Here are some tips and tricks for kitchen efficiency.
• To prevent eyes from watering while cutting onions; set your chopping board close to the sink and have a tap running. Or fill your mouth with water while chopping. Or hold an unlit wooden matchstick between your teeth while cutting onions.
• After cutting green onions, save the bulb ends. Drop the bulbs into water and they will regrow three more times.
• You have noticed that the homemade soup you are cooking is too salty. Drop a tablespoon of honey into the soup to reduce saltiness. Or drop a raw potato into the soup pot to absorb salt. After the soup is cooked, remove the potato and discard.
• To make less work for yourself right before serving time, mash potatoes about an hour ahead of time. Then put them into a slow cooker, on low.
• To liven up garlic mashed potatoes, add a heaping teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and mash into a pot of 10 boiled potatoes. Delicious.
• When baking bread, use warm orange soda in place of the water. The bread finishes with a delicious taste and rich colour. (This is great for pizza crust as well).
• Before company arrives, freeze lemon slices and water into ice cube trays. When guests are thirsty, pop a lemon cube into each water glass.
• Before company arrives; pre-scoop ice cream. Place scoops onto cookie sheets and store in the freezer. When dessert time comes around, serving is a snap.
• Cook pasta one minute less than the given instructions. Drain pasta and pour sauce into pan, add pasta and cook for one more minute.
• Make rich, creamy salad dressing a little healthier. Replace half of the mayonnaise with Greek style yogurt.
• Add §avour to any meat by preparing it with a sprinkling of sugar (among additional spices).
• Marinate pot roast in balsamic vinegar before cooking. Tasty! You could use red wine for the same effect.
And don’t forget to add a few of your favourite herbs such as bay leaf or thyme.
• Warm up un§avoured gelatin mixture only until the gelatin dissolves. If the mixture boils, the gelatin will not set.
• Save leftover cooked salmon and add it to breakfast scrambled eggs the next morning. Add dill or chives for extra §avour.
Reader feedback
Dear Reena: In reference to the question Maney had about repairing rope, it wasn’t clear what type of rope (hemp, sisal, nylon, polyester) he was asking about. During my time in the army, ropes of nylon or a combination of polyester and nylon were repaired by burning or searing the end.
First you used duct tape to wrap the last bit of rope (the good portion) above where you were going to cut it. Make the cut at the tape and then, using a match, lighter or torch, sear the end closed. The rope will burn like a candle so rotate it to keep the flame even. Once the end is blackened and appears sealed blow the flame out.
Hugh
• Clean plate trick: when frosting a cake, place the cake on the serving plate. Put strips of wax paper around the cake. Frost and decorate cake and then remove wax paper strips.
Marcel
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
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