Cooking food is a labor of love that takes dedication, passion – and a few fancy tricks here and there! If you spend quite a few hours in the kitchen every day, chances are, you have developed some tricks of your own.
If you are looking into brushing up on your kitchen skills or finding ways to impress your parents right in time for the next family dinner, this article is just for you. Put on that apron and sharpen your knives because we have round up some fancy kitchen tricks that will surely impress even the most discerning chef.
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1. Clean right away.
Notice how chefs like to clean up after themselves right away? This is because the kitchen can get pretty messy pretty fast. Allowing clutter to accumulate will not only cross contaminate the ingredients and the dishes, this can also make cooking a whole lot harder.
The kitchen can be stressful enough; don’t let the clutter add to the pressure. Make sure to clean those onion peels right away before you start chopping the garlic!
2. Ice cream scoopers are not just for ice cream.
Get rid of seeds from pumpkins by using an ice cream scooper. This kitchen gadget can cut through the fiber and effectively get rid of seeds – cutting your prep time in half.
3. Handle eggs like a pro.
We have all experienced bobbing for tiny eggshells and we can all agree how frustrating that can be. Spare yourself from the frustration and grab a bigger piece of shell. Use the bigger piece of eggshell and tap the smaller bits and pieces swimming in the yolk. This kitchen sorcery works like a magnet.
4. Revive frozen honey.
Don’t throw your jar of hardened honey just yet! Make the most out of every ounce by throwing the jar into a basin filled with hot water. Make sure the water is just the right temperature so as not to break the jar. This should get it back to a runny consistency in just 5 minutes.
5. No piping bag, no problem.
If you find yourself running low on piping bags, don’t sweat it. Use a sandwich bag and snip off the corner. Fill it with filling or frosting and pipe like a pro in no time. Sandwich bags and Ziploc are fairly inexpensive compared to piping bags so feel free to stock up on them if you are a frequent baker.
6. Fuzz-free pancakes.
We all love having pancakes for breakfast but they can be a mess to prepare. Spare yourself from the stress of cleaning by mixing the batter inside a sandwich bag. Put all the dry ingredients in and give it a good shake. Once all the dry ingredients are well incorporated, bring in the eggs and other wet ingredients. Give it another shake and your batter is ready. This trick will cut your preparation time in half and spare you from washing tons of dishes after.
7. Orange you glad?
Having a hard time peeling that orange? Peeling oranges and citrus fruits have never been easier with this nifty trick. Roll the citrus fruit to its side back and fourth for several times or until they become softer to the touch. Or you can just pop them in the microwave for a couple of seconds – whichever floats your boat.
8. Chop like a pro.
Ever wonder how chefs chop through things so fast without cutting their fingers? Aside from having years of experience, chefs also know a nifty trick that will spare yourself from any bloody accidents. Use a swinging motion when chopping through ingredients. With your other hand, make sure to fold the fingertips to get it out of the way of the swinging blade.
9. Get rid of fat.
When making stews and broths, fat gets broken down and rise to the top – leaving you with a film on the surface. With an ice cube covered with a clean cloth, run it across the surface and watch the ice disintegrate the fat with a blink of an eye.
10. Frozen butter nightmare.
There some recipes that call for room temperature butter and most of us do not have the patience to wait for that. Hasten the process by grating the frozen block of butter. This is a great trick to have on hand when making scones, muffins, and biscuits.
11. Fresh eggs only!
Do you have an inkling craving for fresh eggs? Know whether the ones you have in the fridge are still fresh by tossing them in a glass full of water. Fresh eggs should sink to the very bottom of the glass so if it floats then it is time to toss em’.
12. The art of reheating leftover pasta.
There are those days when you cannot be bothered with dinner preparations and you have leftover pasta in the fridge. Reheat it in a shape of a donut to evenly distribute the heat throughout the dish.
13. A cutting board that won’t stay still.
Constantly wrestling with your cutting board? Grab a wet paper towel and place it at the bottom of your cutting board. The wet paper towel should provide enough traction to keep the cutting board in place.
14. Keep a batch of simple syrup at your disposal.
You can never go wrong with stocking up on simple syrup. In a saucepan, mix a cup of white sugar with a cup of water and allow it to simmer. Once done, let it cool and transfer it to a container and store it away in the fridge! Use to sweeten your lemonade or tea without having to deal with the granules at the bottom of the cup.
15. How to deal with soft cheese.
Avoid wrecking a good piece of soft cheese by slicing through them using unflavored dental floss. This trick also works for cookie dough and cake.
16. Avoid spilling boiling water.
Prevent hot water from boiling over and ruining your dinner by placing a wooden spoon on top of the saucepan or the pot. Because the wooden spoon is not a good conductor of heat, hot water tends to stray away from it – we call it kitchen sorcery.
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