Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Fire extinguisher: This is a must in the kitchen. Get the powder-type extinguisher, and once it reaches its expiry date, get another one.
[guest]
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Some general cooking tips:- Prepare everything you need before you start.
- start cooking the dish that takes longest first. That way, it can be cooking while you prepare the other items.
thesource (378)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Tape a note pad to the inside of one of your kitchen cabinet doors and create a running grocery list by jotting down items as you think of them or run out.
thesource (378)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Turn off the burner before removing a pan from the stove, so that you don't forget to turn it off.
thesource (378)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Warning: Avoid aluminium cookware to cook certain kinds of vegetables. For example: beetroot, beetroot greens, spinach, silverbeet, chard, rhubarb, parsley etc.
The reason is that some greens are high in oxalic acid which eats away the cookware coating on aluminium, that is there to prevent aluminium poisoning. So if cookware becomes more shiny after cooking, best not to eat the food.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Boiled eggs: A pinch of salt to the boiling water prevents eggs from bursting out of cracks. When cooked, wait for the egg to cool and shrink, before shelling.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Add popcorn that doesn't pop to a pot of rice and boil it all together.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Economical tips:- Save the wrappers from margarine or butter in a ziploc bag in the freezer. The next time one of your recipes call for greasing a cake pan, etc. pull out one of these wrappers and use it for that purpose.
- Whirl almost any kind of leftover soup (minus bones) in blender to get a sauce or gravy for vegetables or meat.
thesource (378)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Cooking with the Sun
Solar cooking focusses reflected sunlight onto a black container. One should also strive to retain any heat thus generated. Parabolic cookers use the former principle best, box cookers use the latter principle best.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Onions: When preparing onions, avoid tears by wearing swimming goggles.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Choosing foods well
When buying a chicken, look for one that has smooth but firm skin. It should also appear plump and white with no odour.
[guest]
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Choosing foods well
When choosing a coconut, check that the three soft "eyes" on the shell are intact, dry and mould-free.
[guest]
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Jar-opening
Push a knife tip into the gap between the lid and the jar and twist it to leverage the gap wider. At some point the vacuum in the jar should release and the indentation on the top should pop up. Now that there is no pressure holding it the lid should twist off very easily.
Laird Shaw (4)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Oven/range & stove
If your electric range or the electrical parts of your gas range don't work, first check the fuse or circuit breaker.
[guest]
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Refrigeration
Door Gasket: if washed often with soapy water, will usually last as long as the refrigerator. Check to see if it is sealing well by closing a dollar bill in the door. If you feel a resistance when you pull it out, the gasket is holding. Repeat the test in several places. If your gasket does not pass this test, it should be replaced.
[guest]
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Refrigeration
Temperature settings for refrigerator and freezer compartments are given arbitrary numbers for example (1 through 9, warmest to coldest) by manufacturers, but generally 37 degrees F is ideal for the refrigerator compartment and 0 degrees F for the freezer. If you suspect a problem, test the temperatures with a refrigerator or outdoor thermometer.
[guest]
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Jar-opening
Use a tea-towel to afford more grip on the lid, or use a specially made lid-remover. You can also use an oil-filter remover strap if you have one in your garage.
[guest]
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Oven/range & stove
Electric stove: If you have an electric stove of the type that has spiral elements, line the bowls underneath the elements with aluminium foil. This greatly helps when it comes to cleaning.
[guest]
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Choosing foods well
It's probably wise not to buy food at a school fete.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Pressure Cookers
Steaming: place food in a steaming basket or ceramic bowl inside the cooker, in a few centimeters of water. Grains: cover the bowl with alfoil. Bagels and bread: don't cover the bowl.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Disposable vinyl or plastic gloves will keep your hands from staining and keep them from being irritated by hot peppers.
thesource (378)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
For a refreshing tea try dry-heating herbs and fruits lightly, then infusing them. E.g. orange or mandarin peel, rosemary, mint, ginger peel, cinnamon, rose-hips.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Cooking with the Sun
General tips:
- Adjust the cooker to face the sun every 20-30 minutes (or in advance). For this reason, it is difficult to burn food by forgetfulness.
- Wear polarised sunglasses, and don't look directly at the white "flames" reflected back.
- Ensure there is a concentration of "white flames" on the bottom of your black saucepan for greatest heat.
- Use black-coated, thinnish, light cookware, such as hardened anodized aluminium.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Refrigeration
Freezing food: To store perishable foods, they need to be 'deep-frozen', meaning, frozen hard as a rock. It slows microbes and enzymes down to a dormant state, and the food won't decompose.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Refrigeration
Freezers: Bar refrigerators are not intended for deep-freezing, as the freezer section is at the top of the frig. Turning the thermostat to 'coldest' will freeze a few items rock-hard, but not all. Also, the rest of the food stored in the refrigerator will be half-frozen or get freezer-burn.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Pressure Cookers
Modern cookers have several safety mechanisms to ensure steam can always escape. ALSO, The best cookers prevent opening the lid when steam is built-up inside, e.g. lid held closed by steam pressure.
