Off the linoleum!
My kitchen is small and has entrances on two sides. Those entrances lead to rooms with hardwood floors. When I am about to launch into food prep mode I announce that it is time to get off the linoleum. That's the signal for small children and dogs to run hide under the bed because Deborah's getting the knives out. This section will help you get all the ingredients ready for their role in the symphony of preparation. Many of these techniques are for all cooks. If you are an experienced cook, but newly blinded, your techniques will remain mostly the same with some adaptation.
Aprons, cup towels, pads and mitts
Keep lots and lots of them. Tie your apron strings in front and you can secure the corner of a cup towel under the belt with several twists. Let the towel hang there and it will always be ready for picking up hot pans in a hurry or for wiping damp hands.
This is a delightful touch, not to mention a useful one. An hour before the meal, put your salad plates and forks in the freezer. They will chill beautifully. Bring them to the table as you are serving the salad. If you are serving a composed salad that you prepare in the kitchen, pull them out when you are ready to put the salad together. This keeps the salad nicely chilled at the table.
Peel the pepper with a potato peeler. This will help you avoid digestive problems. Place the pepper on a cutting board with the stem side facing the ceiling. Wrap one hand around the bell of the pepper and hold the paring knife in the other hand. Pierce the top of the pepper about an inch from the stem toward the edge of the pepper. Make about an inch incision, letting half of the knife blade slip in. Cut a circle of the lid of the pepper, turning the pepper as you cut. When you have reached your starting point, pull the lid off. Rinse the pepper inside and out. Make sure there are no pesky stickers on it. If you need to leave it whole, reach inside and tear away the veins and seeds. If you will be slicing or dicing it, you can cut it in half to do this. Rinse again. Once you become confident with the knife, you will be able to hold the pepper while you cut. Remember that the hotter the variety of pepper, the smaller you want the pieces.
A friendly butcher will do this for you. Select the cut of meat you want and ask the butcher to cube it for you. In some larger markets they sell the cubed meat at a higher price and do not offer this service. Unless you have a huge amount to cube and would just rather pay to have it done, take it home to do it yourself. Slice the meat across the grain, so that you have steak-like portions. Continue to slice it thinner and thinner until you have a slice about one-half inch thick. Then take this slice and continue making cuts until you have little squares the size of sugar cubes. Don't get impatient. The cubes will start to get larger and will be different sizes. In this state, they will not cook evenly. You can feel marbling of fat as you go and remove it.
Cutting up a whole chicken
It's cheaper than buying the parts and oh so easy. Grab the bird by the ankle and lift it so that the weight of the bird is pulling it down. Cut the skin and oyster that connect the thigh to the body. The leg will then hang freely. Repeat on the other side. Use the same technique for the wings. Then split the breast on either side of the breast bone. You can then open it flat for grilling or continue cutting into smaller pieces.
Grab the leg at the thigh and twist to break the joint. Finish cutting it with a butcher knife. Repeat with the other leg and use the same technique with the wings.
Discarding vegetable waste
Don't do it. Save all your clean peels, skins and other temporarily unwanted parts. Freeze them in milk cartons or plastic bags and pull them out for delicious stocks. Ultimately, they should be headed for the garden or yard as compost to continue the cycle of nature.
Remove frozen spinach from its box and place in a colander or strainer. Place this in sink and leave for about an hour or so. Hold sections of leaves in your hands and squeeze the water out. Repeat several times until all water is gone. You do not want to add water to your recipe. Pat dry with paper towel to get those last drops out.
Most recipes are quite forgiving when it comes to exact measurements, as long as you stick to general proportions. If there is a particular chemical reaction or physical process, such as rising yeast, try to adhere to the recipe. If you need to include 4 ounces of ground meat and do not have a scale, remember that a stick of butter weighs 4 ounces and estimate by holding the butter in one hand and the meat in the other. If one of the ingredients is salt to taste, shake the amount you would normally put in your own portion into your hand. Then repeat that as many times as there are servings in the dish. Stop a little short...you can always add more. Try to anticipate difficulty with measuring and plan ahead. For example, too much Tabasco sauce can be disastrous. Transfer the liquid into an old medicine bottle with an eye dropper. In this way, you can easily control the amount.
