Making biscotti normally involves baking your biscotti 3 times; baking as a loaf to start; slicing into the oblong cookies and baking the slices for a shorter period of time on one side; and then flipping them over and baking again on the other side. My method is a lot easier and cuts the baking […]
Tag Archives | Cooking Tips
Freezing Cookie Dough Balls
preNow that the Holiday Season is upon us, we are starting to do whatever advance preparations we can! I do an annual Christmas cookie baking day with one of my dearest friends, Chef Debbey. We spend the whole day making up cookies and cookie dough while we laugh, catch up with each other’s lives, and, […]
Keeping Your Hollandaise Sauce Warm
Timing is everything, especially when you’re making breakfast or dinner… Everything usually comes together at the same time. Your sauce usually gets made first and usually cools off and starts to thicken. You then have to reheat it and it usually breaks, and who wants a lukewarm and broken sauce … Or for that matter, […]
Easy-Peasy Polenta
Polenta cooking tip for less mess… Cooking polenta can be messy and if you’re not careful, clumpy. I cook polenta in a double boiler over medium heat. I use a ratio of 1 cup polenta (or grits) to 3 cups of cold water or broth. You only have to stir occasionally. You won’t need a […]
Dolling Out the Salt
Almost every savory recipe known to man has salt as an ingredient. Everyone has different tolerances of this vital seasoning. Some of us like a lot of salt and some do not. Some of us have been told by our doctors to cut it down or even out all together if we have certain health […]
Keeping Flour Dust to a Minimum
I’m sure you’d agree that mixing flour or the dry ingredients for a recipe and handling the mixer all at the same time can be awkward and messy! I use a large plastic measuring pitcher. I mix all my dry ingredients in the pitcher and whisk it all together, then I use a large bowl […]
‘Easy as Pie’ Pie Shielding Method
Pie shielding your crust from over browning can be hard once the oven and the pie is hot. It can be quite a struggle or maybe you’ve had to purchase one of those special hard to store shields in a cooking supply store. I’ve got an easy solution for you, and all you need is […]
Mushrooms… To Rinse or Not to Rinse
Remember that old rule not to rinse the dirt off your mushrooms because they will absorb the water and be mushy? Well, the powers that be have figured out that’s not really true. The only real rule of thumb about rinsing them is if the mushrooms are really dirty, rinse and dry them thoroughly right […]
Using Measuring Spoons
Have you ever found yourself frustrated because your round measuring spoons just won’t fit into those narrow spice jars and you always end up wasting a lot of the expensive spice when you’re forced to pour it out into the measuring spoon? I have 2 sets of measuring spoons … one of them is the […]
A Cube Full of Ginger
A cube full of ginger makes the dollars stretch further… and can save you time later on. I’m sure you’ve found yourself purchasing a nice sized thumb of fresh ginger for a specific recipe, and then you wrap and store the rest in the refrigerator only to take it out a week later for another […]
Ice Cube Tray Time Saving Re-purposing
Those old ice cube trays now sitting in storage can be used for so many new ideas… You can make up a batch of pesto, fill with your cold unused brewed coffee, use your food processor to finely mince fresh garlic, squeeze fresh lemon juice, etc., etc. The list can be as long as your […]
Easy Slice Mozzarella
Slicing a fresh ball of mozzarella thinly and evenly can be a real pain and impossible to do. I freeze my ball of mozzarella about 45 minutes before I need to cut. Use a serrated knife and work quickly. You’ll find it a lot easier and your slices will be uniform.