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16 Cooking And Kitchen Tips For 2016

In looking at my blog listings, I realized that I’m way overdue for a post offering simple kitchen tips to make your life easier. I try to give helpful advice in all my posts, but it’s been far longer than I thought possible since I’ve devoted an article to nothing but helpful hints alone, unrelated to a central theme. So, with apologies for the oversight, here we go. I promise I won’t wait so long in future to add more.

If you want to see the other posts I’ve written on tips, go to the site archives. Just click Table of Contents on the page header and look for “Tips” in the blog title listings.

1. Lightly oil the threads of a jar or bottle with ‘sticky’ contents (honey, jam, syrup etc.) when first opened. It will always open easily. This trick makes measuring utensils easier to use as well.
2. Keep a supply of large plastic lids (coffee, whipped topping, Deli items etc.) When mixing batters or other sticky items, they can be cut to fit the bowl and used as scrapers to transfer the contents. They are easy to clean or disposable.
3. If covering rising batter, baked goods or a garnished casserole to be cooked later, lightly spray the plastic wrap with cooking spray and it won’t stick to the contents.
4. If working with rising dough, put it in a rectangular pan. It’s much easier to roll into a desired shape.
5. To prepare salads ahead, separate and wash the leaves of the greens, lay them out on a clean kitchen towel and loosely roll it up. They will keep fresh and dry in the refrigerator for 2 days, ready to be tossed
6. Use a can of compressed air spray to clean a pasta machine or coffee grinder. It works as well for them as it does for the computer.
7. When oranges are in season, don’t throw away the peels, chop or zest and freeze them. This way you have the fresh flavoring handy all year.

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8. To give plates a ‘pro presentation’ with swirls of sauce around the rim, or to make line design or write on cakes and other items, put the sauce or icing in squeeze bottles. Even well washed ones that held condiments will do and they’re disposable.
9. Canned frosting can be heated in the microwave (about 30 sec,) to form a glaze to pour over a cake. It can also be heated in a squeeze bottle, upside down, to make it flow for easy use. It cools to its regular texture.
10. When cooking or chilling stuffed bell peppers, to keep them upright, stand them in a tube pan. Just remember, if the pan is non-reactive, to add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to the water to prevent discoloration.
11. To cut jalapenos, slice a piece off the end to stand them up, and trim the sides away, as you would a bell pepper. Then the core and seeds can be removed in one piece.
12. An easy way to mix meatloaf or a recipe with similar ingredients is to put them in a plastic bag and kneed it. It’s even neater if you give the inside of a bag a squirt of cooking spray first.
13. To quickly soften chilled or frozen butter, cut it in pieces, put it in a plastic bag and roll it with a rolling pin. This way it’s an even texture for mixing into other ingredients, such as cake batter. To cut butter into ingredients, as for pie dough, freeze it, then grate it into the bowl and toss with the flour.
14. Fresh ginger root keeps best frozen. It can be peeled and grated easily, or cut into thin slices and frozen for chopping later.
15. When cooking rice and other grains, place a clean, folded towel between the lid and pot. It keeps the moisture from dripping back into the pot and making the grain soggy. I buy the disposable micro-fiber ones from the Dollar Store, use them to clean the kitchen later and toss them.
16. Plastic or glass cutting boards are great for meat, especially for poultry with the issue of salmonella, because they can be cleaned and sterilized. However, good wooden ones are a wise investment. They last for a lifetime and more. I use one I made for my mother in kindergarten. The design on the front is intact, but the back has a groove worn into it, because it’s just the right size for small tasks and handy to store. A medium sized board, 11” x 15” with a nice grain can do double duty in the kitchen and to present a loaf of artisanal bread at dinner. A larger board is essential to roll pastry or knead dough, but can also plate a cold roast for a casual meal. You can get creative with wooden boards too. I bought a blank clock face in a crafts store. It just fits the center of a dinner plate and makes a great cheese or fruit server of any plate. To maintain a polished surface, rub occasionally with cooking oil; otherwise just wipe the boards down with water and a little soap if needed. Be sure they’re dry before storing them.

Rhubarb Is A Real Taste Of Spring

Before I begin this week’s post, I want to introduce you to our new comments box. I do apologize, I was not aware that a former tech had disabled the old one. My apologies if I didn’t answer before. It won’t happen again.

