Cooking & Baking
Grilling using laurel and juniper
Cookouts are a very commong hobby. If you want to give your meat a special taste simply throw a some laurel and juniper on the hot charcoals - that'll give a spicey taste.
Sausage-variations
Do you like grilled sausages? Then you should try this: Spread some beer on the sausages or wrap with bacon or spread mustard or barbecue sauce on them.
Cauliflower in salted water
Before cooking cauliflower you should place it upside down into cold salted water. All the little insects will leave their "home" then.
Reheating roast
If you don't own a microwave oven the best way to reheat roast is to place the slices into a slieve which you place over a pot of boiling water. So the meat won't get dry.
Parmesan cheese against fish smell
When you're broiling crumbed fish add some Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs. Then it won't smell so fishy.
Cleaning carrots
A very fast and easy way cleaning carrots or radishes is to use a pot cleaner made out of steel wool or plastic.
Degreasing broth
You can get the fat out of broth using a paper towel. Place it on top of th broth and it'll soak a lot of the grease.
Getting ketchup out of a glass bottle
This ever happened to you? When you opened a new bottle of ketchup or barbecue sauce it just didn't want to come out? Simply stick a straw down to the bottom of the bottle. Air will get to the bottom and the ketchup will flow.
Shredded cheese for spicey scrambled eggs
You can have some extra tasty scrambled eggs if you add a tablespoon of shredded cheese to each egg. Parmesan cheese tastes best.
Cheese in bread crumbs
If you add some cheese to the breadcrumbs when crumbing Schnitzel, friedd chicken or fish it'll have a much spicier taste.
Cognac makes meat soft
If you purchased some beef that's too fresh simply pour some cognac over it. This will also work on poultry. By the way: the cognac taste will get lost so there's no need to worry about a different taste.
Pudding without skin
Some people don't like home made pudding that's covered with a skin. Simply strew some sugar on it when it's still hot. The sugar will melt and prevent the building of a skin.
Lemon drop by drop
Sometimes one only needs a few drops of lemon juice and doesn't want to use the whole fruit. If you prick a little hole in the lemon's skin you can squeeze out the juice drop by drop.
No knives into hot grease
Try avoiding to get a knive into hot grease when you're broiling some food. Not only to prevent covered pans from getting scratches - hot grease turns knives blunt.
White of egg makes whipped cream lighter
If one mixes the white of an egg with the cream when whipping it the whipped cream will not only become more - it also will contain less fat. So if you have to watch your weight: use 1 white of egg for 8oz cream.
Tasty potatoes in their shin
When cooking potatoes in their skin you shouldn't just place them in the water. Make little cuts in the potatoes and add some salt to the water and they'll become much tastier.
Salt prevents fat splashs
An amazing hint one can use almost anyday: When broiling food the fat in the pan won't splash as much when you add a little salt.
Cooking potatoes faster
Sometimes when cooking potatoes they never seem to be done. Simply add some margarine to the water. That'll put up the boiling point, the liquid will get hotter and the potatoes will cook faster and will be done earlier. They'll also keep more vitamines.
Sugar for grilling
Onions will turn brown if you strew a little sugar on them when broiling them. Maybe you already knew that. But when you're grilling meat or sausages you also can strew some sugar on it. That'll get everything brown and crusty and won't change the meat's taste.
Cut meat against the fibre
When carving meat the wrong way it won't be as good and wholesome. Therefore always cut meat agains the fibres not with them.
Less fat
These days one doesn't use as much fat because it's healthier. Therefore: when broiling onions first don't use any fat at all add a little fat later then you'll only need half.
Vinegar turns trout blue
The color of a trout will turn blue when you're pouring some boiling vinegar over the raw fish.
Spongy scrambled eggs and pancakes
Scrambled eggs will become spongy and delicate when you add a tablespoon of mineral water per egg. This hint will also work on pancakes.
Cook cauliflower in mineral water
When you're cooking cauliflower don't use tap water - use mineral water instead. I bet you'll taste the difference!
Wholesome cucumber salad
A lot of people love cucumber salad but it's not digestible to them. Simply add a little mustard. That tastes good and is also good for your stomach.
Water for apple pie
When baking apple pie the apples sometimes aren't done yet when the pie has already turned brown. Simply place a heat proof bowl with water in the oven. The water steam will get the apples done faster.
Hamburgers with dent
Hamburgers should be crispy on the outside but be done in the middle. You will get such a result much easier when you press a litle dent in the meat before broiling it. It'll be done faster in the middle. The deepening will be gone.
Red rhubarb tastes sweeter
When you're buying rhubarb make sure you choose the one that's skin looks red. It contains less acid which means you'll need less sugar. For this reason: never buy green rhubarb.
Refined goulash soup
This way can goulash soup will taste much better: roast a few chanterelles in butter, add some minced onion and cognac. Add to the soup shortly before serving it.
© 1997 Michael Bouska