Cooking and Baking Cues

A dash of innovativeness can help you make-do without many kitchen gadgets and accessories …

• Pre-heating your cookie sheet before roasting items such as French fries and veggies will eliminate the need to flip halfway through
• Prevent over-boiling by placing a wooden spoon across a pot
• When cooking an entire turkey or chicken, ice the breast of the bird. Since the dark thigh meat needs more time to cook than the white breast meat, chilling the breasts will ensure even cooking 
• To poach an egg that’s both tasty and aesthetic-to the eye, use a metal mesh strainer to get rid of excess egg white; the strainer can also double-up as a tool for gently lowering the egg into the water
• For perfectly square, clean-cut brownies (or other bars) follow this process - grease a baking pan; line it with two strips of parchment i.e. one from left to right and one from front to back; grease the parchment paper too. Once cooked, let it sit until cool to the touch; post-cooling use the parchment paper edges to lift the brownies from the pan; and slice with a serrated knife
• 5-inch squares of parchment paper can double-up as muffin liners. To help the paper stick better, spray each well first. Then press the squares into each hole, folding the sides as needed to create flat walls
• For frothy, creamy, delicious milk foam on the run - Fill a small jar with a little milk (no more than halfway), place the lid and shake until the milk has doubled. Remove the lid and microwave the milk for about 30 seconds