Conference turris::cooks

    I haven't tried this yet but I read about it last week.
    To keep bananas from getting black when you store then in a
    refrigerator, put them in a white platic bag (it must be white).
    Supposedly, they stay fresh as a new picked one.

RIPEN FRUIT (TOMATOES INCLUDED):

Place unripe fruit in paper bag with an apple for 12 hours...check for
ripeness.  Leave up to 48 hours to ripen fully.  This will not work for
peaches.  If peaches are not ripe when picked, your only option to make
them edible is to poach them in syrup or fruit juice.

TASTIER SOUPS/BROTHS:

Save bones from chicken, pork, beef meals in a resealable plastic bag in
the freezer.  When you get a good  soup pot full, place bones on a
broiler pan or cookie sheet, roast in 500 degree oven until well browned.
Pour into big pot and cover with water, add 1 big onion cut in quarters,
some carrot chunks, some parsnip chunks, and some turnip chunks
and bring to a boil.  Skim.  Simmer for 2 - 5 hours to make broth.  Strain
through a colander to get rid of bones, veggies, etc. Cool, remove fat,
and freeze broth cubes..

READY-TO-USE STOCK:

Make up a pot of your favorite stock, cooking down to
a concentrated solution.  Make large ice cubes using the cooled broth.
When frozen, pop out of the tray into a plastic freezer bag.  Keep on
hand to use for cooking...when you need "home-cooked" flavor for a
sauce or soup or casserole, drop in a few "cubes" of flavor.  Stores
in good freezer almost indefinitely.

HEALTHY (AND TASTY) GELATIN:

Use your favorite fruit juice (no fresh pineapple or papaya), 2 or 3 cups
to 1 packet of unflavored gelatin, to make molded salads, fruit, filled
gelatins, etc.  I use cran-raspberry juice to make a nice molded "jelly"
for roast birds (chicken, goose, pheasant) for nice dinners.  Follow the
package directions for molded dishes (on the gelatin packet), essentially
heat 1 cup juice to boiling, add gelatin, stir to dissolve, add remaining
cold juice....chill to "egg white" consistency and stir in up to 2 cups
chopped fruit.  Much healthier than JELLO, etc.  Try bottled 
pineapple/grapefruit juice with banannas added for a different treat.
Sugar may be added if you really feel you need it, but is usually not
necessary for commercial fruit juices.  Makes nice lo-cal, no-fat treats.

DRY ROASTED TURKEY BREAST REMEDY:

Slip a layer of your favorite stuffing between the breast meat and skin on the
turkey before roasting.  On the smaller birds, roast 3/4 of cooking time, on a
v-shaped rack, breast-side down and turn over for the last hour or so to brown
the breast skin.  In either case, baste the bird often with chicken or turkey
broth (butter adds so much fat it should be avoided). 

FAST CHOCOLATE OR BUTTERSCOTCH ICING FOR CAKE:

This is NOT for diets, but for emergencies when you need a nice cake for
an occasion and want a fool-proof icing.  Mix instant pudding (chocolate
or butterscotch work very well), using whipping cream instead of milk.
Use on any cake....buy a pound cake, split into three layers, length-wise,
and fill and frost cake with the icing.  Chill until approx. 20 minutes
before serving.  This makes a luxury presentation and takes less than 30
minutes to put together.

    Kristen, thanks for the hint about oiling a grater before grating
    cheese.  I used my PAM spray, and the cheese just rinsed off!
    
    More hints:
    
    	When measuring shortening from a can, if you want say about
    1/2 cup of shortening, get a 2 cup measure.  Fill it up with one
    cup of water.  Spoon shortening in until the water comes up to
    the 1 1/2 cup mark.  Make sure the shortening is submerged when
    you look at the mark.  For larger amounts, use your large measuring
    cup.  Basically, you're measuring the shortening by water displacement,
    which is a lot easier than trying to pack it into a cup.
    
    	When measuring anything sticky, like honey or molasses, use
    a little oil to grease the measuring cup/spoon getting every part 
    of the cup/spoon.  The molasses/honey will pour right out, to the
    last little drop.
    
    --Louise

    
    REMOVING BLACK SPOTS ON ALUMINUM PANS
    
    If you have black spots on the inside of your aluminum pans, you'll
    like this:
    
    Need: Cream of tartar (in spice department)
          Water
    
    Fill pan with water up to the rim and add about 1 tablespoon
    creme of tartar per quart and bring it to a boil.  
    Black will disappear before your eyes. 
    
