Tips/Tricks in the Kitchen
You spend hours in your kitchen and may not know some of the shortcuts or helping hints that are passed down from generation to generation. I found some of these in an old community cookbook and learned a few from my Granny.
Want super juicy burgers? add 1/4 cup evaporated milk per pound of ground beef before shaping.
Never cover a pot of something cooked in milk unless you want to spend hours cleaning your stove.
When a recipe calls for adding raw eggs to a hot mixture, be sure to temper the eggs by gradually adding some of the hot mixture to the beaten eggs. This prevents curdling or bits of hard cooked egg in your dish.
Baking powder will remove tea or coffee stains from china pots or cups.
Frozen gravies or sauces can be a bit thicker after thawing than when they were freshly made. If you add a little (2 - 4 Tbsp) of the appropriate liquid (milk, broth, bouillon) to your sauce, it will thin it down to the desired consistency.
Use a waxed sandwich bag as a mitt to grease baking pans or casserole dishes.
Hard-boiled eggs will peel much easier if cracked and placed into cold water immediately after taking out of hot water.
Canned cream soups make excellent sauces for vegetables or meats. Use mushroom for several types of meat, such as chicken, pork or beef. Celery pairs with lobster, tomato with lamb, onion or black bean pairs with cauliflower and so forth.
Meringue pies cut more cleanly if you use a knife with both sides lightly coated with butter.
Quick rule of thumb - if a vegetable grows in the ground - carrots, potatoes, beets, etc. - start it off in a pan of cold water. Conversely, if the vegetable grows above ground - peas, beans, greens, etc. - start it off in boiling water.
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