Tips Archives - Page 15 of 21

How to Pick the Best Kitchen Knife

January 8, 2015February 26, 2015 Rachel Sherwood

The knife is the most important and also most dangerous tool in the kitchen. When you have one that works well for you, you can feel comfortable preforming many essential kitchen tasks with ease and without injury. Remember you can’t cook if you don’t have the proper tools. The knife is one of the most essential tools and it has the ability to make your experience in the kitchen easy and pleasant or dangerous and time consuming. Here are the things you need to know to get you the best tool for the job.

1. It’s all about you:

The most important key to choosing the perfect knife for you is how it feels in your hand. Think of the knife as an extension of your arm. You hold on to the knife with your hand; the weight and pressure of your arm and knife combined preform the task. Therefore the perfect knife for one person may not be the perfect knife for you. There are many different styles, weights, shapes, materials and handle varieties that all play a part in this. It should feel comfortable, balanced and secure when you hold it, and if chosen well should support you in how you cook.

2. Picking the blade, Stamped and Forged Knives:

The terms “Stamped” and “forged” have to do with the quality of the metal and how the knife is made. This will contribute to the weight and the longevity of the knife as well.

(4 varieties of Forged knives)

Forged knives – are made in the process of heating and cooling, which shapes the knife and makes the metal stronger. A forged knife tends to be a little heavier, better balanced, and sturdy. The metal does not have much flex to it and the knives usually have a bolster (a notch at the end of the blade before the handle that protects the fingers). Forged knives are made of harder metal so usually are harder to sharpen but keep a good edge longer. Because of how these knives are made, they are more expensive than stamped knives. If taken care of properly, a forged knife will last a lifetime.

(a set of Stamped knives)

Stamped knives – are made from a sheet of metal that is stamped into a blade shape as if with a cookie cutter and then a handle is attached. A stamped knife tends to be lighter in weight, and has a bit of flex to it. The metal is lighter and softer so it is easy to sharpen but also does not keep the sharp edge very long. To keep a good edge stamped knives will need to be sharpened more often and will breakdown faster than a forged knife. Because of how these knives are made they are pretty affordable.

Note: The strongest and usually most well-balanced knives are forged from a single piece of steel that runs the entire length of the knife through the entire handle. The section of steel inside the handle is called the “tang”. The tang adds strength and balance to the knife. If it runs all the way to the end of the handle, it’s called a “full-tang.” If the metal only extends half-way into the handle it is called a “partial tang” or “half-tang”. If there is no metal in the handle, these are simply “no-tang” knives. In my opinion if you are going to invest in a forged knife, invest in one that is a full-tang as the overall quality of the knife will be better and the handle will be less prone to cracking.

Some knives have synthetic comfort handles so the tang may not be visible.

(you can see the full tang of the knife in the handle here. This adds balance and strength.)

A Forged knife is good for a person who really wants a quality knife and has the money to invest in one, and the willingness to take the time to care for it properly. To keep them in good condition forged knives should always be hand-washed. Never put them in the dishwashers as the heat and soap there damage the knifes handles and dull the blades.

A Stamped knife is good for a person who wants a really lightweight knife or if they are not interested in taking extra steps to properly care for the knife. These are great for picnics, camping and fishing, college students, so that if they get damaged, dull or misplaced they can be inexpensively replaced. They are good if you are on a tight budget or if you like to have an abundance of knives.

3. Style and Shape Matter:

There are many different types, shapes and styles of knifes. Each specific knife is designed for a particular task. If you want to invest in a new knife start by choosing a Chef’s Knife. The Chef’s knife is the most common as it is the main workhorse of the kitchen ranging in size from 4in to 18in in length. Again, you must choose the length and weight that is comfortable for you. A knife for a 6ft man is going to be very different from the one for a 4ft woman, but they can both have the same quality of knife.