If spilling water from the ice cube trays is a problem, try placing the tray in the freezer where it will finally rest. Then pour the water into the tray from a small pitcher or measuring cup with a spout. If you are making ice for a picnic and do not particularly need small cubes for drinks, use plastic containers and make larger blocks. Run hot water over the inverted dish when the ice is firm. It will pop right out. Freeze fresh strawberries or raspberries. They make great ice for sangria or fruit drinks.
Marinades work on meats to partially cook and tenderize them. It is important to follow the suggested times. Poultry marinates more slowly than red meats, while fish only needs a short time. Air-tight containers such as self-sealing plastic bags or plastic containers keep out the air that damages meat. Most meats marinate in the refrigerator, although sometimes fish will marinate on the countertop. If a recipe calls for basting with the marinade, only use it for the first half of the cooking time. That will give the meat juices a chance to cook. Using the marinate as a basting liquid at the very end of the recipe is not safe.
Buy butter and margarine for cooking in sticks. A stick weighs 4 ounces or one quarter pound, and is equal to one-half cup. Score the stick into eighths by dividing it in half and then dividing each of those halves by two and so on. Each of these lines represents a tablespoon. Each tablespoon can be further divided into thirds for teaspoons if you need that amount. Soft margarine in a tub is easier to spread, but sometimes does not behave the same way in a recipe.
Nesting measuring cups ensure accurate measurement. Some cooks keep several sets handy. I find it more difficult to remember which ones are missing if I do that. Place the selected cup on a plate or in a bowl to catch spills. Spoon flour or other ingredient into the cup and level it off with a knife. Scrape the straight part of the blade of a knife across the top of the cup to make sure it is level. Never measure over a mixing bowl with other ingredients in it.
Keep all measuring spoons on a chain so that you can tell the size of each relative to the others. Dip the spoon into the container of the spice or other ingredient. Level off with your finger. Again, never measure over other ingredients. Wash and dry after each measure.
Measuring ingredients in dashes and pinches
A dash of this or a pinch of that is often requested in a recipe. Effect both these measurements away from the other ingredients. You can always add something to your bowl, but chasing a dash too much of cinnamon is impossible. To measure a pinch from a small spice container that has an opening too small to wiggle your fingers into, extract part of a spoonful. Pinch an amount between your thumb and forefinger and shake the excess off. Then return the remaining amount to the canister and add your pinch of ingredient.
A dash is about a half a pinch. A condiment that you use often, such as salt, is easy to estimate, since you use the shaker often. It becomes a little trickier when you need a dash of nutmeg. You might not use the nutmeg shaker as often and would not know just how much is coming out. So extract a bit with your spoon as before. Pinch an amount between your thumb and forefinger. Rub them together, letting about half the amount fall back into the spoon. Put this amount into your recipe and return the remaining product to the canister.
Nested measuring cups ensure accurate measurement. Place the cup in the sink. Lay your hand across the top of the cup. Pour the milk or other liquid slowly until you feel the liquid hit your hand. Alternatively, put the tip of your index finger just over the lip of the cup. When you feel the rising liquid, it is full. Transfer gently into the mixing bowl. Never measure ingredients over the mixing bowl or other ingredients. Wash and dry after each measure.
Keep all measuring spoons on a chain so that you can tell the size relative to the others. Dip the spoon into the container of the oil or other ingredient. Touch lightly with your finger to ensure that the spoon is full. Again, never measure over other ingredients. Wash and dry after each measure.
Before washing the onion, grasp the root end in one hand with the paring knife in the other. Snip the end of the root off with the knife. With your thumbnail, peel back the very outermost skin of the onion meat. Snip off any ragged or wilted ends at the opposite end of the root. Wash thoroughly.
Place the apple on a cutting board with the stem side pointing toward the ceiling. Slice the apple into halves and then fourths with a paring knife. That gives you smaller pieces to work with. Hold one piece of the apple in one hand and the paring knife in the other. In order to get the maximum amount of fruit, estimate how little core and how little peel you can cut off. Peel first; then turn over to core. Further slicing may be required at this point. If you wish, you can peel the apple whole. Let it rest in one hand and use the potato peeler in a circular path around the apple, letting it all come off in one long strip.