Although there’s a variety of tender, young, greens available in early spring, there is only one fruit mature enough to eat at that time, rhubarb. It’s followed about a month later by strawberries but rhubarb is a true symbol of the new season. It’s a bundle of contradictions, though, from its sweet-tart taste to the fact that people either hate it or love it. A perennial vegetable, native to the Orient, related to sorrel, it’s only occasionally used as such in some Asian dishes and a few Eastern European ones. The rest of the world considers it a fruit. In fact the U.S. Department of Agriculture classified it as one in 1947.

Rhubarb looks like red celery, but it’s harvested stalk by stalk, not by the bunch, leaving the roots, which along with the leaves are toxic, in the ground, to rejuvenate.  Inedible raw, it can be steamed, baked, canned and makes a wonderful jelly. It’s often served ‘stewed’ as a fruit with breakfast or as a dessert after dinner, but not mixed into cereal, salads, or eaten as a snack or accompaniment to meat as are other fruits. Field grown rhubarb, available only in spring, has bright red slender stalks which are less fibrous and slightly sweeter than the hothouse variety, available all year, with wide, thick pale to deep pink ones.

A common spring sight in markets and kitchens until the mid to late twentieth century, I hadn’t realized that it had become a rarity until several years ago when I wanted to make the Rhubarb Kutchen recipe below. I couldn’t find it in regular markets and ended up in a boutique produce ‘farm’ one. Possibly its decline in favor is due to the fact that it requires sugar to be acceptable and sugar has become a bad word in food preparation. However, new verities have been developed which are sweeter and hopefully will revive rhubarb’s popularity. I’ve been glad to see it in my supermarkets again the past few years. It is unique and deserves a place in our menus.

Rhubarb doesn’t ripen after harvesting, and should have stiff stalks and fresh looking leaves when bought.  Keep it wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator and use within three days. The quickest way to cook rhubarb is to ‘stew’ it, which is not exactly accurate. It’s actually simmered or ‘steamed’ gently in a double boiler. However, for any recipe, the stalks should be trimmed of the leaves, which are toxic, washed and cut in 1 inch dice. The celery-like ‘strings’ will soften in cooking, especially if cut on the diagonal, and need only be removed from the largest of stalks.  Rhubarb should be cooked over low heat, never boiled or overcooked because it loses body in the process. It has a high water content, so some recipes call for a little water while others call for none. It also has a high pectin content which allows it to gel nicely for a sauce or compote.

One pound of rhubarb yields about two cups cooked.  Always use a non-reactive pot; aluminum turns it grey and gives it a metallic taste. Also, it should be kept covered because it oxidizes in the air One fun part of working with rhubarb is that it combines well with other fruits, especially ones that share its season, like strawberries and cherries, or have a similar texture such as fresh pineapple.  Directions to make these changes are quite simple; just exchange another fruit for half the amount of rhubarb in any recipe. The only adjustment that may be needed is in the amount of sugar, which is a matter of personal taste. See the Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie below.

So if you see rhubarb in your market in the next few weeks, give it a try. Incidentally, one of the reasons that it was so linked to spring was because it was considered a tonic. Its mild cathartic properties were said to rid the body of winter’s ills. In any case, I’m a big fan and with the current flavor preferences, I think you will be too.

Steamed Rhubarb I: Yields 4 cups = 4 servings alone
2 lbs. rhubarb cut in 1 inch pieces
1 ½-2 cups sugar
2 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
½ cup water –optional
Place all the ingredients in the top of a double boiler, cover and cook over medium-low heat until fruit is tender, about 10 min.

Steamed Rhubarb II: Serves 6
4 cups cut rhubarb
1 cup sugar
Proceed as above but don’t stir. This requires less sugar and no water allowing the rhubarb liquid to moisten the dish.  I haven’t tried it but the lowered sugar amount may be more acceptable.

Serve alone, as a topping for ice cream, with meringues or whipped cream.

Baked Rhubarb Yield 4 cups= 16 dessert toppings or 8 compotes*
2 lb. rhubarb cut in 1 inch pieces
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Toss rhubarb and dry ingredients in a non-reactive 9 x 12 baking dish. Drizzle with juice and bake 30 min. covered. Uncover and bake 10 min. more or until rhubarb is tender. Bring to room temperature then chill.

