Kitchen

Monday, 22 - March - 2010

Kitchen Tips  ~  Prep Cook  ~  Food Storage  ~  Shoestring Startup

The heart of the home is not where you may be spending the majority of your time. It is the place where the very basic decisions regarding the entire family happen. The decisions made in the kitchen are going to affect your health, fitness, finances, and even your own self-esteem. Cooking is one of the corner stones to creating a sustainable pleasant lifestyle. If you have never cooked before then you should relax right now and not stress out. Cooking is nothing more than a series of steps which are built upon many skills you already know even if you aren't aware of them.

• You already read.
• You write and I presume you can draw a line or a circle, even if they are not perfect. If so then you can slice, dice, chop, mince and turn, stir, fold, whisk.
• If you have ever tried to stuff a sweater or sock into an already-too-full suitcase then you can knead bread.
• If you have ever used a dimmer switch to adjust the lighting in your room, then you can use a stove.
• If you drive or are able to read a map, then you can follow directions. What you will add is a terminology familar with cooking.
• If you know when to use a pen instead of pencil, a printer instead of copier, a cellphone instead of a computer then you can learn to use the appropriate kitchen tool for different foods and techniques in cooking.

You will have boil-overs, burned foods and maybe even a kitchen fire (let's hope not) while you are learning. The rest easy, I will help you get through any rough parts, providing fire doesn't overwhelm your kitchen. Don't look at the length of this page and despair. Just know that this page is for reference whenever you are ready to add to your expanding knowledge base of cooking. Also know that I'm not a nutritionist nor am I a professional chef so please don't expect that level of expertise from me. It's probably best just to think of me as the neighbor who seems to have alot of helpful hints but never bothers.

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Kitchen Tips

This is not a list of items you should have but only some 'good-to-know' information.

Aprons

There are aprons with bibs and without, patterned or plain, heavy or light-weight, with pockets or without. Whatever appeals to you is fine but an apron should be part of everyone's cooking habit. It will protect the cook's clothing from splatters and permanent stains. It may even offer a measure of protection from scalds and burns. It will save time and money almost immediately. I know this as a fact because I have only recently begun using an apron. I should have been using one all along but my mother never used one and I wasn't trained. Better late than never, I suppose.

Baking Powder

Baking Powder is an active ingredient used in baking. Since it is active it has an optimal shelf life. It should be stored in an air tight container and in the refrigerator even though it does not say that anywhere on the packaging.

Band-Aides

No matter how careful you are you will eventually cut yourself.

Broken Glass

...and I just finished talking about Band-Aides. Broken glass can occur anywhere and it always offers the potential for injury. To clean up broken glass first put on a heavy pair of rubber gloves then begin by picking out the larger shards of glass. Put the broken shards of glass in a container which will house them safely. An empty coffee can works nicely as does a cola bottle that has had the top cut off. If you use a cola bottle, you can tape the top back on after you have put all the broken glass inside. Either item you use makes it easy to dispose of both containers at the local recycling bin locations.
After the large shards of glass are picked up then you may mop up any liquid by using paper towels which you will throw away. Then finally give the floor a once or twice over with either a damp sponge or a pad of damp paper towel both of which will also be thrown away immediately. Finally, when the floor is dried, you need to pass the vacuum over it or a dust mop.

If the glass broke in a pot or pan where you are preparing food then you must toss the entire contents of the pot or pan.DO NOT EVER SERVE FOOD IN WHICH A GLASS ITEM HAS BROKEN.

Chocolate

There are different types of chocolates for cooking and not one of them should ever be sotred in the refrigerator or freezer. Powdered Chocolate or Cocoa should be removed from the packaging it comes in, unless it comes in a metal tin, and stored in an air tight glass container. Baker's Chocolate or Cocoa should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place and used within 6 months.

Closures

Keep a stapler, a scotch tape despenser, and some plastic clothes pins in the kitchen.

Cutting Boards

You should have at least 2; one small cutting board and one large cutting board. Cutting Boards come in a variety of material.

   Wooden Cutting Boards are the traditional boards.
Advantages: Foods don't slide on them, they seem to have a natural resistance to bacteria, they can be used as a trivet to place a hot dish on the table, and they can be found in all sizes and shapes.
Disadvantages: Wooden Cutting Boards absorb smells, they must be oiled regularly, they can only be hand washed and hand washing will not get rid of odors, they must be kept dry.

   Polypropylene Cutting Boards are the new traditional boards.
Advantages: Foods don't slide on them, they don't absorb odors, they are dishwasher safe making them easily cared for, they can be colored coded for exclusive use with different foods, they come in various shapes and sizes, and they are kinder to the knife's cutting edge than any other cutting surface.
Disadvantages: They stain over time. However the stains can be treated by simply allowing the board to soak for a brief period in a bath of diluted bleach and water.

   Tempered Glass Cutting Boards.
Advantages: They don't absorb odors, they are easy to clean, they are dishwasher safe, they often come in attractive decorative patterns, they can be used as a trivet on some surfaces.
Disadvantages: They become scratched and chipped over time, they dull the knife's cutting edge, they break.

   Plastic Cutting Boards.
Advantages: They come in decorative patterns which you can use for serving certain foods on, and they can be used in decorating the walls of your kitchen if you decide you are not a serious cook.
Disadvantage: They scratch, chip, dull knifes, are not recommended for dishwashers. Really, there is no advantage to owning a plastic cutting board other than sentimental value.

Dating & Instructions

If you buy your ingredients for cooking and use them within a few days, then you have no problem by keeping them in the packaging they came in. But if you remove the items from their original packaging and store them in a glass container then you must remember to transfer the expiration date from package onto the container you have placed the food item in. If you use glass containers, this is especially easy to do. Simply cut the information off of the packaging which you want to have for reference later and place inside the container so that it is visiable without opening the container or tape it to the outside of the container if you prefer.

