KITCHEN TIPS

Welcome to the Tips and Tricks page. Here you will find great ideas to help you become a better, smarter, and more efficient cook in the kitchen. How do you make great sunny side up eggs? How do you make your vegetables last longer in the fridge? How do you cut your time getting dinner ready with preparation? How do you get wine stains out of your table linens? These and many other questions are answered all in one place. You are also encouraged to submit tips and tricks from your kitchen experience by emailing your ideas to nicknpdx@gmail.com.  OK, so let's get started. Read on and enjoy these wonderful tips and be sure to check back from time to time because new tips and tricks will be added every week.

So you just spilled wine on Grandmother's nice white linen tablecloth! Don't fret, there is a simple and cheap remedy but one must act quickly. If you spill red wine on table linen, immediately pour enough salt on the spill to cover the area. Let it set, you will be glad you did. The salt works to not only soak up the wine, but it actually helps the stain from setting. The secret is to act fast. Salt is very inexpensive so don't be tight with it. It's a lot cheaper than a new tablecloth.

Want to make the perfect sunny side up egg? Do you want your fried eggs to not stick to the pan? Well, there is a very simple way of achieving both goals. About one minute before your eggs are done, add 2 tablespoons of water to the frying pan and immediately cover the pan with a lid. Turn your heat down to medium low and wait 45 to 60 seconds. You will find the egg yoke and white will be perfectly cooked and you will be able to remove them from the pan without turning it into scrambled eggs.

Why don't my vegetables last so long in the fridge? Have you noticed how many times you go to the fridge to grab the lettuce or spinach only to find that it has gone mushy bad? Nowadays, grocers over water the fresh vegetable section, particularly the leafy vegetable section, trying to make them look fresher and appealing to the eye. They don't realize that too much water is a great enemy to such vegetables. After all, out in the field, if it rains so much, the vegetables will suffer and rot. The next time, be sure to dry your leafy vegetables as well as you can and wrap them in paper towels before storing them in your crisper and your vegetables will last twice as long as otherwise. The paper towels will absorb any excess moisture and allow them to breathe because the paper is porous. Try it next time you shop.

Speaking of breathing, when purchasing fresh, live shell fish i.e., clams and mussels, be sure to store them in a container that has holes at the top. Never store them in an enclosed plastic bad or you will lose half of them to suffocation. Finally, it goes without saying that you should purchase such live seafood on the day you are going to prepare them.

Don't burn the garlic! So are going to do a stir fry and it calls for onions and garlic. Do yourself and your guests a favor and saute the onions first. Once the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, toss the garlic in and both will be perfectly cooked in the manner they were meant to be and the garlic won't burn. Burnt garlic will taste bitter and affect the flavor of other ingredients.

Speaking of garlic, a great way of infusing garlic flavor in your oil when it is called for is to take a large clove of garlic (peeled), cut it in half, and start rubbing the bottom of your pan with it. Make sure the surface is well coated with the garlic. Your pan should have a definite smell of garlic when brought up to your nose. Set the pan on a low to medium low burner and allow pan to warm for about a minute or so, then add your oil and simply stir until oil warms. I think this works better than just setting the garlic in the oil and you haven't wasted anything. Just use that clove for another dish or chop it and use for salad dressing.