Mom Cooking Tip 140

Don’t cover chocolate when you’re melting it.  Drops of condensation may fall into the chocolate and ruin it.  Instead, put the chocolate in a thick-bottomed frying pan over very low heat and stir until the chocolate is about half-melted.  Turn off the heat and let the chocolate sit in the pan.  The residual heat of the pan will cause the rest of the chocolate to melt.

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Feta Cheese: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

When I was growing up, the only cheese regularly in my family’s refrigerator was a block of processed Cheddar.  It felt like modeling clay, and it was fun to play with.  I ate it and liked it because I didn’t know what else was out there.

Occasionally my father would ask my mother to buy Swiss cheese, but I never really cared for it.  Then I spent a summer in Greece as an exchange student and discovered feta cheese.  It was very salty, but it was the perfect accompaniment to a dish of sliced ripe tomatoes.

When I came back to my Pennsylvania small town,

Mom Cooking Tip 139

Looking for a flavor boost?  Add a teaspoon of soy sauce to a soup, sauce or stew.

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Disguising a Food Purchase Mistake

When I was at my local supermarket recently, I discovered a two-pound bag of individually frozen salmon fillets on sale and immediately bought a package.  The price was right--$5.99 for 6 fillets instead of $12.99.

I pan-fried two of them for dinner that night and got a resounding boo from my husband.  After a few bites, he pushed the salmon around his plate for a while and then took an extra helping of rice.  Seldom has he been so negative about what I cook.

I couldn’t bring myself to throw out the other fillets.  I figured I would eat them when he was away on a trip. 

A few weeks later I had an idea.

Question for Mom

What can you do if chocolate seizes up when you’re melting it?  --Helen H.

Not a lot.  Chocolate gets gritty when a tiny bit of water gets into it during the melting process.  Some people suggest adding some corn oil or canola oil to the mixture, but I’ve never had any success doing that.  To calm myself down, I add some cream or milk, as well as sugar if I’m using unsweetened chocolate, and turn the mess into a cup of hot chocolate.  Adding a lot of liquid to gritty chocolate makes the gritty texture go away. 

Once you’ve enjoyed the hot chocolate, start melting a new batch of chocolate.  Here are some effective ways to do that. 

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Whenever Possible Make Baked Stuffed Potatoes

Like eating Chicken Soup when you’re feeling under the weather, Baked Stuffed Potatoes are a cure-all.  A little butter, some cheese, a large dollop of sour cream, garlic and spices—what more can a potato ask for to become the center of attention?

I recently realized that making these potatoes needn’t be a huge drain on my energy just before dinner.  Why not prepare them early in the day and keep refrigerated until the final baking? 

Here’s the plan:

Mom Cooking Tip 138

Bacon slices are easier to separate when you’re frying them and the fat begins to melt.  Use a fork or tongs to nudge the slices apart.

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