Tasteful Tidbits
A Master Chef's Tricks of the Trade
Recipes … Shmecipes!
Everyone knows if you give ten chefs the same recipe, you will have ten different outcomes. So, use recipes as a cooking guideline, instead of verbatim.
Many recipes will not work out as expected due to the different type of equipment used, the ingredients used, or the measurements of ingredients by the cookbook author. So keep notes of what you liked and didn’t like about a recipe, such as:
- It could have used more garlic.
- Decrease cooking time by 10 minutes.
Try to free yourself of following step-by-step instructions and use your own intuition and creativity.
Cutting the Mustard!
Always sharpen your knife before using by using a knife sharpener and a steel to renew the edge. It is also recommended to get your knives professionally sharpened at least once a year – more for people who do a lot of cooking. A dull knife is your worst enemy!
Oh, Nuts …
Place walnuts, pecans, almonds, and pine nuts in ziplock bags and place them in the freezer. Nuts are loaded with natural oils and vulnerable to heat, so they will go rancid sitting in your kitchen cupboard or pantry. Frozen they will stay fresh up to a year.
To freshen any type of nut before you eat (or cook with) them, toast on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F oven for 10 minutes or place nuts in a small bowl and microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
Petso Change-O!
Follow these tips when making pesto:
- Chill your olive oil before processing and your presto will retain a bright green color.
- Make sure to use a good-quality olive oil.
- Toast your pine nuts lightly.
- Make sure the basil is clean and dry.
- Don't overprocess the pesto in a blender.
(Watch for a fantastic Basil Pesto recipe in our nexg blog.)
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