Disposable Plastic Gloves

You will find these come in very handy whenever you don't want your hands to smell like garlic or some other odoriferous food or when working with certain spicey food items. They are also handy if you have a wound that is healing or working with a high acid food item.

Glass Jars

There is nothing wrong with cleaning and saving a glass jar that the mayonaise came in so that you can use it later on for the storage. You should not use these types of jars for canning or jelly making or anyother type of prepared food storage though, because the lids cannot be safely sterilized and resealed to prevent contamination of bacterias.

Kitchen Fires

You can greatly diminish the chances of ever having a kitchen fire by maintaining a clean kitchen, cleaning and maintaining the appliances regularly. You should understand the heat sources of the appliances you use. And never leave the kitchen unattended while cooking. But let's be reasonable here. Who wants to sit in the kitchen for 4 hours while a roast bakes in a slow oven? Who has that kind of time? Here are some suggestions then:

• Do not attempt to extinguish a kitchen fire with water or any water-wet item. If the fire is grease/oil, as most kitchen fires are, water will only act to spread the fire.
• Install a smoke detector in the kitchen and make sure it is always activated.
• Buy an Kitchen Timer and keep it on your person whenever you are cooking anything.
• Use pots that are larger than those that you would use when you are not going to leave the kitchen.
• If you have a cell-phone, then use it as a Kitchen Timer and keep it on your person.
• If you use a candle while preparing foods make sure you put it out before leaving.
• If you are interrupted by a sudden emergency happening outside of the kitchen then turn everything off before leaving. If the problem resolves itself in a timely manner, not much cooking time will be lost. If the problem is not resolved rapidly, at least you will still have a house standing when you return even if the meal is no longer salvageable.
• If your stove has knobs on the front instead of on the top and you have children under the age of 8 then remove the knobs after each cooking session. (My little sister started a kitchen fire when she was 3 by playing with the questionably placed stove and oven knobs.)
• Use a cooking thermometer when deep frying foods or make sure that your deep fryer has a working thermostat
• Keep papers and all flamable material away from heat sources, includeing the clothing you wear while cooking.
• Every pot should have a lid that fits properly. The lid can be used to extinguish a fire in the pot.
• Keep a large box of Soda Bicarbinate (baking soda) handy. It can be used to put out grease fires. DO NOT ever try to extinguish any type of fire with flour because flour can feed the fire and it has the capability to explode.
• Keep a maintained fire extinguisher readily available and make sure you understand how to use it properly. Certain types of fire extingushers can only be used safely on certain types of fires.
• Get into the habit of unplugging counter top appliances immediately when you are finished with them.

Kitchen Safety

The kitchen is a dangerous place. It has all sorts of tools and appliances which can cause harm if not used properly.

• Have the emergency phone numbers to the fire department, your doctor and an ambulance posted near the phone.
• If you want to wash a knife in the dishwasher make sure to up it point down and in a partion all by itself since other items will damage the blade's cutting edge. It is better to wash knives by hand because handwashing lessens the chances of anyone being cut when unloading the dishwasher.
• Remember that oil and water do not mix so when placing a wet food item into hot oil it will splatter everywhere and increase the chances of causing a very nasty burn as well as having the potential for starting a fire. Dry food items which will be prepared in hot oils or fats.
• Covered pots and baking dishes contain hot steam. Always open the covers away from yourself.
• Always prepare the surface for where you will set a hot dish or pan before moving the hot dish or pan off of the cooking surface.
• Make sure that the hot pads you intend to use for handling hot dishes or pans are adequant for the job.
• Handle all items coming out of a microwave in the same manner you handle all items coming out of a hot oven.
• Never use a microwave if the glass is chipped, cracked or broken, or if the door will not close properly.
• Turn all handles of cooking pots away from the front edge of the cooking surface. Nasty scalds and terrible burns frequently happen when the pot's or pan's handle extend over the edge of the front of the cooktop. Your clothing might catch on it or a young child might turn the pot over.
• Do not ever pour a cold liquid ingredient of any type into hot oil.
• When instructed to wash a cooking pan immediately for rapid reuse make sure that the water from the faucet is hot and that you hold the pan's surface away from you until it stops protesting with hot oil splatters.
• If you must have a rug in the kitchen then make sure it is fire resistant and has a non-skid backing.
• Purchase a wireless headset if you find yourself frequently on the phone while in the kitchen cooking.
• If you have children under the age of 3 put up a child gate to keep them away from and out of the kitchen when you are not accompanying them.

Knife Storage

Knives can range in price from very inexpensive to very costly but regardless of their price they need to be stored in such away as to preserve their edges and insure safety. Placing a knife in a drawer with other cooking tools will not only damage the cutting edge but also offers the potential of injurying a person who may not know it is hiding there. You also want to preserve the point of the knife. If the knife falls to the floor, point first, the point will be gone forever unless you have it repaired. There are many ways to store knives and you should look to see what suits your needs best. The only precaution I would issue is that magnetic holders which are placed on a vertical surface should not be used in a home where there are children or where there is a risk of earthquakes.

Mortar and Pestle

Everytime I have had to do without a mortar and pestle I swear I will buy one the very next time I see one. And wouldn't you know it, but it is the one thing I have become very choosy about. My first mortar and pestle was olive wood and that is definately not for me. Woods pick up the oils of whatever is being ground in them, so out with that! After that I had a marble set and talk about heavy. I did like it eventually though but that was after I planted some sage in the mortar and laid the pestle on the side making a nice little window ledge tableau. In the pharmacy I learned to like the heavy glass sets but now I own a stainless steel set that I bought at Capucine and I've become quite attached to it. But none of this will inform you why I'm suggesting you invest in one so here it goes.