*Due to the pectin in rhubarb this sets when chilled and can be used for;
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2. Top pound cake layers with this, adding a dab of whipped cream for a quick dessert
3. Shortcake-Spread over biscuits or sponge cake shells
4. Compotes-Place crumbled gingersnaps in the bottom of a goblet fill ½ way with rhubarb, repeat layers again. Chill well and serve topped with whipped cream.

Rhubarb Crisp:  A fluted pan gives a nice presentation
Fill a 9 inch unbaked pie shell with
4 cups rhubarb cut in 1 inch pieces
Mix to form crumbs:
½ cup melted butter
1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups sugar
¾ cups flour
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. nutmeg or cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
sprinkle the crumbs over the fruit and bake in a 400 deg. bake in a preheated oven 30-40 min. until topping is crisp and fruit bubbles. Cool on a rack; serve warm or chilled with whipped cream or ice cream.

Rhubarb Kutchen: Serves 12
1 ¾ cups  flour                                 4-5 cups rhubarb in1 inch pieces
2 Tbs. sugar                                        *Meringue*
½  tsp. salt                                            4 egg whites                                         
½  cup butter                                       ¼  tsp. salt
¼ cup chopped nuts                            ¾ cup  sugar
2 egg yolks beaten lightly                   1  tsp. vanilla
2  egg yolks                                          2 drops cider vinegar or ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
2 cups sugar
½ cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Stir together 1 ¾ cups flour, baking powder, 2 Tbs. sugar and salt, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in nuts and 2 beaten egg yolks until well mixed. Press into the bottom of an 8 x 12 inch pan. Beat other egg yolks well, stir in remaining sugar and flour, add rhubarb, and pour mixture into the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 45mins.  Remove from oven, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, have made Meringue by beating room temperature egg whites until soft peaks form, add vinegar or cream of tartar and beat to incorporate, likewise with vanilla. Gradually add sugar and beat until whites are stiff and glossy.  Spread Meringue over fruit, return to oven and bake until delicately brown-about 10 min. Serve at room temperature.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie: This can be made into a Rhubarb Pie by using 4 cups rhubarb and 1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups sugar. Other fruits can also be substituted for the strawberries in equal amounts.
Crust for a covered pie
1 cup sugar
½ cup flour
2 pt. strawberries
1 lb. rhubarb – chopped
2 Tbs. butter
Gently toss sugar, flour and fruit together  and let marinate 30 min. Line a 9 inch pie plate with one layer of crust. Pour filling into shell and dot with butter. Cover with second layer of crust with holes cut to vent steam. Bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven for 35 – 40 min until bubbly and brown.

5 Great Naturally Resources Greens

Foraging for food, especially in spring, can be rewarding fun. The town where I grew up had been a farm but unlike regular developments, which level the land and immediately begin building, the founding group laid out the property grids and sold the lots independently, leaving construction to the owners.  Resultantly, some plots remained vacant ‘investment properties’. Each spring those lots yielded vestiges of the crops that once grew on them, most having returned to their wild form. There was asparagus, tiny, sweet ‘wood’ strawberries, an occasional blueberry bush and loads of ramps. Gleefully we children gathered them and ate them raw. At the edge of town there were several acres of nettles we dubbed “The Ouch Woods”. We were told the Indians had cooked and eaten the young shoots.

By the time I was 10 the lots held houses and the woods had been replaced by a school. My foraging days were forgotten until college, when I was reminded by the owner of the local pub. He gathered and cooked fiddlehead ferns and ramps each spring, reminding me how delicious natural produce can be. Once again, the memory dimmed over the years except for an occasional mention in a food magazine or a rare sighting in a boutique produce market.

Then, about five years ago a movement was started by innovative young chefs to create dishes centered around locally foraged, now called ‘resourced’ ingredients.  Scandinavia was an early leader and Australian chefs became quickly involved. Their restaurants received global reservation requests.  This may well be the guiding force behind the Millennials’ focus on making salads of grains, nuts, seeds and greens the major part of a meal, as well as their willingness to spend for the best, purest ingredients. I plan a post on this soon, but this is a generation that has grown up amid the controversy over GMOs, pesticides and exfoliants.  They want their food unchanged by science and untreated by chemicals; in other words, as natural as possible.

