Kitchen Tips

I wanted to share with you some of the little things I do in the kitchen that make a difference.

Perfect Pasta
Put water into your pot and add a couple of dashes of salt. Bring this to a boil. With the water boiling add your pasta. Set a timer for three minutes, and stir the pasta in the hot water until the buzzer rings. Turn off the heat, cover and set your timer for 10 minutes. Do not remove the cover during this time, just let it sit. When the timer goes off, drain your pasta and cover it with sauce, or use it in a recipe!

Cutting Onions
When you need to chop up an onion, put it in the freezer twenty minutes before using it. This causes the volatile oils to freeze. If you do this when you start working on your onions your eyes will not water.

Keep Your Celery Fresh
To keep your celery fresh, trim the end and add a bit of water to the storage bag. The celery will absorb the water and remain crispy.

Stale Chips or Crackers
Did you know that if you take your stale crackers and bake them in the oven for a few minutes at 350, you can change them from stale to fresh?

Need Softened Butter?
Put a stick of butter into your microwave oven on the defrost setting and run it for 8 seconds. Turn the butter over and repeat. Your butter will be soft enough to butter your toast without tearing it!

Keep Your Ice Cubes from Sticking Together
Whether you do this for your regular everyday ice cubes, or you are having a party, putting ice cubes in a brown paper back will keep them from sticking together!

Need Beans for a Soup?
When I make by famous navy bean soup I put two cups of small white beans into a pot then add water. I set the heat for medium high. When the water just starts to boil I turn the heat off and let them sit for one hour. Do not remove the cover during this time. Turning the heat off when the water just starts to boil prevents the skins on the beans from splitting.

Making Meatballs?
When making meatballs, if you wet your hands, the meat will not stick to your hands and you end up with a perfect meatball!

Keep Your Lettuce Fresh
If you wrap your lettuce in paper towel it will stay fresher longer!

How to Clean Your Blender
After using your blender, rinse the blender in hot water, and then fill it half way with hot water. Add soap, and then run the blender on the liquefy setting. The blades and inside get cleaned quickly and easily. Then wash down the outside with soap and water.

Hotel Shower Caps
I always grab these when we stay in a hotel as the unused shower cap can be used in the kitchen. They make great covers for bowls of food!

Onions and Potatoes
Do not store onions and potatoes together. The onions give off a chemical that causes potatoes to sprout.

Dried vs. Fresh Herbs
If you need to use fresh herbs and do not have them handy, use dried, and use ½ of what the recipe calls for. The flavor in the dried herbs is concentrated.

Remove Onion or Garlic Smells from Your Hands
Using a stainless steel utensil and water, if you rub the utensil between your hands under running water, the smell magically disappears from your hands!

Burns
I got this tip from a chef friend of mine. If I burn my finger, or hand in the kitchen, I run the burned area under the hottest water I can stand and then immerse the burned area in flour. The flour seals the pores open which leads to faster healing. Leave the flour on the affected area for at least an hour.

Have tips or tricks? Please feel free to share what you do in the kitchen!