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Helpful Hints
Adding Eggs to Hot Liquid
When adding an egg to a hot liquid, beat the
egg in a little dish first, then add just a little of the hot liquid to the egg
and stir in. Then add the egg mixture into the pan.
Baking Times
Always set your timer 5 to 10 minutes earlier
than what the recipe calls for. Oven temperatures vary so leaving your dish in
for too long can cause overcooking.
Béchamel Sauce
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp white flour
2-1/2 cups hot milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk
in the flour. Continue to cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 3
minutes. Add milk in a slow but steady stream, whisking constantly. Continue
cooking & whisking until thick and smooth, about 6-8 minutes. Add salt and
white pepper.
Blanched Almonds
Place shelled almonds in a saucepan. Cover with
cold water. Bring water to a boil and then remove from heat.
Drain and cover almonds with cold water to cool.
Press each almond between thumb and forefinger
to slip off skin. Place almonds on paper towels to dry.
To blanch whole almonds, pour boiling water
over them and let sit for five minutes and then drain. The skin will now come
off very easily just by pinching with your finger and thumb.
Bouquet Garni
To make a Bouquet Garni, mix equal amounts of
thyme, parsley and crushed bay leaf; or equal amounts of thyme, chervil and
crushed bay leaf; or equal amounts of basil, marjoram, and summer savory.
Brown Sugar
To soften a hardened box of brown sugar, simply
place the opened box in the microwave along with 1 cup of hot water. Microwave
on high for about 2 minutes for each 1/2 lb.
If you don’t have a microwave, place a piece of
white bread in with hardened brown sugar to help soften it.
Butter at Room Temperature
To bring butter or margarine to room
temperature quickly, use a grater to shred it into your mixing bowl.
Canning Supplies
Here’s a list of the basic equipment you’ll
need to begin canning food at home...
Large Water Bath Canner
Round Canning Rack
Tongs
Timer
Wire Canning Basket
Screw bands
Self-Sealing Lids
Quart or Pint Canning jars
Hot pad holders and tea towels
There are many other items that you can purchase to make things easier, but these are the basics that any home-canner
needs to get started.
Clarified Butter
Melt butter slowly over medium heat or in a
microwave oven. Skim off and discard the foam that forms. Pour the melted
butter into a bowl and chill. When butter hardens, remove and discard the milky
residue on the bottom.
Cooking with Cheese
Here are a couple of tips for preparing cheese...
1) If you need to grate cheese for a recipe, chill it first. Chill hard cheeses in the freezer for 30 minutes and soft
cheeses for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch. It will grate much easier for you.
2) 4 ounces of block cheese equals one cup shredded or grated.
3) Grate any cheese that you plan to add to a recipe, it will melt much more quickly with no clumping.
Cooking with Honey
When substituting honey for sugar, you should add
1/2 tsp of baking soda for every cup of honey used and bake at a temperature of
25 degrees lower than the recipe calls for. You will also need to use a little
less honey than sugar.
Crème Fraiche
To make homemade creme fraiche, just combine 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 Tbsp buttermilk, and 2 tsp lemon juice in a glass bowl.
Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 24 hours, until it has
thickened. Refrigerate for up to a week in an airtight container.
Deep Frying Facts
Most foods should be fried at a temperature between 350-375 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a bread cube
into the hot oil; if the fat bubbles around the crumb, the temperature is too
low. If it browns, the temperature is just right. If the bread cube burns, your
oil is too hot.
It is best to use canola oil for frying. Canola oil has a high burning point, and does not have a strong flavor to detract from
the flavor of the food you are frying.
Don’t crowd food that is to be fried. The food must be completely surrounded by oil.
Never fill the pot or deep fryer more than halfway with oil to prevent the oil from bubbling over when the food is added.
Don’t boil over!
To help keep a pot from boiling over, I like to put a toothpick between the pot and lid. Just be careful to remove the
toothpick before you lift the lid to check your food.
Flavored oils
Shop with a list, that way you won’t feel tempted to buy as many extras. Keep the list posted on the refrigerator so that
everyone adds to it as items run low.
Herbes de Provence
To make Herbes de Provence, mix together 4 parts thyme, 4 parts savory, 2 parts lavender and 1 part rosemary.
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