Archive for April, 2008

Cook fresh corn on the cob in microwave with husks and silk intact.
They will cook in their own natural moisture.

Ingredients
Corn on the cob — fresh and with silk and husk intact

Instructions
Place on paper towel. Turn ears over and rearrange after 1/2 cooking time.

Timing:
1 ear – 1 1/2 minutes
2 ears – 3 to 4 minutes
3 ears – 5 to 6 minutes
4 ears – 7 to 8 minutes
6 ears – 8 to 9 minutes.

When ears are hot to the touch, remove and wrap in kitchen towel or foil.

Let stand at least 5 minutes. Remove husks and silk (which is easier than when cold) and serve. (I used a couple kitchen towels to hold the corn and grab the husks since they were quite hot)

Microwave your lemon for 30 seconds before juicing. You’ll get double the juice out.

Microwave your garlic for about 8 seconds, the peel will slip right off (just pinch it).

Don’t store potatoes with onions, moisture from potatoes can cause onions to sprout.

Did you know you can freeze applesauce? Buy the big jars & separate them down to small serving sizes in containers (or even freeze in your ice cube trays), then pack them for lunch, they will usually be defrosted by the time lunch comes around.

This idea is a variation of the previous one (learned both making baby food years ago). We make pizza nearly every week and buy our sauce in the giant cans at Sam’s Club for about four bucks. We freeze all of it in ice cube trays and put the cubes in large freezer bags (1 can = 2 gallon-size bags). We use 4-5 cubes per pizza.

Put your unfilled pie crust in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking to reduce shrinkage and to hold fluted edges in place.

I dip my apple wedges in 7-up (or any lemon lime soda – regular or diet) to keep them from browning. The citric acid in the pop keeps them from browning for several hours and doesn’t leave them sour like lemon juice.

If you only need a small amount of tomato paste, take the remainder and freeze in a plastic ice cube tray. When frozen, they can be put into a small freezer bag. Be sure to label the bag. Once cube equals about 1-1/2 Tablespoons.

Substitutions & Conversions
1 Cup Buttermilk     =     1 cup Milk + 1 TBs vinegar or lemon juice
1 Cup Heavy Cream     =     3/4 cup milk + 1/3 cup melted butter
1 Cup Half-n-Half     =     7/8 cup milk + 1-1/2 Tbs. melted butter
1 Cup Instant Dry Powdered Milk + 1-1/3 Cup Water = 12 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar     =     1/2 cup granulated sugar + 2 Tbs molasses
Powdered Sugar     =     Whir 7/8 cup granulated sugar + 1 Tbs cornstarch in blender
1 T. mustard     =     1 tsp. dry mustard
3 medium bananas     =     1 c. mashed
1 lb. butter     =     2 c. OR 4 sticks
2 c. sugar     =     1lb
2/3 c. honey     =     1 c. suagr plus1/3 c. water
1/2 c. corn syrup     =     1 c. sugar plus 1/2 c. water
1 t. baking powder     =     1/2 t. cream of tartar plus 1/4 t. baking soda
1 c. cake flour     =     1 c. flour minus 2 T.
1 c. self rising flour     =     1 c. flour plus 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 t. salt
1 fresh clove garlic     =     1 t. garlic salt OR 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
juice of 1 lemon     =     3 T.
juice of 1 orange     =     1/3c. to 1/2c.
15 oz can tomato sauce     =     6 oz can of paste plus 1c. water
1 box of powdered sugar     =     3-3/4 c.
1 c. sweet milk     =     1 c. buttermilk plus 1/2 t. b. soda
1 c. buttermilk     =     1/2 c. plain yogurt plus 1/2 c. milk
1 c. butter milk or sour milk     =     1 tsp. vinegar and fill with milk to 1c. mark
1 c. fruit juice     =     1 c. spicy brew tea
1 c. beef stock     =     1 c. water plus 2t. soy sauce
1 c. sugar for baking     =     1/2 c. honey plus 2 T. flour
1 egg ( for a cake)     =     2 T. mayonnaise (for each egg)
1 square unsweetened choc.     =     3 T cocoa plus 1 T. butter
1/2 c. butter     =     7 T. shortening
Cake Flour: 1 pound     =    4 3/4 cups
Cake Flour: 1 cup sifted     =    7/8 cup sifted all-purpose flour
All-purpose Flour: 1 pound     =    4 cups
Oil: 2 cups     =     1 pound fat
Orange:1 medium-sized     =     6 to 8 tablespoons juice
Raisins: 1 pound     =     2 3/4 cups
Rice: 1 pound     =     2 cups uncooked
Rice: 2 cups uncooked     =     6 cups cooked
Sugar, Granulated: 1 pound     =     2 cups
Sugar, Brown, packed: 1 pound     =     2 1/4 cups
Sugar, Confectioner’s: 1 pound     =     3 1/2 to 4 cups
Tomato sauce: 2 cups     =     3/4 cup tomatoe paste plus 1 cup water
Yeast, Active dry: 1 package     =     1 tablespoon
Yeast, Active dry: 1 package     =     1 cake compressed

This is a basic recipe for a cream soup.

* 1 cup onion — chopped
* 1 cup celery — chopped
* 1 1/2 sticks butter
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 1 gal chicken stock
* 1 lbs of “whatever” — can be mushrooms, diced chicken or turkey, asparagus, onion or leek, green beans, broccoli, winter squash, tomato pulp, cauliflower, artichoke hearts, shrimp, carrots, lobster, roasted garlic puree, or whatever…
* 1 pt heavy cream

Instructions

Sauté onion and celery in butter in stockpot until slightly translucent; don’t let them brown.

Add flour, stir in well and cook about 5 minutes. Whisk in stock and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add solids – “whatever” – return to boil, reduce heat to simmer 20-30 minutes.

Add cream, correct/add seasonings. Use wand blender to smooth out the soup, leaving some chunks of whatever. Serve with a little grated cheese and some sprinkles of bacon.