Dried herbs and spices are filled with oils which infuse their flavors and scents into whatever we use them in. Whole herbs and spices can last up to 3-5 years if stored properly. That is not the same for herbs and spices which have been crumbled or ground; their life-span usually doesn't exceed one year. Still, why do I prefer a mortar and pestle over a spice grinder? For several reasons. I have control over how coarse of fine I want the chosen spice to be. Mortars and pestles are much easier to clean than any grinder will ever be. I won't have any of the oils from the previous herbs and spices I used for a spice cake contaminating the dill I am going to use on fresh trout, for example. If I am going to make a paste, or a wet-rub I can do it right in the mortar and have one less dish to clean.

Until you get your mortar and pestle you can achieve the same results by using a stainless steel serving spoon and a dry cutting board or plate. Simply place the herb or spice that you want to grind onto the center of the board and then holding the handle of the spoon in one hand use your fingers on your other hand in the bowl of the spoon to apply pressure as you move the spoon in small circles over the herbs. When the herbs are ground to you satisfaction then scrape them from the cutting board into your ingredients.

Organization

Just as with everything else in life, a bit of organization makes cooking more manageable and enjoyable. However, that doesn't mean you have to go out and fully stock your kitchen with every thing you find in some kitchen supply catalogue. If you are just starting then I suggest that you invest a little time and save yourself a lot of frustration and probably an equal amount of money by reading On a Shoestring. Remember, millions of people the world over cook daily with minimum equipement.

Scissors

Someday you may want a pair of Kitchen Shears but as to date I have never had a pair. I generally have at least 2 pairs of ordinary and inexpensive scirrors that I buy in the paper-goods section of the grocery store. I like to have a pair with blades about as long as my longest finger and the second pair with blades one and half times that long. I just toss them, opened of course, into the dishwasher after each use. When they begin to dull, I simply buy replacements.

Sharpening

Always have a Sharpening stone or Sharpening Steel readily available.

Towels

Kitchen towels are like any other fabric and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and decorative patterns. Get into the habit of using two towels. One as a mop-up that you use to wipe up any spills or over flows on the kitchen countertops and the other tucked into the belt of your apron, which you will then use as a hand towel. The truth is that I rotate my towels. After I have prepared dinner if I have used the mop up towel I place it in the laundry room and my hand towel will replace it. I don't use my mop up towel every day so it can carry over until I do use it. But I won't use my hand towel as a hand towel after 4-5 days only because I try to have all my laundry out of the way by the time the weekend rolls around.

Wooden Utensils

Do not put wooden anything into the dishwasher. Ever; not even once. Hand wash them well but fast and dry them. Every couple of weeks give the a light rubbing of olive oil.

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Prep Cook

Thanks for the memories and thank god they are memories!

Remember I said that you already have the skills necessary to become a cook and that those skill only needed to be trained for cooking? While I reassured you that it is possible to cook in a minimal space I didn't try to convince anyone that it would be a pleasurable experience to do so. The image on the right is the smallest kitchen I have ever cooked in. What you are not able to see is the floor space which measured 5 feet (1.5m) by 18 inches (46cm). I know. I measured it. In order to prep food I had to go into another room to use the table. See that white object over in the lower left corner? That is the refrigerator. In order to put anything into the refrigerator or take anything out you had to go into another room because the door opened so as to block the kitchen. The only storage space was under the sink; right where I would advise everyone never to store dried foods. The only counter top was the stove top so there wasn't any counter top when something was cooking. It is not an ideal kitchen to learn in but it can still be used. All I would advise is that you plan on getting at least one tray so that you can easily transport items back and forth from the table you will prep on to the kitchen you will cook in. The good news is that it takes only 4 minutes to mop the floor! The bad news is that you will probably have to shop daily.

Living in the present: My current kitchen

This is my current kitchen. In most rental apartments they come either entirely furnished (as the one with the broom closet kitchen in the first image) or with absolutely nothing inside, includeing no kitchen. This apartment has the kitchen provided and for the most part I love it. The storage shelves and appliances are top of the line. It has storage space and that is a plus in my book. You may have noticed that I am not using the space allocated for a microwave as such. I don't use a microwave so I don't own one.

You may also notice the 'Bar' on the other side of the island. When we first moved into this apartment I thought the 'bar' would be a nice place to have morning coffee or an informal lunch. The fact is that we are not able to use it for that, so those two bar chairs will be going soon. There is not enough over-hang to act as a table. It is only 11 inches (28cm) deep. *note to self: Before buying furniture measure everything; twice.* All of that space on the other side of the island is wasted space for me. I do, however, have ideas of how I might use it in the near future. The other disadvantage of this island work area is that when the dishwasher is open then one is trapped over in front of the sink. Of course, that is because I don't want to place dinnerware on the still hot cooktop. But I do love this kitchen! I love that all the appliance always work properly and it is easy to clean and keep clean.

Meanwhile, I want you to know that the space in which I do all of my prep work is only 19 inches (48cm) by 18 inches (46cm) and 37 1/2 inches high (95cm). So the value of wearing a bid-apron and cleaning up as I move along through a recipe are both habits I am happy to have acquired. Although, in fact, I didn't learn to value the apron until recently.

Professional Kitchen Staff

Before I go any further I think it would help to do a comparison. A professional kitchen staff consists of a Dishwasher, who is probably the most important job in the kitchen but gets paid the least. Common sense tells us that if there are no clean tools to work with then no work can proceed in the kitchen.

