Now I don’t
purport to be the best cook, but I do know a few things, and have been taught
several tricks of the trade so to speak.
Listed here are 100 Tricks (Tips) that should get you mouths watering. But since my translation program will no
Translate this Article all at one time; I’ve had to break it into two separate
parts. Use them yourself or pass them
about it’s really up to your own discretion.
Enjoy - Bird
1. Remember, y'all, it’s all about the prep. Take away the stress by doing the prep the night or day before. You'll look like a star.
2. The smaller the item, the higher the baking temperature. For example, I bake mini chocolate chip-toffee cookies at 500 degrees F for only 4 minutes. With a perfect end result.
3. Store spices in a cool, dark place, not above your stove. Humidity, light and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor.
4. Use a coarse micro plane to shave vegetables into salads or vinaigrettes. You can create an orange-fennel dressing by adding grated fennel and orange zest to a simple vinaigrette.
5. Always make stock in a large quantity and freeze it in plastic bags. That way, when you want to make a nice soup or boil veggies, you can simply pull the bag out of the freezer.
6. If you're cooking for someone important never try a new recipe and a new ingredient at the same time.
7. Cook pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions and cook it the rest of the way in the pan with sauce.
8. After making eggs sunny-side up, deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, then drizzle the sauce on the eggs to add another dimension to the dish.
9. After working with garlic, rub your hands vigorously on your stainless steel sink for 30 seconds before washing them. It will remove the odor.
10. Brine, baby, brine! You got to brine that poultry to really give it the super flavor.
11. Remember chicken fat, it has a great flavor and richness; it has a deeper flavor than duck fat and can be used on nearly everything. even poaching fish in it.
12. If you find you need more oil in the pan when sautéing, add it in a stream along the edges of the pan so that by the time the oil reaches the ingredient being cooked, it will be heated.
13. When you deep-fry, hold each piece of food with long tongs as you add it to the oil. Hold it just below the oil's surface for five seconds before releasing it. This will seal the exterior and stop it from sticking to the pot or the other food.
14. For rich, creamy dressings made healthy, substitute half the mayo with Greek-style yogurt.
15. When chopping herbs, toss a little salt onto the cutting board; it will keep the herbs from flying around.
16. To make a great sandwich, spread the mayonnaise from corner to corner on the bread. People rush this step and just do a swoosh down the middle. Every bite should be flavorful.
17. If you
keep it simple and buy ingredients at farmers' markets, the food can pretty much
take care of itself. Do as little as possible to the food; consider leaving out
an ingredient and relying on instinct.
18. Always season meat and fish evenly; sprinkle salt and pepper as though it's "snowing." This will avoid clumping or ending up with too much seasoning in some areas and none in others.
21. For an easy weeknight meal, save and freeze leftover sauces from previous meals in ice cube trays. The cubes can be reheated in a sauté pan when you need a quick sauce.
22. When making meatballs or meatloaf, you need to know how the mixture tastes before you cook it. Make a little patty and fry it in a pan like a mini hamburger. Then you can taste it and adjust the seasoning.
23. Instead of placing a chicken on a roasting rack, cut thick slices of onion, put them in an oiled pan, and then place the chicken on top. The onion will absorb the chicken juices. After roasting, let the chicken rest while you make a sauce with the onions by adding a little stock or water to the pan and cooking it for about 3 minutes on high heat.
24. Low and slow.
25. After cutting corn off the cob, use the back side of a knife (not the blade side) to scrape the cob again to extract the sweet milk left behind. This milk adds flavor and body to any corn dish.
Lay the corn horizontally on a board, then cut off the kernels.
Run the back of your knife over the empty cob to extract the milk
26. Acidity, salt and horseradish bring out full flavors in food.
27. Take the time to actually read recipes through before you begin.
28. Organize yourself. Write a prep list and break that list down into what may seem like ridiculously small parcels, like "grate cheese" and "grind pepper" and "pull out plates." You will see that a "simple meal" actually has more than 40 steps. If even 10 of those steps require 10 minutes each and another 10 of those steps take 5 minutes each, you're going to need two and a half hours of prep time. Write down the steps and then cross them off. It's very satisfying!
