Question for Mom

Can I freeze milk?  --Naomi A.

Yes.  Milk freezes well.  I often freeze extra milk or milk that has gone sour, defrosting it to use when making bread or cake.  One key thing to remember: like any liquid, milk will expand when it freezes, so do not fill the container completely to the top.  Leave at least 1 inch of space in a wide-rimmed container and at least 2 inches in a narrow-rimmed container.  Otherwise, the container may crack from the pressure of the liquid expanding.

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Mom Cooking Tip 112

Need an emergency dessert?  Chocolate Chip Squares are easier to make than chocolate chip cookies.  You just need some basics + chocolate chips.  Clean-up is quick because you mix and bake in the same pan.

My Worst Food Prep Job

Cooks deal with a lot of yucky jobs in the kitchen, but right now I can’t think of anything worse than removing the skin of a raw chicken.  Maybe I’ll feel differently when I sit down to eat Indian-Style Whole Roast Chicken tonight, but not now.

Question for Mom

I thought all mangoes were the same, but I just found a new kind at my grocery store.  What’s the difference between baseball-size mangoes that are green with large areas of red and smaller, yellow mangoes? – Gloria Z.

Taste, for one thing.  The yellow mangoes, called ‘Yellow Honey’ or ‘Honey’ mangoes, can be a little sweeter.

(Left) Honey Mango  (Right) Tommy Atkins Mango

After some investigation, I learned that the name of the bigger mango, which is the type I always see in Southern California, is called ‘Tommy Atkins.’  It’s named after the Florida farmer who first grew it on his property and recognized its commercial potential.  It travels well and therefore is commonly available in produce aisles.

Mom Cooking Tip 111

if you need something cooled-off quickly, put it in the freezer for 30 minutes.  However, don’t make a habit of this because you don’t want your frozen foods to start defrosting.

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I Can Make That Too: Chicken Tikka in Mom’s Kitchen vs. the Restaurant Version

Mom's Chicken Tikka

Chicken Tikka is basically an Indian shish kebab with lots of spices.  Traditionally these kebabs are cooked in a tandoor oven, which can heat up to nearly 1,000 degrees.  Indian restaurants have such ovens.  I don’t.  I researched online and found one for $600+. Not worth it.  I decided to use my own oven, which will heat to 545 degrees and makes perfectly respectable Chicken Tikka.

Mom Cooking Tip 110

To help bacon slices separate from each other, roll the package of bacon into a cylinder and squeeze it a few times before opening it.

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