Tip: How much water do you use to fry French Fries?

 

"Aunt Sharon, how much water do you use to fry French Fries?" my cousin asked my Mom as she was trying to prepare a meal.  I was much younger than my cousin, but even I knew you used oil not water to fry things.  

We take it for grated that everyone should know the basics when it comes to cooking.  I think fear of looking like a fool for not knowing cooking terms, ingredients, and cooking techniques are a few of the reasons some people don't cook. 

Over the weekend, I received an email from a new cook asking what some of the cooking terms in my cookbook were.   There is no such thing as a silly question.  We all have to start somewhere.  

Today, my cousin is a fabulous cook, but it all began with an honest question and a genuine desire to learn. 

Below, I've made a list of common cooking terms that might be helpful to some who are just getting started in the kitchen.

Cooking Techniques

Sear:  To brown quickly over high heat.

Saute':  To fry lightly and quickly in a little hot oil or butter while being frequently turned over.

Roast:  A dry heat method of cooking meat, poultry, and vegetables in an oven.

Bake:  A dry heat method of baking bread, pies, or cake in the oven.

Steam:  To cook food over boiling water in a covered pan.

Fry:  Pan frying is done in a small amount of oil.  Deep frying is the technique of immersing the food you are cooking in hot oil.

Boil:  To cook in liquid that is bubbling.

Poach:  To gently cook in not quite simmering water or seasoned liquid.

Grill:  To cook on a grill or directly over an open flame.

On Friday, I will be posting my Everyone's Favorite Salad recipe with 

Poppy Seed Dressing. 

Sun-dried Tomatoes

I like to use sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil.  They are soft and chewy with a delicious sweet flavor.  I save the oil that the tomatoes are packed in and use it in other dishes.  I like to use the oil in my Italian salad dressing recipe to give it extra flavor, and I use it to saute' vegetables for my spaghetti sauce.

Some interesting facts about sun-dried tomatoes:

1.Tomatoes are 93% water.  It takes 7 to 10 days to dry  the tomatoes in the sun.

2. Sun-dried tomatoes were first dried on tile roofs in Italy.  By drying them they were able to preserve them for use in the winter.

3. It takes 20 pounds of fresh tomatoes to make 1 pound of sun-dried tomatoes.

4. It takes 3 1/2 pounds of fresh tomatoes to make one 8.5 ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes.

5. Sun-dried tomatoes are high in vitamin A and C and are a good source for potassium and fiber.

On Friday I will be posting my Italian Pinwheel recipe.  The recipe contains sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil.

Don't forget to visit Bo's Bowl for your chance to win a $40.00 gift certificate from CSN Stores.  The contest ends at midnight on July 9th.

Tip: Grill Baby Grill

My husband loves to grill.  I don't know what it is about cooking outside, but the man loves it!  Maybe it is the fire.  Whatever it is I am not complaining.  I love to have help in the kitchen, or in this case the back yard.

The 4th of July is just a few days away.  Over 74 million people will be barbecuing on that day.  That is a lot of fire!  Here are a few simple grilling tips for those of us who don't grill often enough. 

1.Trim the fat to 1/8 inch on your steaks to prevent flare ups.

2. Use tongs when turning meat.  If you pierce the meat with a fork, the natural juices will escape.

3. Marinate your meat to add more flavor and to tenderize it.

4.Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 20 minutes before using them on the grill.

5. If you have a flare up on the grill don't try to douse it with water.  If you are using a gas grill, close the lid on the grill and turn down the heat until the flame goes out.

If you are a serous griller or want to be, check out the Nibble Me This blog for more grilling tips.  Chris has a background in occupational safety and health.  His expert knowledge and engaging sense of humor makes his blog a must read.

Friday is going to be a BIG day!

Pam from Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner will be live on my radio show called Fast Food Fridays on the PCL Radio Network.  She won my cookbook in June.  You can listen over the internet by clicking on the PCL link.  We will be on around 8:20 a.m. mountain time.

Also on Friday, I will be drawing a name from my followers to win a copy of my cookbook called MY KIND OF COOKING.  If your name is drawn and you have a blog, I will mention your blog address on the radio and then post your blog address on my blog.

Tip: Baking Muffins

 Did you take Home Ec when you where in high school?  Did your school even offer Home Ec classes?  It was my favorite class when I was in high school-working side by side with my friends to make delicious food.  Oh, the happy memories!  The first thing we made in the class was an incredible Applesauce Muffin.  Maybe that is why I love muffins so much.

Here are a few of my favorite muffin baking tips:

1. Measure ingredients, don't eyeball it or estimate the amount you are using.  Level off measuring cups and measuring spoons with the back of a knife.

2. Always mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the well.

3.  Don't over mix.  The batter should be lumpy.


4. Preheat your oven.  Place your pan on the rack in the middle of the oven.

5. Dust nuts and fruit with flour before you add them to the batter to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin cups.