    Kristen

    When melting chocolate, the tip I was given was to boil some water in
    the bottom part of a double boiler, than take it off the heat when
    boiling, put the top of the double boiler on the bottom part
    (containing the boiled water) and cover the part containing the
    chocolate.  This is enough heat to melt the chocolate and it never
    curdles or burns.

    Here's a bunch of tips from an article....
    
    * When food is too salty add a cut raw potato, then discard the
      potato once it is boiled.
    
    * If the dish is too sweet, add salt.  On a main dish you can add a
      teaspoon of vinegar.
    
    * If the food is too sharp, a teaspoon of sugar will soften the
      taste.
    
    * To prevent your salt shaker from clogging, keep a few grains
      of rice inside the shaker.
    
    * To cut a pie into five equal pieces, first cut a Y in the pie
      then the two large pieces can be cut in half.
    
    * Instant soup stock will always be on hand if you save the pan
      juice from cooking meats.  Pour liquid into ice cube trays and
      freeze.  Place solid cubes in freezer bags or foil.
    
    * To prevent soggy salads, place an inverted saucer in the bottom
      of the salad bowl.  The excess dressing will drain under the
      saucer and keep the greens crisp.
    
    * Adding cold water to the bottom of the broiling pan before cooking
      meat helps absorb smoke and grease and makes clean up easier.
    
    * Pour pan drippings into a tall jar.  The grease will rise to the
      top in minutes and can be removed for a grease free gravy.
    
    * Add a little lemon juice to water while boiling to make fish
      firm and white.
    
    * If a casserole dish is lined with several layers of foil and then
      filled and frozen, the casserole can be lifted out when solid
      and wrapped for freezing without losing the use of the dish.
      It will fit right back into dish when it's time to bake.  Also
      makes for easier stacking of casseroles in the freezer.
    
    * A dull warm knife works best for slicing cheese.
    
    * Stir eggs while they are boiling to keep the yolks centered.
      This makes deviled eggs prettier.
    
    * Add vinegar to the water used to cook hard boiled eggs will
      keep them from 'running' if a shell is cracked.
    
    * Storing cheese in a tightly covered container with a few sugar cubes
      will retard mold.
    
    * Rub shortening over the top of the pot to prevent boil overs.
    
    * Hardened cheese can be softened by soaking in buttermilk.

    Add a little veg. oil to water when you a cooking pasta.  This will
    help it not to stick.
    
    

    Loosely crumble up some foil and put it on the bottom of your meatloaf
    pan.  The fat from the meat falls to the bottom.  
    
    
    

    Add a few marbles to your kettle to warn you when it's boiling dry.
    It makes an awful noise.  
    
    Judy

    I was chopping onions at the weekend and still there is a faint
    smell of onion from my hands.  Anyone know how to get rid of this
    as I really hate it - even though I am the only one who can notice
    it.
    
    thanx
    Tracy
    

    Yeah, I have that problem too...I've tried lemon juice and that helps
    but boy, if you have a paper cut....ouch!  I've used Dawn right
    on my hands and it helps.  I wonder if a paste of baking soda would
    work.  Actually, I just gave up and now live with 'onion hands'
    
    Maybe we should try the Tang everyone's talking about using in their
    dishwasher?   8*)
    
    Kristen

    Rubbing salt into your hands also helps. Ditto on the paper cut ouch.

  In the movie "Crossing Delancy", a pickle-seller from the Williamsburg
  section of lower Manhattan reveals that the secret to getting rid of
  onion and garlic smell is to soak your hands in milk and a little
  vanilla extract. I've heard this before, but never tried it. It
  couldn't hoit ...

    I have found the problem is lessened - to non-existant - if you rinse
    the peeled oignon, knife, board and your hands under cold water before
    starting... repeat rinsing for each new oignon... it also lessens the
    amount of tears you shed in the chopping process..

	I heard that holding onto the blade of a steel knife (carefully)
	and running your hands under cold water does the trick.  I do it
	and haven't had a problem w/my hands smelling like onions.

	Sue

    
    Mike beat me to it - I was going to tell you about the vanilla
    and milk thing from "Crossing Delancy" too.  It did sound like
    an effective method and I've been curious, but never tried it.
    If you do, please let us know, will you?
    
