Mom Cooking Tip 162

Bake a fruit pie on a rimmed baking sheet.  That way if the juices overflow, they won’t get on the floor of the oven.

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Basmati Rice: What Is It and How Do I Cook It?

Before Indian food became popular in the U.S., basmati rice was hard to find except in Indian specialty stores.  Now in California, at least, it’s available everywhere.  It’s more expensive than long-grain American rice.  A grain of basmati rice is a little longer and skinnier than long-grain American rice and, to me, tastes better.

What’s special about basmati rice?  Some rice tastes blah when it’s not covered with sauce.  Basmati rice has a slight nutty flavor and can be served as a plain side dish. However, it also goes well with sauces and is commonly requested in Indian recipes.

Simple, Cheap and Tasty – What’s Not to Like?

I have to be in the mood to make an appetizer—especially if no company is coming for dinner.  But I will make an exception for White Bean Spread because I like it so much.  There are just 4 ingredients, plus some slices of crusty bread, although even stale bread taste good with a dollop of this spread.

If you want to feel like you’re really cooking, you can buy dried white beans and cook them yourself.

My Love/Hate Relationship with Cauliflower

Sometimes when I see some nice-looking heads of cauliflower, I’ll put one in my shopping cart and start thinking about one of my early favorite dishes, Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce.

Once I get home I put the cauliflower in the vegetable bin.  At least half the time I forget it’s there, and three weeks later I discover it, along with all the mold that has appeared on the florets.

Mom Cooking Tip 161

To prevent lettuce and other fresh greens from deteriorating in the fridge’s vegetable bins, store them in a sealed plastic bag, along with a paper towel.  The paper towel will absorb excess moisture and keep the greens fresh for a few days.

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Cooked Apples for Breakfast

If I eat an apple, it’s almost always as a snack—or in an apple pie.  But now that I’ve tasted my friend Judy’s Cooked Apples with Honey, Yogurt and Granola, I make a point of keeping apples on hand for breakfast.

Thanks to the honey, Judy’s cooked apples don’t have the overwhelming sweetness of apple pie filling, but they’re not tart either.  Topped with a tablespoon or two of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of granola, they are a novel way to start the day.  Or serve this dish as a healthy dessert.

Just About Any Topping Goes with Spaghetti—Even Mussels

I love spaghetti so much that I could eat it every night of the week.  When I was younger, Spaghetti with Garlic Sauce was my dish of choice.  Hot pasta mixed with fresh chopped garlic, Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley kept me and my food budget happy.

Bart introduced me to Spaghetti with Clam Sauce (aka Spaghetti Vongole).  I immediately liked it, possibly because it bears a great resemblance to Spaghetti with Garlic Sauce, minus clams and tomatoes.

Mom Cooking Tip 160

                Semi-frozen raw meat is much easier to cut thinly than meat at room temperature.

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I Can Make That Too: Mom’s Eggs Benedict vs. Fischer’s Viennese Café’s Version

Fischer's Viennese Cafe Version of Eggs Benedict

I credit James Bond with my introduction to Eggs Benedict, a wonderful, slightly decadent egg dish that, if made right, you’ll never forget.

Eggs Benedict is usually served for breakfast or brunch, but 007 had his with Jack Daniel’s as a late-night snack in “You Only Live Twice.”  I prefer mine for brunch because it gives me the rest of the day to digest all the butter the dish calls for.

Eggs Benedict are more complicated than an omelet and can go wrong in several ways.  But if you get them even partly right, the effort is worth it.

Mom Cooking Tip 159

I was well into making Chocolate Chip Cookies when I suddenly realized I was out of eggs.  Should I drop everything and rush to the store?  Kevin, my cookbook co-author,said, "No.  When that happens to me, I substitute 1/4 cup sour cream, and the cookies taste just as good."  So I did, and they did.

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