Tips & Technique

Almost every late spring, summer holiday, birthday, occasion or just beautiful weekend, we find ourselves out at the lake. We are so fortunate that our extended family owns a cottage not so far away…

As in every family event, there is way too much food – and at the Lake, someone inevitably cooks clams or mussels. I love them, but there are always some that go uneaten. What a waste!

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I have. The classic method is to slice your potatoes into sticks, then chill in ice water while your oil comes to 325F. Then dry the fries completely and fry for a few minutes in the oil. THEN you remove them, drain on towels while your oil heats again, this time to 375F. You get crispy, sometimes clumpy, greasy fries if your oil temp wasn’t exact. This method from America’s Test Kitchen* doesn’t take any less time, but is much simpler. Although it is only professed to work with Yukon Golds, it promises crisp but NOT greasy fries, and doesn’t require monitoring the oil temp.

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I’m not much of one. I rarely brew it at home, but will have a cup if it’s available at the office I’m working in. I’ve heard this tip many times, and probably you know it, too – but I actually witnessed it today for the first time. And it works!

To clean that inevitable residue in the inside bottom of your glass drip-into pot, the solution is both easy and organic. No more scrubbing – just sprinkle a bunch of salt and then a handful of ice cubes. Then shake baby, shake

In just a few seconds, most if not all of that grime is gone. Rinse and repeat if necessary. Then rinse VERY well.

I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.

And meat eaters, too? It’s a dilemma more and more families are facing. Well, here’s a healthy compromise that’s a comfort food as well. Now if I suggested “Peas and Carrots Soup” you’d probably scrunch your nose up and think I had gone crazy. What if I told you that Rachael’s recipe (of the same name) is essentially chicken and dumplings – without the chicken!? Easy to make and ready to serve in about a half an hour, this is an old fashioned, hearty and tasty meal. For those who still want chicken, use some leftover cooked chicken – or shred a purchased rotisserie chicken – and add after the sufficient amount has been reserved as the meatless wonder. One simple dinner for all

Serve it in bread bowls! I like this recipe from GroupRecipes for a couple reasons. It uses multigrain flour, and because you shape the dough over an actual (heat-proof) bowl, you get a crust both inside and out! I’ve tried a couple recipes that started leaking before the soup was finished – don’t let that happen to you. While this recipe is for only two servings, it requires little effort and can easily be adapted to serve more. Come on, try it!

No, I’m not talking about this brutal winter – my water pipes have frozen not once, but twice!!! Seriously, I mean your almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts…

Unless they come in a vacuum-sealed can or jar (the LEAST economical way to buy them), most nuts have been on the shelf longer than you may think. Plastic bags can develop leaks. Nuts contain a lot of healthy oil, but if exposed to air and too much heat, the contents can become rancid.

If you’re smart, you’ll buy in volume, then transfer to a thicker type zip-able bag – and then find a cold, dark place to store them, preferably in your freezer.

It takes virtually no time to thaw them, and most recipes suggest that you toast nuts before further processing. It really does bring out the flavor!!

While there is no known sure-fire cure for either, this is one of my favorite “go to” treatments – Hot and Sour Soup! Delicious in flavor, full of healthy ingredients… And it can sure help you clear your sinuses

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The secret to almost every great dish is fresh herbs. Most of us don’t use them often because the dried are so convenient. BUYING fresh herbs can be pricey, especially if you only need a Tablespoon or so…

So – let’s plant a windowsill garden of herbs!

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Sorry guys, but I’ve been so busy at work and all the Holiday events that I haven’t had TIME to come up with anything new! Besides that, my Tivo remote died, so I couldn’t even get inspiration from others for a while … Fortunately, there are about 400 articles on this site, referencing many more recipes than that, plus your contributions… and I’ve been asked to re-create a few.

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It’s not the making of the dough that concerns most people – it’s the rolling, the temperature, the thickness, the placement... in other words, the handling. Jamie Oliver recently addressed this on Rachael’s show - DON’T roll it! While still chilled, slice it to the thinness you desire, then gently press the edges of your slices together in your pie plate. How simple. If that still has you hesitating, GRATE it! Again, using cold dough, use the largest holes on your box grater (or maybe even your food processor?) to create thin strips that once again you just press into place. See, I really didn’t misspell the title Sorry I didn’t get this to you in time for Thanksgiving – but I do believe that there are many gatherings in our near future where this tip might come in handy…