When a Recipe Ingredient Looks Wrong

I have often clipped out a recipe from a newspaper’s food page and then the following week noticed a correction.  Maybe the cooking time was wrong or an ingredient was left out.  Had I followed the recipe, it might have been a disaster. 

Such corrections make me cautious when trying new recipes.  Now I always read through the ingredients and directions several times, looking for anything that might be off.  Baking cookies at 500 degrees—no way.

Too Much Peanut Butter

Some years ago, spoonfuls of peanut butter served on top of banana slices was one of the most popular dishes in my house.  Pre-teens loved it, and I got into the habit of buying large quantities of peanut butter.

Now those pre-teens are teenagers, and they wouldn’t be caught dead eating such a juvenile snack.  I guess I wasn’t paying attention to their change in eating habits when I stocked up on two 48-ounce jars of peanut butter.

Mom Money-Saving Tip 96

Don’t grocery shop when you’re hungry.  You’re much more likely to make impulse purchases that you’ll regret.  Stock up after lunch, not before dinner.

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When the Kitchen Explodes!

“Explosion” may be an exaggeration.  But when the dishwasher leaks and mold is discovered, it might as well have been an explosion.  “I hope you’re planning to eat out,” the workman said as he turned off the water and turned on the giant dehumidifier for its five-day stay in our kitchen. 

Then he added, “You can use two of those gas burners.”  Luckily the oven was on the opposite wall and also unaffected.  “We’ll pretend we’re camping,” Bart said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Do Pie Crusts Scare You?

Rolling out pie dough often scares cooks so much that they forget about making a pie.  I inherited my grandmother’s rolling pin, which somehow gave me the courage to makes pies.  However, I’m still hesitant to make those that require a top crust.

This very easy pie crust recipe made out of cream-filled sandwich cookies (like Hydrox or Oreo) only works for desserts.  I came up with it several years ago when I was unable to locate a box of graham crackers.  I liked it better than a graham cracker crust and have been making it ever since.

Mom Money-Saving Tip 95

Reluctant to throw out mixed lettuce leaves that are no longer at their best?  Add them to a stir fry or soup.  They will shrink when cooked but will add a bit of flavor and a lot of color.  And you won’t feel guilty about wasting food.

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Dijon Mustard: What Is It and How Do I Cook with It?

When I first heard the words “Dijon Mustard,” I thought, How exotic!”  Instead of being limited to American brown mustard and bright yellow mustard, a new world of choices was opening up.

Mom Cooking Tip 147

Shrimp Cocktail

If guests show up unexpectedly at dinnertime and you don't have enough food, here’s what to do:

1) Add garlic bread (keep a loaf of French bread in the freezer; if it’s too big, cut it in half before freezing).

2) Make extra baked potatoes.

3) Serve a soup or a salad before the main course.

4) Keep a bag of shrimp in the freezer and use it to make Shrimp Cocktail as an appetizer. 

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Do You Love Garlic?

There was a time when the only kind of garlic available to cooks was a head of fresh garlic.  Garlic presses flourished.

Getting Everything on the Table at Once

Stir-Fried Rice

Lots of people think cooking is hard, but the real challenge is getting everything on the table at once.  The simplest approach is a picnic.  If everything is served cold, a lot of last-minute juggling is not required.  Just take the food out of the basket – or refrigerator – and spread it out on the tablecloth.  If you want, you can spend days preparing.  But you won’t be exhausted when it’s time to eat.

However, most diners want their meal to be served hot, and that takes planning.

Raw Shrimp vs. Cooked Shrimp: Which Is Better?

Are you extremely squeamish about peeling raw shrimp?  If so, stop reading and continue buying cooked shrimp.  But use that shrimp for Shrimp Cocktail or Shrimp Salad—dishes that don’t require cooking the shrimp any further.

If you can handle pulling the shells off raw shrimp and then cooking them, your shrimp dishes will taste much better.  The reason is simple. 

Question for Mom

Why does hot cocoa taste so chocolaty? --Serena S.

Adding boiling water or very hot milk to cocoa powder makes the chocolate flavor more intense.  The same holds true if you make a cake using cocoa powder.  Just be sure the liquid you add to the cocoa is very hot - no cold milk or tap water.  Combine the hot liquid with the cocoa powder first--before mixing it with the other ingredients.

This Devil’s Food Cake recipe, made with cocoa powder, will be gobbled up within 24 hours.

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