29. Recipes are only a guideline, not the Bible. Feel comfortable replacing ingredients with similar ingredients that you like. If you like oregano but not thyme, use oregano.
30. A braised or slow-roasted whole beef roast or pork shoulder can be made into several dishes and sandwiches all week.
31. Taste as you go!
32. Anytime you are using raw onions in a salsa and you are not going to eat that salsa in the next 20 minutes or so, be sure to rinse the diced onions under cold running water first, then blot dry. This will rid them of sulfurous gas that can ruin fresh salsa. It's really important in guacamole, too.
33. Do not use oil in the water when boiling pasta: It will keep the sauce from sticking to the cooked pasta.
34. For safety, put a wine cork on the tip of a knife before putting the knife in a drawer.
35. When you’re going to sauté garlic, slice it rather than mincing it — it's less likely to burn that way.
36. When you're browning meat, you should blot the surface dry with a paper towel so the meat doesn't release moisture when it hits the hot oil. Too much moisture makes the meat steam instead of sear, and you will lose that rich brown crust.
37. To cut pancetta or bacon into lardoons, put in the freezer for 15 minutes. This will firm up the meat and make it easier to cut.
38. A cast-iron pan is a valuable kitchen ally. It offers an even cooking surface and is a breeze to clean.
39. Smash garlic cloves inside a resealable plastic bag with the back of a knife. That way, your cutting board and knife won't smell.
40. To get nice, crispy caramelization on roasted vegetables, simulate the intense heat of an industrial oven: Bring your oven up as hot as it goes, then put an empty roasting or sheet pan inside for 10 to 15 minutes. Toss the vegetables — try carrots or Brussels sprouts — with olive oil, salt and pepper, and put them on the hot pan. This method will give you the high heat you need to caramelize the sugars in the vegetables quickly.
41. Invest in a bottle of high-quality olive oil. Just a small drizzle can really bring out the flavor of pizza, mozzarella, pasta, fish and meat.
42. Marinating meat with citrus can give it a mealy texture. If you like citrus, a little squeeze of lemon or lime is always a good way to finish the dish instead.
43. Add cheese rinds to vegetable or meat broths for another dimension of flavor.
44. When seasoning a salad, use coarse sea salt mixed with a little olive oil. It will stay crunchy when combined with the vinaigrette.
45. Always use sharp knives. Not only is it safer but it will make your work much more efficient.
46. Rest, rest, rest! Always let your meat rest — especially off a hot grill!
47. Plunge vegetables in ice water after blanching (boiling) them so they maintain a bright color.
48. Invest in parchment paper for lining pans. It makes all of your baked goods super easy to remove, and it makes cleanup a dream (no butter-flour mixture or errant batter to scrape off).
49. After you drain pasta, while it's still hot, grate some fresh Parmesan on top before tossing it with your sauce. This way, the sauce has something to stick to.
50. Don't overcrowd the pan when you're sautéing — it'll make your food steam instead.
18. Always season meat and fish evenly; sprinkle salt and pepper as though it's "snowing." This will avoid clumping or ending up with too much seasoning in some areas and none in others.
21. For an easy weeknight meal, save and freeze leftover sauces from previous meals in ice cube trays. The cubes can be reheated in a sauté pan when you need a quick sauce.
22. When making meatballs or meatloaf, you need to know how the mixture tastes before you cook it. Make a little patty and fry it in a pan like a mini hamburger. Then you can taste it and adjust the seasoning.
23. Instead of placing a chicken on a roasting rack, cut thick slices of onion, put them in an oiled pan, and then place the chicken on top. The onion will absorb the chicken juices. After roasting, let the chicken rest while you make a sauce with the onions by adding a little stock or water to the pan and cooking it for about 3 minutes on high heat.