Then you have the line chefs: Sautá & Fish Chef, Roast & Grill Chef, Vegetable Chef, and Pastry Chef. In some kitchens there may be more or less chefs. It depends on how large the restaurant is and how many people it serves. I understand there is also some called a Roundsman but I have no idea what a Roundsman does. I like to imagine that he round and round test tasting all the food and all the while becoming a bit more round himself.

The second in command is the Sous-chef. Basically this person fills in for any missing chef including the Exectutive Chef. It's the Executive Chef who is in charge of overseeing everything from scheduling to the direction of the menu. The Executive Chef is also able to fill in for any station missing a chef and it is quite possible for smaller kitchens, there is only the Excutive Chef.

The Home Kitchen Staff

In your kitchen you will be the Executive Chef, Sous Chef, the full line-up of Line Chefs and the Dishwasher. Heck, You will even get to be the Roundsman! In most cases you may even be the nutritionist, grower of produce, the butcher and fish monger. Being a Cook is a prestigious title. It translates into a person who's at the heart of home and responsible for the family's present and future well-being. It is a prestigious title that must be proven to be earned and can only be bestowed by family and friends. You may attend school to become a chef but it is only through self-perseverance and dedicated practice that you may become a cook. Being a cook is more than following a recipe. It is at first an interest, then a passion, eventually, it is the mastering of the art of cooking.

Great! Now that that's all out of the way, let's move on to preparation. Preparation is the preparing of foods to be cooked and it is where the majority of the cook's time in the kitchen will be spent. There are many food ingredients that can be prepared ahead of time. There are also more hints and tips that can save you money and time in the kitchen and of course I will share these with you. But my first advise is that about cleanliness.

Before you start anything, make sure that the surface where you are going to be working is clean and uncluttered. If you clean up as you go you will find you enjoy cooking much more. Not only will you be able to use the pots, pans, bowls, spoons, etc., more than once but your surface area will remain uncluttered. Besides, who can enjoy a well-prepared and delicious meal when knowing that in the kitchen there is a gargantuan mess waiting? Clean as you go.

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Preparing & Storing Fresh Produce

Don't worry. This is not about preserving foods in the form of home canning and jam making. This section is designed to help you prep ingredients for future use in recipes. As I wrote earlier, there are certain food items that you can prepare and freeze for quick use later. To do this, for freezer storage, you will need:

• Freezer safe storage boxes in appropriate sizes
• Plastic zip-lock freezer bags in appropriate sizes
• Heavy-duty freezer plastic wrap (which I hardly every use)
• Parchment paper or waxed paper
• A tray or baking sheet or some other type of flat surface which will fit into your freeze for a short period of time.
• At least one ice tray
• A melon baller if you can afford one

To prepare sliced food ingredients for freezer storage: Cut pieces of waxed-paper or parchment paper to a little larger than the item to be stored. Place each sliced item on top of a piece of parchment paper and then set all the items on the tray. Place into the freezer and allow to freeze at least nearly through. Remove the tray of items from the freezer and quickly arrange so that each item is on top of the next with the piece of paper sandwiched inbetween. Wrap the finished stack in Plastic Wrap. Mark with an expiration date of 90-days and return to the freezer.

To prepare chopped food ingredients for freezer storage: *Note:* Recipes may refer to chopped or diced which are basically the same sizes finished parts. The difference is that chopped is a usually used in a recipe for cooked food where the individual pieces are seen as part of a whole, i.e.: stews, soups, single dish meals, etc.. When diced is called for pieces that are uniformed in size and served as a focal point on the plate as some fruits, some vegetables, and perhaps even meats i.e.: salads, shish kabobs, etc..

Chop the food item into desired sized morsels. Cut a piece of paper to fit the tray that will go into the freezer. Spread the chopped items over the paper lined tray into a single thickness. Move the tray to the freezer. When the items are frozen, use the paper to make a sort of a funnel and remove the items to a plastic freezer bag. Don't forget to mark a 90-day expiration date before returning the bag to the freezer for storage.

To prepare minced food ingredients for freezer storage: I have found that most recipes call for small amounts of minced items. It is very difficult to spread minced items out in a thin single lay on the sheet of paper. They are simply too small and too moist. I've resolved that problem by freezing them on a sheet of paper but formed in teaspoon measurement. I simply pack a melon baller with the minced item and then release it onto the paper lined tray. I like the melon baller because it has a hole in the bowl makeing much easier to release the minced ingredients. A quick thump usually does the trick of release. Make sure to rinse the melon baller after each release and before the next packing because some food items are quite sticky and won't release if there isn't a thin coat of water between them and the melon baller. Proceed to make little half-balls on the paper lined tray until you are weary of the process. Freeze and remove from the freezer. Use the same technique as described above to transfer the items to a plastic bag and return to the freezer after labeling with the usual 90-day experation date.

To prepare puréed food items for freezer storage: For pureed food items or for minced items which are used in large portions, use an ice tray to freeze the portions. Once the items are frozen, remove them from the ice tray and into a plastic bag. Store in the freezer after you have noted the expiration date. Guess how many days.

Bread Dough

It is possible to make bread and freeze the dough before the second rising. I have never done this so if you decide to try it let me know how it works out for you.

Cookie Dough

It is also possible to make a batch of cookie dough and freeze it for later use. It is suppose to have a 90-day expiration period. All I have to add to this is that cookie dough should not have chocolate morsels in it when it is frozen. Add them after it defrosts.

