Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Another tip: if you wrap your celery in tin foil it stays nice and crunchy. I think this was a Hints from Heloise.

Mary

I do this all the time. It really does work!

Also, if you store your ice cubes in a brown paper bag they'll never stick together. Another Heloise hint that works like a charm.
Nance

If you don't own a Thermapen and need a fast response for a steak or chicken breast, preheat your thermometer in some hot water while the meat is cooking. Response time will drop to a few seconds if it is already displaying a temperature at or near your target.

Problem: Dried tomatoes are sometimes too hard and dry to marinate in seasoned olive oil. Pouring boiling water over them will soften them, but it may make them mushy and insipid.

Solution: Pack tomatoes tightly in a jar. Add olive oil, but do not fill it to the top. Add a Tablespoon or two of water and shake vigorously. The oil will become cloudy, but when left to sit overnight the oil will clear and the tomatoes will absorb the water. Repeat if the tomatoes have not softened sufficiently.

Tips and tricks is a good idea a good tip can save a lot of time and be of value in other ways.

The Fuzzy, I never throw either CI's or CC's away and at one time I was getting both, but I just couldn't keep up had to cancel, I will go back to a subscription eventually. So I still have all of them. If I pick up something from another source, Mag or even the newspaper I have a 3 ring binder and document protectors, so I just take the page out and use it, wipe off the splats and put it back into the book. For the CI books I need to use a little different process, I fold the page over and slide it into a clear zip lock bag and the same rules apply, wipe off and put away. That is a tip that someone might find helpful.

I like pizza, making it and eating eat,I like working with dough. I was having a problem with the thin crust that I like, it is so flimsy that it makes a big mess getting on the preheated pizza stone. I have seen people put a small crust on the shell then pull it part way out of the very hot oven and put the top ingredients on, the problem with this is that oven should be screaming hot and once you leave the door open that long it cools off. I found if I use parchment paper, using a food scrapper ensure it is free and and not being held down, slide it onto the stone with the paper, cook for about 2 minutes and the paper will slide right out without a mess, continue to cook to your normal

The next tip may be obvious although it was not obvious to me. If you never make one recipe of Jaques Pepen just watching him you can put up so many good techniques. He can be a little frustrating, he has been doing it for so long and your a neophyte. Getting the skin off garlic is always a struggle. He either uses the side of a big chef's knife and crushes the garlic down and the paper falls right off or I have seen him just wack it with the side of a knife(I never got this one down). I use garlic one of two ways, either sliced or grated, mincing garlic is just too big a pain.

Happy cooking,
Barry

Buy one!

And be prepared to send it back a couple of times for service over the coming years. Sheez, mine is about to go back for the second time. Just make sure you take out your battery before returning it. It will come back to you battery-free.

Amy

Maybe I just got lucky but I've had mine about 5 years with no problems. Still on the original battery (and I use it daily). I even got it really wet once - had to carefully take it apart and clean the contacts, which got corroded almost instantly.

For a 'fresh caught' taste for frozen fish, thaw it in milk.

My experience is the same as Darcie's I love it!