Mom Cooking Tip 126

Light Sour Cream (left), Mayonnaise (right)

When making chicken salad or potato salad, substitute light sour cream for most of the mayonnaise.  It’s more for taste than saving calories, although one tablespoon light sour cream has about half the calories of regular mayonnaise.

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Cornstarch: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

In England, cornstarch is called cornflour, and this is a clue to what is actually is—flour made from corn.  It’s sold in the baking section and often comes in a 16-ounce box.  I use it as a thickener for sauces, soups and gravies. 

Cornstarch, which feels silkier than flour, has a tendency to clump in the box.  Always dissolve it in cold water, stirring thoroughly to make sure no lumps remain.  If you add cornstarch directly to a hot liquid, you’ll end up with lots of lumps.

Cooking with Leftovers in Mind

Mom's Paella

If I’m not madly rushing to get dinner on the table with one of my quick entrees, I try to think ahead.  A large chicken, leg of lamb, pork roast or beef pot roast will provide at least 3 or maybe 4 extra meals, especially if there are just 2 or 3 of us eating.  A tray of lasagna should last for a week.

Mom Cooking Tip 125

Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar to homemade tomato sauce to brighten the flavor.

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Question for Mom

What is the difference between salted and unsalted butter? – Jack E. 

The salt content.   Unsalted butter has none, which means it doesn’t keep as long.  Salted butter can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 months.  Practically speaking, either one can be used in a recipe and can be substituted for each other.

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When an Interesting Recipe Is Not Worth Trying

Black Bean Lasagna

What finally prompted me to throw an interesting new recipe into the trash was this sentence: “Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.”

Question for Mom

Old-Fashioned Tin Flour Sifter 

Why do some recipes call for sifting flour?  Do I have to do it?—Shelley D.  

Years ago flour sometimes was a home for bugs, and sifting it before use allowed you to get rid of them.  Today’s flour does not have this problem.  I stopped sifting flour years ago after making a terrible mess in the kitchen.  I’m told that sifting flour is still recommended if you’re making delicate pastries.  Rather than get my old sifter out, I’d choose to make something else. 

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Mom Cooking Tip 124

To remove fat from gravy, soup or meat stews, refrigerate the cooked food overnight.  The fat will solidify and rise to the top of the container.  Use a fork or large soup spoon to lift the fat off and discard.  This technique is easier and more effective than trying to spoon away fat while the dish is still cooking.

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Another 4 Ways to Use Chocolate Chips

Jaffa Squares

I’ve got to stop eating chocolate chips straight from the package.  I suppose I could cut off my supply, which would mean no longer buying the 72-ounce bags from Costco.  But that seems like an extreme measure.  Surely I will soon need to make one of the many chocolate desserts that I have mastered over the years.

Chocolate chips are incredibly versatile as an ingredient. 

Parsnips: What Are They and How Do I Cook Them?

Carrots (left)  Parsnips (right)

Parsnips look like carrots but are cream-colored instead of orange.  They are a little sweeter than carrots but just as versatile.

I first tasted a parsnip at a dinner party when the hostess served Curried Parsnip Soup.  I was intrigued by the idea of a soup made from a vegetable I’d never heard of.  But I couldn’t fully taste the delicate flavor because of the seasoning.

A few days later I scrubbed and roasted a few parsnips as a side dish.  Everybody liked them.  Now I often add parsnips to a panful of raw vegetables, sprinkle on some olive oil and pop the pan into the oven for 45 minutes at 425 degrees.

Mom Cooking Tip 123

The secret to quickly chopping fresh parsley is not worrying about including a few cut-up stems with the leaves.  After washing and patting dry the amount of parsley you need, chop off and discard as much of the stems as you can with one big cut.  Then finely chop the leaves and remaining stems.

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The Healthy Reuben Bagel

There’s nothing like biting into a Reuben Sandwich and having corned beef juice dribbling down your face and sauerkraut falling into your lap.  The Reuben Sandwich of my dreams is so stuffed with these ingredients, plus melted Swiss cheese and Russian dressing on rye bread, that I can barely get it into my mouth.

I happily dealt with that problem for years until I decided that too much fatty meat was not good for me.  So I gave up eating Reuben Sandwiches. But I never forgot the taste.

Then I bought a dozen mixed bagels and discovered a rye bagel in the bag.  “Aha!” I thought.  “Time for a Reuben Sandwich.”

Question for Mom

How much juice can I squeeze out of an orange?  --Ashley A.

A large orange can yield from 1/2 to 2/3 cup juice.  A very large orange might yield as much as 1 cup juice.  Valencia oranges seem to provide more juice than navels, although a lot depends on how thick the skin is.  The thicker the skin, the less juice there is.  Another clue: the heavier the orange, the more juice it has.