Tips & Tricks: Clever Hints to Make Your Life
 Easier in the Kitchen

No matter how much or how little time you spend in the kitchen, finding ideas that make cooking easier is exciting. You may have read some of these tips before. But if you’re like me, you think you’ll remember it … only to realize later that out of sight is out of mind!

Have fun reading this information. If you have any questions or ideas to share, please let me know at tips@brunchandbeyond.com.

Cooking the Perfect Egg
Sometimes it’s a struggle to cook the perfect egg. Here are some tips for popular preparations. Whatever method you choose, remember to buy refrigerated eggs with clean, uncracked shells. Store them in the refrigerator in the carton with the large end up to keep them fresher and help center the yolks.

HARD COOKED EGGS (Boiled Eggs)
* Very fresh eggs are harder to peel. Use eggs that have been in your refrigerator for a few days.
* Before you submerge the egg, pierce its larger end with a thumbtack. This keeps the shell from cracking as it cooks.

1. Place large eggs in a single layer in a saucepan with enough cold tap water to cover completely by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
2. Remove the pan from the heat. Cover it and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 15 minutes.
3. Immediately place the eggs into a bowl of iced water until they are completely cooled. This step prevents the greenish ring from forming on the yolk and will keep it bright yellow.

SCRAMBLED EGGS
1. Beat 2 large eggs, 2 Tbs. water, 1/4 tsp. salt, and a pinch of ground pepper in a small bowl.
2. Melt 2 tsp. butter in a medium skillet and warm it over medium heat for 1 minute.
3. Pour in the egg mixture. As eggs set, stir slowly, forming large, soft curds. Cook just until no liquid egg remains.

Note: Higher heat helps eggs cook fast but strips them of their liquid. If you prefer fluffier scrambled eggs, try this instead to seal in the moisture: Heat 1 Tbs. butter and 3 Tbs. milk for every 2 eggs in a medium skillet and cook the eggs over low heat. This method raises the temperature so that the egg proteins hold on to more water.

SUNNY SIDE UP EGGS

1. Melt 2 tsp. butter in a medium skillet and warm it over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

2. Break 2 large eggs into the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Note:  If you’re constantly reforming the eggs after they’ve started cooking, try this to keep your circles intact: Break the egg into a small dish, then lower the dish just to the rim of your hot skillet. Quickly pour in the egg. It will form a circle with the yolk right in the center.

3. Cook until the edges turn white (about 1 minute).

4. Add 1 Tbs. water.

5. Cover skillet tightly and cook until the whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard (about 2 to 3 minutes).

POACHED EGGS

The fresher the egg, the prettier the poached egg. The white of a newly laid egg is more compact and will not spread as much as an older egg.

1. Bring 2-3 inches of water to a boil in a skillet. Reduce the heat to simmer.

Note:  Many cooks would poach eggs more frequently if they didn’t spread out and get runny as soon as they hit the water. To prevent this, add about 2 tsp. of white vinegar for every 2 cups of water. Its acidity binds the proteins in eggs, giving you nice round results.

2. Break the eggs, one at a time, into a small dish. Holding the dish close to the water’s surface, quickly pour the eggs into the water. Do not crowd the eggs in the pan.

3. Cook in gently simmering water about 3-5 minutes, until the whites are completely set and yolks are firm and covered with a thin, transparent white layer.

4. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon. Drain in the spoon or place on paper towels.

Keep Your Carafe from Cracking

If you’ve found out the hard way that pouring very hot tea or coffee into a cool container is the quickest way to shatter the glass, try this trick to absorb the heat: Stand a large metal spoon in the vessel before transferring the liquid. The metal absorbs some of the heat so the glass will not crack.

This tip works for individual serving containers, too. Before pouring the hot tea, coffee, or soup into a porcelain teacup or bowl, rest a metal spoon inside it.

Brew Better-Tasting Coffee

To get rid of the bitterness caused by residue in your coffee grinder, run 1 cup of dry white rice through the grinder once a month. The abrasive pellets scour away the buildup and sharpen blades, guaranteeing a delicious brew.

Great Muffins Every Time

For bakery-quality muffins, be sure your baking soda is fresh. To test it, stir a little into some vinegar. If it foams, it’s still active. If not, toss the box.

For nicely rounded muffin tops, grease only the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan so the batter can cling to the sides and rise.

Sticky Solutions

Before putting an opened bottle of pancake syrup or honey on a shelf, put a paper cupcake cup under it to catch any drippings.

To keep jam or honey jar lids from sticking, put a thin coat of petroleum jelly inside the cap.