Cooking Tips Your Mother Never Taught You - Big Y® World Class Market®

Are your friends a little hesitant to eat dinner at your house? Or does your brain ache when you open cookbooks that seem to be written in a foreign language, with words like — fold, sauté, caramelize and braise? Maybe you weren’t paying attention when your mom tried to explain some of these things to you, or maybe you never even had that conversation with her. Whatever the reason, we’re here to help clear up a few of your most burning questions about cooking! Of course, we can’t solve all your culinary dilemmas, but we can offer a few tips to get you on the right track.

Sorting Out the Terms

Translations for those “foreign” cooking terms:

Fold: A method of gently mixing a light, fluffy mixture with a heavier mixture. To fold, use a rubber spatula to cut down vertically through the mixture from the back of the bowl. Move the spatula across the bottom of the bowl, and bring it back up the other side, carrying some of the mixture from the bottom up over the surface. Repeat these steps, rotating the bowl 1/4 turn each time you complete the process.

Sauté: From the French word sauter, meaning “to jump.” Sautéed food is cooked quickly in a small amount of oil or butter in a skillet over fairly high heat. It works best if the food is cut into uniform size pieces.

Caramelize: To brown sugar, whether granulated or the naturally occurring sugar in vegetables or fruit. Granulated sugar is cooked in a saucepan or skillet over low heat until melted and golden brown. Vegetables and fruit are cooked slowly over low heat in a small amount of butter or oil until browned.

Braise: To brown food in butter or oil then cook slowly in a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan on the range top or in the oven at low heat. This slow cooking method develops flavor and tenderizes the food.

Solving Some Common Cooking Dilemmas:

Thickening sauces

Thickening your soup or sauce can be done in a few different ways and favorite methods are really a matter of personal preference. For an easy technique that will be sure to give you a lump free sauce or soup, follow this tip: In a small bowl or cup, use a fork to mix equal parts water and cornstarch — 1 tablespoon each is recommended to start. Once the mixture is smooth, slowly whisk it into the sauce or soup and stir constantly over low to medium heat, adding more if necessary, until you reach your desired consistency.

Peeling and seeding a tomato

When using tomatoes in pasta sauce or salsa, the peels and seeds often need to be removed. Here’s an easy way: With a knife, make an X on the bottom of the tomato making sure not to go too deep. Using a slotted spoon, place a couple of tomatoes at a time in the boiling water for about 10 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and plunge into a bowl of ice water for about five seconds and set aside. Once they’ve cooled, use a knife to gently peel the skins off. To remove the seeds, cut the tomato in half crosswise and using the tip of a spoon, scoop out the seeds.

Chopping an onion

Using a sharp knife, slice the onion in half lengthwise, through the root. Cut a bit off the top of each half and pull away the skin and tough outer layer. Place halves cut-side-down on a cutting board and make even horizontal slices, leaving the root end intact. Holding the root end, make even perpendicular cuts and the pieces should fall as you chop. Chopping the onion this way will also help reduce the irritating compounds in onions that make your eyes water.

Roasting garlic

Roasted garlic adds a sweet, mellow caramel flavor to any dish. Using a knife, cut off the pointed top portion from one head of garlic, leaving the bulb intact and exposing the cloves. Place the bulb in a small baking dish and drizzle with some olive oil. Bake, covered, in a 325ºF oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until cloves are very soft; let cool. Once cool scoop out softened garlic into a bowl and mash a with fork to form a paste.

Keeping fish fresh

To keep fish fresh, place each piece of fishin a large sealable plastic bag, press out as much air as possible and seal. Roll the fish up in the bag and place in a large container. Set the container in the coldestpart of the refrigerator. Your fresh fish should keep for a day or two.

Use A Sharp Knife

Did you know that a dull knife can be more dangerous than a sharp one, since it may slip when you have to apply extra pressure for cutting? To make your prep work go faster and safer, purchase a good, sharp knife (forged, high-carbon, stain resistant, steel blade), and keep it sharp.

Nifty Kitchen Tips

Remove Strong Odors From Your Hands Get rid of onion, garlic or fish smell by lightly wetting your hands and then sprinkling baking soda on them. Rub the soda all over your hands, then rinse it away — along with the odors.