Tips and Kitchen Tricks (cupcakes, preheat, stove, glass)

[CSD610]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I am sure there must be something similar already, but couldn't find it.
I heard a tip on TV, and I just tried it and it seems to work well.
Add a splash of vinegar to the water when boiling potatoes, and they will keep their shape.
You know how they sort of explode sometimes? They were peel on, cut in half, and they kept their shape perfectly.

This is a great tip but I like my potatoes all out of shape....LOL
It makes them easier to smush with butter, sour cream and pepper.

[Caligula1]

To rid your fingers of garlic smell after chopping, wash your hands under cold water with a spoon or other stainless steel item..
Just don't use the knife..

[mainebrokerman]

if cooking give you stress, drink wine and eat dark chocolate

[cookmia18]

but I love the smell of garlic on my fingers! am I weird? it reminds me of the dinner i prepared the night before!

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by CSD610

This is a great tip but I like my potatoes all out of shape....LOL
It makes them easier to smush with butter, sour cream and pepper.

Yes, I get that. I made them today for potato salad, so I wanted them to hold together. I can't think of any other time I would care.

[SeaOfGrass]

Originally Posted by Retriever

Here is another tip/trick:

If you add lemon juice to most dishes, you drastically reduce the perceived need for added salt.

I found this out by accident. I use lime or lemon juice in a Thai soup I make, and I started adding the juice before I salted it. It really does work.

[weezycom]

if you're making home fries, parcooking the potatoes in the microwave before adding them to the pan with the onions will get them to finish at the same time without the onions burning to a crisp while the potatoes are finishing up

[Retriever]

Originally Posted by SeaOfGrass

I found this out by accident. I use lime or lemon juice in a Thai soup I make, and I started adding the juice before I salted it. It really does work.

My "secret ingredient" in Split Pea Soup is the juice of at least one lemon.
This allows me to drastically reduce the amount of salt that I add, and it actually elevates the taste of the soup to a major extent.

[Lodestar]

Just an observation from me:

It's those little tips and tricks, the technique, in how you assemble a recipe that can make a difference between good cooking and great cooking. Often they aren't included in the recipe and are left for you to discover by trial and error.

My mom was an honest-enough woman and a good cook. She really disliked sharing her special recipes with people but she didn't want to deliberately mislead people so if pressed too long and too often for a recipe she may have given it out. But it was a guarantee that she would not share her special tricks. She was often accused of leaving an ingredient out of the shared recipe because, "Mine still doesn't taste like hers."

[Missy2U]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

if cooking give you stress, drink wine and eat dark chocolate

This is so very true in SO MANY areas of life...