The Wheeling Gourmet» Tips & Tricks

Clean As You Go

Nicolas Steenhout — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:01:36 +0000

Clean as you go in the kitchen. It will be a lot easier to see where you’re at and to find your tools and bowls if you pile them nicely in the sink or even better, in the dishwasher if you have one.

Keep a clean, wet soapy rag to wipe your work area every once in a while. It is much easier to clean a little at a time and finish cooking in a clean kitchen than to wait till the end of your day and be faced with a mountain of dishes to do, counters to clean, etc.

Plastic Cups for Stored Ingredients

Nicolas Steenhout — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:01:23 +0000

Get plastic measuring cups that you keep in your dry ingredients containers.

This will cut down on the over all handling/washing of measuring cups. You can put these cups in containers for, rice, flour, sugar, brown sugar, etc.

Of course, that’s if you have enough room to store the dry ingredients in new containers and not the original packages they came in.

Keep Your Knives Sharp

Nicolas Steenhout — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:01:00 +0000

It's important to keep your knives sharp. Not only will they cut better, but a sharp knife is safer to use.

A sharp knife will penetrate the item you are cutting, instead of slipping and cutting your hands. Additionally, sharp knives leave a clean cut, which will be easier to heal. A dull knife is more likely to slip, and rip the skin rather than cut it. Jagged edge cuts don't fast nor well.

What To Do With Ripe Bananas

Nicolas Steenhout — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:01:33 +0000

If you have bananas that are getting too ripe and you don't have enough or don't feel like doing muffins or bread or cream pie, peel them (), wrap them in wax paper and freeze them.

When you have enough for a particular recipe, or if you are in the mood, you can then use them. Or you can use them still frozen in milkshakes and smoothies.

If you haven't frozen them before putting the bananas in the freezer, you’ll have a devil of a time peeling them if they are frozen.

Herbs & Spices

Nicolas Steenhout — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:01:35 +0000

Use herbs and spices in your dishes. They often make the difference between a bland dish and a great dish.

Don’t be afraid of experimenting. While there are some herbs that go better with some dishes, most herbs will grandly improve most dishes.

Keeping Brown Sugar Soft

Nicolas Steenhout — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:01:25 +0000

Brown sugar stays reasonably soft in the fridge. A piece of apple or slice of bread in the brown sugar will almost guarantee it remains soft.

Rubber Mats

Nicolas Steenhout — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:01:13 +0000

You can find non-skid rubber mats or double-sided suction cups to place under bowls or cutting boards to prevent them from sliding around when you use them.

These mats are usualy quite affordable and make a world of difference.

Easy New and Interesting Soups

Nicolas Steenhout — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:01:12 +0000

Do yant a new soup, yet don’t want to make it from scratch? Mix two cans of different soups, like cream of tomatoes and mushroom soup. You’ll get interesting results most of the time…

This is a trick I remember from my very first cookbook when I was a kid. Try it, it works!

Adding Character to Your Dishes

Nicolas Steenhout — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:01:08 +0000

Sometimes you may feel your dish is a little 'blah'. There are several things you can add in small quantity to build a bit of character into it.

Some of these things include:

a little lemon juice,
a teaspoon of Dijon mustard,
a splash of olive oil,
a drop of red wine vinegar,
some orange peel,
and the list goes on.

Use your imagination!

Portion Freezing

Nicolas Steenhout — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:44:37 +0000

Freeze everything in portion size, for instance, one hamburger patty, three slices of bacon, one chicken breast, etc.

It is much easier to use it that way and allows you variety. You won’t have to eat that whole container of spaghetti sauce you froze all at once!