Cooking Tips

Eggs:

To tell if an egg is fresh – put it into a bowl of cool salted water. If it drops to the bottom, use it. If it floats, trash it. In a recipe calling for eggs, expose them to room temperature for ˝ hour before using. This does not apply for pastry recipes. In a hurry – place egg in a bowl of warm water for 5 mins. Store eggs in their containers in the coldest part of your refrigerator – not the door. Check to see that the eggs have their pointed end down. This helps to keep the yolk centered.

Milk:

Powdered Milk : when using powdered milk, combine it with the dry ingredients & then add the liquids at the point where the fresh milk is called for.

Mushrooms:

Clean mushrooms by carefully wiping or brushing them with a wet paper towel. Don’t rinse them with water. Mushrooms are like sponges & will take on some of the water. This will interfere with the method they are being cooked.

Pasta:

Use lots of water & Stir often. This encourages even cooking & prevents sticking. If cooking more than 1 pound (500g) at a time, use 2 pots. Otherwise, regardless of how large the pot is, the pasta will not cook properly. Always salt the water. This seasons the pasta & gives it a better flavor when added to the sauce. Don’t add oil to the water when cooking pasta as it will prevent the sauce from mixing properly. Rinse the pasta with cold water only when the pasta is intended right away for a salad. Follow these guidelines when matching a sauce to a shape of pasta noodle: Long strands such as spaghetti, fettuccine or linguini go well with cream, butter, cheese or plain tomato sauces. For chunky, meat or oil based sauces choose the twisted, curled or short hollow shapes so the sauce can get trapped inside them. Cook pasta until it is still firm, but no longer has a raw taste. (This is called ‘al dente’.)
Click here to find out about Types of Pasta

Freezer Smart:

Basics

Boost the temperature to 0°F or below, and keep the freezer about 75 percent full. (If there's not enough food, freeze jugs of water). But don't overfill - leave some space for air to circulate.

Freezing Right

  • Use fresh quality foods and freeze them as soon as possible
  • Cool hot food before placing it in the freezer
  • Store food in ziptop plastic freezer bags or rigid plastic containers, or well wrapped in heavy-duty foil, freezer wrap or plastic wrap sealed with freezer tape
  • If space is limited, pack food in ziptop freezer bags, pressing out as much air as possible before sealing, and store flat. With cooked foods, insert a straw into freezer bag and suck out as much air as possible
  • Allow at least ˝ " space for expansion when freezing liquids
  • Place packages on freezer shelves, not on other frozen foods, until they're frozen. Stack after they've frozen completely.

How to Salvage Freezer Damage

  • Gravy and fat-based sauces may separate. Whisk or process them briefly in a blender or food processor
  • Thickened sauces may need thinning. Try water, milk, broth, or whatever suits the dish
  • Seasonings such as onions, herbs and spices used in dishes may change flavour. Check and adjust seasoning during re-heating

Before You Freeze

  • Trim meats of excess fat and de-bone large cuts if possible
  • Freeze hamburger patties, chops or cube steaks wrapped double with plastic wrap for easy separation when frozen. Keep wrapped meats in freezer bags so you can remove what you need and reseal what remains
  • Don't remove giblets, heart and liver from poultry. The least handling is the key to keeping bacteria levels down.
  • Cooled soups and stews can be placed directly in freezer bags or rigid plastic containers. Leave 1 to 2 inches of space for liquid to expand.
  • Fish should be cleaned, gutted, rinsed and dried.
  • Label freezer bags and containers with food name, date frozen, and portion size
  • Package food as quickly as possible. Freeze portions as you cut or make them, and don't let perishable food sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours
  • Don't season or marinate uncooked meats before freezing

After the Thaw

Defrosting correctly is critical to preserve the juiciness of meats, the texture and flavour of fruit and vegetables and moisture in baked goods.

  • Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator overnight or in cold water, changing water every 30 minutes
  • To hasten thawing, immerse the sealed freezer bag or container in cold water, changing the water often
  • Transfer food to a microwave-safe container and thaw on the defrost setting, then cook immediately