Cheese
Store cheese in your refrigerator, which approximates the temperature of aging rooms. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic, away from air. Air helps mold grow on cheese. If you get a little mold on the outside, just cut it off.
Bring cheese to room temperature before melting. Melt cheese over a low heat to help prevent toughening and separation of oils and liquids.
Most ripened or aged cheese is low in moisture content and can be frozen without drastic flavor and texture changes. If frozen for several months, the cheese may dry out somewhat and become crumbly when thawed.
Soak wooden skewers
Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using them so they won’t burn during cooking.
Honey
Because of its high fructose content, honey has a higher sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.
Dried herbs
Do not use dried herbs in the same quantity as fresh. In most cases, use 1/3 the amount in dried as is called for fresh.
Herbs
Keep it simple. Unless the recipe specifically calls for it, don’t use more than 3 herbs and spices in any one dish. The exception to this rule is Indian cooking, which often calls for 10 or more different spices in one curry dish!
Crush dried herbs
Finely crush dried herbs before adding to your dish after measuring. Black pepper, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper are excellent “after cooking” seasonings. Allow guests to season dishes with these spices at the table.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves have a special affinity for sweet dishes.
Oil
Get into the habit of measuring the oil you use while you cook, rather than just pouring it out of the bottle. It will be much easier to moderate the amount you use.
Non-stick cookware
Use non-stick cookware so that you don’t have to use as much, if any, fat. When sautéing, use a small amount of olive oil instead of butter.
Fat-free broth
To make fat-free broth, chill your meat or chicken broth. The fat will rise to the top, and you can remove it before using the broth.
