fresh and seasonal whenever possible. You'll taste the difference.

also rest the meat,this only applys to prime cuts, resting the meat will allow the meat re-absorb it's juices making it more tender and give it more flavour. a general rule is rest it for half the cooking time.
medium steak- 5-6 min each side 5-6 min resting

 

[Ishbel]

Out of curiosity, what is a tea machine? I cannot remember ever being served tea in the USA which had been made with properly boiling water! I learned to drink coffee or water.

Here in the UK, it's an electric kettle, a teapot, leaf tea and a strainer!

Boil the kettle (really boil it, not almost) - warm the pot. Re-bring kettle to the boil. Empty the little amount of water from the teapot. Put in loose tea (or teabags, if you really must use them!) - one teaspoon per person and 'one for the pot'. Tip on boiling water. Stir. Wait for 3-4 mins for the tea to 'draw'. Put milk in china cup or mug (arguments ensue whether milk in first or last) strain tea. Drink. If using Earl Grey or Lady Grey teas, I do not use milk.

 

[Alix]

I would like to know what a tea machine is too. Ishbel, I make tea the way you do. Although I often use tea bags, I have a special tea pot that has a really cool strainer built in. I LOVE it. My great aunt (who is 99) is pretty ticked with the place she is living at the moment because they can't make her tea properly, they fill her teapot with hot water, carry it to her table and then drop in a teabag. *shudder* LOL.

My tip is knives. If you have ever tried to use a dull knife you will know the importance of regular sharpening. I take a few minutes before I prep to sharpen my knives with a stone and a steel. Makes all the difference (IMO) to the ease of prep.

 

[purrfectlydevine]

The Mr. Coffee market a machine to make tea the way the coffeepot works but the catching vessel is a tall pitcher. I don't think it sits on a warming plate as it is for making iced tea.

 

[ella/TO]

As so many have said, "cook with love" enjoy what you're doing. Do clean up as you go along. Makes it that much easier. Experiment....Have been married over 58 years and I still experiment with cooking and baking.

 

[Alix]

The Mr. Coffee market a machine to make tea the way the coffeepot works but the catching vessel is a tall pitcher. I don't think it sits on a warming plate as it is for making iced tea.

Thank you. I have never heard of this.

 

[Ishbel]

Me either!

Tea maker is a boiling kettle!

 

[Alix]

Me either!

Tea maker is a boiling kettle!

Yep, doesn't get any easier in my book. Boiling HARD.

 

[licia]

My aunt has one (don't know that it is a Mr. Coffee). She uses it when she has company. She drinks tea, but her dh doesn't. The water is put in like making coffee in a drip maker, the sugar and ice is put in the pitcher then placed under the maker. The tea then comes in and the tea process is complete - ready to drink. I think it is called the Iced tea machine.

 

[Ishbel]

Ahhhh, so it doesn't need to be made as 'drinking' tea, but for drinking cold? Maybe using leaf tea and boiling water is unncessary for iced tea?

 

[licia]

Especially in the Southern United States, when many people say tea, they mean iced tea. In the last few years it has become much more popular to drink tea hot than in the past. I drink both, but mostly iced in the summer. It does reach very high temps (90's are common) so iced is very refreshing.

 

[Alix]

OOOOOOOOOOOH! See, another cultural difference. I knew that if I went to the South I should be asking for sweet tea, but didn't realize that HOT tea was not done there. I would be in BIG trouble.

 

[licia]

It isn't so much that it isn't done, but iced tea is more often than not more popular. There has been a bit of a resurgence in the last few years to drinking it hot. Just remember to ask for hot if that is what you want here.