24. Low and slow.
25. After cutting corn off the cob, use the back side of a knife (not the blade side) to scrape the cob again to extract the sweet milk left behind. This milk adds flavor and body to any corn dish.
Lay the corn horizontally on a board, then cut off the kernels.
Run the back of your knife over the empty cob to extract the milk
26. Acidity, salt and horseradish bring out full flavors in food.
27. Take the time to actually read recipes through before you begin.
28. Organize yourself. Write a prep list and break that list down into what may seem like ridiculously small parcels, like "grate cheese" and "grind pepper" and "pull out plates." You will see that a "simple meal" actually has more than 40 steps. If even 10 of those steps require 10 minutes each and another 10 of those steps take 5 minutes each, you're going to need two and a half hours of prep time. Write down the steps and then cross them off. It's very satisfying!
29. Recipes are only a guideline, not the Bible. Feel comfortable replacing ingredients with similar ingredients that you like. If you like oregano but not thyme, use oregano.
30. A braised or slow-roasted whole beef roast or pork shoulder can be made into several dishes and sandwiches all week.
31. Taste as you go!
32. Anytime you are using raw onions in a salsa and you are not going to eat that salsa in the next 20 minutes or so, be sure to rinse the diced onions under cold running water first, then blot dry. This will rid them of sulfurous gas that can ruin fresh salsa. It's really important in guacamole, too.
33. Do not use oil in the water when boiling pasta: It will keep the sauce from sticking to the cooked pasta.
34. For safety, put a wine cork on the tip of a knife before putting the knife in a drawer.
35. When you’re going to sauté garlic, slice it rather than mincing it — it's less likely to burn that way.
36. When you're browning meat, you should blot the surface dry with a paper towel so the meat doesn't release moisture when it hits the hot oil. Too much moisture makes the meat steam instead of sear, and you will lose that rich brown crust.
37. To cut pancetta or bacon into lardoons, put in the freezer for 15 minutes. This will firm up the meat and make it easier to cut.
38. A cast-iron pan is a valuable kitchen ally. It offers an even cooking surface and is a breeze to clean.
39. Smash garlic cloves inside a resealable plastic bag with the back of a knife. That way, your cutting board and knife won't smell.
40. To get nice, crispy caramelization on roasted vegetables, simulate the intense heat of an industrial oven: Bring your oven up as hot as it goes, then put an empty roasting or sheet pan inside for 10 to 15 minutes. Toss the vegetables — try carrots or Brussels sprouts — with olive oil, salt and pepper, and put them on the hot pan. This method will give you the high heat you need to caramelize the sugars in the vegetables quickly.
41. Invest in a bottle of high-quality olive oil. Just a small drizzle can really bring out the flavor of pizza, mozzarella, pasta, fish and meat.
42. Marinating meat with citrus can give it a mealy texture. If you like citrus, a little squeeze of lemon or lime is always a good way to finish the dish instead.
43. Add cheese rinds to vegetable or meat broths for another dimension of flavor.
44. When seasoning a salad, use coarse sea salt mixed with a little olive oil. It will stay crunchy when combined with the vinaigrette.
45. Always use sharp knives. Not only is it safer but it will make your work much more efficient.
46. Rest, rest, rest! Always let your meat rest — especially off a hot grill!
47. Plunge vegetables in ice water after blanching (boiling) them so they maintain a bright color.
48. Invest in parchment paper for lining pans. It makes all of your baked goods super easy to remove, and it makes cleanup a dream (no butter-flour mixture or errant batter to scrape off).
49. After you drain pasta, while it's still hot, grate some fresh Parmesan on top before tossing it with your sauce. This way, the sauce has something to stick to.
50. Don't overcrowd the pan when you're sautéing — it'll make your food steam instead.
More to come
in Part II of this Series.