I’m listing 5 of the easiest items to ‘resource’, even if from a Farmer’s Market, and use in spring. I think fennel could be added to the list, because though grown commercially, it’s found wild in most countries, usually near water. See my post of March 3, 2016.

1)Fiddleheads are easiest to find in upscale produce markets and are only in season for a couple of weeks. These are the shoots of the Ostrich fern, and get their name because they are tightly coiled resembling the carved end of a violin’s neck. They are very ornamental, can be eaten raw, cook well, also can or freeze and have a flavor similar to asparagus. Like asparagus, the woody end of the stem will break off easily. If you attempt to gather them yourself, be sure they have wooly tops and a distinctive grove running down the stem.  They have a mildly toxic relative which resembles them.

Sautéed Fiddleheads
3 cups fiddleheads – stems trimmed
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil (The pub owner used butter)
½ tsp. each salt and pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fiddlehead ferns in the boiling water until barely tender, 7 to 10 minutes; drain. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the prepared fiddlehead ferns, garlic, and the salt and pepper. Cook and stir until ferns are tinged lightly brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon juice
For more recipes go to:
allrecipes.com/recipe/

2) Ramps also called Spring Leeks or Wild Onions are native to North America and Canada, where they are now endangered. Often confused with scallions, having a crisp texture but a nuttier, more garlicky flavor, they can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled. They have broad, smooth, light green leaves, often with deep purple or burgundy tints on the lower stems, and a scallion-like stalk. Both the white lower leaf stalks and the broad green leaves are edible. They grow in tight groups, strongly rooted with a bulbous end.
Food writer Jane Snow calls ramps’ flavor a combination of onions and strong garlic, or “fried green onions with a dash of funky feet” which is adaptable to numerous cooking styles. In central Appalachia, ramps are most commonly fried with potatoes in bacon fat or scrambled with eggs and served with bacon, pinto beans and cornbread. Ramps can also be pickled or used in soups and other foods in place of onions and garlic, but taste milder and sweeter than either. Sautéing over a high flame with olive oil, salt and pepper enhances their sweetness and is an excellent topping for burgers.
Ramps can often be found in markets, especially in Northeastern United States. The following is a recipe for a fancier presentation. It calls for leeks, but ramps can be substituted. 6-8 should do.

Leek and Potato Bake: Serves 4
2 large leeks trimmed –equal quantity of ramps about 6 to 8
2 lb. potatoes- a more floury variety is best here – Idaho, Russet, Eastern All-Purpose
1 ½ cups light cream
6 oz. Brie cheese sliced
Trim leeks (ramps), cut across in ½ inch slices and blanch for 1 min. Pierce the potatoes and microwave for 2 min. cool and slice thin. Put half the potatoes in a shallow baking dish and spread out to the edges and cover with 2/3^rd of the leeks (ramps). Cover with the rest of the potatoes and tuck the other 1/3^rdof leeks (ramps) and the cheese around and slightly under the potatoes. Pour the cream over and bake in a preheated 360 deg. oven for 1 hour until potatoes are tender. Cover with foil if the top begins to over brown.

For more recipes go to:
15 Recipes to Celebrate Ramps | Serious Eats
www.seriouseats.com/2015/

3) Lambs Ears have been used in many ways medicinally for centuries but few people outside the West Indies enjoy it as food, where it is frequently made into mole verde.  Why is a mystery, because the plant is plentiful, often found in gardens and easily bought in garden centers. The leaves, especially the young, tender ones are wonderful fresh in salads. They have a bland fruity taste compared to apple or pineapple. The leaves can also be served gently steamed or dried and made into a soothing tea very like chamomile.
Easy to grow and maintain, the best way to have lambs ears handy for the kitchen is to plant them in your garden as borders. They also deter rabbits and deer.  They need no further reference. You can get growing directions where you buy them. The young leaves can be used in salads according to taste, or simply steamed or dried for tea. If you want to explore the edible uses further, refer to a Caribbean Cookbook.