Also take into consideration the material the handle is made of. It could be metal, synthetic, wood, plastic or even bone. Notice if it is too wide, narrow, heavy, or thin for your hand. It should be comfortable, well-balanced and secure in your hand so you are less likely to accidentally slip while using it.

Want to know how to keep your knife in good condition and upgrade your kitchen experience? Read more here.

Want more techniques and secrets about the perfect knife for you and how to use it making food prep fast and easy? Join me at my next class – The Cutting Edge – and I will answer all your questions in person.

Peppermint Foot Soak

January 1, 2015January 1, 2015 Rachel Sherwood

Life is full of “things we need to do”. It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of just being busy. Take time for yourself, celebrate all that you have accomplished. Give yourself a little time to relax and replenish so you can continue to give. Next time you are out at the store add these three ingredients (Epsom salt, baking soda and pure peppermint oil) to mix up a little relaxation at home.

Peppermint Foot Soak

1 cup Epsom salt
1/2 cup baking soda
10 -15 drops pure peppermint oil

Mix all ingredients tighter in a bowl and store in an airtight jar in a dark cool place. To use add ¼ cup of the Peppermint Soak with 6 cups of warm water and soak your feet for 15-20 minutes. Pat feet dray with a towel and enjoy your refreshed, relaxed and softer feet.

Natural pain reliever at work, here is what each ingredient does.

Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is a pure mineral. It is used in many bath salt remedies to relieved sore muscles. It also helps with ‘detoxing’. Epsom salt is believed to draw out toxines from the body.

Peppermint essential oil is antibacterial and anti-fungal, making your feet clean and smell good. This natural oil is also great for aromatherapy and stress relief.

Baking Soda helps to neutralize acid and alkaline regulating pH levels, detoxing and cleansing the body as well as assisting in keeping the salts from sticking together and clumping.

*I love ingredients that can multitask and work well in many areas, here are a few other uses for Peppermint oil:

Reduce Headaches: Massage a few drops of peppermint oil around the temples, the base of the skull and along the hairline. This will help decrease tension.

Non-toxic Household Cleaner: Mix with vinegar and water to make an efficient, all purpose cleaner.

1/2 cup white vinegar
32 oz. (1 quart) water
1/4 tsp. to 1/2 tsp. peppermint essential oil

Pick up your copy of The Pretty Plate for more simple techniques and recipes, and learn about the five elements to make your everyday meals magnificent.

How to Build a Perfect Cheese Plate in 3 Simple Steps

December 24, 2014February 10, 2015 Rachel Sherwood

From my research I have found that the most common reasons people don’t invite others over is because of time, money, and know how. Don’t let this stop you from celebrating and enjoying your loved ones! Entertaining is easy when done with cheese plates. Here is how to put together a beautiful tasty cheese plate. All will be sure to please even the most picky eaters. After a lot of tasting and research I did all the work for you creating The Pretty Plate Cheese Paring Guide that lists no-fail paring for cheese and accompaniments.

I just love cheese plates for so many reasons. Did you know it takes no longer to put together a cheese plate then it does to set out chips and salsa? And it is more creative, and delicious. Cheese plates can be done in advance to let you do other things before people arrive. You can make it fit for any diet or appetite, and party budget by choosing the perfect accompaniments and can serve the plate as appetizers, a first course and even desserts. Here is what you need to know to be a success.

Cheeses come in a wide range of price points. Cheese can be very simple and or sophisticated and still be stunning and delicious. Putting it together is simpler than you think! You don’t need to know all the 1,000 varieties of cheese – they all fit into 6 simple categories.

6 Cheese Categories

Fresh:

Very soft and delicate; Easily spreadable
Mild and can be slightly sweet
Not aged – should be consumed quickly once open for best flavor.

Examples: Cream Cheese, Ricotta, Fresh Mozzarella

Soft:

Easily spreadable, may have a white/creamy rind, which is usually edible and tends to have stronger flavor then the interior. They are usually buttery and savory even sometimes bitter or earthy.

