ChatterTip of the Month Summer 2011

Cooking Tips

Milk and Cheese – © Adriana Mullen

http://www.adrianamullenphotography.com/

Last year we gave you tips for Stomach Problems, so this time we’re giving you some assorted Cooking Tips, in particular those that involve “dairy” products, because the sign of Cancer rules over milk, fluids and all dairy products!

Milk:

·      To prevent milk from sticking when heating it – place an inverted saucer in the bottom of the saucepan

·      To prevent milk from burning when boiling it – rinse the saucepan out with cold water beforehand, and without drying it before pouring in the milk

·      To keep milk past it’s expiration date – add a pinch of salt (per gallon) to slow down the rate of bacteria growth – really?

·      To keep cauliflower white while cooking –
add a little milk to the water

·      To tenderize chicken – marinate in buttermilk

·      If your recipe calls for milk, try
buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream instead – it can add a whole new flavor
and improve nutrition

·      For fresher flavor – thaw fish in milk and apparently fresh fish freeze well (trying saying that three times very fast when you’ve had a few…) in a milk carton filled with water – who knew?

·      For fluffier pancakes – substitute club soda
for milk in the batter

·      To
prevent ice cream drips – stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone – cute trick for mums!

Butter:

·      To grease pans when baking – save your butter wrappers in the fridge or freezer

·      To make a smooth, creamy cake batter – always use soft, room temperature butter

·      For perfect pastry crust – use really cold butter straight from the refrigerator

Cheese:

Storage

·      Store cheese in your refrigerator, and keep it wrapped tightly in plastic, away from air. Air helps mold/mould grow on cheese so if you get a little on the outside, just cut it off. The English say if the mould won’t eat your cheddar, then it [the cheese] can’t taste very good! Another trick to prevent cheese from hardening is to wipe some butter on the exposed edges before storing.

·      Most ripened or aged cheese is low in moisture content and can be frozen without drastic flavor and texture changes. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more. If frozen for several months, the cheese may dry out somewhat and become crumbly when thawed.

·      Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if you store it upside down in the refrigerator as this slows down the effects of oxidation.

Cooking

·      Bring cheese to room temperature before cooking with it and melt cheese over a low heat to help prevent toughening and separation of oils and liquids.

·      When grating cheese, spray the surface of the grater with cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking, or you can lightly wipe it with a little vegetable oil.

·      To make your own version of “Greek” yoghourt from regular plain yoghourt – place a wire sieve over a bowl and line it with a piece of paper towel. Spoon in your plain whole milk or low-fat yoghourt and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or even overnight, if you like. The water content will drain through the paper towel into the bowl leaving you with a nice thick yoghourt perfect for adding to your recipes.