Dried Food Storage

Dried Food Storage means food stuffs such as Barleys - Oats - Wheats,Coffee, Dried Whole Herbs, Flour, Dried Beans, Dried Pastas, Nuts, Rices, Sugars, Teas, etc. Please note that this group doesn't not include Baking Powder or Yeast.

I prefer french canning jars to anyother type of storage for a number of reasons. First they are transparent so it is easy to see the contents and to make a judgement on whether or not something is wrong with the food item before ever openning the container. They come in a variety of sizes and sometimes shapes making them easy to store. They seal tightly but also open easily. The rubber rings are inexpensive to replace (but since I don't can in these jars I seldom have had to replace a ring). It is quite easy simply cut the box or plastic bag apart and then tape the information you deem necessary to the outside of the jar. They are easy to wash and sterilize in the dishwasher. They don't rust They don't impart parcular tastes to whatever they contain. As a matter of fact, the only draw back to french canning jars, as far as I am concerned is that being made of glass they break when mishandled.

Dried Food stuffs contain oils and proteins. It is these oils that go bad by aging and by improper storage. So to increase the storage life of Dried Food stuffs remove them from the packaging they came in immediately upon arriving in the kitchen with them. After you have checked to make sure that the food item is not infested with any type of bugs place it in a french canning jar and close. Tape to the outside of the jar whatever information you want to retain from the packaging the dried food item came in and don't forget the date. Place the now correctly stored food item in a cool place that will not be in direct light or near a heat source.

Some dried food items stored in this manner will remain good to use for about twice as long as the date on the packaging suggests. The exception to this is Fruited Teas and Powdered Milk. These two products should not be used beyond the expiration date given on the container.

NOTE: I use to store dried foods in the packaging they came in. The problem with doing that is that if there were bugs in one item they made quick trips to other food items. I tried storing them in hard and soft plastics and found that same migration occurred still. I also tried storing in metal containers and found that didn't work either. Since have moved to French Canning jars I have not had this problem any more. If something suddenly comes alive in one of the storage jars it is easy enough to dispose of the contents and the rubber ring and sterilize the jar to use again.

Fresh Produce Preparation for Storage and Cooking

When you get your produce home from the market wash them and allow them to then soak fully immersed in a clean sink or bowl of water for a couple of hours. Of course, this doesn't apply to avocados, bananas, coconuts, egg plants, kiwi fruits, mushrooms of any type, onions, pineapple, potatoes or shallots: these foods should never be immersed into water prior to cooking.

On foods like artichokes, asparagus, brussel sprouts, cabbages, celery, fennel, various heads of lettuce, and , you will find that someone along the line has released the food item from it's root base. In order to rehydrate the food item you must remove a thin slice of the dried stem base.

After the item has soaked for a couple of hours, remove it from the water bath and set it in a corriander or dish drainer to dry. When you believe it has dried enough, store it in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Make sure you wrap those items which need wrapping before storing them in the refrigerator.

NOTE: Not all vegetables require storage in the refrigerator or a cold cellar. Food items that have their roots still attached and even some without roots will preserve longer and more flavorful if they are placed into in a jar of clean clear cool tap water and set out of the way of direct sunline. Those items which I store with this method are:

• Artichokes (I always store artichokes like this for at least 24 hours before cooking with them.)
• Asparagus (Again, I always do this at least 24 hours before cooking with them.)
• Celery
• Leeks (I do trim the tops so that there is only about 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) of green leaves left.)
• Spring Onions or Green Onions, Stewing Onions (just make sure that the water doesn't come in contact with the green portions.)
• Radishes (I trim off all the green and just place the radish in a container of water in refrigerator.)

This method will keep the items perfectly for about a week. After a week though, the rooted items will begin to grow and you don't want that. But this method will give you a bit of time to prepare some items for the freezer while it will only enhance other items such as the Artichokes and Asparagus. Do not add anything to the water. This is not, after all, a bouquet you are making. You and your family and guests will be eating these items and you probably want their food to be good and healthy for them. Change the water daily for the vegetables without roots and every other day for the vegetable with roots.

Eggs

You knew this was coming, didn't you? Eggs are a wonderfully cheap complete protein that are used in so many recipes it makes me think that chickens were the first animals humans domesticated and not dogs. Dogs don't lay eggs do they? Exactly what item, or even items, have dogs provided humans which are used with the frequency of eggs? Myself; I would be loath to kill a chicken even if it were for the Sunday dinner with the minister, if it meant I would diminish the number of my egg laying hens. Well, no worry there since I don't raise chickens or any other type of animal.

When I lived in the USA eggs with brown shells were considered premium and 'better' over all than eggs in a white shell. Let me tell you that is a bunch of nonsense. First of all, they are the only type of chicken eggs I can get in the larger markets here in France and they are cheap. Which, when you think about it, makes perfect sense because there is absolutely no difference in nutritial value between either the brown shelled or the white shelled. So, dear fellow American, I reluctantly inform you that you are being taken for a ride by the health food stores once again. I suppose you are thinking about free-range chicken eggs being supperior to grain fed hen eggs.

Now, you may not know this, but my paternal grandparents had a dairy ranch in Texas so, of course, my grandma raised chicken for both their meat and eggs. The chickens were pretty much free ranged. I say pretty much because they weren't penned and they hung around the back door of the house. That's because my grandma would throw scraps and miniscule leftovers out the back door from making breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also followed the cattle as they were entering and leaving the barn to be milked. They loved the calves pen too! Why? Because where there is shit there are bugs and where there are bugs there are domesticated chickens if they are not held within pens. Anyway, it was very easy to catch a few chickens on Saturday in order to be ready for a large Sunday dinner. I don't know if there is any truth to the myth that elephants never forget but I know for sure that domesticated chickens don't measure in there.

