We'd like to dedicate this roundup of killer culinary tips to those whose M.O. in 2013 is to work smarter, not harder. Often it's the smallest changes that have the greatest end result, particularly in the kitchen. We suspect that if you even adopt just one new tip, you'll notice a significant difference in the quality of your cookery, and really, who wouldn't like that? Keep reading for 12 tips that will kick your kitchen experiments into high gear.
If you've ever had the misfortune to slice into a fresh knob of ginger only to find a bland, unappealing, and fibrous gray ring within, you may have surmised that ginger (like most produce) has a defined season. From August till November (and through February, thanks to cold storage), fresh may be the way to go; the rest of the year, try substituting store-bought ginger juice 1:1 for grated or minced ginger for the tastiest results.
While its texture isn't quite the same as minced ginger, ginger juice is literally just juiced and strained gingerroot, so it serves as a near-exact analogue in beverages, anything pureed, or as part of a sauce or marinade. I also like to keep a bottle in my fridge even when ginger is in season for when I only need a small quantity of ginger and don't feel like busting out my Microplane.
What is it with pan and pot lids? Despite having a well-stocked and seemingly organized kitchen, time and time again I find myself searching high and low to find the matching topper for the pans in my cupboard. Even worse, many (I'm looking at you, sauté pans) don't come with a lid in the first place. So what's a girl to do?
We've all experienced the sadness of baking a sunken cake. While there's admittedly something beautiful about the cracked, imperfect center of a sunken cake, for layering and cosmetic purposes, you'll want to aim for a dessert that's fluffy and flat-topped every time. Here are five quick questions you can ask yourself the next time you bake a cake so you can avoid feeling the sunken-cake slumps.
Gas and electric, manual or digital, there are thousands of ovens out there — and each has its own idea of what 350ºF is. Even if you think you've set your oven to the correct temperature, chances are your oven reading isn't accurate.
The easy way to check your oven's true temperature is by investing in a simple oven thermometer. Basic ones will only set you back $10, but will provide you with an exact reading of your oven's temperature. Another added bonus of the oven thermometer: you can check to see when your oven is done pre-heating so temperature-sensitive items aren't going in too early.
Do you own an oven thermometer?
Do you ever wonder how bakeries and restaurants can slice up such pristine pieces of pie? Since pie filling is often sticky, it can end up clinging to the sharp edge of the knife, making it nearly impossible to cut out anything but crumbling, dilapidated slivers.
To avoid such a mess, start with a sharp chef's knife, and store both the knife and a pie server in boiling water, thoroughly drying them before cutting into the pie. The water will heat the metal, so as you cut, the knife will slightly dissolve the sugars in the pie, making for a clean break.
Try this simple trick: cut two pieces of pie side by side, then use the pie server to scoop out one piece. This allows the slices of pie to be removed more easily. If you're cutting multiple slices, precut the entire pie before using the pie server to scoop the pieces out of the tin.
Too tired to clean up after a rousing dinner party? Make things easy on yourself and take one simple step to streamline the cleaning process come morning.
Red wine is notorious for staining everything from carpets to teeth to — you guessed it — wineglasses. Rather than necessitate a long scrubbing process (which might damage your crystal), simply pour a splash of water in all spent wine stems and leave them be until the morning after. Thanks to water's solvent properties, any residual red wine sediment will dissolve while you sleep off the nights excesses and make the arduous chore of cleaning up the next morning fly by.
Source: ThinkStock
Welcome to our new series Kitchen Hacks, where we take ordinary household objects and transform them into useful kitchen tools. We know it's difficult to stock a kitchen with every gizmo and gadget, especially if you live in tight quarters. So instead of junking up your drawers with unused items, try make-shifting kitchen tools with our tips.
It's always a messy and upsetting event when a wine bottle cracks and its precious contents leak during transit. The diligent packer may cover it in styrofoam or bubble wrap, but many of us are guilty of haphazardly wrapping the bottles in old kitchen towels and crossing our fingers they arrive to the next destination in one piece.
Here's a new way to easily and securely wrap up wine if you don't have a wine sleeve handy. We recently received a bottle of Las Rocas Garnacha, outfitted in the most unexpected makeshift wine sleeve: a kitchen mitt! A fluffy cotton kitchen mitt fits a wine bottle snugly — plus it also seconds as a cute gift if you're bringing the bottle over to a friend's place. Just be sure to find a long glove, so the neck of the bottle stays protected, too.
Know of any other smart ways to transport wine? Share them with us below.
Welcome to our new series Kitchen Hacks, where we take ordinary household objects and transform them into useful kitchen tools. We know it's difficult to stock a kitchen with every gizmo and gadget, especially if you live in tight quarters. So instead of junking up your drawers with unused items, try make-shifting kitchen tools with our tips.
Have you ever been ready to roll out your dough only to realize you've misplaced your rolling pin? No problem! Rolling pins are incredibly easy to makeshift using an empty wine bottle. Since glass stays cold, the wine bottle keeps the dough firm and malleable, so the dough won't warm up and start sticking to surfaces. The perfectly round shape and long body of the bottle also contribute to making this an amazing substitution for a rolling pin.
Before you begin rolling, remove the bottle's label, scrape off the sticky glue residue, and wash the outside to disinfect it. Or, for a quick fix, simply cover the bottle in saran wrap (although it should be noted, the saran wrap may leave tiny line indentations in the dough). Once the bottle is washed or wrapped, sprinkle it with flour all around. Then roll out the dough by keeping your hands on the top of the bottle's body and pressing down firmly as you slowly rotate the bottle. Ta-da! It's as simple as that.
Have you ever tried this technique out before? Were your results successful?
Source: Nicole Hamaker for Pinch My Salt
Your morning cup of coffee may be sacred, but every once in a while, it's good to shake things up and get creative. Cream and sugar are always going to be there for you, so why not try something new? Spice up your coffee (or spike it up) with interesting additions and mix-ins.
How do you take your coffee?