It's a messy job, but the only way to be able to enjoy fresh shrimp. Slip your thumbnail in the curve of the body where the legs are and peel back the shell. Slip the shrimp body out. The veins run down the back of the shrimp and radiate out the sides of the body. Slip these away from the body. It is difficult to get every last little vein, but a few left behind will not hurt you or ruin the dish. After all, it is only digested protein. You can do this the day before and avoid the mess the day the dish is needed. Rubbing a lime half on your hands helps to get rid of the fishy odor.
Cut both ends from the onion. Try not to waste too much onion. Grasp the onion in one hand and feel where the peel starts at the top. Peel the onion with a paring knife by making a tiny cut just big enough to grasp the peel with the thumb of the knife hand. With the peel between the knife and the thumb, pull the peel, being careful not to cut any further. Continue around the onion until all the outer skin has been removed. You might have to remove more than a single layer to get to the tender, non-fibrous meat. If you are going to use the onion raw, rinse it under cold water before going any further.
After scrubbing the vegetable with a brush, feel the peeling all over to have a point of reference. Grasp the upper half of the vegetable in one hand and the potato peeler in the other. Peel away from you starting at the lower half of the vegetable. Rotate the vegetable as you go until you have finished completely around. Turn the vegetable around and repeat the process on the other half. Remember that the vegetable will be slicker and a little more difficult to hold for this half. Wash the peeled vegetable and feel for missed spots.
Wash the celery thoroughly. Find the end of the stalk with the bushy part. Cut this off at the narrowest part before the stalk starts to flare out. Also cut about an inch or so from the broad end. This removes the bitter white part. Grab the broad end with one hand and the paring knife in the other. With the knife braced against the thumb, snitch a few of the ribs from the end and pull on them. This should allow you to strip them all the way to the other end. Repeat this until you calculate you have removed the outer thin layer of ribs.
To separate the cloves of garlic from the pod, lay it a little on its side on the non-absorbent cutting board. Strike it gently with the butt of the palm of your hand. The pod will loosen. If the pod is dry, it will fall apart completely. This is not a bad thing; it just means your garlic is a little dry.
There are two very easy ways to coax the meat of the garlic out without releasing the oils. You can use a finger from an old rubber utility glove. Cut off the very ends of the cloves. Then place the clove of garlic in the finger and roll it around between the palm of your hand and the cutting board. The skin rolls right off. Another way is a little faster, especially if you have a lot of cloves to peel. Place the clove with ends cut off on the cutting board at its level best. Place the sharp edge of the chef's knife solidly on the cutting board to the side of the clove. Use the edge of the knife as a fulcrum and mash the clove to the cutting board. It will pop right out. The trick is overcoming your fear that the knife will slip. Once you feel it pop out once, it will be another easy technique in your repertoire.
The next step with your garlic will depend on your purpose. If you are looking for that pungent, robust flavor, you will need to crush the meat so that the 2 essential oils can mesh. If you are looking for the gentle flavor and aroma, you will leave the cloves whole.
Ginger root is very irregular in shape, and it is always hard to predict where its little knobby knees will stick out. Start by cutting off the amount you need and then slice off any rough ends, Then use a potato peeler and work towards you instead of away from you. If you trust your expertise with a knife, use it. But the skin is rather thick and sometimes tough. The root is a little stringy and irregular, so work with control.
Boil a small pot of water. Spear the tomato at its stem with a fork. Hold the fork so that the tomato is submerged in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Still using the fork, hold the tomato under cold running water for 10 seconds. The skin will slip off easily. If you like the smoky flavor in a tomato, roast the skins off over an open flame.
To remove the seeds, cut the tomato in half through the stem ends and squeeze gently by hand.
If you will be making lots of cherry pies or conserves, a cherry pitter is a nifty and not-too-expensive investment. Otherwise, the technique is quite simple. If the cherry is very ripe, you can pit it as you would an olive. If however, the meat is firm and attached to its pit, you will have to cut it off. Hold the cherry on the cutting board with one hand. Grasp the knife in the other and cut as closely to the pit as you can. Turn the cherry one-quarter turn and repeat. Continue until you have sliced off all the meat.
