HANDY HINTS & TIPS

NOW FOR A BIT OF FUN

Putting two or three sugar cubes in with cheese will stop it going green & mouldy.

Can’t Open that Cap?

To open stubborn caps& lids on jars, take a church key bottle opener& place the non-pointed end under the cap, slowly prise upward until you hear the air escape& then it will open easily.

Easy-peel Garlic.

When peeling garlic, place the garlic on a chopping board& thump it with the side of a knife, cleaver, back of a wooden spoon (or whatever)& the skin will lift away easily.

Can’t Separate Garlic Cloves?

Hold a whole garlic bulb in one hand& slam (don’t be gentle) the heel (bottom of the bulb) down on a chopping board to loosen the cloves.

Hands Smelling of Onion?

Rub your hands with vinegar before& after slicing onions - this will eliminate the smell (but unless you then wash them they will stink of vinegar!!).

Pan-frying Fish?

To prevent fish from sticking to the frying pan, add salt to the cooking oil before adding the fish.

Used too much Salt?

Over-salted soup or vegetables can be saved by adding cut up raw potatoes. Leave these to cook (or soften) & then discard them. They will have absorbed a lot of the salt & hopefully you will have saved the soup or vegetables.

Left-over bits& pieces of Cheese?

There are often bits of cheese that no one wants to finish. Mix them together in your food processor with some cream, cream cheese, fromage fraîche, or even milk, to make a stiffish paste. Add your favourite condiments (mustard, garlic, ginger, chilli, basil, coriander, nutmeg, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms – anything is possible). Roll out a flaky pastry base & spread the mixture over it. Bake for 15 minutes. It's delicious, it is quick & it looks professional.  Try lots of different combinations – you will be amazed at how creative you can be & still produce something tasty.

Bitter Cauliflower & Chicory?

Remove the bitterness from chicory& cauliflower by adding a piece of bread to the cooking water.

Stilton, Dolcelatta or other strong, blue Cheese Hints

1. To make a savoury dip or salad dressing, crumble a few ounces of any of the above cheeses& mix with a fork into enough plain yoghurt (fromage fraîche or soured cream) to give the desired consistency. Add seasonings & lemon juice according to taste. Very nice with crudités2. Mix some blue cheese with a little mayonnaise& a few halved, seeded grapes or some fresh pineapple & use to fill a halved avocado pear.3. Crumble some blue cheese over any crisp salad & add a few olive oil croutons for a filling salad with a bite.

Ice-Cream Cone Dripping?

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a cone to prevent ice cream drips.

Potatoes Sprouting?

To keep potatoes from sprouting, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

Making a Cake?

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the tin, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead & there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a cone to prevent ice cream drips.

Just suck it out of the bottom of the cone, for goodness’ sake; you are probably eating it while lying on the couch with your feet up  anyway.

To keep potatoes from sprouting, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes. 

Buy Instant mash & keep it in the cupboard for up to a year.

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the tin, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead & there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.

Go to the bakers. They'll even decorate it for you.

If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato & it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix me up". 

If you over-salt a dish while you're cooking, that's tough. Please recite with me the Real Women's motto: I made it, and YOU WILL EAT IT and  I don't care how bad it tastes

Wrap celery in foil when putting in the fridge & it will keep for weeks.

Celery? Never heard of the stuff.

Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish. 

The Fray Bentos pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust  - so don’t do it. 

If you have a problem opening jars: Try using rubber gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

Go ask that very gorgeous neighbour to do it.

Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles & sauces.

Leftover wine? GET REAL!!

When catering for an evening buffet, calculate food portions & timings a week in advance, so that you're not rushing on the night. 

Nip into Marks & Sparks on the way home that evening, & buy everything in packets.