4) Dandelions are the most common of these resourced items, but not the easiest to find commercially. The best bet is a Farmers’ Market where they may appear in bags. The large leaves are very tough, so choose leaves about 3 inches long, but don’t chop them or they will shrink to a sodden mess when they wilt. I’m tempted to harvest my lawn, because I fight dandelions all summer, but after so many applications of weed killer over the years, I don’t know what chemicals have seeped into the plants.
Dandelions are used for wine, but their best kitchen purpose is in salad, and never raw, always wilted. Beware they shrink as much as spinach. 2 quarts will serve 4 normal portions. Also be sure to wash them well, soil and sand tend to cling. One quick preparation is:
Dandelion Salad with Bacon Serves 4
2 quarts dandelion greens-washed and trimmed
4 slices of bacon- cooked and crumbled
Salt, and pepper,
Vinegar  of choice.
Blanch the greens in boiling water. Drain well and serve topped with bacon. Pass the condiments on the side. (Optionally, hot bacon fat can be drizzled over the greens when plated.)
I’m including a favorite family recipe for Hot Boiled Dressing which will wilt the leaves as it’s tossed. The recipe makes about 1 ½ cups dressing and covers 2 quarts of dandelion leaves with some to spare.

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This dressing is wonderful, cold in place of mayonnaise in sandwiches and salads like potato, chicken, tuna and salmon. Hot it gives a new dimension to spinach and, if you can get them, dandelions.  Young spring spinach is best but the “baby” found pre-packed all year is also acceptable. Just make sure both types of greens are well washed and the hard part of the stems is snapped off. Either salad can be garnished with crumbled bacon. Used cold with the addition of quartered hard boiled eggs it can make a meal.
3 Tbs. sugar
½ tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. paprika
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. butter
½ cup water
½ cup cider vinegar
2 eggs – well beaten
In the top of a Bain Marie or double boiler, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Whisk in the next 3 and place top pot over bottom in which the required amount of water is boiling. Cook, constantly stirring, until smooth and butter is melted. Pour a little into the beaten eggs, stirring to prevent curdling, pour the rest of the hot liquid into the eggs. Then return the mixture to the top of the double boiler and cook constantly stirring until mixture is thick and smooth.
Serve hot over cleaned greens. Do not use over lettuces. All greens will wilt with the heat and lettuces don’t stand up well.
Chill leftover and use as mayonnaise or a salad dressing.

5) Nettles are the only one of these greens I haven’t eaten. So I’m giving several references for recipes and more information. It’s imperative to wear heavy gloves when handling nettles. The leaves and stems are covered with hollow hairs which inject itchy histamines upon contact.  However, those who have eaten nettles say it’s worth the effort.
Like dandelions they aren’t edible raw. Their stinging power disappears instantly when cooked, and they can be used in many ways from pureed for soups to simply steamed or sautéed.  The cooked leaves are delicate greens loaded with vitamins, tasting like a spinach-cucumber hybrid, and able to be used in any recipe calling for spinach. Beware, like dandelions and spinach the greens shrink as they wilt, so buy at least double the quantity needed.
Below is a recipe for Nettle Soup and other Nettle recipes from HuffPost Taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 small leek
2-3stalks green garlic
1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 quart water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch nettles (~1/2 pound)
Regular or greek yogurt (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until foamy. Add leeks and green garlic, stir, sauté for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add potato, water or stock and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, simmer for 15 minutes or until potato is fork-tender.
Meanwhile, remove the nettle leaves from the stem and rinse to clean. Wear gloves! Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop cleaned nettle leaves in the pot. Cook for 2 minutes. Drain and quickly put nettles in a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds. Remove and drain again.
When soup is ready, add nettle leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender, blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve soup with dollops of yogurt, if desired.

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Spring Vegetable Recipe

MORE GREAT RECIPES

Top of Form

1. Garlicky Nettle Pesto from Hogwash – Terrific tossed with a bowl of spaghetti or rubbed into spring lamb.
2. Spinach and Nettle Crustless Spanakopita from Stitch n’ Boots – A strata of nettles and spinach made rich with eggs and feta. (Gluten-free!)
3. Spring Lasagna with Asparagus, Peas, and Stinging Nettles from The Bitten Word – All the best flavors of spring in this one.
4. Nettle Gnudi from Salty Seattle – These are a cousin of gnocchi made with ricotta and wilted nettles.
5. Nettle-Mushroom Pie with Pine Nuts from Voodoo & Sauce – An easy savory pie for dinner, lunch, or brunch.
6. Nettle Aloo from Just Cook It – A hearty Indian stew with nettles, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas.