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I'm forever gathering tips related to food. If you have any tried
and tested hints please feel most welcome to send them to me so we
can share.
Make double the quantity of
foods that will freeze well, ie soups, pies, stews. It's
comforting to know you always have a meal ready in the freezer.
Always take a pre-packed lunch
to work rather than buying it. This saves an enormous amount
of money.
Place over-ripe tomatoes in
cold water with a little salt. Leave over-night and they
should be much firmer in the morning.
Don't give your children juice or
cordial in their lunch boxes. Water is much better
and very much needed by the body.
To make decorative ice cubes
pop a small sprig of mint or lemon balm into them. If you have
flowers from edible herbs these can also be used. Borage
flowers are particularly effective because of their blue colour.
When making stews or casseroles,
replace one cup of liquid with one cup of coffee. I know this
sounds weird but it is delicious. It definitely won't taste
like coffee flavoured stew.
When making kebabs, soak the
bamboo sticks in water first so that they don't burn.
When measuring butter or margarine
by the cupful first line the cup with plastic wrap. Less
washing up and less wastage.
A teaspoon of butter or oil added to the water will decrease the
likelihood of pasta or rice boiling over
in the pan.
Use kitchen scissors to
separate lengths of sausages, to cut rind off bacon and to cut
seaweed sheets for sushi.
Wipe furniture polish on the wall behind your stove or cook top. It then makes it easier to
remove food splashes.
To keep your tin opener clean
and hygienic scrub it with a soapy toothbrush. A toothbrush
loaded with Jif is also handy to clean behind taps on your sink.
To keep cake fresh for longer
place a cut apple in the container.
When whipping cream don't use
an aluminium bowl as it will give the cream a greyish appearance and
it will taste metallic. Stainless steel is fine.
For a quick decorative effect on the top
of cake place a paper or plastic doily on top and then
sift icing sugar over it. Carefully remove the doily.
If a cake is sticking to the
bottom of a cake tin try holding the tin over low heat such as a
flame. It should then loosen easily.
Buttermilk substitute -
combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar with sufficient
milk to make a cupful.
Coconut milk substitute -
combine one teaspoon of coconut essence with sufficient milk to make
a cupful.
Creme fraiche substitute -
combine equal quantities of sour cream and whipping cream.
Tomato sauce substitute -
Combine 3/4 cup of tomato paste with one cup of water.
If you are short on serving bowls try
hollowing out half a water melon and use it for a salad bowl or try
using a de-seeded capsicum to serve dip or pickles in.
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