    Thanks, Diane
    

    FRESH GINGER is not always available all the year round (depends on
    where you live).  Peel and slice it and store in sherry in the fridge -
    keeps for several months.  I keep mine in a small screwtop jar.
    
    Once you've used the ginger, the sherry is excellent for Chinese
    cooking!
    
    Jacquie

    RE: fresh ginger - when it looks fresh & good, I buy a lot, then peel
    and mince it and keep it in a small container in the freezer.  When
    cooking, just put whatever amount you want into wok or skillet.
    Seems to work ok!
    
    Terry
    

    I freeze the ginger root whole -- frozen ginger grates just fine...
    
    					andrew

    The one time I tried freezing the whole root, it turned purple and got
    mushy - Maybe it was an old root!
    
    TW

    
    Do you peel the ginger root before you freeze it? I froze it with
    the skin still on it, when I tried to grate it the whole root 
    was mushy...I used it anyhow but it didn't seem to have as much
    flavor as usual.
    
    bonnie

    I freeze my gingeroot with skin on, whole.  I find it real easy
    to grate.  I just put in a freezer baggy.
    
    Kristen

    Whole, with the skin on, in a freezer bag.
    
    					andrew

    I read in a note somewhere in this notesfile about freezing ripe
    bananas. I let a bunch of bananas get very ripe, I plan on making
    bread with them. They are ready but I am not!
    
    My question is can I freeze banana bread that I make with previously
    frozen bananas? I usually make a few breads and freeze them.
    
    Thanks
    Linda
    

    Yes you can freeze banana bread.  Just insure it is double wrapped and
    it will be just as good in three months as it was the day you baked it.
    
    enjoy,
    Stuart

    The question is can I freeze the ripe bananas, defrost the bananas,
    make banana bread then freeze the banana bread? Can bananas be frozen
    twice?
    
    Linda
    

    Sure, that's fine.  They are cooked in between so it's not the
    same as the meat spoilage problems resulting from twice frozen meat.
    
    ed

    Hi, Linda --
    
    I've made banana bread from frozen bananas and refrozen the bread.  It
    worked just fine!  Enjoy.
    
    --Karen

    
             Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water when cooking poached
          eggs. It will keep the eggs in one single piece. 
    
                                                  Randy

    To get rid of the smell of garlic from your hands, just rub fresh
    parsley between them then wash with soap and water to get rid of the parsley
    smell.

    Jim

>    The question is can I freeze the ripe bananas, defrost the bananas,
>    make banana bread then freeze the banana bread? Can bananas be frozen
>    twice?
    
once you cook the suckers, they ain't bananas, they're banana bread  8^}

and...yes, you can freeze it to your heart's content.      

The frozen bananas were my suggestion, and I keep them around all the time.
Then whenever I feel like baking goodies, I have the stuff right there...I
also have great morning shakes made with skim milk and ultra slim fast.

Do you leave the skin on the Bananas?

>>>Do you leave the skin on the Bananas?

no, peel and wrap each banana individually in freezer wrap.  Drop them into
a freezer bag and store in the freezer.  When you want to bake or make a
shake (poetic, no?) remove the desired number of bananas and unwrap - either
defrost or blend into other ingredients using a blender, depending on what
you are doing.  

When they are good a ripe, they are at their most flavorful....make sure they
have NO GREEN anywhere before freezing them.  In fact, I like my baking
bananas almost too ripe -- but not black....they'd be too hard to peel if
they got too soft.

  I recently read in one of my cookbooks that scalding milk is only 
necessary if you're using unpasteurized milk.  So, in essence, these days
you can apparently ignore directions to scald milk.

--Sharon
 

    
    
    I need a cooking tip...
    
    I want to shake -n- bake my pork chops tonight but all I have is
    s -n-b for chicken and fish. Can I use one of those?  Which one
    would be better?
    
    bonnie

    Either probably, but I'd use the chicken. 
    
    beth

    Why not live dangerously and try combining a little of both for 
    something different.

    "No two foods have ever been known to explode when combined"
    
    From "How to Repair Food.

    Leftover/Stale cookies: put in a ziplock bag and toss in the freezer.
    When it's time to make a cookie crust, just put a few in the food
    processor and pulverize them. (Add melted butter, or whatever and press
    in a pan to form crust).
    
    ~beth