Lay the olive on a cutting board and let it find its resting place. With the handle of a table knife, press gently on the side of the olive facing up, keeping the knife as level as possible parallel to the cutting board. When it starts to give a little, angle the knife slightly so that the pit pops out the end.
Choose only the ripest fruits (ripe, not rotten). If you need avocado halves such as for stuffed starters, simply score the thick skin from top to bottom. Continue around the fruit to the same point at the top, making two equal halves. Then follow that scored mark and cut into the flesh, trying to stop just as you hit the large seed in the center. You can then pull the two parts away from each other, exposing the seed. Use your fingers to pry the seed out. Sprinkle with lime juice to slow darkening of the flesh.
If you just need the flesh of the avocado and not the intact halves, it is even simpler. You can peel the fruit with your hands. The riper the fruit, the easier the skin will slip off the seed. If really ripe avocados are not available, I tend to choose another dish to prepare, or let them ripen on my summer window sill.
Preparing broccoli and cauliflower
Thoroughly wash the vegetable. Peel away leaves from the outside of the bunch or head. Break away stalks by hand. Decide how much stalk you need to remove according to the recipe or personal taste, Place the stalk on a cutting board. Hold the stalk in one hand and the paring knife in the other. Cut the stalk at the desired place using a downward motion toward the cutting board. Repeat this with each stalk. Cut stalks into smaller pieces if required by the recipe. Rinse again. I think most people discard too much of the stalk. If you peel a little of the tougher exterior skin off, there is a delectable, tender surprise with the added benefit of additional antioxidants.
Wash the cucumber well and scrub with a vegetable brush. Make sure that any wax the grower might have added is removed. If you are using it in a salad and would like festive slices, try this. Hold the cucumber in one hand and the potato peeler in the other. Strip a peeling off lengthwise from one end of the vegetable to the other. Rotate an inch and leave a bit of peel before stripping another section. This should leave a striped effect. Then slice it into coins. The result is a thin slice of cucumber with touches of peel for color. If you need the whole thing peeled for a recipe such as gazpacho, then continue peeling all around. If you need small pieces without seeds, slice lengthwise making spear-shaped pieces. Then flick the seeds out with a knife. If you are in a rush and do not mind wasting a little of the vegetable, then slice that whole edge of the spear off and discard.
Soak berries in a sink of fresh water for 10 minutes. Then hold several berries at a time under running water to release sand from the nooks and crannies of the fruit. Lay on paper toweling to dry. Make sure they are absolutely dry and cool before using.
If you are going to use the pineapple in a salad plate, cut about 2-3 inches under the green tree-top sprouts, wash and save for a centerpiece to the platter. Otherwise cut as closely as you can to the top of the fruit. Lay the pineapple on its side on a cutting board and let it find its natural resting place. Make slices starting at the top of the fruit. If you will be leaving the husk/shell on, then cut the slice in quarters as if it were a pie. Cut the tip of the pie wedge to remove the core. If you need crushed or otherwise prepared pineapple without the husk/shell, then cut the husk off while it is still in the sliced stage. Do this by cutting a thin slice of the husk off and rotating the fruit and continue all around. This is one case where I think it is better to waste a little of the fruit than it is to bite down on a small piece of that husk, so be liberal with your cut. Again, cut the tough core portion away.
Spinach and lettuce grow close to the ground and will have lots of sand and dirt among the leaves. Wash spinach three times to be sure. Put the spinach in a colander and lower it into a sink of cold water. Move the leaves around to release the particles. Lift the colander straight up, leaving the dirty water behind. Change the water and repeat the process. Spin excess water off.
Wash the beans and put in a colander to drain. One at a time, snap both ends of the bean off at the very tip. As you snap it off, follow the vein of the end down the side of the bean to remove the string.
Unless otherwise stated, recipes usually want to use only the white part of the leek. Find the place on the leek where the green branches out. Then estimate the halfway point between there and the root end of the plant. This is about where the green starts. Cut the vegetable here. Slice off the hard root end. Peel one layer of the outer skin away. Slice halfway through the plant lengthwise. This will allow you to wash the inside thoroughly. Sand and dirt hides between the layers. Hold them under running water and riffle them as you would pages in a book. Wash very thoroughly.
