Tips & Technique

We SURPRISED Papa!
Papa’s 75th birthday was a couple of weeks ago – we had a “fake/dinky” party for him on the Fourth. Minimal, cheap presents, Jeff claimed that the gift he had ordered on-line hadn’t yet arrived… Of course, we fed him well, so he was still happy.

In fact, we had been planning his REAL party since March – the basic menu, guest list, date, invites to out-of-towners - even his gift! And he never suspected.


[ Read the rest ... ]

Posted by Linda :
Sunday 18 July 2010 - 14:07:10
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


"The Secret is Double Dipping"…
Have you ever been to a restaurant or fast food outlet, and think “I wish I could make this at home”? Then you must meet Todd Wilbur.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Posted by Linda :
Tuesday 15 June 2010 - 00:07:51
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


Make your own buns!
Summer STILL isn’t officially here, but the grilling season has definitely begun. We all mix it up a bit, but you can’t beat the favorite standbys – burgers and dogs… So add a touch of brilliance to your next venture – serve homemade buns! I found this recipe from All-Recipes.com’s Sally years ago, and have used it many times. They truly are soft and light, full of flavor - and not as airy, mushy, and non-descript as the usual store bought variety. BTW – this recipe also makes a great loaf of sandwich style bread wink Go for it!!

Posted by Linda :
Friday 11 June 2010 - 18:03:41
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


Miscellaneous Tips…
Too good not to share, but not enough for full articles individually:

When cooking a thick chop or piece of meat, you can support it on its side by using a halved potato as ‘bookends’. - ATK

[ Read the rest ... ]

Posted by Linda :
Thursday 06 May 2010 - 19:10:01
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


An easy tip for a sweet or savory Tart
Saw this recipe on Martha’s show, and immediately thought of a dozen other uses for this technique. Anna Kovel, her guest, made an easy and delicious looking Asparagus Parmesan Tart, but there are so many more possibilities using a puff pastry crust. My first thought was the Easter Pie I had made a while back – it looked beautiful, tasted great, but the crust was difficult to work with. Using puff pastry, I could have made the same dish a little lighter, and still do the latticework!
20pie


[ Read the rest ... ]

Posted by Linda :
Thursday 22 April 2010 - 17:56:10
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


After the meal is over…
My family usually serves ham for Easter, so I’m prepping for the much anticipated leftovers.

Ham sandwiches are great, but I want to step it up a bit this year – so here’s what I’m thinking…

[ Read the rest ... ]

Posted by Linda :
Saturday 03 April 2010 - 20:39:02
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


How to turn a sale into Quick Meals
We often find something relatively cheap, and buy a bunch of it. I don’t know about you, but I usually cook what I want that day or the next, then just shove the rest in the freezer, well wrapped of course, but pretty much ‘as is’.

This method does not work. I should know better, but I can’t open either freezer without something falling out wink. Can you?

[ Read the rest ... ]

Posted by Linda :
Monday 15 March 2010 - 22:31:34
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


Has this ever happened to you?
I was cooking a roast for a friend. He called and said he was running late. Knowing he liked his meat more well done than I do (actually, most people do – I like it extremely rare wink ), I left the roast in the turned off oven.

Big mistake! Not only was it well done (which was ok for the fresh serving), the leftovers were extremely dry, and to my taste inedible. The solution?


[ Read the rest ... ]

Posted by Linda :
Thursday 25 February 2010 - 16:55:35
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


Squeezing for Flavor
I don’t know about you, but sometimes using fresh herbs can be difficult. Mostly it’s a timing issue for me – I can do the shopping on Wednesday, but won’t be using them until the weekend – and more times than not my parsley, cilantro, dill, basil (etc.) has withered! I’m sure there’s a better way of storing them that I haven’t learned (feel free to send me suggestions!) – but now I don’t have to. On a recent shopping spree, I discovered “Gourmet Garden” in the produce aisle. Yes, sometimes you want the pretty leaves, but most of the time all you want is the flavor – and you can get it in a tube; a plastic squeeze tube that is full of the fresh zest that you want.
Herbtubes
So far I have tried the cilantro (a little goes a long way) and ginger (ditto), which is easy to find and keep, but time consuming to peel and chop. Both provided great fresh flavor, with NO effort on my part! They cost more than simply buying the herb or spice, but the lack of waste and the time saved more than make up for it. As I mentioned, they carry basil, dill, parsley, garlic, and more… I was ecstatic to see lemongrass (another tough one to chop!). New blends include Thai, Moroccan, Mediterranean, Mexican… When I pick up the garlic and lemongrass, my Asian Pantry will be Happy! If you want fresh, organically grown herbs and spices without the washing, the trimming, the chopping or the risk of spoilage, check out your grocer’s shelf for Gourmet Garden - I’m glad I found it.

Posted by Linda :
Wednesday 10 February 2010 - 17:03:10
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


Still craving sweets?
I know, we all vowed to cut back after The First; but we’ve gotten so used to “munching”, that it’s hard to go “cold turkey”. Don’t despair – you can still get your “fix” without totally ruining your resolve…

[ Read the rest ... ]

Posted by Linda :
Thursday 07 January 2010 - 19:01:38
printer friendly create pdf of this news item


Go to page first  3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 
News Categories