Cheaper, Better, Faster (10 page)

Gravy—
brown coloring

To make gravy brown, stir in 1 teaspoon of brewed coffee. It doesn't affect the taste, just the appearance.

Gravy—keeping it hot

Serve gravy in a small thermos-type coffee decanter. It holds a lot, is easy to handle, and keeps the gravy piping hot.

Gravy—
salvage after freezing

To salvage gravy and other fat-based sauces that have separated as a result of freezing, whisk or process them briefly in a blender or food processor to emulsify.

Gravy—spatula stir

Always stir thick brown or turkey gravy with a spatula instead of a wooden spoon. The spatula's broad, flat edge thoroughly sweeps the bottom of the pan so the gravy won't stick or scorch.

Grease fires—use pan lid

Smother a grease or oil fire in the kitchen by sliding a pan lid over the flames. Never carry the pan outside.

Grease fires—
use salt

To douse flames from grease fires, keep a box of salt near your stove.

Greasing—use butter wrappers

Save your leftover butter and margarine wrappers in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. They'll come in handy the
next time you need to grease a pan.

Grilling—brushing
meat, poultry, fish

Use a bundle of thyme sprigs to brush olive oil on meat, poultry, or fish as it grills.

Grilling—change platters

Don't place the grilled food back on the same platter it was on before cooking. Wash the platter after it has held raw meat, or use a separate plate for serving grilled food.

Grilling—fish

Prepared mayonnaise generously smeared on fish fillets and fish steaks will prevent them from sticking when they are grilled. Most of the mayonnaise will cook off, leaving the fish moist and tasty. Leave the skin on fish fillets to be grilled, and they'll retain their shape better. If desired, remove the skin after cooking.

Grilling—flank steak

For an uncomplicated, great-tasting grilled entree, soak flank steak in soy sauce for 3 to 4 hours. Cook on a very hot grill for 7 to 8 minutes on the first side, and 6 to 7 minutes on the other. Slice thinly on the bias and against the grain.

Herbs—as garnishments

Wrap bunches of fresh rosemary, thyme, or basil from your garden with raffia and use to garnish platters of food.

Herbs—
avoid steam

When adding herbs to a dish you're preparing, hold the jar away from the saucepan while adding. Steam from the pan will get into the jar and be absorbed by the herbs.

Herbs—basil leaves

Clean and pat dry fresh basil leaves, then layer with coarse (kosher) salt in a widemouthed glass jar until ready for use.

Herbs—fresh vs. dried

It takes three times as many fresh herbs to give the same flavoring as one measure of dried herbs.

Herbs—make butter

If you have an overabundance of fresh herbs, try storing them by making herb butters, which can be frozen and used during winter months on homemade bread, melted over vegetables, or swirled in a simple sauce to provide a great burst of summer flavor. To make herb butters, chop a cup or more of fresh herbs and combine with a stick of softened butter; blend until smooth. Add a few drops of lemon juice. Place in an airtight container and freeze.

Herbs—need to
be bruised

When you add an herb to something you're cooking, you should “bruise” the herb first to release the oils that give it the flavor. If it's a dried herb, crumble it into the pot. If fresh, first tear or mash with the back of a spoon.

Herbs—store for freshness

Place stems of fresh herbs such as basil and parsley in a small container of water, cover with a plastic bag, and refrigerate to store and keep fresh before using.

Herbs and spices—not above stove

Even though it seems convenient, don't store herbs and spices right above the stove. Heat is bad for them, as is direct sunlight. The best storage place for dried herbs and spices is in a cool, dark cupboard.

Honey—
substitute

One cup of honey can be replaced with 1
¼
cups sugar and an additional
¼
cup of whatever liquid is used in the recipe.

Ice—crushed

Freeze water in clean milk cartons. Several strong whacks
with a hammer to the four sides and bottom of the carton will produce great crushed ice for homemade ice cream and your other crushed-ice needs.

Ice cream—at the campground

Ingredients: 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 1 egg beaten,
½
cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well and place in a clean, 1-pound coffee can. Cover and tape shut. Place in a 3-pound coffee can with 1 part rock salt and 4 parts crushed ice. Cover. Roll back and forth on a picnic table for 10 minutes. Open both cans and stir ice cream. Reclose the small can and tape it shut. Return it to the large coffee can with the salt and ice, close tightly, and roll 5 minutes more. Caution: Be sure to use an egg that is not cracked, and wash the shell before cracking it open.

Ice cream—carton peel

When no microwave is available to soften hard ice cream, peel away the carton and cut the ice cream into slices.

Ice cream—in
prepared portions

If large quantities of ice cream disappear too quickly in your house, divide it into individual portions ahead of time. Put single servings into empty yogurt containers and freeze. Or line a baking pan with graham crackers, then a layer of softened ice cream, followed by a top layer of graham crackers. Freeze, cut into individual squares, wrap, and refreeze.

Ice cream—not on the freezer door

Store ice cream in the freezer compartment, not on the freezer door. This keeps ice cream fresher because it isn't exposed to temperature variations from opening and closing the door.

Ice cream—softener

To soften a quart of rock-hard ice cream, microwave it at 30 percent power for about 30
seconds. Hardened high-fat ice cream will soften more quickly than low-fat ice cream because of the fat.

Ice cream cones—freezing until later

Prepare ice cream cones as soon as you get home from the market, when the ice cream is soft and easy to scoop. Wrap them in plastic and freeze them for special treats.

Ice
cream cones—marshmallow plug

Stop messy leaks from ice cream cones by dropping a marshmallow into the bottom of the cone before filling with ice cream.

Iron—from iron pots

Cook in cast iron pots. Doing this boosts the iron content of food. Soup simmering for a few hours in an iron pot has almost 30 times more iron than soup cooked in another type of pot.

