Top 5 Kitchen Hacks Of 2017
Culinary academy students are busy people between learning new skills and potentially holding another job, so they don’t have time for unnecessary tasks. You can cut the fat out of cooking to save time and still produce stellar food. Check out these common kitchen woes and the creative hacks to fix them:
1. Flour on the counter
As every baking and pastry arts student knows, flour has a way of getting on everything. This means you’re stuck cleaning while your delicious treat sits in the oven. However, it can be easier. Place a glass cutting board on your counter so the flour falls on it. When you’re done working, you can just lift the cutting board, pour the mess into the garbage and clean it. No more hard-to-clean flour on your counters!
2. Your bread is stale
Perfecting your bread-baking skills often leaves you with lots of loaves. If your family and friends don’t gobble them up quickly and your food goes stale, you can still save it and prevent waste. Chef Sara Moulton shared her hack on the Rachel Ray Show. Place your loaf under a running faucet, getting it nice and wet. Then wrap it tightly in tin foil and pop it in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and let it slowly warm up for about 12 minutes. When you pull it out, the bread will be soft again! Of course, some loaves are better crispy, so stick them back in the oven, uncovered, for about 5 minutes to crisp.
Stale bread can be saved with a little water, tin foil and heat.3. Your greens start to wilt
Unless you’ve purchased fresh leafy greens with a specific recipe in mind, using them up before they wilt can be a challenge. Should you not use them in time, all is not lost. Chop them up, stick them in a plastic baggie and place them in the freezer. Use the greens for dishes that accept frozen vegetables well, like stir fry.
4. You have a hard time skimming fat
Making a hearty soup or stew? That means you’ll have to skim off excess fat, which can be tricky to do. Make it easier by wrapping ice cubes in paper towels or cheese cloth and brushing the pack along the surface of your dish. The ice will turn the fat from a liquid to a solid, making it easier to spot and scoop.
5. Your fingers smell like garlic
Ahh garlic: A delicious staple ingredient whose pungent aroma seems to cling to you no matter what you do. Once you’re done cooking, you probably want that smell off of your hands, but no amount of soap will do. Instead, grab a stainless steel surface, whether it’s your sink or a pan. Rub your hands on the metal while the faucet is pouring cold water. Ions in garlic are naturally drawn to those in the steel, pulling the smell off of your hands.