Lettuces always seem heavy for the bulk; they are mostly water. If you are using the whole head or bunch of lettuce, peel the leaves away from the core. Put the leaves in a colander and then in the sink full of cold water. Jostle them about and lift the colander from the sink of water. Rinse each leaf thoroughly once again and spin in a salad spinner. If you do not have one, place the clean leaves in a colander in the sink. Shake the colander repeatedly, turning the leaves as you go. You want to get the leaves completely free of water. Remember that water will destroy a dressing with oil in it. If you are in a dead-heat hurry, pat the leaves dry with paper toweling. If you want to prepare the leaves in advance, lay them end to end on a clean kitchen towel and roll them up. Place the whole thing in the refrigerator. They will stay crisp overnight.
Remove the ribs from each leaf by cutting it out or tearing away the leaf from the rib.
If you want to use only part of a head or bunch, remove the core and peel away what you want. Continue the mentioned process. Store the remainder loosely wrapped in the refrigerator.
It is okay to wash a mushroom, but I find that it keeps its woodsy, earthy flavor if you brush them clean with a soft brush. The special brush has soft bristles and collects the dirt as you gently brush the cap of the vegetable. Keep a paper towel handy and brush the towel in reverse after each mushroom, This will release the dirt from the brush and leave it on the towel. If you are slicing the mushroom, do this lengthwise so that each slice has cap and stem. You might begin by slicing the tiniest piece from the bottom of the stem.
Fresh pumpkin tastes fantastic. But it is a mess. Lay newspaper on the counter to work on. With a butcher knife in one hand and holding the top of the pumpkin in the other, slice evenly and firmly from top to bottom. Start by halving the pumpkin. Then slice it into quarters. Pull the strings and seeds away from the meat with your hands. If you slice them out, you will lose too much of the meat. Just be patient and work at it. Rinse the seeds off and save them for toasting. They make a great salted snack. You can then cover a baking sheet with foil and bake the quarters or proceed with the recipe if there are other instructions. When they are baked and cooled, you can easily scoop the meat away from the rinds with a spoon.
Since each species is a little different, I will speak in generalities. Beginning with a fresh selection is essential. Place the fish in a plastic bag that is large enough that you can get your forearms inside. A trash bag is handy for this. Scrape your large knife back and forth at a 30 degree angle with brisk movement and without bending your wrist. The layer of plastic keeps the stuff from flying around.
With the fish flat on a board, cut along each side of the backbone with the knife at a 45 degree angle. Flop the fish open and remove the rib bones with a pair of pliers. Remove the skin with the knife at a 45 degree angle. Cut into filets or steaks of desired size.
If you do this ahead of time do not squeeze your citrus juice on the fish until later. It will solidify the proteins and cook it, as it would for ceviche.
Clams, oysters and mussels live in the sand and so bring the sand with them to the market. Nothing worse than to have a delectable dish ruined by gritty texture. Scrub the exterior of the closed animal shells with a brush. Rinse them well. Run a cold water bath and let them sit in it for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander. Repeat this process 3 times. Use a bottle opener or screw driver to open oysters, clams and mussels. Cut the connective muscle before proceeding.
We will use a cantaloupe as an example. Place the melon on a cutting board and let it find its natural resting place. Find the stem ends of the melon. You will be cutting it so that when the halves fall apart like two bowls, the stem ends will be on the bottom of the bowl. Grasp the melon in one hand on the top and the knife in the other. Slipping the knife beneath the melon hand with the blade perpendicular to the surface, firmly cut the melon with a downward sawing motion. Cut straight toward the center of the earth for a direct halving of the melon. Let the two halves fall apart. Working over a trash can or garbage disposal, scoop out the seeds with your hand. Pull out all the stringy parts, as well. You can also save the seeds for drying and toasting. Continue cutting the pieces into halves until they are narrow enough to peel.
Don't be afraid to waste a little fruit when you are learning to peel a melon. Getting too close to the thick skin will add an unripe flavor to an otherwise beautifully ripe melon.
There is a general misconception about sharpening knives, so listen up. A knife will not stay sharp forever. Nor will using a knife steel return it to its sharp edge indefinitely. A sharpener has at least two, usually three and sometimes four stones on it. They range from gross to fine and are used in that order. Once you have a nice edge, you continue to refine the sharpness by moving to the finer stone edge. The honing edge is the final touch. Once your knife is sharp, you want to hone it from time to time to realign that edge. You will sharpen again twice a year or so depending on how much you use them.
