The latest tips on what's cooking in the world of culinary preparation.
Alternative to alcohol
Alcohol is an optional ingredient in many recipes and gives a distinctive flavour. But, if you prefer, you can substitute stock in most savoury dishes and fruit juice in most sweet recipes.
Avocado touch test
To test whether an avocado is ripe, flick off the small stalk at the end. If it comes off easily, the fruit is ripe. Alternatively, cradle the avocado in the palm of your hand and apply gentle pressure to the stem end. if the avocado yields to slight pressure, it is ripe and ready to eat.
Baked cheesecake
Baked cheesecakes shrink and crack when overcooked. At the end of cooking the cheesecake will probably be soft in the centre but will firm after cooling. When the baking time is completed, turn oven off, leave the door ajar and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven.
Better dressing
A salad dressing made in a blender or food processor will not separate as quickly as one which is simply shaken in a glass jar.
Browning meat
When browning cubes of meat (or mince) for a casserole, sear meat in a hot pan in small quantities, stirring, over high heat until well browned all over. This will give the dish a rich colour and flavour.
Capsicum skins
To peel grilled or roasted capsicums, cover them with a damp tea towel. They will cool quickly and the skins will come off easily.
Cheap piping bag
A small, strong plastic bag (like a "clip lock") makes an excellent piping bag and is especially useful for drizzling chocolate. Fill the bag with slightly cooled melted chocolate, twist top tightly then cut a tiny hole in one corner. Discard the bag when you have finished.
Cheese-freeze
Parmesan cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer. It never freezes solid, so it can be grated as soon as you take it from the freezer.
Citrus peel
Use a zester to make citrus shreds. They are great for decorating cakes and desserts, especially when simmered beforehand in a sugar syrup.
Cooking greens
Leafy greens, such as spinach and silverbeet, don't need to be cooked in water. Wash leaves, shake off excess water and cook in a covered pan or in a microwave oven until just wilted.
Cook's clean-up
After removing a floury mix from a bowl (especially scone dough), soak bowl immediately in cold water. Warm or hot water makes it even more. "Dry-clean" your hands by rubbing a small amount of flour over your fingers and palms.
Crisp or puffy pastry
For crisp pastry, place a cold filling, such as cooked sliced apples, into a cold pastry case. An exception would be a puff pastry topping on a meat pie - place the pastry over a hot filling to maximise "puff".
Crunchy pork crackling
To make crunchy pork crackling, cook the rind separately from the meat. Cut the rind from the meat with a small, sharp knife and place it in a shallow baking dish; brush rind with one tablespoon of vegetable oil and rub with one tablespoon of coarse cooking salt. Bake, uncovered, in a very hot oven for about 40 minutes or until rind browns and crackles. Drain on absorbent paper.
Decorative chocolate curls
Run a vegetable peeler along the edge of a block of chocolate to create quick decorative curls for desserts and cakes.
Deveining prawns
The quickest and neatest way to devein an uncooked prawn is to insert a fine skewer just behind the head, using it to carefully draw out the vein in one piece.
Easy shaved parmesan
To make parmesan flakes for pasta and salads, use a vegetable peeler to slice thin shavings off a block of cheese
Good as new honey
Pure honey easily crystallises or candies. To reliquefy honey, stand the jar, uncovered, in hot water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Or place the uncovered jar in the microwave oven on medium (80 percent power) for about 20 seconds.
Handling cooking oil
Warm oil over a low beat before brushing it on food for grilling or barbecuing. Heating thins the oil so you will use less. Transfer oil from a large container into a pull-top water bottle or squeezable sauce bottle. This makes it easier to pour a small amount of oil into a measuring spoon or pan.
Herbs, dried or fresh
Remember, one teaspoon of dried herbs equals one tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs.
Juicy barbequed meats
When pan-frying, grilling or barbecuing meat, fish or poultry, turn it only once. Repeated turning will dry out the flesh.
Keep cooked rice
Don't waste leftover rice - it can be frozen for later use in patties, fried rice and other dishes.
