31 Cooking Tips for YOU

1. Corn Syrup or honey can be substituted for 1/2 amount of sugar in a recipe if you reduce the liquid measurements by 1/4.
2. Reduce the odor of cabbage, cauliflower, greens, etc. when cooking by adding a bit of vinegar to the cooking water.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to water to keep egg white from seeping out of a cracked shell when boiling eggs.
4. To peel a coconut: drain the milk, place coconut in oven until hot to the touch, remove and tap all over with a hammer and especially at the ends. Give it one hard knock and shell will crack. Lift off shell, peel brown skin and cool so you can grate or slice the meat.
5. When measuring molasses, grease the measuring cup to prevent the molasses from sticking.
6. To make nut meats come out of shells whole, soak overnight in salt water before cracking.
7. Adding a pinch of salt to sugar when making icings will help prevent graininess.
8. To make potatoes light and fluffy add a pinch of baking soda and use hot milk and butter.
9. To sour sweet milk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to each cup and let stand for a few minutes. (Lots of old recipes call for "Sour Milk.")
10. Sugar that has hardened can be softened by placing in a warm oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
11. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using
     them so they won't burn during cooking.   If you prefer metal skewers, which have a long life, use
     square or twisted types, which will hold the food better
     than round ones. 
12. As a general rule, herbs and ground spices will retain their best flavors
     for a year. Whole spices may last for 3 to 5 years. Proper storage should
     result in longer freshness times.
13. To make fat-free broth, chill your meat or chicken broth. The
       fat will rise to the top, and you can remove it before using
       the broth.
14. Cook foods to the required minimum cooking temperatures:
         - 165 F > Poultry, poultry stuffing, and stuffed meat.
         - 158 F > Ground Beef, fish, and seafood.
         - 150 F > Pork and food containing pork.
         - 145 F > shell eggs and foods containing shell eggs
15. Make Your Own Spice Mixes:
      FIVE SPICE POWDER
        1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
        1 tsp. Ground cloves
        1 tsp. Fennel seed
        1 tsp. Star anise
        1 tsp. Szechwan peppercorns 
      ITALIAN HERB SEASONING
        1 tsp. Oregano
        1 tsp. Marjoram
        1 tsp. Thyme
        1 tsp. Basil
        1 tsp. Rosemary
        1 tsp. Sage 
      CINNAMON SUGAR
        7/8 cup Granulated sugar
        2 Tbsp. Ground cinnamon 
      TAMARIND PASTE
        1 tsp. Dates
        1 tsp. Prunes
        1 tsp. Dried apricots
        1 tsp. Lemon juice 
      CHILI POWDER
        3 Tbsp. paprika
        1 Tbsp. ground cumin
        2 Tbsp. oregano
        1 tsp. red or cayenne pepper
        1/2 tsp. garlic powder
16. Whenever barbecuing, use tongs to turn the meat. A fork should
       never be used. For it will punch holes in the flesh and allow
       the natural juices to escape and loose flavor and become chewy.
17. Tomato and/or sugar based BBQ sauces should be added only at the
       end of the grilling process. These products will burn easily and
       are seldom considered an internal meat flavoring. Once added, the
       meat should be turned often to minimize the possibility of burning.
18. Whenever you empty a jar of dill pickles,
     use the left-over juice to clean the copper bottoms of your pans.
     Just pour the juice in a large bowl, set the pan in the juice
     for about 15 minutes. Comes out looking like new.
19. Instead of using expensive silver cleaners, put a dab of toothpaste
     on a clean rag and rub it on your precious possession. After you've
     rubbed it in, just clean it with another clean rag.
     Your silver will look like new.
20. Lettuce keeps better if you store in refrigerator without washing
        first so that the leaves are dry. Wash the day you are going to use.
21. Rescue stale or soggy chips and crackers: Preheat the oven to
       300F. Spread the chips or crackers in a single layer on a
       baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool,
       then seal in a plastic bag or container.
22. The best way to store fresh celery is to wrap it in aluminum
       foil and put it in the refrigerator--it will keep for weeks.
23. A dampened paper towel or terry cloth brushed downward on a cob of
       corn will remove every strand of corn silk.
24. When mincing garlic, sprinkle on a little salt so the pieces won't
       stick to your knife or cutting board.
25. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the
       potatoes.
26. Sunlight doesn't ripen tomatoes, warmth does. Store tomatoes with stems
       pointed down and they will stay fresher, longer.
27. Cheese won't harden if you butter the exposed edges before storing. 
28. For the perfect boiled egg, cover eggs with cold water and
       a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a full boil. Remove the
       pan from the heat and cover. Let the eggs sit for 8-9 minutes.
       Drain the water and place the eggs in ice water to cool to
       stop the cooking process.
29. Maple-flavored syrup, commonly found on the shelves in the
       store and in restaurants, is actually corn syrup flavored
       with a bit of pure maple syrup to keep the cost down.
30. When using spaghetti, keep in mind that 8 ounces of uncooked
       pasta makes 4 cups cooked.
31. Marinate red meats in wine to tenderize.  Marinate chicken in buttermilk to tenderize.