Now for the technique. Wet the roughest edge of the stone with mineral oil or water. Use only a mineral oil, as cooking oils will destroy the stone. Once you have used oil, you can never return to using water. Hold the edge of the blade at a 30 degree angle and move it in one complete motion from top to bottom beginning at one end of the blade and continuing in a single motion to the other end of the blade. Apply even pressure and do not bend the wrist, all the while reaching the whole blade. Continue this for 5 minutes on each stone from rough to fine.
Peel back the green layers of the shuck. Discard the dryer outer layer. Save the moister inner layers if you will be steaming the corn. Otherwise, discard them. Peel the silk away and rinse the cob thoroughly. Break or cut off the stem end of the cob. If you are grilling the corn or preparing it in some way that you might need the stem, leave it on. Some grills or steams call for peeling only half the shuck back to take away silk, brush with butter and replace shuck.
If you need to remove the kernels, hold the cob in one hand at a 45 degree angle with the larger end resting on the board. Use your sharp chef's knife to scrape the kernels away.
Sort through the beans and remove any small stones. They will generally be different in size and shape. Rinse them well, place in a large pot, cover them generously with water, and let them soak overnight. Next day, drain the beans in a colander, rinse them, cover them with fresh water by a couple of inches, and bring them to a boil with a bay leaf. Lower the heat and continue with the recipe.
Contamination in poultry is not an old-wives' tale. It is truly a danger, so always follow suggestions when handling birds. Stuff the bird just before roasting, even if it is not completely convenient. One might think stuffing it and placing in the refrigerator is sufficient, but the cold does not always penetrate the stuffing. Since the dressing will expand, fill the bird loosely only three-fourths full. Stuff both the crop and the body cavity and close the openings with small spiral skewers. Some turkeys come with them. Fasten the legs close to the body by tying the ends of the drumsticks together.
Trussing was originally for keeping the juices in a less fat, dryer bird. Tie a piece of string around the skin of the neck. Leave two long ends. Turn the wings back and pass the string around them and secure it. Some turkeys come with an excellent string system for lifting the bird out of the roasting pan. This is not part of the trussing process.
Always look a little ahead so that you don't have a panic about foods being in the freezer. If you are making a meatloaf on Wednesday, take out the meat on Monday afternoon and put it in the refrigerator. It will be ready for you by Wednesday. Fruits and vegetables will thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Put frozen foods on a plate or in a baking pan to avoid drips of juices or water in your refrigerator. Always follow thawing instructions on frozen poultry such as turkeys. I usually add an extra half-day. It just never seems to thaw as quickly as producers suggest.
Thawing meats outside the refrigerator is not safe. If you get caught short, just rustle up something else. It is not worth your health.
Butchers are extremely willing to cut and trim meat to your specifications, usually at no extra charge per pound. If you should find yourself in the position of needing to do it yourself, however, it is quite simple. Handle the meat gently and get the idea of the grain and the design of the fat marbling inside the cut. If there are thick pieces of fat surrounding the meat, you can pull these away from the meat. The fat should feel different than the surrounding meat. Use the fascia as a guide. That is the thin layer between the fat and the meat that allows you to pull it away. You can use a very sharp knife to assist in the trimming, especially if it is particularly stubborn.
With today's chemical pesticides and fertilizers, washing vegetables and fruits is very important. Putting them in a colander and running water over them is usually not enough. Foods that grow close to or in the ground are particularly in need of a good bath. Leafy vegetables such as spinach should be soaked and drained thrice before having cold water run over them. Potatoes and other produce with peels to be left on should be scrubbed with a brush. Bunches of grapes and cherries should be turned over and over to get all the surfaces clean. Stalks such as broccoli should be rinsed whole and again after florets have been separated.
Sometimes there will be little packets of organ meats, necks, etc. in the neck or body cavity or both. Check them first and save for gravies or stuffings. Rinse out the cavities thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel. Rinse outer surfaces and pat the whole chicken dry. Salt or stuff the cavities according to the recipe. A nifty freshener for chickens that have been frozen is to rub it inside and out with a lemon wedge after patting dry.