Kitchen TipsWhat, Why, How, and Where's the Zester ? KITCHEN TIPS HERBS * SPICES * COOKING DRIED BEANS * COOKING TIME FOR DRIED BEANS * CUTTING BOARDS * DRIED LEMON PEEL * GARLIC AND GARLIC PRESSES * MARJORAM * MARINADES * MEASUREMENTS * MY FAVORITE KITCHEN CLEANER/SANITIZER * NUTMEG * OTHER COOKING STAPLES * What are healthy seasonings, condiments and spices? How do you figure out which ones are the best to use? First, and foremost, always look for spices that have none, or very few, additional ingredients besides the primary one. For example, seasoned salt usually contains: Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, citric acid (preservative), soy sauce powder, vegetable oil, paprika or various other herbs, spices and flavorings, and MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE Same for Lemon Pepper, Cajun Seasoning, combination spices, and many seasoning mixes. Why is MSG being added to all these spices? Because it's a flavor enhancer. It also causes headaches, diarrhea, abdominal pain, heart palpitations, and, well, a whole host of problems for people sensitive to this soy or yeast derivative. Avoid MSG whenever possible! Read labels closely, you may be surprised to find MSG in your hot dogs, sausage, canned soups and stocks, potato chips, rice or pasta mixes, snack foods, Worcestershire and soy sauce, even frozen vegetable combinations that have seasoning added. MSG has also been listed by the names: hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, protein isolate, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate. Although MSG, by FDA regulation, is required to be listed, some companies "avoid" this law and just list MSG as "flavoring" or "spices". Again, READ THE LABEL Anything on the label that sounds "chemical", or ambiguous should be avoided. There are plenty of pure spices and seasonings out there that do not "enhance" their products and are very proud to list the contents of their product. They may cost a bit more, however, your health is worth it. KITCHEN TIPS top of page
So, what should your kitchen spice cabinet contain? First, if you don't want to grow an herb garden on your windowsill, you will have to purchased the dried variety. One last plea for the windowsill, fresh herbs have more healthful nutrients than dried, reproduce themselves so you always have a fresh supply, and they taste better! Try just one or two herbs, say parsley and thyme, you will be amazed at the difference. Okay, back to the dried. Dried herbs and spices are best purchase in "bulk" form at your neighborhood Natural or Organic Foods store. They usually are guaranteed to be free from pesticides or other contamination. I recommend the following for every kitchen that does basic cooking. Basil (Sweet) KITCHEN TIPS top of page Allspice Note: Please read labels carefully for unnecessary ingredients such as preservatives and MSG! Olive oil, extra virgin KITCHEN TIPS top of page
Always sort and pick dried beans, remove broken, discolored or cracked beans, small pebbles or dirt, and then rinse well in cold water. To make "gasless" beans: Put washed beans into deep pot and add water. DO NOT ADD SALT OR PEPPER TO SOAKING WATER. For each 1 cup of beans, add 2 teaspoons of baking soda to water and stir. You may either cover the beans and allow them to sit over night to soak. Or the quick method, on high heat, bring to a boil, shut off the burner and cover beans, allow to sit for 1 hour. Always pour off the soaking water before cooking. Add the proper amount of fresh water for the beans you started with, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to just above a simmer and cook 1-3 hours, depending on the variety of bean. Add no spices until the beans are nearly cooked. This assures that there isn't too much salt in the beans due to evaporation while cooking. KITCHEN TIPS top of page 1 cup of: Baby Limas, 4 cups water, cook 1 hr, yields 3 1/2 cups Black Beans, 8 cups water, cook 1 1/2 hrs, yields 4 cups Black-eyed peas, 6 cups water, cook 1 hr, yields 4 cups Garbanzo/Chickpeas, 8 cups water, cook 3 hrs, yields 4 cups Great Northern, 7 cups water, cook 1 hr, yields 4 cups Kidney beans, 6 cups water, cook 1 hr, yields 4 cups Lentils, 6 cups water, cook 35 min., yields 4 1/2 cups Lima, 6 cups water, cook 1 1/2 hr, yields 2 1/2 cups Pink Beans, 6 cups water, cook 1 hr, yields 4 cups Pinto Beans, 6 cups water, cook 1 1/2 hr, yields 4 cups Red Beans, 6 cups water, cook 2 hrs, yields 4 cups Small White/Navy, 6 cups water, cook 1 hr, yields 4 cups Split Peas, 6 cups water, cook 45 min., yields 4 1/2 cups Note: The older the dried bean, the longer the cooking time. KITCHEN TIPS top of page Cutting boards are indispensable in the kitchen. I have found that the white plastic ones are the safest