Thursday 13 ~Random tips and treasures!

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Here are some things that I have come to learn over the years...

1. If you want to know a recipe bad enough the internet will give you an abundant of sources but you will still need to tweak it to taste. I recently found a recipe for the Japanese Steak House White Sauce which isn't really Japanese at all it is an American sauce used to addict you....and it works. Anyway back to the sauce. The one I found was pretty close to the stuff I was craving however not quite what I wanted to I added stuff until it tasted how I wanted it to.

2. An easy way to jazz up some steak without ketchup or steak sauce and something that is rather impressive to serve is a Balsamic Reduction. It can be called a Balsamic drizzle or syrup if you like. How I make mine is fairly simple. I happen to like the balsamic vinegar from Costco. It has a wonderful deep sweet flavor and reduces wonderfully. I put about a cup depending on how much I need, in a sauce pan and set it on med-med high. I add a couple splashes of red wine but that is optional and when I haven't used wine the sauce is still amazing. I like to cut up a couple of shallots and dump those into the pot but again optional. Reduce the Balsamic Vinegar until it is nearly a syrup that you can drizzle. It will take a little while so go slow and easy letting the flavor come out. Use this on steak. You will thank me. Not only does it taste amazing but you will look like you know what you are doing and went all out for your guests/family whatever.

3. When dinning out and they tack on that 18% gratuity? You can challenge it quietly if the service was terrible. I still give some and I am generous but I don't like being taken just because their policy states that they can. Also check to make sure that they are not calculating the tip using the tax as part of the total. That is naughty.

4. To add instant flavor to boiled potatoes or rice you can always add stock to the water or in place of water. The grocery stores these days have a lot of stocks to choose from and use whichever is closest to the dish you are making. Or you can make an easy stock at home if you have a few hours to let it simmer.

5. At least once a month try something different and have an idea of where to get take out if it doesn't go well. Use a new ingredient or perhaps an entirely new dish to liven things up.

6. Feeling blah about the way dinner looks on the table? Get a new serving platter or bowl. You would be surprised at how that can boost your excitement to show off your meal. I still smile when I use my new plates. Pier One is one of my favorite places to get serving platters as well as Fred Meyer. That is where I got my dinner set recently. I bought only one plate to use as a serving plate but then I went back and replaced my dishes...now I need more serving platters. Yes it creates more dishes to not eat out of the pots and pans, but it really brings a meal together if you make it just as much about the eyes as anything else.

7. Savor your food. With so many options out there today why not enjoy every bite you put into your mouth. Yeah I know all about dieting and how that can suck the taste right out of food....but lets consider this a moment. For hundreds of years people did well without low fat this non fat that. They ate a healthy portion and was active. Instead of just eating, instead of scarfing down a burger from the drive thru, savor it. If you are going to put that into your mouth take time in eating it. Each bit on its own and enjoy the flavor. If you suddenly realize it isn't as good as you thought? Stop eating it. LOL. Enjoy food. Life is too short to not enjoy things.

8. Please take a moment to go look over our previous ~TT~ about what not to cook while naked. It is important.

9. You can use cheaper ingredients in many dishes. A lot of cooks will tell you that you can't use bargain this or that to make things but really? You can. Sometimes....and yes I know this is sacrilege but sometimes I use the cheap green canister parm cheese in my alfredo! I KNOW I should be shot but sometimes I did not plan ahead and you know what? It still tastes damn good. Don't make TV chefs or cookbooks queens make you feel like you cannot put an affordable knock off on the table and enjoy it.

10. Never ever never put an old family recipe into a church cookbook without checking with the rest of the family first. It is rude as you never know if some might see it as a pass it down recipe not a pass it out one. And if you do put the recipe in the cookbook? Get it right. (no I have not been guilty of this.)

11. Perfect five dishes. Have an appetizer, main dish, dessert whatever. But have five things that you can claim to have perfected and so those are your fall backs. Have company coming? Old faithful can be pulled out and handled. However old faithful should not take more than an hour to prepare.

12. Observe and never offer up excuses. Don't announce that you forgot an ingredient before anyone has time to take a bite. So what you forgot it, it happens and you can always recover but if you sell yourself out then everyone will suddenly notice that it doesn't taste quite right. Most often they won't miss it and will be happy as they take seconds.

13. Be easy on yourself. Cooking isn't easy and even the pros have off days. It would surprise you how good things taste when you let the ingredients speak for themselves. If not? If the food is having a bad day? Dial out!