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Alternative uses for muffin pans
Silicone muffins pans are a fantastic tool for freezing small amounts of sauce, stock, or pesto for cooking. Popping the frozen puck out of the flexible pan is a breeze and far easier than removing it from a traditional metal muffin tin or even an ice cube tray. -- Leigh Abernathy, Tumbling Shoals, ARA creative tool for working with phyllo dough
Instead of using a pastry brush for coating phyllo sheets with melted butter, I like to use a 3-inch foam paint roller I picked up at my hardware store (they cost about $2). Not only does the roller eliminate the risk of tearing the delicate pastry sheets, but it coats much more evenly and is faster than using a brush—and time is of the essence when working with phyllo. Also, there are no loose bristles left on your phyllo. The roller can be easily washed and reused.Freshly baked cookies times two
When I’m making cookies, I portion and bake only as many cookies as my family will eat in the next day or two. Then I refrigerate the remaining dough for later in the week, or freeze it for baking another time. This way we have freshly baked cookies at least twice from one recipe’s worth of dough.Makeshift fat separator
Last Thanksgiving, while cooking at my step-daughter’s house, I realized just as I was about to make the gravy for dinner that she did not have a fat separator. So, I poured the turkey pan juices into an empty plastic tub, like those for whipped cream cheese or butter. Holding the tub over a bowl, I made a small incision in the bottom and allowed the juices to spill out into the bowl. I quickly moved the tub away from the bowl when the fat began to come through. It worked beautifully, and after discarding the fat, my step-daughter washed the tub and kept it on hand for next Thanksgiving.No-mess carving
Whenever I make a roast for dinner, I put my cutting board into a jelly roll pan and carve the roast that way. The juices spill off the board and into the pan, not onto my table or kitchen counter. This also works for roast chicken.Versatile chopsticks
I like to keep a handful of chopsticks in my kitchen at all times—they’re so useful:
- Slide a couple under a hot pot or pan instead of a trivet to protect your table or countertop.
- Use a chopstick to measure progress when reducing a sauce by cutting a line on the side of the chopstick to correspond to the sauce level.
- Slide one or two under the lid of a pot when you want it partially covered.
- Lay two chopsticks across the top of a pot of boiling pasta water while the pasta cooks. Place your serving bowl on top of the chopsticks for a few minutes, and then it’s warm and ready to use.
Keeping mashed potatoes warm
When mashed potatoes are on the menu, I like to make them first and put them in my crockpot. I put the crockpot on my sideboard, set it on low, and finish preparing the meal. When I am ready to serve, I spoon just enough into a serving bowl for one pass around the table. Seconds, or thirds, remain in the crockpot, at the ready and steaming hot.A time saver for the holidays
When hosting a big holiday dinner, I set out all of my serving dishes the day before, with strips of paper in each one detailing which recipe will go into that particular dish. This saves me a lot of time on the day of the party as I am trying to finish a large meal amidst holiday distractions.Reheating turkey
I find myself often cooking for 30 or more people around the holiays, and to make things easier, I like to roast the turkey at least a few hours ahead, if not the day before. To keep the sliced turkey moist while it’s reheating, I layer it in a shallow pan and lay a clean, damp tea towel over the slices. Then I pour warm chicken stock over the tea towel just until it’s soaked through. I seal the pan tightly with foil and reheat the turkey in a 300˚F oven until hot. The turkey stays juicy, and I have less to do on the day of the gathering. This technique also works well for reheating stuffing.Easy blind-baking
When blind-baking a pie shell, instead of lining the unbaked pastry with pie weights, beans, or rice (which can be messy to remove and take on a weird smell after a few uses), I line the unbaked shell with tin foil or parchment and nestle another pie plate of the same size inside. My crusts bake perfectly everytime.Ginger juice from a garlic press
In the middle of making Fine Cooking’s Velvety Carrot Soup with Ginger, I realized that I was out of cheesecloth to squeeze the liquid from the grated ginger. I did what I often do in cooking emergencies: called my dad. His suggestion was to use a garlic press to squeeze the ginger, and it worked beautifully. Credit for this tip goes to him.Measuring ground pepper
When I need a specific amount of ground pepper for a recipe, I’ve found an easy way to avoid grinding the pepper and scooping it into measuring spoons, which is messy and time-consuming. Instead, count the number of turns your peppermill takes to measure out 1/2 tsp. For my peppermill, it takes 10 turns. After doing this once, I could grind pepper directly into the saucepan or skillet, turning it 20 times for a teaspoon or 5 times for a 1/4 tsp. It’s helpful to mark the number of turns on a piece of tape on the side of the mill for easy reference.