At the age of 8 years old we grandchildren were put in charge of collecting the chicken eggs from the hen house. By the time we were 10 years old we helped to catch the chickens for tomorrow's dinner. Even though there were two clothes lines, one where clothes were hung out to dry and another smaller one for stringing up headless chicken carcasses, the chickens didn't mind going to either to get a good bug or two. While there was a flurry of clucking and wing flapping and running around when we caught the chickens, the next day there was no obvious memory of the event at all. I really don't think that there is a difference between eggs from chickens which are free ranged and eggs from chickens which are contained, except that free ranged are going to be subjected to many more disease pathogens. But, back to the very important and wonderful egg.

There is a grading system in the USA for AA, A, blah, blah, blah. It is suppose to be based on size and what do I know? It may be. But the fact is that the younger the hen is then the smaller the egg is going to be. So old hens make bigger eggs. Just like cooking, practice improves the product!

The goodness of an egg is 3 weeks if it is refrigerated and depending on where you live, one week if not refrigerated - give or take a couple of days. Although, to tell you the truth, I would not use an egg that has not been refrigerated for 5 days regardless of where I lived. Actually, probably 3 days. However, I do love 3 week old eggs which have been refrigerated and I will tell you why.

In most cases you are going to want the freshest egg you can find, right? But I have discovered, just as so many other cooks have discovered before me, that an older egg which has been hardboiled is much easier to peel than the egg fresh from the hen's bottom. There is a reason for this, but I won't bore you with it. So when I have eggs in my refrigerator that are nearing the 3 week mark, I hardboil them and use them to make my Insanely Devine Deviled Eggs. Old, I mean eggs which are nearing the mark of disposal, eggs can be hardboiled and used in a number of items in which they are not a main ingredient, i.e.: Texas-style Potato Salad, My Mother's Pea Salad, etc. The side effect is that everyone seems to adore my versitility when in actuality I was not throwing away a perfectly good source of protein.

Things are different when the eggs are fresh. When I have fresh eggs that is when I will make in a dish where eggs are the key ingredient. Fried and poached eggs are an example of fresh and if they have never been refrigerated I will use them to make meringue, which doesn't happen often because I don't like to make it. However, men seem to love it or maybe it is only my Lemon Meringue Pie they love? Whenever you are looking at a recipe that calls for fresh eggs, with very few exceptions, the writer is indicating that the egg be no older than 2 to 4 days, room temperature and the largest chicken egg you can possibly buy. After the eggs are 4 days old I will only use them in omelettes, frittatas, scrambled eggs, quiches, or some baking recipes.

In conclusion, when you are planning your menus make sure you really should know how old your eggs are.

Garlic, Leeks, Onions, Shallots

All of these food items can be prepped and placed in the freezer for future use. They can be sliced, chopped, minced and even puréed.

NOTE: I have found only two things that will help you to not cry when working with vegetables which irritate noses and eyes. Sharpen your knife very well before you start and don't hack at the onion but pull the knife through the onion. Work under the stovetop hood and have the fan turned up to medium or purchase a small table top fan and place it off to the side so that it will blow the fumes away from you. I have also been told that lighting a kitchen candle near the onion works nicely. I don't know about that as I keep forgetting to try it until after I have finished with the onions.

To start with; garlic, onions, and shallots must be peeled. First detach any loose dried skins. For Onions: starting at the top of the onion use your thumb against a loose piece of onion skin and the flat of the knife then simply pull it down like a zipper. Continue until the onion is peeled. For garlic: remove a clove from the head of garlic. Turn the clove upside down. Using you thumb against the end of the peel and the flat blade of the knife pull the hard skin away and down. Repeat this process until the glove is peeled completely. For shallots: handle exactly as if they were onions.

Leeks need to be washed first. Then trim off the excess green leaves to about 1 or 2 inches (3 - 5 cm)below where the largest outside leaf splits. Also trim off the roots. With you knife make a light cut through the outer leave vertically from the top to the bottom of the leek. Remove the outer leaf, wash and dry the leek again. Prepare as you desire for later use. I usually cut the leek in half lengthwise and then prepare in slices about 1/2 inch (1cm) wide.

Nuts

Nuts are something you can freeze, but not in their shells. The story is that you can freeze nuts in whole, chopped, minced and powdered form for up to 6 months. However, I have used nuts that were a year old from my freezer for baking without any ill effects at all.

Milk Products

You can freeze milk, although why you would ever want to is beyond me. All milk products can be frozen if they are not going to be served alone later. In other words, any milk product you freeze should only be used as an ingredient to a recipe.

I am very big on grating and freezing cheeses. I find grating anything when assembling a recipe a messy and time consuming additional step that can be eleminated entirely by a little preplanning. Grating, and this is the honest to god truth, is the primary reason I owe a food processor. The second reason is to make paper. Was that too much information?

Since frozen grated cheese is going to be used in a recipe that will require cooking I don't care if it stays in the freeze for months. However, I won't use it if ice crystals begin to form on it. I don't like ice cream when it has formed ice crystals and I just speculate that I won't like cheese either.

I have frozen butter and sour cream. The sour cream will look like it has seen better days but it still tastes like sour cream and cooks the same. I must confess though, the lowered fat sour cream freezes better than the whole fat sour cream. I have also froze yogurt and cottage cheese. Don't go there with the cottage cheese. Just don't.