and most sanitary of all cutting boards, and are inexpensive, too. KITCHEN TIPS top of page One of the most wonderful, aromatic flavors for cooking is garlic. It is also a very healthful vegetable. And although dried, powdered garlic is very flavorful, it doesn't have the full-bodied taste of fresh. Invest in a good garlic press, preferably one that is all metal, and you won't be disappointed. I call it "mashed garlic", but I suppose "pressed" is more correct. To me, it looks like mashed garlic, pressed would just be flattened. I'm just arguing semantics, I suppose. One clove of garlic is equal to 1/2 tsp. garlic powder. One note on garlic salt and garlic powder. I never buy garlic salt. It is better to add salt according to the recipe, or to taste, than worry about how much salt the garlic is adding. Many dishes have been spoiled by too much salt, so buy powder. It may cost a bit more, but you get the pure garlic, and no "salt filler". KITCHEN TIPS top of page How to make dried lemon peel. Save the peel from a fresh lemon that has been thoroughly washed and any blemishes removed. Get your zester. What's a zester? A tool for removing the zest of a lemon in long strips. No zester? Use a vegetable peeler or a small, sharp knife. Try to be careful and not get much of the white pith on the strips. Next, simply lay the zest strips on muslin or any clean cloth, place in direct, hot sun for a few hours. The strips will shrivel and can be stored in an airtight container or zippy bag for up to 6 months. KITCHEN TIPS top of page Marinades are a wonderful way to get the most flavor from meats and tenderize tougher cuts. An important kitchen tip: Before cooking, always remove the meat from the marinade unless otherwise stated. Once the spices and seasonings have done their job, the marinade is no longer useful. The recipe may actually suffer from some of the marinade ingredients if included, vinegar for example.
Marvelous Marjoram. Marjoram is an herb in the mint family, used in combination with other savory herbs, parsley, dill, basil, or thyme, in meat dishes, sauces, stews and sausage. It has a milder, almost delicate sweet taste, than oregano. Marjoram brings out the flavor of food, intensifying the other herbs and spices in a dish, and is a healthy alternative to MSG. KITCHEN TIPS top of page Abbreviations: Tbl = tablespoon KITCHEN TIPS top of page No need to buy expensive antibacterial kitchen, household or bathroom cleaners. I have used the following "recipe" that is miraculous at fighting germs on surfaces, cleaning messy areas in the home, the grandbabies playroom comes to mind here, bathrooms, floors, walls, refrigerators, stoves, sinks, stinky plastic cups (ah, grandbabies come to mind again... ever find a sippy cup under the bed with 3 day old milk in it... yuck!), this can be used on just about anything that is color safe. I have even used it on carpet spots and upholstery, just be careful and test an inconspicuous spot first. What is it? Just good old bleach, pine cleaner and water. 1/4 cup bleach That's it! I use spray bottles and keep one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen. Spray your plastic cutting board while washing and any bacteria on it are killed. Spray counter tops and they are sanitized. Spray a dried on spot on the stove, let sit a minute, and it wipes right off. Clean those smudges of the refrigerator in a jiffy. The house will smell clean, too. During cold and flu season, use to wipe door knobs, or any surface that can be contaminated. It can reduce the amount of illness in the home by killing viruses. I first "discovered" its usefulness in a medical office lab where keeping germs to a minimum is high priority. I did not like the smell of bleach, but by adding the pine cleaner, the smell was reduced, and it had the added cleaning power of pine oil. I have used this formula for over 25 years now, and have not purchased any of those "fancy cleaners" since. KITCHEN TIPS top of page Nutty about nutmeg? Get the grater! Nutmeg seeds are the best way to assure a fresh taste to dishes. Ground nutmeg loses its potency very quickly, and since a little goes a long way, ground will go flat long before it is used up. The seed, however, is always fresh, you just grate what you need and put it back into an airtight container until you need it again. Nutmeg graters are small and have very fine holes, however, you can use a large kitchen grater's "fine" side in a pinch. Be careful with your fingers! Best to buy a nutmeg grater and save your skin. Or, get a pair of kitchen gloves, the kind that protect you from cuts. These are great for grating, and save you from cuts when you use a mandolin slicer. MORE KITCHEN TIPS COMING SOON!
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