Keeping fresh herbs
Keep herbs fresh by placing stems in a jug with a few centimetres of water; cover tops with a plastic bag; tie bag in place and refrigerate.
Keeping ripe bananas
There's no need to waste an oversupply of ripe bananas. You can freeze bananas, unpeeled, sealed in an airtight container or freezer bag. Simply thaw before mashing for use in banana cakes or muffins.
Level A baked cake
To level the top of a cooled cake, first return it to the cake pan. Then place a large serrated knife flat against the top of the pan and saw the blade across the cake's surface, using the, edge of the pan as a guide to top neatly.
Light pastry
It's best to make pastry in cool weather. Have the butter and water chilled. Handle the pastry quickly, lightly and as little as possible.
Low-fat vegies
Cut down on fat by grilling or barbecuing zucchini instead of frying them. Brush lightly with oil or mist with cooking oil spray before grilling.
Low-joule recipes
Instead of sour cream, try using low-fat plain yogurt in savoury recipes. Remove pan from heat and let it stand for a few minutes before stirring in the yogurt.
Make herb vinegar
Make your own herb vinegars. Wash and dry fresh herbs and place in sterilised bottles. Add enough white wine vinegar to fill bottle, then seal tightly. Keep refrigerated for up to two months.
Make self-raising flour
To convert plain flour into self-raising flour, add two teaspoons of baking powder to each cup of plain flour. Adding one teaspoon of cream of tartar and half a teaspoon of bicarbonate, of soda to one cup of plain flour gives the same result.
Measuring syrup and honey
Prevent syrups and honey sticking to your measuring spoon by running the spoon under hot water before using it.
Mess-free fruit baking
Use a large (Texas) muffin pan when baking whole apples, peaches and pears to contain the liquid content of the fruit. Keep the fruit upright to ensure that it cooks evenly.
No-waste tomato paste
To prevent mould forming on top of your tomato paste, pour a thin film of oil over the surface of the paste to stop air reaching the surface. Alternatively, freeze paste in level-tablespoon portions in ice-cube trays. When the paste is frozen, transfer to a bag and seal tightly.
Oil-free cooking
Try using stock rather than oil when stir-frying.
Onions without tears
To minimise tears while preparing onions, freeze them for 10 minutes or refrigerate for one hour before chopping - or try chopping them under a strong extractor fan
Peeling kiwifruit
To peel kiwifruit, slice off both ends and use a dessertspoon to push the flesh from the skin.
Perfect pastry
Allow pastry to "rest", wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before and after rolling. This helps relax the gluten (protein) in the flour and avoids shrinkage during baking.
Preparing anchovies
If you dislike the saltiness of anchovies, soak them in enough milk to cover for about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse before using.
Scorch-proof skewers
To stop bamboo skewers from scorching and splintering, soak them in water for one hour before use. If using a marinade high in sugar or honey, thread meat after marinating.
Shell nuts
Remove the brown, paper-like skins from hazelnuts by toasting them in a moderate oven for five to 10 minutes or until the skins begin to split. Wrap them in a tea towel and rub well to dislodge skins.
Shortcrust pastry
A food processor makes great shortcrust pastry, but take care not to over process. Use short, quick bursts of power when blending butter into flour. Use only enough water to make ingredients cling together; too much water causes shrinkage.
Skimming fat
Soups, stocks and casseroles should be made a day ahead and refrigerated. The fat will rise to die surface and solidify, making it easy to remove.
Skinning fish or chicken
To remove the skin from fish or chicken, dip your fingers in salt give you a good grip.
Testing a cake
To accurately test whether a cake is finished baking, insert a skewer into a smooth part of its top, close to the centre of the cake - never through a crack in the surface.
Thinly sliced meats
To cut raw meat or poultry in paper-thin slices, first cover the food in plastic wrap and partially freeze it. Remove from freezer, unwrap, and it will slice easily.
Using fillo pastry
To stop fillo drying out and cracking while you are working with it, cover pastry in a sheet of plastic wrap then in a damp tea towel.
