Mom Cooking Tip 42

Don’t press burgers flat to speed their cooking because their juices will escape, making the burger dry.

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If I Were Making Airline Food...

I would work hard to provide a decent breakfast, not one where sugar is the first or second ingredient in packaged "cakes" and yogurts.  It would be hard to make anything less appetizing than the breakfast I was served a few days ago on a non-stop flight to London.  Unfortunately my stomach was captive, and I had failed to bring any snacks.

Granted, the breakfast was free, even though we were flying economy.  But the airline just reported a $3.3 billion profit for the final quarter of 2015.  How about taking 1 percent of that to upgrade the meals?

Had I planned ahead, here's what I would have packed:

Mom Money-Saving Tip 40

Naval oranges are now in season

Eat seasonally. This means buy corn, tomatoes, peaches, figs and other fruit in the summer, when they’re grown locally. Not only are they cheaper than other times in the year but also they taste better. Groceries often advertise bargain prices for foods in season because there’s so much available.

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Mom Cooking Tip 41

If your recipe calls for buttermilk and you don’t have any, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to milk and stir.

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A Recipe So Easy You Can Barely Call It Cooking

Sometimes I can’t face standing at the stove, and yet I can’t bring myself to order take-out either.  That’s when I turn to my secret ingredient—a pork tenderloin. If I don’t have one on hand, I will happily go to the store and get one.

I had never heard of this cut of meat growing up.  But some years ago when a new neighbor invited us for dinner and served Roast Pork Tenderloin, I was immediately hooked.

Mom Money-Saving Tip 39

Ethnic grocery stores sell specialty items like hoisin sauce and sesame oil cheaper than supermarket chains. You can also stock up on many varieties of lentils and spice mixtures at lower prices.

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A Happy Meal

What is a Happy Meal if you’re cooking it?  Definitely no toys, but otherwise anything is possible.  It just depends on whose happiness is at stake.  Do you want to make yourself happy by preparing your favorite meal?  Or would you rather be happy because you made someone else’s favorite meal and thus prevented bickering at the table?

As an eater, I’m easy.  I can make myself several dozen different dishes that qualify as a Happy Meal.  I recently discovered the joys of a fried egg sitting on a bed of couscous—but not the tiny granules of couscous I was used to.  I tried out some of Sadaf’s Toasted Couscous, which swells into BB-size granules when cooked.  It makes a perfect base for a fried egg.  Add salt, pepper and salsa.  I couldn’t be happier.