Examples: Brie, Camembert, Goat Cheese

Semi-Soft:

Are smooth, mild buttery to slightly sharp; can be slightly acidic. This category has the widest variety of flavors.

Examples: Fontina, Montery Jack, Harvarti and Muenster

Firm:

Slightly salty, nutty, getting more complex and drier with age, Some have a non-edible wax rind.

Examples: Gouda, Edam, Gruyere, Cheddar

Hard:

Pleasantly sharp and salty, sometimes Crumbly, Usually “grating cheeses”

Examples: Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, Manchego

Blue Veined:

Firm and crumbly, can be pungent, sharp, salty and earthy

Examples: Gorgonzola, Stilton, Roquefort

*Note the factor that will move a cheese from one category to the next is age. The age of a cheese deepens the flavors and changes the texture. You can have aged goat cheese and cheddars for example that will move up to the next level or young Swiss cheese that can move down.

A great eye-catching plate has these basic elements: color, shape and texture:

There are endless combinations of cheeses; accompaniments colors, shapes and textures to play with so you may fall in love with one particular combination that you serve all the time or each time it may be different.

You can do this! And you may even already have the items you need in your house. Get your Cheese Paring Guide for simple delicious no-fail pairings.

Here is how to make an eye-catching and delicious cheese plate:

Step 1 – Pick Your Cheese:

Select 3 cheeses from any variety of the cheese categories: For example you may choose a Soft, Firm and Blue cheese for one plate or Semi-soft, Firm, and hard cheeses for another.

Step 2 – Pick the Accompaniments:

Accompaniments are all the little extras that pair with the cheese. Try picking 2-3 accompaniments to go with 3 cheeses. When choosing your accompaniments keep color, shape and texture in mind. The best thing about accompaniments are that most of them are shelf-stable.

Oil and Vinegar: extra virgin olive oil, flavored oils or aged balsamic vinegar
Nuts: almonds, pistachios, spiced walnuts
Syrups and spreads: honey, maple syrup, fruit chutney, savory jellies and mustards
Fruits and vegetables: both fresh and dried items work here, grapes, apricots, roasted asparagus, marinated mushrooms
Bread, cracker, and cookies: Variety of crackers, rustic breads, crostini, shortbread, ginger thins
Meat: Prosciutto, salami, ham, mild peperoni

Step 3 – Putting it on the Plate:

Choose a large plate or even a nice cutting board to display your cheeses. Nothing with too many designs on it as this will take away from the beauty of the cheeses.

Feel free to leave the cheese in manageable wedges or slice or crumble a few pieces to make it easy for guests to enjoy quickly. If the cheese is crumbly or very soft like some blue cheese and brie leave it whole with a cheese knife beside it and let the guests do the work.

Place accompaniment around cheese to create a colorful edible display. Remember, a great eye-catching platter has color, shape and texture. Use the color and shape of the cheese and accompaniment to add accents and interest as well as flavor. Want a little assistance? Get your Cheese Paring Guide for simple delicious no-fail pairings.

Lastly have appropriate cheese knives or spreaders and spoons if necessary readily available for serving. A great option would also be to label the cheeses so your guests know what they are tasting or you can explain them as well.

Creating Memories with Gingerbread House

December 18, 2014December 18, 2014 Rachel Sherwood

Last week I was posting about how much fun we had creating a gingerbread house with my niece Lilly and her dad. I had many comments about our creation and some even said, “Although impressive and fun, how did this not become a disaster in your kitchen?”. So, in my continued attempt to spread holiday cheer, here is how I did it and how pre-planning made this process so much fun for all whoever involved -adults and kids alike. Do note although this technique will help you create a tasty, edible decoration with minimum mess. This is a slightly more advanced and time-consuming project. It is a bit of a commitment but the results, smiles and memories created are so worth it! As Lilly said, “This is my first gingerbread house ever and I just love it, I can’t wait to give it to my mommy.”

