Tag Archives: Cooking Tips

Preparing Your Holiday Roast

If you were lucky enough to get a holiday roast then you are one step ahead of some of the shoppers I met at the market yesterday. Our grocer ran out of premium roasts so I am making do with a cheaper cut. Regardless of whether you are preparing a choice cut or a more economical cut such as round tip, top sirloin or eye round there are a few tips you should keep in mind. When seasoning your roast add the salt after cooking. Every cook knows it’s easier to add more than to eliminate excess. It’s also a … Continue reading →

Holiday Roasts 101

Are you preparing a roast for the holidays? If you live in the state of Wisconsin then there is a good (make that great) chance that you will be eating a roast of some sort in the next few days given the run on beef at the markets around here. Which brings me to my first roast-related tip: Order in advance. During the holiday season it’s a good idea to order the type and size roast you’ll need to feed the family in advance. Otherwise, you end up facing the predicament I found myself in yesterday—picking through the scraps. Premium … Continue reading →

Tips for Great Stir-fry

I married a man who likes to go vegetarian in the summer. I didn’t really know what I was getting into –it makes for unusual meals at the Pinkston house. With experimentation, though, we’ve come up with some solutions, and we’ve found that we really enjoy stir-fry. Here is a list of tips that may help make your stir-fry creations better than ever: 1. Use fresh ginger and garlic. Ginger powder and garlic powder/salt just don’t give the same flavor. Be sure to sauté them first before you add anything else. 2. The fresher the meat, the better. I prefer … Continue reading →

Saving Brown Sugar

Have a rock hard lump of brown sugar? Don’t throw it away and waste money. Here is an easy way to rescue it! This morning, I went to make a batch of morning muffins only to find that the brown sugar must have been left open. Normally, I am pretty good at making sure the bag is closed, but somewhere in the course of moving from one home to another, it must have popped open enough to let some air in. Air is not good for brown sugar, as it will remove all of the moisture from it, turning your … Continue reading →

10 Tips for Baking the Perfect Cheesecake Every Time

Cheesecake is a phenomenally fantastic food that I think needs no introduction. Making a real cheesecake from scratch however, can be tricky. However, if you successfully make a cheesecake from scratch such that it’s texture, appearance and taste give your guests the impression that you are feeding them food for the gods; you have arrived as a chef. Here are my tips and hints for a perfect cheesecake! #1. Cooking your cheesecake in a water bath is essential for good texture. Put your spring form pan in no more than 1 inch of water. #2. Wrapping the spring form pan … Continue reading →

7-Safe Turkey Tips

None of us wants to make our family and friends sick, and one of the major sources for stomachaches and feeling sick is food related. Food related illness is typically cause by contamination in the work area or improper food handling. When it comes to dealing with meat it’s even more important to take the steps to be sure your bird isn’t going to cause anyone to remember Thanksgiving for the terrible Turkey you served. It doesn’t matter if you choose a fresh or frozen Turkey either has the potential to become a mouth-watering example of your culinary talents and … Continue reading →