Kitchen Tutorials

Cake
For a successful quick bread, cake, or anything that a light, fluffy consistency is desired, bring all of your ingredients to room temperature.  It keeps components of your batter from solidifying.  The reactions will happen more freely, allowing for a lighter cake.


Crustaceans
Shrimp must be de-veined.  Running along their belly and sometimes their back is a track of waste...or simply put, poop.  Take a sharp knife and run run it along its underside and it becomes easily removed.
Fish
There's multiple ways to go about cooking fish. It can be pan seared, broiled, grilled, regardless of how you do it, you cannot over cook it.  Allow me to repeat this.  DO NOT OVER COOK FISH.  ...ever.

Now that point has been made, lets to move on to how you can put this advice into practice.

There are two good indicators of when the fish has had enough heat.
One:  Insert a fork into the fillet, if the meat flakes up, its done.
Or...
Two:  Look on the side of the fillet.  You want the middle of the fillet to be underdone.  When you remove the fish from off the heat, its going to continue cooking.

By not over cooking your fish, you're preventing chewiness and dryness.  And still obtaining the chance to impress you guests.


Meat
Rinsing  your meats disposes of any bone dust, dyes, or bacteria.

Using cool water is key.  Delicate meats, such as fish, crustaceans, or filleted items, will begin to cook rather than being cleansed if warm or hot water is used.  Warm water may also prove to be a breeding ground for bacteria.

Pasta
ALWAYS salt your water when boiling your pasta.  That goes in the case of potatoes as well.  Its important to salt your dishes in layers, so to speak.  As the cook, you gain more control, and a more accurate taste of flavors.  Don't forget, flavors bloom.

Pie Crust
Pie crust has the tendency to break before you get it to the pan. So roll out the dough, dust it lightly with  rice flour, so then it won't stick, and fold it into a square and set it right on top of the pile of fruit or into the pan, unfold it.