Giveaway: Notes on Cooking
July 7, 2009 by Cyndi Lavin
Filed under Books & Magazines, Contests
A couple of weeks ago, I read and reviewed a new book that I really enjoyed, called Notes on Cooking. Well, now I’ve got a wonderful opportunity for you…how would you like to win a free copy?
FREE STUFF ALERT***FREE STUFF ALERT***FREE STUFF ALERT
Simply leave me a comment below, sharing your favorite cooking tip. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated, and it doesn’t have to be a recipe: just a tip. In a week, I’ll randomly select a winner. There’s another chance to win over at Real Food Fast!…you’re welcome to sign up in both places, but you can only win one copy of the book in the unlikely occurrence that you get chosen in both places 
De-Mystified Perfect Long Grain Rice:
1) One part rice to 2 parts water
2)Bring water to boil, add rice. Return to boil. Cover tightly and lower to simmer.
3) DO NOT OPEN for 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Let stand covered 5 minutes.
Perfect every time!
smash a garlic clove with the flat side of a chef’s knife to easily peel it.
Tip: when making homemade ice cream, use brown sugar and caramelize it (and then cool it to prevent curdling!) before adding the milk or half-and-half. The more caramelized the sugar, the more natural caramel flavour your ice cream will have!
Use an ice cube in a paper towel to pull any excess oil from the top of soups or sauces.
For the best blondies add a bit of crushed graham crackers. Also, using both light and brown sugar creates quite a delicious result. (Top with your favorite choc. bars for added taste! heath bars, snickers… possibilities are endless)
For the best tollhouse cookies, remove from oven slightly undercooked. They will cook a bit more on the hot pan before you remove them. This creates the chewiest, best consistency for tollhouse choc. chip cookies!
In a recipe that calls for 1 cup of brown sugar, you may substitute 1 cup of white sugar plus 1/4 cup of molasses and decrease the liquid ingredients by 1/4 cup.
rsgrandinetti(at)yahoo(dot)com
Another way to cook rice – cook it like pasta. Fill a pan with water, bring to boil, put rice in, bring it back to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle boil. Cook until tender. Drain when done. Works for other grains like barley
This may be more of a money saving tip, but when you’re making meat dishes like casseroles, cook up the entire pound of ground _____ (beef, sausage, turkey, whatever), but only use half of it – lower fat, fewer calories, more bang for your buck, and you probably won’t even notice the difference! (added bonus – you can fill the “space” w/ more veggies, too).
When cooking corn on the cob, use a small amount of sugar, instead of salt while cooking the corn!
Thanks, Cindi
Keep a slice of bread in your cookie container to keep them soft
When sauteing onions, sprinkle a pinch of salt over the onions. This makes them soften faster.
Would love a copy! My favorite cooking tip is a hard one. I would have to say making your own pizza instead of buying one. Cheaper than delivery, healthier then store bought. And make your own crust, so fast and easy.
Left over bread…. Grate cheese and make into cheese pizza for kids…
When I make pasta and have frozen veggies to add to it, I put the veggies in the colander and drain the pasta over them. They thaw but don’t overcook.
Grated garlic, especially in homemade sauces and salad dressings. Thank you for this great giveaway!
Hello there! I wanted to thank you again for this give away.
The book arrived yesterday. Squeeee!!!
Great!! I hope you really enjoy it