Jelly or jam
bottle

Transfer jelly or jam to an empty squeeze bottle like a mustard or ketchup bottle. Snip the end of the tip to make a slightly larger hole. No more messy jelly or jam jars.

Ketchup flow

Ketchup flows out of a new bottle more easily if you push a soda straw to the bottom of it. This allows air to get in and break the vacuum.

Lemon juice—get
more from the lemon

Get more juice out of a lemon. Roll it around on the countertop with the palm of your hand to break up the fibers inside, or put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute before cutting.

Lemon juice—quick seasoning

Store lemon juice in a shaker for quick seasoning. Keep it in the refrigerator.

Lettuce—wilted

To restore wilted lettuce, quickly dip the lettuce in hot water, then rinse in ice water to which you've added some salt. Shake, then refrigerate for an hour.

Lunch supplies

For the lunch crowd, store all sandwich and lunch fixings in the same refrigerator drawer. Keep some plastic and brown bags there too.

Marinade—repurposed as dipping sauce

Once meat has been removed from a marinade, the marinade can be used for a dipping sauce or saved for future use—provided you first boil it for a full 5 minutes to destroy any bacteria left by the raw meat or poultry. Since boiling can change the texture and flavor of some marinades, it may not work a second time as a marinade, but you can expect to enjoy a lovely dipping sauce.

Marinating—acids

Marinate meat in resealable plastic bags, glass, plastic, or ceramic containers. Most marinades contain acids, which can react with metal and affect the flavor.

Marinating—fast
and easy

For fast and easy marinating, all you need is a resealable plastic bag and a straw. Mix the marinade in the bag, add the food, and seal the bag, leaving one corner open. Insert about a
½
inch of the straw into the bag, then gently inhale on the straw. As you create a vacuum, the marinade will draw up around the food. When the marinade nears the top, quickly pull out the straw and seal the bag. You'll need less marinade, use less space in your refrigerator, and have less to clean up.

Meat—for stir
-fry

It's easier to slice meat thinly for quick-cooking dishes such as stir-fries if you first freeze the meat for 30 to 60 minutes.

Meat—handling without
sticking

Rinse your hands in cold water before mixing or shaping ground meat. Meat won't stick to them.

Meat
—salt after cooking

Salt your steaks after cooking, because salt draws the juices out.

Meat—seasoning check

To check seasonings when mixing raw ground meat for meat loaf, meatballs, or burgers, cook a tiny amount of the meat mixture in the microwave. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Meat—steak
doneness test

To check a steak for doneness, press on it. Rare will be soft, medium will give slightly, and well done will be firm.

Meat loaf

Bake meat loaf in muffin tins instead of a loaf pan or in a large free-form shape. It will cook faster, be easier to serve, and the cleanup will be a breeze.

Messy jobs

Before starting a messy kitchen job such as peeling potatoes or grating cheese, cover the counter or sink with a ripped-open brown grocery bag. When you're finished, just roll up the mess and dispose of it in one step to the garbage can.

Microwaving—popcorn

Before putting a bag of microwave popcorn into the oven, knead it until the lumps are broken. Now all the kernels should pop.

Microwaving—water

Before adding anything (such as instant coffee, a tea bag, or cereal) to water you have just heated in the microwave, stir the water to prevent it from boiling over.

Milk—buttermilk, homemade

Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to enough milk to equal 1 cup. Let stand 5 minutes before using.

Milk—sweetened condensed

Combine 2 cups instant, nonfat dry milk, 1
½
cups sugar,
2
⁄
3
cup boiling water, and 6 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled. Mix dry ingredients and slowly add to boiling water. Stir in melted butter. Whip in blender or by hand until smooth. Store in refrigerator for 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months. Yield: 20 ounces.

Mincing

When mincing garlic, shallots, or onions, sprinkle a pinch of salt over them. This will keep the pieces from sticking to the knife and cutting board.

Mint

Freeze washed mint leaves or edible flowers in ice cubes to be used for special occasions. They look pretty and add a subtle hint of flavor.

Mustard—prepared and dry

One tablespoon prepared mustard is equal to 1 teaspoon of dry mustard.

Nuts—
toasting

To toast nuts, cover the bottom of your microwave with waxed paper. Spread with
¼
cup chopped nuts. Microwave uncovered on high for 5 minutes until lightly browned.

Oil—
glass bottles

Since oils can become rancid more quickly when exposed to light, use designer water bottles made of colored glass to store oils.

Oil—spray with cooking oil

Put cooking oil in a clean plastic spray bottle. This is much cheaper than buying oil in a spray can, and you can use the exact type of oil you want.

Odor—cabbage

When cooking cabbage, place a half-filled cup of vinegar on the stove near the cabbage, and it will absorb offensive odors.

Odor—onions on hands

Remove onion odor from your hands by rubbing a stainless steel spoon between them while they're under running water. Or rub hands with the end of a celery stalk to remove the odor.

Odor—shrimp

Add a few drops of sesame oil to the water when boiling shrimp to eliminate the odor.

Onions—even browning

While sautéing onions, sprinkle with a bit of sugar if you notice they are browning unevenly. They should begin to cook evenly thereafter.

Onions—no crying,
cold water

Peel onions under cold running water, then freeze them for 5 minutes before chopping or slicing. This will keep you from crying while working with them.

Onions—no
crying, vinegar

Before chopping onions, sprinkle a little vinegar on the cutting board. It will keep your eyes from tearing.

Onions—sautéing

Chop enough onions to fill two skillets, then sauté them in margarine until they're translucent and slightly browned. After letting them cool, wrap portions in plastic wrap and freeze them in a large resealable plastic bag. When you need them, just add directly to the dish you're making or thaw in the microwave prior to adding.