Sweet Kitchen Tips 19

Here are a couple of tips when dealing with soups.

To avoid curdling when adding yogurt or sour cream, use low heat only.  Never raise the heat beyond a simmer once you have added yogurt or sour cream.

How about avoiding rice or pasta to overcook in your soup? Simply cook the pasta or rice separately and add it to the soup shortly before serving, to rewarm it.

And if you don’t have time to make soup and are using can but you don’t care for that canned taste? By adding a splash of wine or dry sherry, or even a bit of brandy and some chopped herbs on top, you can mask that taste and bring the soup to a whole other level.

I think the hardest part of a fatty soup is drawing out the fat out of the soup.  Here are some tips.  Place the soup in the freezer for 30 minutes, the fat will congeal on top making it easier to skim off and discard with a spoon or spatula.  You can also place a couple of ice cubes in a slotted spoon or in cheesecloth and drag it over the top of the soup.  The fat will cling to it.

Sweet Kitchen Tips 17

Do you own a silicone mat? I bet you store it rolled up somewhere in your kitchen? Well, its suppose to be stored flat to prevent fiberglass filaments from breaking and crackling. If storing it flat is not an option and you don’t care, roll it around an empty paper towel tube and secure it with an elastic band.

And I bet you have a couple of wooden spoons in your kitchen.  I love mine and I have a good collection.  But, did you know that wooden spoons absorb and transfer flavors and odors.  So in order to avoid this, separate them, keep some for savory dishes and others for sweet dishes.  You can tell them appart by making notches or burning marks on the handle.  

And if you run to get new ones, remember to soak them in mineral oil.  This will help keep them less absorbent and easier to clean.

And since we are talking about wooden kitchen tools, lets talk about a bit about your wood cutting board.  In order to maintained them in good shape, remember to dry it upright to prevent moisture from seeping. Prevent cracks by oiling it when it starts to look dry. And if a old board, needs to be revive, scrub it clean with sandpaper, then rinse, dry and oil. Just make sure it’s mineral oil and not any other kind, the latter can go rancid and taint food.