Check that the rubber-ring seal on the inside rim of the lid is in good condition. Also, do not block the vents during cooking, e.g. frothy foods.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Pressure Cookers
Pressure cooking is a very good idea. It cuts 60-70% of cooking time (and electricity), as well as water.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Preserves, pickles, fermenting, etc.
Panir: Very tasty, easy-to-make. A cheap alternative to tofu. To serve 4 people:
- Heat 1L. whole-cream milk to 80 deg. Celsius.
- Add lemon or lime juice, 1 teaspoon at a time until curds form. Stir. Leave to cool for 1/2 hour.
- Pour into a clean cheese-cloth lined bowl. Make a "pudding" sack, squeeze water out. Rinse under cold water.
- Optional: Place a heavy weight on the "pud", leave to soak in cold water for 2 hours. The more water pressed out, the firmer the cheese. For a square block, place the pud into a holey box before pressing.
- Cut into blocks (pan fry), crumble (like fetta in spinach filo parcels or "panak panir"), or slice and marinate for steaks.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Cooking with the Sun
Keep the reflector clean, free of dust and spilled food. Clean with a smooth cloth and window-cleaning detergent.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Cooking with the Sun
Store parabolic cookers carefully, so they do not accidentally burn anything. For instance, turn them against a wall, and cover with a cloth.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Rice Cookers
General tips:
Rice cookers will cook nice rice every time - nice and fluffy, instead of gluggy.
The rice absorbs all the nutrients from the water, so you don't waste anything.
Use a steamer tray above the rice to cook vegetables, eggs in their shells, fish, or bits of chicken. This method also saves energy, by making use of the heat of the steam before it escapes. Steaming food keeps it moist.
Make sure you clean the rice cooker thoroughly after each use, with a soft, damp cloth. Use hot water, washing up liquid and sponge to clean the bowl and the lid. Scouring powders and metal sponges are not recommended. If food sticks to the bottom of the bowl, soak it for a while before washing it. Dry the bowl carefully and do not immerse the appliance in water. Only pour water into the bowl.
You can slow-cook stews in a rice cooker by leaving it on "warm" for several hours.
Different types of rice require different amounts of water, so you may need to experiment a bit. Long-grain rice such as Basmati tend to require less water.
After cooking, stir the rice, then leave the cooked rice in the cooker for a few minutes, with the lid sealed, to allow moisture to become evenly distributed through the rice.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Meat tenderisers
Soften meat by cooking it in vinegar. The flavour is slightly sour, like mild natural yoghurt, and can be heightened with mixed herbs or curry-type spices, or else softened with tomato paste. Some vinegar varieties include: balsamic, apple cidar, rice wine.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Preserves, pickles, fermenting, etc.
Tempeh: A tasty, healthy way to process soy beans. To make four flat "steaks" (20 serves):
- Cooked, dehulled, split soybeans need to be well-dried before inoculating with rhizopus oligosporus. E.g. 3-5g culture to 600g beans.
- Incubate for 24-36 hours at just under body temperature (about 30°C). A dense, white mycelium will pack the gaps between beans.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Pressure Cookers
Don't fill more than half of the pot, to avoid food-stuffs from rising and blocking steam vents. Adding oil to legumes and rice can help, as does only using a minimum of herbs and spices. Always pre-soak and wash beans and rices well before cooking. Red lentils are particularly prone to boiling over.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Eggs
Omelette tips:
- Don't add cream or milk, or flour, or it will be leathery.
- An omelette of six eggs for two persons should not be cooked for more than 45 seconds.
- It should 'collapse' softly when fully cooked and not be solid enough to roll or fold. It should never be browned.
- Mix six eggs well, omitting two whites, but no beating. A little salt and pepper and finely chopped chives and parsley can be added. Heat a dry, clean shallow pan for a minute, and add 15g butter, increasing the heat. When the butter stops fizzing and bubbling, pour in eggs. Immediately where the omelette sets, tip the pan and lift the omelette with a spatula allowing unformed solids to run underneath. Tip back to the opposite side and repeat. The pan should see-saw back and forth a few times and then give a final shake. Turn the omelette into a hot serving plate before the whole surface is set.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Styles of cooking
Braising: This is an economical and efficient way to cook cheap, tough foods and make them very tasty and very soft. Meat is briefly seared on both sides in oil and herbs, for a chemical reaction between protein and sugars (the Maillard reaction) that produces extra flavours. Then water and an acidic liquid like wine, vinegar, beer or tomatoes is added to cover the solids as the basis of a stew. The mixture is then gently cooked for many hours, or pressure-cooked. One French method continues this for three days, adding liquid through the day and turning off the heat at night.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Stirfrying vegies: lightly microwave hard vegies like broccoli, pak choi stems, carrots, and green beans, before adding them to the allium / spice mix if you want a faster stirfry.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
To get more juice from a lemon, pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
[guest]
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Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Keep the fry-pan tilted slightly, so the oil from fried items resting on the higher side drains to be reused again. Healthier, too.
kellyjones00 (593)
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