Tip #33: Simple Strategies & Techniques in Cooking (Part-1)

Learning cooking techniques and knife skills are important than learning recipes. Avoiding complication in cooking makes cooking  your passion.The first place to start isn't necessarily a cookbook full of complicated recipes but cooking techniques. Make use of these ideas I collected through different sources and compiled in  Smart Samayal Tips to make your cooking easier and tastier...

Also read Simple Strategies & techniques in Cooking Part - 2

Sometimes the veggies  start to meld to the bottom midway through cooking. A little more oil should help.With a metal  spatula  loosen the vegetables and push them to one side of the skillet. Then tilt the pan so the empty area is over the heat. Add the oil to the empty area (1 or 2 tablespoons should do it) and let it get hot before moving the food back. The heated oil on the hot pan will create a slick, non stick surface, guaranteeing a sure fire sauté.

To revive crystallized honey try this trick and bring it back  to a luscious, drizzly state: Place the container in a bowl of hot water until the honey is smooth and runny, 5 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, remove the lid, then microwave the jar in 30-second intervals.) To prevent crystals from forming again, store the honey in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) and avoid introducing moisture.

Iced brews made at home are weak and watery. That’s because simply mixing your regular coffee or tea with ice dilutes its intensity. Make it double-strength:  For coffee, use ¼ cup ground beans for every cup of water; for tea, use 2 tea bags for every cup of water. Then chill, pour over ice, and get your day off the ground right. 

Forgot to take the Butter sticks out of the refrigerator in advance? Here are two ways to speed the process along. Cut the sticks into pieces and set out on a counter. In 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll be good to go.  Microwave the pieces on low in 20-second intervals, checking in between. The butter is ready when it’s malleable but not mushy.

Just out of the freezer, an ice cream cake is rock hard and can be impossible to cut. Rather than waiting for it to soften by melting, run a chef’s knife under very hot water. Start slicing. The hot blade will glide cleanly and easily through the cold layers (rewarm the blade as necessary).

Don’t rest the fried cooked pieces directly on a plate—the residual heat will become trapped under the food, creating steam and turning everything soggy. Instead, use a cooling rack (set on a rimmed baking sheet to keep counters clean). With room for air to circulate, fried food will maintain their satisfying crunch until dinner.

Grating mozzarella  and other semi soft cheeses can be messy and cumbersome. Make the task simpler by freezing the cheese until firm (about 30 minutes) before putting it to a box grater. The cheese will be easy to drag over the holes, and you’ll get long, elegant shreds. 

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Bhojana Recipes 7/11/2015