Lily and her completed gingerbread house

Gingerbread house decoration set up

Step 1 Make the dough

This is the recipe I used. I wanted something sturdy but also edible. Note that because it is soft enough to be edible it is meant for the basic house construction not for gingerbread mansions. Working in dry climates also helps, as humidity will soften this dough overtime. I recommend using a strong-stand mixer as the dough is a bit though to mix at the end.

5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the molasses and egg, and then gradually add the dry ingredients. Chill the dough for at least one hour before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Roll dough about 1/4″ thick, a little thicker is fine but not thinner as you need sturdy walls. Cut out house pieces. You can find patterns online or make your own. I made my own by cutting 2 4×6 sidewalls. I added small windows to tell them apart from the roof. I measured the first wall and then lifted that cutout piece on top of new dough to trace out the second, so it would match. I did this same process with the front/back walls making them 4 inches high creating a pitch for the roof and adding a cut out for a small window and door to the front panel leaving the back solid. Just make sure that the sides are all the same height and the roof matches the length of the sides. I would recommend not making the pitch of the roof too steep, as it is harder to get it to stay in place at the higher angels. (Some stores even sell cookie cutters for the walls and roof.)

Bake cutouts on parchment-lined cookie sheet with 1 inch space between them until slightly darker in color and crisp on the edges, about 15-20 minutes.

(I rolled out and used all the extra dough to make stars, angels, trees and people for eating and extra decoration.)

Allow to cool on cookie sheet completely before assembling

Step 2 Assemble the house

You will need a strong “glue” to hold things in place. Make this recipe for Royal Icing that will harden solid.

4 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons meringue powder
4 to 6 tablespoons warm water
pastry bag or zip top plastic bag with one corner cut off 1/8 inch

In a bowl, beat the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder and 4 tablespoons water on low until blended. Beat on high for 8-10 minutes or until glossy with stiff peaks, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.

Remember this frosting must have stiff peaks or it will be too soft to hold the house together. Scrape frosting into a plastic piping bag and use to assemble the house. Feel free to make an additional batch to color for extra decoration. Note, thinner frosting is good for decorating elements but stiff thicker frosting is best for initial house assembly and adding larger candy decorations.

To assemble the house pipe thick layers of frosting along the sidewall edges pushing them together and holding in place with soup cans, bottles or spice jars for extra support while it dries. You can also add a thicker layer of frosting over the initial ones for extra insurance. Allow the four walls to dry well before adding the roof. Allow assembled house to fully dry and harden overnight before decorating.

I lined a piece of cardboard cut so that it is fit within a sheet pan with foil to use as base for the house. This way you can move it and decorate a winter scene around the house as well.

Step 3 Decorate It

The decoration is all about fun and creativity this is where I involve the kids. Repeat, I DID NOT build the house with the kids, I just let them decorate it. The somewhat precise nature and waiting process involved with building the house are not something I recommend doing with children under the age of 8 unless they really love building and they have patience. Here is what I did to make decorating fun, easy and quick to clean up.

In the morning I made an extra slightly thinner batch of frosting and divided it to make colors red, green, blue and white, which I left thicker to add heavy candies. I put all of these in plastic piping bags. Squirt bottle will work too for younger kids who may not work with a bag so well. If they can handle the plastic bags these are great for clean up because you can just toss them out when finished.

For decorations, I pulled out a variety of sprinkles, cookies and candies. There are many items that are perfect for embellishments – think marshmallows, pretzel sticks, seeds, gum, cereals, jelly beans just look through your cupboards and see what fun things you already have; add extra candies if you desire. Use frosting to glue candies in place and paint on other embellishments. Have fun, be creative and remember there is no right or wrong way to decorate a gingerbread house.

