Everybody has little tricks they do to make their meal preparation a little easier. These are some of mine:
- See that pot of boiling pasta? It can boil at high temperatures and not boil over because I kept a metal spoon in it. The spoon does get hot, so don’t grab it with your hands!
- If you oversalt some soup, throw a peeled potato in to absorb the excess!
- To clean vases and places where it’s hard to stick your hand, fill it with water and drop in an alka-seltzer. Let the bubbles work for you!
- A few drops of lemon juice added to boiling rice will keep the grains separate.
- Never throw out leftover wine. Freeze it in ice cube trays for future sauces. (not that I would know what left overwine is! Ha.)
- Deviled Eggs. (Or just hard boiled eggs). Some people really have problems with these. Try it my way (I’m sure it’s not just ‘mine’) and let me know how it works for you:
- The most important piece of this puzzle is to never use fresh eggs! Use the eggs that have been sitting in the fridge for awhile, or if you know in advance, buy the eggs a week before you need them.
- Put them in a pot and put in enough water to cover them all. Bring to a rolling boil, and turn down heat a just a bit and boil for 7 minutes.
- Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Dump out the water, put a lid on the bowl and shake up the eggs! This loosens and cracks them all up.
- Peel them under running cold water, starting with the larger end of the egg.
What are some of your favorite kitchen tricks and tips?
Great tips, I also do my eggs similarly. You can add baking soda or salt to fresh eggs and get them to release the shell. I gently “bumper car” my eggs with the lid for the shells to fall off. Here’s my tips here: http://momonamission.me/?p=649
I was the 4th generation, and I just taught the 5th generation, and
coming from my Irish side of the family:
When making rice, pour rice into pot ( I don’t measure. I guesstimate based on how many folks at the table)
Rest the tip of your finger on top of the rice – and don’t move it.
Now fill the the pot of rice with water up to your first knuckle. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
No need to measure water (or rice), the rice is perfect every time!
When I make hard boiled eggs for any recipe, when they are done boiling, I tilt the pot for a few seconds and remove the excess hot water, I then place the pot under the faucet with cold running water going over the eggs. The shells slide off as you touch them and it saves time and you do not lose chunks of egg (which can happen when shelling eggs). I keep the pot with the eggs under the cold water the whole time I am peeling them, one at a time. One pot, easy to do, less clean up. I do place paper towels on the plate or in the bowl I will be chilling them in to absorb the small amount of water left on the eggs from shelling but I remove it before refrigerating.
I boil eggs using a technique I learned from a cook book from the ’50s. Cover the eggs completely with water plus another inch or so, heat to boil, as soon as it starts boiling remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes. run eggs under cold water to peel. No more greenish/blue tinges on the yolks. The yolks come out a golden yellow every time!
A grandmother here. My mom taught me to put a dollop of oil (I use Olive) in the water for pasta and it will not boil over.
I also concur with HighOrderGuiltComplex on cooking eggs and peeling under cold water. Works every time.