Wednesday, March 9, 2005

Autumn’s gifts
NOT only is there noticeable crispness in the early mornings and evenings now March is here but the first crisp apples of early autumn have also arrived.
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Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Appley ever after
IT’S apple time again and we should be continually grateful to Captain William Bligh, of the notorious Bounty, for bringing apples here. In 1788, he planted the first apple seedlings on Bruny Island. They flourished and in 1833. The Van Diemen’s Almanac reported that the success of the plantings was so astonishing it had to be seen to be believed.
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Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Beefing up winter fare
HEARTY flavoured casseroles are ideal for these cold evenings. The two casseroles I have chosen today are delicious and simple to make.
Many people, hearing that dinner is to be a casserole, would be less than eager to hasten to the table.
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Tips and Hints for the kitchen.

I find it a little difficult to sort out helpful hints and tips as many of them are almost second nature to me. Sometimes when I have friends in the kitchen and they question why I am doing something a certain way I realise that there is some valuable information that has come from spending years in the kitchen.

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. I am concentrating on just a few common foods we almost always have on hand. -lemons, eggs and bread. It is surprising just how many uses they have other than their most obvious use. I would love to hear from any readers of tips that you have found helpful in relation to food and cooking and perhaps they will become part of another column. If any one has a solution to storing cake tins neatly I would love to hear it I have various precarious piles with lots just too big to sit inside another.  The only solution that I can come up with is to get rid of a good many of them.

LEMONS

Lemons are not only a delicious ingredient they also have many uses when dealing with food.

• Rub your hands with a piece of lemon to remove the smell of fish. Rub half a lemon over chopping boards to remove smells.

• Use lemon juice to assist with the removal of stains as the acid in the juice has a bleaching effect without damaging fragile fabrics.

• Get more juice from a lemon by gently rolling it for a couple of minutes or from heating it for a few second in the microwave.

• Place a cut lemon in the cavity of a chicken to give flavour to a roasted chicken.

• A drink of hot lemon juice with some honey added is a well-tried comforting drink for those with a sore throat and cough.

• The skin of a lemon contains oil that is highly flavoured. When grating a lemon hold it over the bowl or mixture to which the zest will be added to be sure to capture all the delicious flavour. I find that medium sized Microplane grater is invaluable as it removes the fine skin of oranges and lemons and it is almost impossible to cut into the bitter pith.

• Try adding a few dried strips of lemon or orange peel to a jar of castor sugar to impart flavour Use for syrups when poaching or stewing fruit.

• If you need both the rind and the juice of a lemon in a recipe it is much easier to remove the rind first and then juice the lemon.

• If you are fortunate to have a lemon tree leave a little stem on the lemon when picking to ensure longer keeping fruit.

• Freeze extra juice in ice cubes and add to drinks or use in cooking.

• I often use just half a lemon and find it less wasteful to freeze strips of the peel and the juice to use another time.

• Lemon juice added to jam will help with the setting process and not have a detrimental affect on the flavour of the jam.

• Lemon juice helps to prevent some fruits and vegetables turning brown. Acidulated water is water containing lemon juice or a whole lemon cut in half.

• Rub lemon over avocado to prevent it browning or roll freshly cut apples and pears in a little lemon juice to prevent them browning.

EGGS

• Fresh eggs keep for about three weeks in the refrigerator in contrast to barely a week not refrigerated, depending on room temperature.

• To test eggs for freshness, put an egg in a bowl of water. If the egg is fresh it will sink, if stale it will float.

• You may have wondered why it is that sometimes the yolk of a poached or fried egg breaks and runs into the white area. The reason for this is that as an egg gets older the white thins and the egg yolk flattens.

• Use very fresh eggs for poaching or frying.

• Use eggs a few days old for hard boiling as it is very difficult to remove the shell from a very fresh egg- one week old is optimum but up to two weeks old is OK.

• If you have older eggs- two or three weeks olds- they are best used for baking cakes or quiches.

• Remove eggs from the refrigerator 30 minutes before using, as they are best used at room temperature.

• Warm the beaters before beating egg whites to get a better volume.

• A store egg in a carton or container to prevent them absorbing other smells or flavours from the refrigerator.

• The absorbing quality of eggshells can work for you if you are fortunate to ever have truffles. Place the truffle with the egg and the exotic flavour will be taken up by the egg resulting in fabulous scrambled egg or omelette.

• Leftover egg whites, covered, can be successfully stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.

• Egg yolks are a little more difficult. The ‘skin’ on the yolk will become hard unless it is covered, with plastic wrap touching the yolk. They will keep, in the refrigerator for two days.

• When beating together egg yolk and sugar be sure not to leave the unbeaten egg yolk and sugar together as the sugar has a burning effect on the yolk and you will find it difficult to get a smooth beaten mixture.

• Use empty egg cartons to store fragile stone fruits such as peaches and apricots.

• Egg whites can be successfully frozen. I usually freeze them in sufficient quantity to make a Pavlova. Pack them in a container just large enough and cover them well. Mark with the quantity and the date before freezing.

• Egg yolks and whole eggs are a little trickier. They should be beaten slightly first then, for every six yolks or eggs a teaspoon salt or a tablespoon sugar stirred in.

• Pack in a suitably sized container and cover well. Label salty or sweet and freeze. They should be used immediately they are defrosted.

• Firmly beaten egg white added to stock will collect any fine particles and assist in obtaining a perfectly clear stock.

• Egg whites are sometimes used to clarify wines and are used to keep sorbets and gelato soft so, if you have an allergy to egg it is wise to check labels.

BREAD

• I see many people storing bread in the refrigerator. It keeps fresh beast at room temperature or slightly above.

• A loaf of sliced bread lasts me a long time and so I often freeze part of the loaf. The slices can be removed singly from the freezer and don’t require thawing before toasting. It saves a lot of waste.

• Stale bread can be made into breadcrumbs and stored in the freezer ready for seasonings or adding to meatballs. I use my food processor and they are made in a flash. I usually package them in one-cup quantities in small plastic bags. They thaw very quickly.

• For dry breadcrumbs place the bread on an oven tray and bake at a low temperature until all moisture is gone from the bread.

• Place in a plastic bag and roll firmly with a rolling pin. Store in a dry jar or container.

• I place a thick slice of bread under a roast chicken or roast beef while it is cooking. This prevents the meat from sticking to the pan. The bread can then be used as the thickening for gravy from the juices.

• Use stale bread, butter to top a fruit pie instead of pastry. A light sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar over the top gives a tasty finish.