DO NOT FREEZE WHIPPING CREAM AND THINK YOU WILL SOMEDAY USE IT TO MAKE WHIPPED CREAM. It is a very sad mistake, believe me on this one. Buy fresh heavy cream whenever you want to make whipped cream. You will be much happier with the result, I promise.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are another food ingredient which can be frozen raw or prepared. I choose to freeze mine prepared since it eleminates a couple of steps when I am preparing a meal. However, I would like to make the point that if the mushrooms themselves are the dish I am serving I only use fresh mushrooms. I'm probably being foolish to insist on that though since I have been served mushrooms that were frozen before being heated and served and I couldn't tell the difference. So the choice to serve them fresh or reserve them only as an ingredient is entirely up to you.

Choose mushrooms which are closed. The underside of the mushroom has 'gills' from which spores fall thereby insuring the next generation of mushrooms. For a very long time I wasn't able to figure out why I was suppose to eliminate mushrooms which had opened. I discovered it when I made a white mushroom sauce which turned grey with the addition of opened mushrooms. So I suggest that if the mushroom has opened use it in a stew or roasting where the color of the liquid is already deeply colored. You could also use the opened mushrooms as a sautéed mushroom side dish. I do, but they are a small percentage amoung the closed mushroom in the same dish. Save the closed ones for those occassions when the color is a noticiable component of appeal.

A mushroom is like a sponge. The longer it is exposed to water the more water it will absorb. So washing a mushroom should be quick even while it is also thorough. After washing, I pat my mushrooms dry with a paper towel.

If you prepare your mushrooms by cooking them before freezing them then expiration date is 90 days. If you freeze them in their raw state, regardless of whether you leave them whole, sliced, diced or minced, then my understanding is that they should have an expiration date of 6 months. I don't know if they will last longer than that without harm since they never make it to the 90 days limitation in our home.

Fish

It is possible to buy fresh fish and after preping it for cooking to freeze it. I have explained it in Salted Lemon Fish.

Zesting Citrus Fruit

First take some time selecting the fruit. The skin should be firm, the pore not too big nor microscopic. When you rub your thumb across the skin it should feel firm and slightly bumpy. Smell the fruit. If it doesn't have the pungent citrus ordor you expect then reject it. Reject a citrus fruit that is not ripe or that has burned or dry patches. Soft or drying citrus fruit is difficult to handle and has lost much of its oils and it is the oils that you are after. I have a friend who insists that waxy fruits and vegetables, such as citrus and cucumbers, must be biological if any portion of the peel is going to be used. However I contest that. Her point is that any antifugal or pestisides are going to be absorbed into the skin of waxy fruits. I do remember reading an article about this from a biological food store about 25 years ago. At the time I also remember thinking: "Well, what about the crop treatments being washed off into the soil every time it rains? Aren't they then taken up by the roots of the plants?" The answer is yes, but to a lesser degree.

Actually, you can choose a beautiful citrus fruit and zesting it is perfectly ok if you wash it first. I use an ordinary vegtable brush with a drop of detergent on it and lightly scrub the fruit under running water. Then I pat it dry with a paper towel and place it in the refrigerator for use later. I do this with all the vegetables and fruits I buy when I bring them home.

to continue: Zesting is the removal of the colored portion of the citrus fruit's skin. No pith or white is removed; as I wrote earlier, you are after the oils. You can use a grater's very fine side but a zester works better. Just don't get carried away and include the white portion of the fruit because the pith is bitter and has a very nasty texture to the tongue. If you use a grater you will use it very gently, just as you do for a very soft cheese: lighty. With the zester it is just like peeling a very small potato. You can mince the zest with a knife if you need smaller pieces. You can also allow the minced zest to dry under a warm light source and then place it in a sealed bottle for later use in some sauces. Fresh is better but dried is convenient for sudden changes in the menu.

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Shoestring Start-up

Setting up a kitchen on less than $50.00.

If you are reading this I assume you are interested in cooking food for yourself and your family. If you have just recently become interested in cooking this will help you start out on the right foot. I certainly won't bore anyone with all of the pros of why preparing your own food is a better alternative than purchasing prepared food (known as industrial food in France). The chances are that you have already heard them too often. Just know this, I do believe anyone can learn to cook and, if they choose, with dedicated practice become the best cook of their peer group.

I am not afraid to cook but I can understand how confusing and overwhelming cooking must look to a person who has never cooked. There are not only a plethora of foods to confound the senses but there are litterally a mountain of tools and not many of them look to be very user friendly. Allow me to reassure you that you will learn, over time, to make choices from the mountain of foods that are going to be appropriate for the foods you want to cook and that the majority of those tools are not necessary to become a good cook.

Although humans have cooked over an open fire for I don't how many thousand's of years you probably don't have to. Assuming you have an interior area to cook in we are going to call it your kitchen. Even if it is only a crockpot or a hot plate set on a dresser top, it can be your kitchen. However, I am going to fall back to the default of a kitchen that comes ready made with most apartment rental in the USA; there's a stove/oven, refrigerator and a sink. There may or may not be cabinets or counter tops. Even if you must build your kitchen from the ground up I suggest your start simply. You don't need the very best kitchen appliances if you still think making a piece of toast is a work of art; so don't go there. It's not only the fact that the prices are commensurate with the name but that most cooks don't need a professional kitchen and would be overwhelmed in one. It is only my opinion but whenever I see a really nice kitchen with all kinds of oils and spices on desplay in a large room with all the current top of the line appliances on display I suspect it is for show only and there is no competent cook in the house or perhaps the house is for sale. Why? Because by the time a person becomes a competnet cook they value the counter space to highly to clutter it up with anything that will contaminate it and they have learned that the tools they use daily are more convenient when easily accessed rather than hidden behind some cabinet. The main function of any kitchen is to provide a clean, safe, and workable space in which to prepare food. There! Feel better now? Let's move on.

