Weight, Measures, Cooking Times, and Cooking Tips, collected by Carlos Mirasierras
46) Before cooking cauliflower keep it in soaking in water mixed with a teaspoon of
vinegar for about 20 minutes. This will not only loose the dirt and grit but will also kills
any insects that may be lodged between the florets.
47) When boiling potatoes add a pinch of salt to the water. This loosens the potato peal
and makes the peeling process much easier.
48) Slicing cheesecake and other cold desserts is tricky. If you want to make clean
slices soak your knife in warm water for a few minutes, then wipe it dry and use when
still hot to make a clean slice.
49) Vegetables that have been lying in the refrigerator tend to look dull and lifeless. If
you want to make a salad, and need your veggies to look fresh, soak them in cold
water with a few drops of lime for about 15 mins and they will surely look bright and
delicious.
50) To help tough meat have the tenderness of lamb or beef tenderize, marinate the
meat in vinegar, curd, mustard or mashed papaya overnight. Wipe off the marinade
and then cook.
51) Dry herbs and spices lose their flavor when exposed to heat and sunlight. To make
sure they retain their aroma, keep them in an air tight container inside a dark, cool
cupboard.
52) If you want to give salad a subtle garlic flavor, rub a peeled garlic clove on the
inside of the salad bowl before you toss the salad.
53) To ensure that your pasta absorbs the flavor of the sauce, don't cook the pasta in
advance. Toss it in the sauce, immediately after the cooking liquid has been drained.
Cooked pasta absorbs flavor best when hot.
54) If you want to quickly ripen some tomatoes, put them in a brown paper bag and
store in a dark corner.
55) When baking, always use room temperature butter and eggs. Using these straight
from the refrigerator will make it harder to blend and mix, affecting the final product.
57) In a warm climate bananas tend to get over-ripe. To stop the process of ripening
put bananas in the refrigerator. The skin may turn black, but the fruit itself will remain
firm. But when they're too unripe, you can speed the ripening by wrapping each
banana in newspaper.
58) To brown onions, add a little salt to the pan. This speeds up the process.
59) When cooking vegetables don't add salt until the very end. Adding salt early can
dehydrate vegetables and reduce their nutritional value as vitamins are released in
excess.
60) To prevent rice grains from sticking the starch must be removed. so, this wash the
rice several times till water runs clear, then let it soak for 20 mins in clean water.

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