On this page you will find a list of how to do this and how to do that. The tips are helpful and sometimes necessary in certain recipes.
How To: Peel tomatoes
A recipe calls for peeled tomatoes because the skin just gets in the way or would otherwise fall off into the dish being prepared. No one wants to eat a random tomato skin.
Pour 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Prepare tomatoes by washing and scoring bottoms – with a knife, cut an X shape into the bottom of each. Once water is boiling, place in one tomato at a time, for 10 seconds each. Immediately after taking tomato out, place in an ice water bath. You’ll be able to easily peel within seconds.
How To: Prepare Leeks
Leeks are a member of the onion/garlic/scallion farmily that often have a lot of sand and dirt causing them to require washing beforehand. They grow in layers which traps sand between each layer making it particularly difficult to simply rinse and use.
1 Cut root and top green part off of leek, leaving white and light green section. Slice leek lengthwise into two, leaving just a bit at the bottom un-cut for easier handling. Run under cold water and work water into layers. Dry by taping leek on sink and wrapping in paper towel.
2 Cut leek as indicated by recipe. Place pieces in a cold water bath and swish around slightly. The sand should sink to the bottom and you are left with almost clean leeks at the top.
3 With a slotted spoon or your hands remove the leeks and put them into a colander or strainer. Rinse again and let them drain. Set them out on a dry paper towel and pat dry. Clean leeks!
How To: Make buttermilk
A recipe calls for buttermilk but you find yourself fresh out of the sour version of regular milk (or you are thinking to yourself, “I forgot the buttermilk,” “where do I find buttermilk in the market?,” or “what is buttermilk?”). You are in luck. You can have it in 5 minutes.
1 Combine 1 cup milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar. Let sit 5 minutes then it will be ready to use or refrigerate.
Yum!