Miscellaneous Tips:
* A roast with the bone in will cook faster than a boneless roast -
the bone carries the heat to the inside of the roast quicker.
* For a juicer hamburger add cold water to the beef before grilling
(1/2 cup to 1 pound of meat).
* To keep cauliflower white while cooking -
add a little milk to the water.
* Let raw potatoes stand in cold water for at least half an hour
before frying to improve the crispness of french-fried potatoes.
* Buy mushrooms before they "open." When stems and caps are attached
snugly, mushrooms are truly fresh.
* Do not use metal bowls when mixing salads.
Use wooden, glass or china.
* To make your own corn meal mix: combine 1 cup corn meal, 1 cup
all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 teaspoons baking
powder. You can store it in a tightly covered container for
up to 6 months.
* It's important to let a roast -- beef, pork, lamb or poultry --
sit a little while before carving. That allows the juices to
retreat back into the meat. If you carve a roast too soon,
much of its goodness will spill out onto the carving board.
* Microwave a lemon for 15 seconds and double the juice you get
before squeezing.
* Microwave garlic cloves for 15 seconds and the skins slip
right off.
* When slicing a hard boiled egg, try wetting the knife just before
cutting. If that doesn't do the trick, try applying a bit of
cooking spray to the edge.
* A dampened paper towel or terry cloth brushed downward on a cob of
corn will remove every strand of corn silk.
* Fresh eggs' shells are rough and chalky; old eggs are smooth and
shiny.
* No "curly" bacon for breakfast when you dip it into cold water
before frying.
* When working with dough, don't flour your hands; coat them with
olive oil to prevent sticking.
* Never heat pesto sauce - the basil will turn black and taste bitter.
* Butter pie pastry scraps: sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and
bake like cookies.
* When mincing garlic, sprinkle on a little salt so the pieces won't
stick to your knife or cutting board.
* If your cake recipe calls for nuts, heat them first in the oven,
then dust with flour before adding to the batter to keep them from
settling to the bottom of the pan.