The key to success with decorating is to manage the mess. Line your countertops with paper or foil before you begin. Put your house and any cookies on sheet pans with lips and designate these as sprinkle only areas. This way all the extra sprinkles will stay in the pan and not end up on your floors. Put decoration options in small bowls or cups so they are easy to access. For this process disposable items are best for quick clean up. When finished remove the house from your lined sheet pan, toss out the extra collected sprinkles. Save extra candies if desired and then fold the foil or paper on the counter in wards gathering up all the extra messes and toss the whole thing away. All the fun with very little mess. Happy holidays and enjoy!

I would love to see your finished results. Please share your story and success at https://www.facebook.com/ImpressionsFoodstyling

Top 6 Store-Bought Time-Savers

December 10, 2014December 10, 2014 Rachel Sherwood

I love to cook and I do believe that homemade items will always be better for you, less expensive and tastier. However, there is that never-ending battle of time vs. money. And when you need it there really are some wonderful quality products that are readily available to make delicious meals at home that much easier. Here are a few of the go-to items I look to when I am in a pinch.

6. Dip, spread and slather

There are a variety of pre made dips, cheese spreads, hummus varieties and pureed vegetable spreads like roasted red pepper spreads and Baba Ganoush (roasted eggplant). These are perfect to put out with fresh vegetables and crackers for snacks or appetizers or spread over a sandwich or thin them down and make them into a sauce for an entrée. Options are tasty and have almost endless possibilities. There are even sweet spreads like pumpkin butter, apple butter and lemon curd perfect for breakfast and dessert applications.

5. Cured Sausages

Cured or smoked sausage are items I always have in my house not only because I am married to a Polish man, but mainly because they have so much versatility. Cured sausages can be eaten cold, which is a big plus when time is of the essence and stomachs are growling. Slice and serve for snacks, pair with cheeses for a simple cheese plate or cut into chunks and skewer for appetizers. You can cook them crisp and serve for breakfast with eggs. Add them to pasta, rice or sauté them and put sausages over creamy polenta even add them to soups and stew for a extra hearty rich flavor. Cured meats keep for longer periods than fresh meats so you and keep them on hand as a backup anytime.

4. The olive bar

I am in love with the olive bar at the grocery store. There is great variety of not just olives but also peppers, garlic, marinated beans, and artichoke heats. These are perfect for snacks, appetizers and quick additions to salads.

3. Pre-made dough and boxes baking mixes

From cookie dough and brownies to pancakes and crescent rolls, yes, even pretzels – the Immaculate Baking Company is producing high quality dough and baking mixes perfect for quick breakfast accompaniment of cinnamon rolls, appetizers made with crescent rolls, piecrusts for sweet and savory applications. You can do a lot and solve many problems with these Non-GMO and even some gluten-free options as well.

2. Rotisserie chicken

It continually surprises me that in many stores you can pick up a fully cooked perfectly seasoned rotisserie chicken for almost the same price as a raw one. This is the quickest dinner fix! Slice and serve with sides, but I also love using this in recipes shredding the chicken for salads, making a filling for chicken pot pies, using the meat in soups or even using it as a pizza topping. The pre-cooked chicken is a quick delicious time-saver and it’s wildly versatile.

1. Shop the salad bar

This is the ultimate time-saver when it comes to quick prep and also if you know you need a little bit of particular items. For me I use this trick a lot with roasted beets. I love them and like adding them to salads, soups, and purring them. But peeling and roasting can be messy and time-consuming so I love going to the salad bar and picking up the exact amount I need of already tender-roasted prepared beets. You can do this with any of the ingredients like cut peppers and hard-boiled eggs, sliced fresh or dried fruits, etc. Take a look next time you are at the store – shopping the salad bar may just be your time-saving key to success.

Do you have a cooking or entertaining dilemma? I will work up the perfect solution to your biggest problems just let me know.

Pick up your copy of The Pretty Plate for more simple techniques and recipes, and learn about the five elements to make your everyday meals magnificent.