Love the sear of a stainless skillet but not the way peppers can start to meld to the bottom midway through cooking? A little more oil should help. But don’t just pour it over the top of the food or you’ll end up with a greasy, soggy mess. Instead, use a metal spatula to loosen the vegetables or meat and push them to one side of the skillet. Then tilt the pan so the empty area is over the heat. Add the oil to the empty area (1 or 2 tablespoons should do it) and let it get hot before moving the food back. The heated oil on the hot pan will create a slick, nonstick surface, guaranteeing a surefire sauté.
CLEANING YOUR FRIDGE
The refrigerator is one of the hardest working appliances in your home -- and one that often takes a beating. It's subject to spills, varied odors, and overcrowding, and it's the one appliance that never gets a rest. A clean refrigerator promises to keep food fresher, so do your best to maintain the cleanliness of this kitchen workhorse.
Wipe Up Spills
Daily: Wipe up spills immediately, before they have a chance to dry. Make sure everything that goes into the fridge is immaculate; wipe off rims of jam jars, salad dressing bottles, and ketchup containers before storing them.
Check for Spoilage
Daily: Check for spoilage and throw out anything past its prime. Place anything likely to leak, such as defrosting meat or cartons of berries, on a rimmed plate.
Clean Doors
Weekly: Wipe doors, including edges, and top of refrigerator with a cloth dampened with mild dishwashing liquid and water. Pay special attention to the areas around the handles, which can harbor sticky fingerprints. For stainless-steel surfaces, use commercial stainless-steel spray and wipe in the direction of the grain.
Seasonally: Clean the door seals, which can collect crumbs, with hot water and mild dishwashing liquid. Dry thoroughly with a clean cloth. Check that seals fit properly.
Empty the Fridge
Seasonally: Turn off the power at the circuit breaker or fuse box and empty the fridge contents into a cooler. Bring glass shelves and crisper drawers to room temperature before you wash them.
Clean the Interior
Seasonally: Wipe the interior with a mix of 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 quart hot water. Rinse with a damp cloth, then dry with a clean towel. This will clean as well as help to eliminate odors. Do not use soap or detergent, because they can leave behind a scent the food will absorb.
To remove caked-on residue, re-hydrate by liberally applying the baking soda solution with a wet towel. Leave the door open, and let the residue soak in the solution for 10 minutes, or until it starts to crack or soften. Reapply if necessary.
Soak shelves and bins in a solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda for every quart warm water. Do not wash in the dishwasher, and dry thoroughly before replacing.
Keep Leftovers Airtight
Regular maintenance and storing leftovers in airtight containers are the best ways to prevent odors. Even so, you may still be plagued with smells from time to time. Try spreading a box of baking soda onto a rimmed baking sheet. Leave it inside with the door closed, until the smell goes away.
Eliminate Odors
Another method is to spread fresh coffee grounds on a tray inside, until the smell goes away. The lingering coffee scent will eventually disappear.
Or, place activated charcoal (available at drugstores or pet shops) on a tray inside, with the fridge temperature set on "low."
Cat litter can also help. Spread 1/2 inch unscented chlorophyll cat litter in a shallow pan and leave it inside until the smell is gone.
Use tongs to cook pretty much everything
Spatulas are great for anything that needs to be flipped or scraped, like eggs and pancakes. For everything else, tongs are the way to go. They’re much more nimble and less awkward to use, and you’ll find far fewer things jumping from your pan onto the floor. Be careful though, if you have teflon cookware, be sure to use tongs with nylon tips.
Tupperware is the best
Tubberware is great for storing food and lunches, and because it is reusable, it is also more ecofriendly. Trust us, get some tupperware.
If you own a knife, don’t use a garlic press
Peeling and pressing garlic is a huge waste of time. To use a clove of garlic, set it on a cutting board and smash it with the flat side of a big knife. The skin will come right off, and you can mince it real quick right there in about 10 seconds.
Keep a separate cutting board for things you don’t want flavored with garlic and onion
Simply put. It's always wise to keep a separate board for when you're cutting onions or garlic, as these two are known to flavour other foods.
Herbs that are supposed to be green should be purchased fresh, not dry
Don't get too lazy with your herbs. While we all know it's easy to purchase dry, the fresh ones are so much more flavourful and easy to grow too. So give it a go!
Don’t bother with pre-filled spice racks
Spices go off quickly, and when their colour starts to dull they’ve lost a lot of their flavor. There are several dried spices that are invaluable in the kitchen (cinnamon, cloves, curry powder, cumin, coriander, chili pepper, etc.), but you should purchase them as you need them, and in small quantities unless you use them frequently.
Overcooking is probably your biggest kitchen mistake
Overcooked vegetables are mushy and flavorless, overcooked meat is tough and chalky, overcooked grains are soggy and fall apart. In other words, overcooked food is bad food. Learn the art of taking food off the heat just before it is done, and let it finish cooking with its internal temperature. You can always cook it more, but you can never cook it less.
If it tastes OK but not great, it probably needs salt—and maybe some vinegar or olive oil
Sometimes all your dish needs is a little more salt (but don't go crazy). However, if you think you’ve added enough salt but something is still off, try a small splash of vinegar or lemon (any acid) to brighten the flavor. If the food is dry or sticky, try adding a touch of olive oil. These three things can fix almost any lackluster meal.
Don’t buy regular big onions, use shallots or leeks
For most everyday cooking, milder onions will enhance your dish and give it more nuance. Big, strong onions certainly have their place in cooking (soups, roasts, etc.), but most kitchen experiments will be improved by more subtle onion flavor.
Fruit (other than berries) shouldn't be stored in the fridge
Refrigerators dull the taste of most produce, so if you bought something that doesn’t need to go in there leave it out. Most fruits including apples, oranges, pears and bananas don’t belong in the refrigerator unless you’re not planning on eating them soon. Also, don’t refrigerate tomatoes, avocados or peppers either. Very hot climates are an exception, however.
Source: Summer Tomato
Martha's Kitchen
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