CO-OP Islami - Information & benefits

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, 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.

Creme 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.