Kitchen Shrink
Blueberries: Blueberry Muffin Tips
A viewer recently e-mailed me to say that when she added fresh blueberries to her favorite muffin batter the finished muffins had an unappetizing greenish haze around the blueberries. She wondered what caused it and if there is a way to prevent that from happening. When you bake with fresh…
Ginger: What is the best way to store fresh ginger?
I recently got an e-mail from Jane asking how to store fresh ginger and remembered that I had a collection of suggestions in Sara Moulton Cooks at Home. Here’s what I said, “Whenever I have Asian chefs on my show, they tell me they use ginger in so many recipes…
Peppermills: All About My Peppermills
I have recently gotten more e-mails asking, “Who made your peppermills and where can I get one?” My peppermills were made for me by an octogenarian woodworker named Pinky Martin. When Oprah invited me to come on her show to give one of the peppermills to a viewer, Pinky got…
Asparagus: When should you peel asparagus and when don’t you have to?
Kathy e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink to ask how you decide when to peel asparagus and when it is all right to leave it unpeeled. Asparagus comes in all different thicknesses, from pencil-thin to nearly an inch. The bottom woody inch or two of any asparagus should be discarded. Whether or…
Herbs: What Is The Best Way To Store Fresh Herbs?
Put leafy herbs, such as basil, parsley, dill, and cilantro in a glass or glass measuring cup with water in the bottom (like cut flowers), cover with a plastic bag loosely over the top, and store in the fridge. They will keep for a week if set up this way.…
Baking: How can I bake healthier desserts?
Debbie e-mailed me that she can’t have butter or much sugar but would like to make healthier baked goods and would like some ideas. That is a tough one because butter and sugar bring the flavor to most desserts. However, there are a few ways to go that will be…
Beef Roast: Why aren't my roasts tender?
I recently got an e-mail from Virginia saying, “All my roasts come out tough; any help would be appreciated.” This is a great question and there isn’t a simple solution. I am not sure whether she is referring to pot roasts or more tender cuts such as rib roasts that…
Beef Roast: Why aren’t my roasts tender?
I recently got an e-mail from Virginia saying, “All my roasts come out tough; any help would be appreciated.” This is a great question and there isn’t a simple solution. I am not sure whether she is referring to pot roasts or more tender cuts such as rib roasts that…
Cakes: What causes the line near the edge of cake layers?
Scott recently e-mailed me to ask what causes cake layers to have a line about 3/4- to 1-inch from the sides of the pan. He said, “I bake square cakes and rectangular cakes. For some reason the finished product has a square inside the square. ” I passed his e-mail…
Food Safety:Food Safety Help
All through the year I get many questions about safely entertaining. While cooking ahead and buffet serving is a traditional way of serving large groups, it is essential that food safety guidelines are followed. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (888-674-6854) is available from 10 to 4 on weekdays to…
Aprons: My Aprons and Chefs Jackets
After the peppermill question, one of the most frequent queries I get in my e-mail is, “Where can I find the beautiful aprons you wear on Sara’s Secrets.” With the holidays only a week away, those e-mails are coming in so I thought I would make it easy for those…
Sausage: What is Chouriço?
I recently got an e-mail from Cecilia who wondered why Jasper White was using Spanish chorizo in his Portuguese Cataplana (you can find his recipe at Cataplana) and thought perhaps he was using the Portuguese sausage linguica. I immediately forwarded her question to my friend and cookbook author, Jean Anderson…
Clams: How do you store and clean clams?
Bob e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink to find out how to store and clean shellfish such as clams before cooking. It is best to purchase clams just before cooking them so there should be little storage to worry about. Clams are purchased alive and must be kept alive. If you do…
Cookbook: How to Write Your Own Family Cookbook
Several weeks ago Susan e-mailed me to ask how to get a cookbook published. This is a question that I get frequently and here is how I answered her. “I don’t know what to tell you. Publishing cookbooks the traditional way is a dying template. If you are the hottest…
Tripe: How do you cook tripe?
Last week Randy asked me this about tripe, “I see this all of the time in the grocery store and I have to be honest, while it sort of scares me, it also fascinates me. Is there a way to cook this so that is actually tastes good? Is it…
Tomatoes: What is the best way to store fresh tomatoes?
Molly e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink that she had just harvested a lot of tomatoes from her garden and wondered what is the best way store them until she can use or process them. Freshly picked tomatoes should be stored in a single layer, stem-side up, in a fairly cool location…
Sweetener: What is Simple Syrup and How Do You Make It?
Terri recently e-mailed me to ask “What is Simple Syrup and how do you use it?” My favorite recipe for lemonade immediately came to mind (You’ll find it in Sara Moulton Cooks at Home.) and here is my answer. Simple syrup is an old-fashioned secret for sweetening things such as…
Herbs and Spices: What are the basic herbs and spices I should have on hand?
This week I got an e-mail from Rich saying, “My brother inherited Grandpa and Grandma’s house. He cooks, but they had no spices in the house. What are the basics he should have in his kitchen for simple, but exciting meals? I would greatly appreciate your comments!” I have often…
Salad Dressing: Can you give me an easy all-purpose salad dressing?
The Kitchen Shrink has gotten several requests for a good homemade salad dressing recently, so it seems like a good time to remind you of my favorite vinaigrette. My refrigerator is never without it. It is good on any basic savory salad and can be varied by changing the oil…
Burgers: How can I keep burgers from plumping in the center?
Whenever I demonstrate one of my burger recipes, someone asks if there is a way to keep burgers from plumping in the center and becoming smaller in diameter as they cook. My favorite trick to solve this problem is to create an indentation in the center when I shape the…
Buttermilk: What is buttermilk?
Rachel e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink to ask, “What is in buttermilk?” She said she had purchased some for a recipe and was surprised to find that, despite its name, buttermilk is low in fat. These days, most buttermilk is pasteurized low-fat milk to which lactic acid bacteria have been added…
Melons: How can I select a good melon in the market?
In the middle of the summer a lot of e-mails arrive in my Kitchen Shrink inbox asking the same question, “is there a secret to finding a melon that is sweet and flavorful.” While that’s not so easy in the winter when melons come from far away as it is now that they are coming…
Olives: Substituting Ripe Olives
Jerry e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink that he couldn’t find the Kalamata olives called for in a recipe he wanted to try and wondered if you can substitute canned California ripe olives for Kalamata olives in a recipe? Canned California ripe olives and oil-cured European ripe olives are really very different…
Parmigiano-Reggiano: How can I tell that I am buying real Parmigiano-Reggiano?
Mary e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink that she would like to try Parmigiano-Reggiano but found the cheese department of her market confusing and wasn’t sure how she could tell she was getting the right cheese. There are several hard cheeses on the market that are similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano in color but…