6. Grease only the bottom and halfway up the sides of the muffin cups.  The batter will cling to the sides of the cups giving you nice rounded tops.

7. Use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin cups to 2/3 full.

8. Fill unused muffin cups 1/2 full with water for even baking.

On Friday, I will be posting my quick and easy Cranberry Corn Muffin recipe.

Tip: Chile Peppers

Before our family moved to New Mexico, the only time I cooked with chile peppers was when I was making salsa.  After moving to a state who's motto is red or green (meaning red or green chile sauce), I figured it was probably time to expand my knowledge of the local fare . I quickly came up to speed, and along the way, I learned by trial and error how to handle chile peppers.

Wear gloves when chopping chile peppers.  Not the flimsy kind, but the good old yellow ones.  The thin glove can let the capsaicin (the ingredient in peppers that create the burn) through.  Even the mildest chile pepper can burn your skin.  If you touch your eyes or nose after chopping peppers, it can burn for hours.

The heat in a pepper is contained in the veins which transfers to the seeds.  To help control the heat in your recipes, remove not only the seeds, but also the veins.

When picking a pepper a general rule to keep in mind is that red peppers are hotter than green or yellow peppers.  The hottest peppers have pointed tips and narrow tops.  Round ends indicate mildness.  Of course to every rule there is at least one exception.  One of those being the fiery Habanero pepper.  It has a rounded end and is often green or yellow in color.

The best relief for a burning mouth is sour cream, yogurt or milk.  Don't grab the water or pop in a effort to cool your mouth, both of these beverages tend to move the heat around instead of putting out the fire.

Tip: Precooked Chicken

Americans consume approximately 8 billion chickens a year.  That's a lot of chicken!  I know in our house, we eat more chicken than beef, so I shouldn't be surprised by the high number.  My freezer has at least two of those chickens in it.

I like to have chicken precooked, and frozen, waiting in the freezer, ready to add to a recipe at a moments notice.  It saves me time and there are many recipes that you can make quickly if you have this step already completed.  My favorite way to precook chicken is in the slow cooker.   

Place the chicken in a slow cooker.  Season to taste with salt and pepper or the seasoning of your choice.  Add a can of chicken broth.  Cook on low 4 to 6 hours, depending on the amount of chicken you are cooking. Cool. Place in individual serving size containers or resealable plastic freezer bags and freeze.  I like to cook the chicken in chicken broth to give it more flavor and it keeps the chicken really juicy. 

I will not bore you with all the cross contamination warnings there are in regards to handling chicken, we have heard it all before.  But there are some tips that a new cook may want to know about, when it comes to working with chicken.

Never thaw frozen raw chicken at room temperature.  If you need it thawed quickly, do so in the microwave.  If you have time, thaw chicken in the refrigerator.  Another way you can thaw chicken is by placing it in a cold water bath; change the water every 30 minutes.   Thawed chicken should be used within 24 hours.  

Never brown or partially cook chicken, then refrigerate, so you can cook it later.  Any bacteria in the chicken will not be destroyed by partially cooking the chicken.

Recipe measurement guide:  One pound of boneless, skinless chicken equals approximately 3 cups of cooked diced chicken.

On Friday, I will be sharing my most requested recipe, Green Chile Chicken Pasta with you.  This precooked chicken tip will come in handy for that recipe.

Tip: Rice

Our son Tyler loves rice!  When he first went to college, Minute Rice was all he would cook.  After going to Japan to live for a summer while he attended an intensive language study program, he became a rice connoisseur.  When he returned to the good old USA, he chucked the box of Minute Rice and went to the store and purchased several bags of rice.  After his first batch of rice came out sticky, he called for help, and these are the tips I passed along to him.

1.  Rinse your rice a couple of times under cold water before you cook it.  That's the way my mom taught me.  According to her, it makes the rice less sticky.  It works for me. 

2.  Use a heavy pot to keep the rice from scorching in the bottom of the pan.  The pan should also have a tight fitting lid to keep the steam in the pot.

3.  Don't get in a hurry.  Let the rice sit.  Leave the lid on the pot for at least 5 minutes before serving.  It gives the rice a fluffier texture.  Fluff rice with a fork before serving.


My son and I would love to hear your rice cooking tips! 

Tip: Storing Fruit and Vegetables

I love fresh fruit and vegetables.  Knowing how and where produce should be stored, not only extends the life of the fruit and vegetables but helps me get the most flavor out of them.   

How you store fruit and vegetables will effect not only their taste but their texture as well.  Almost all fruit and vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator.Some of the exceptions include:

• Bananas
• Lemons and Limes (They have a tendency to absorb odors / flavors from the refrigerator)
• Tomatoes (their texture becomes mealy if refrigerated)
• Potatoes, garlic, onions,  

All of these should be stored in a cool, dry place at room temperature, not in direct sunlight.