There are only a few necessary items you need to have in your kitchen in order to begin. I will give you a list of items which you will find handy and which I promise you will use. I will also tell you how to obtain them if you are inclined to spend as little money as possible.

You will need a basic place setting for each person you plan to cook for. A basic place setting is a full sized plate, a small plate, a bowl, a glass, a tea cup, a serrated knife for meats, a table knife, a fork, and a teaspoon. You can use nearly all of these items to cook with if they are not plastic.

Plates & Bowls

Any sized plate and bowl can be used for the preparation of food items to ready them for cooking, as a platter to serve the food from, and as surface to eat the food from.

Glass & Teacup

Glasses can be used to measure and transport fluids to the cooking pot and to drink from. Tea cups are especially verstile as they can be used as a form of measurement, to hold ingredients and foods before and during the preparation of a meal, and as soup laddle for soups and stews. Oh! They also hold tea and coffee.

Knifes, Forks and Spoons

A serrated knife can be used in food preparation. It is true that it is more difficult to weild than a paring knife but if it is all you have then don't hesitate to use it.
The fork can be used in food preparation as a dough blender, a whisk, a cook's fork for handling meats while cooking, and a fork while eating.
The teaspoon can be used as a measuring device and to eat with.

It is true, that all of these items are really handy in being able to serve in nearly all areas of cooking but that doesn't mean that they will make cooking a joyous art to perform. You will want to get what cooks believe to be the basic tools as soon as you can afford or find them.

In the past I have been able to find completely matching new 4 person place settings for as little as $25.00 at discount stores and even in some larger grocery stores in the USA. But I found buying place setting even cheaper by going to garage and estate sales, visiting resale shops, and going to charitible stores such as the Salvation Army or Goodwill. However, both the Salvation Army and Goodwill are more expensive than a small local community charity shop. If and when you choose to shop these places just make sure that you do not purchase anything with chips or cracks. While you are there, be on the look out for cookware in good condition also. Speaking of cookware, here is the least you will need:

A Pot with a Lid

If you are cooking for yourself do yourself a favor and don't buy the biggest pot you can find. Determine the measure by placing your hand over the openion. If your entire hand covers that opening from the tip of your longest finger to the heel of your palm and its at least one finger length deep then that is a good sized pot for a single person. A pot with twice that capacity will provide enough for 2 people. You see how this goes. If it has a non-stick surface you can even sauté and fry in it. If it doesn't have a non-stick surface you can still sauté and fry it in but with a little less margin for error.

A long-handled Spoon

I suggest you just get either a wooden one or one made for non-stick pans. You need one with a long stem.

Hand Towels

It doesn't matter if they are specifically for the kitchen or not. They can be used for clean up and, when folded, as hot pads. By the way, if you need a rag to wash the dish and wipe the work surfaces with, I suggest an old T-Shirt that has been cut up for the purpose.

A Big Mixing Bowl

Generally speaking you will never have a bowl big enough but don't buy one the size of a kitchen sink unless you intend to wash dishes or small children in it.

A Baking Sheet

Yes, you will use it in combination with heavy duty aluminum foil. You can wrap foods you want to bake in aluminum foil and place it on the baking sheet. This method will not work for stews, but you have a pot right?

A Garbage Receptacle

Duh!

Of course it is possible to just go to IKEA (or anywhere else, I suppose) and buy their starter boxes for the kitchen but you will have spent nearly $200.00 dollars. The choice is yours.

A Good Basic Cookbook

I didn't even know that there were such things as cookbooks until I was 13 years old and by that time I had been preparing family dinners for 7 years. Imagine how excited I was when I discovered that most wonderful tool: The Betty Crocker Cookbook! A basic cookbook is essential for a newly aspiring cook because it will save them countless mistakes and hours of frustration. A good book will give the aspiring cook a good solid foundation to build the skills they need to progress and a basic understanding of what I call Kitchen Chemistry. Actually I call it Kitchen Alchemy because what a master cook ends up with is better than gold. There are thousands of cookbooks out there and when you don't know what you need then it is all that much more frustrating. So for a true beginner I suggest that you purchase How to Cook Everything: The Basics by Mark Bittman. Mr. Bittman has a common sense approach to cooking and he won't confuse you. He is a journalist featured in the New York Times also and there are many video's on their site where he demostrates some cooking techniques and recipes.

Three times during my life I have started out with the most basic form of kitchen with exactly the items I have listed above except the cookbook. While it is not the most enjoyable way to cook it beats the hell out of any fast food drive-thru. I was able to make satisfying meals which were seasoned to my tastes and nutritious food for a fraction of the cost of any fast food place.

I feel I must offer a disclaimer now that we have reach the end (I hope!) to this page. I do not have any cookbooks at all. I purchased one when I was 15 and at some point loaned it to a friend who never returned it. I have never taken a cooking course or class. I wanted to take Shop in High School but at that time girls were not allowed to take shop. The girl's dean instead insisted that I take the home economics course and I refused to attend it even once. As punishment I was made to sit in the library every day for the hour that the class I was suppose to attend was in session. Some punishment. I love books! I flunked home economics, by the way. Anyway, I have learned some of my recipes from family and friend, from trying to duplicate or improve upon a food I have eaten elsewhere, and others by being creative. I struggled and failed quite a bit and I would probably have given up but there simply wasn't the opportunity because I was my family's cook. I have learned cooking techniques from Julia Child as I watched her cooking shows when I was a child. And yes, I can poach an egg properly. I also had the tv on to PBS cooking shows when I quilted. So I am not a professional chef, I have absolutely no culinary creditials of any sort, and any nutritional training I know I have obtained from books that hospital nutritionists have loaned me. But I love to cook and I love to cook for others. I think that is worth something, don't you?

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