Both pineapples and apples can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature.  My husband likes pulling a crisp, cool apple out of the refrigerator on a hot summer afternoon. He says it reminds him of pulling them right off the tree on the way to school when he was growing up back in Iowa  Since most of the sugar in a pineapple is concentrated in the bottom of the fruit I like to store them upside down to allow the sweetness to spread.

Store berries in the refrigerator and wash just before you eat them.

Treat asparagus and herbs the same way.  Wash asparagus and herbs.  Dry them well.  Cut the ends off the asparagus and herbs.  Place stem side down,  in a glass of water. Wrap tops in a paper towel.

If you don't want to take the time to do all the prep work on the asparagus, just wrap the stems in a damp paper towel until your ready to prepare.

I don't have room in my refrigerator to store herbs in glasses of water.  I wash and dry my herbs, then wrap them in a paper towel and place them in plastic bags.

Always store meat and fruit and vegetables separate.  The crisper drawer is the best place to store produce.  The moisture produced in the drawer, will help to keep the produce fresher longer.

These are just a few of the tips I use to make the most of my fruits and vegetables.  I would love to hear your tips on storing produce.   

Tip: Pork-The Other White Meat

Did you know, a serving size portion of pork tenderloin is as lean as a skinless chicken breast?  When looking for the leanest cut of pork, choose a cut that has "loin" on the label.

Pork is often over cooked.  Use a meat thermometer to test the temperature of the pork while it is cooking.  The thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the pork.  If the cut of pork you are cooking has a bone, make sure the thermometer is not touching it.  According to the Pork Council, you should cook the pork until the temperature reaches 160 degrees and is a little pink on the inside.

When I was at the Iowa State Fair last year, I had an opportunity to interact with representatives of the Pork Council. Anytime I get a chance to pick the brains of those who are experts in their field I do it. In the course of our conversation, they communicated the fact that pork is really at it's prime when it's slightly pink in the middle. I questioned them about the safety of eating pork that is pink in the middle. They said, "Unlike chicken, it was perfectly safe to eat pork that way." The key again is the 160 degree cooking temperature of the pork. Since they are the experts, (like mom) I feel confident in passing this tip on to you.

I grew up in the Midwest.  Maybe it was just my family, but we ate a lot of pork.  I've had pork cooked almost every way possible.  My mom liked to swap pork for chicken to change a recipe up.  By doing that you can change an old standby recipe into something new and exciting!  On Friday I will be posting my simple and tasty Pork Chop Casserole.

Tip: You're a Good Egg

To test if an egg is fresh, fill a bowl with water, add 2 teaspoons of salt, then add the egg in question.  If it sinks, it's a good egg.  If it is a floater, toss it out, it's a bad egg, and no one likes a bad egg.

 
Which is better, white or brown eggs?  My mom always said they were the same nutritionally, the only difference is in the color of the shell.  I believed her, but I thought if I am going to put it on the blog I better check her facts.  Once again "Mom is always right"!  The color of the egg is determined by the color of the feathers on the chicken.  White feathers, white egg shell.  Brown or red feathers, brown egg shell.  That's it!  There is no difference in taste or quality.

Tip: Double Duty Pizza Cutter

I love utensils that you can use more than one way. Next time you make a quesadilla, grab a pizza cutter to slice it.  It works so much better than a knife. It slices cleanly and easily through the tortillas without pushing the ingredients out the sides the way it does when you use a knife.  I always start in the middle and cut to the outer edge.

In this photo I am slicing my Chicken Surprise Quesadilla.  Check back on Friday when I post the recipe to find out what the surprise is!

Tip: Non-Slip Trick for Cutting Boards

I love kitchen safety tips!  Safety first, that's my family's motto. Maybe it is because my mom had to stress safety, to keep all my fingers attached when I helped her in the kitchen.  I use today's tip almost everyday.

Safety Tip: To keep your cutting board from moving around on you while you slice and dice, place a damp paper towel underneath it.  Then you can slice away until your heart's content without the danger of the board moving all over the place.

Tip: Salt to the Rescue!

I was so klutzy growing up that my mom put me in dance classes hoping to cure the problem.  I took tap, jazz, ballet, even Hawaiian dance classes (I had a beautiful hot pink metallic hula skirt.  Totally made the stumbling around worth it!).  It didn't help.  I am still klutzy and to top it off I can't dance!  All that money down the drain.  With a klutzy kid like me, my poor mom had to be on top of easy clean up tips.

Here is one of those tips: To clean cooking spills in your oven, sprinkle salt on it immediately and finish baking.  The spillover will turn to ash when the oven cools and can be removed easily.