9 Tips For Flavorful Stocks
Fannie Farmer says, "It cannot be denied that the French excel all nations in the excellence of their cuisine, and to their soups and sauces belong the greatest praise. It would be well to follow their example, and it is the duty of every housekeeper to learn the art of soup making. How may a hearty dinner be better begun than with a thin soup? The hot liquid, taken into an empty stomach, is easily assimilated, acts as a stimulant rather than as a nutrient (as is the popular opinion), ...
How To Freeze Citrus Zest and Juice
Citrus fruits are common in recipes to brighten it up. Rarely does a recipe call for an entire lemon. I am talking about the juice and the zest. So what do you do with the rest of it. Waste it is probably the most common thing that happens but is there a better way? I say yes! When citrus is in season and is a little cheaper it makes sense to freeze some citrus zest and juice for later. It is easy to freeze the zest and the juice.
The first step is to wash your citrus fruits well to ...
How To Caramelize an Onion
Now that we know which onion is the right type to caramelize and now that we know how to slice an onion, let's put the two together. It is time to learn how to caramelize an onion! I have to admit I am not a huge onion lover. In fact up until about a year ago I tried avoiding putting onions in anything I made. If a recipe called for an onion I would only put in part of one, not the entire onion no matter what. I have since learned they are a good flavor base, when they are cooked the taste ...
How to Peel, Slice and Chop an Onion
Onions seem to be used in many, many savory recipes because they add depth of flavor. Knowing how to peel, slice and chop an onion will speed up your prep time. My Little Chefs have seen the big bag of onions just waiting for them and have asked to practice since thoroughly enjoying cutting the potatoes and cucumbers.
To Slice an Onion:
Onions come with a papery skin which needs to be removed. As we previously learned, cut off the bulb end (not the hairy root end).
Peel off the ...
Onions Q&A
Before we learn how to peel, slice and chop onions it is important to know the different types of onions and some of their uses. My Little Chefs had so many questions we decided to find the answers to them.
If a recipe calls for an onion what type do they mean?
Since yellow onions are the most popular cooking onion and are used for almost all major cooking; roasting meats, flavor bases for soups, sauces, stews, carmelized onions, when a recipe calls for an onion a yellow onion is most likely ...
Seasonings
Seasonings are spices kept in your pantry. It is recommended to replace all your spices each year or two. The strength of the spice diminishes as time goes by. My reality is I buy new ones as I run out. I do not label mine when I open them. (Though that is a great idea to keep track of the time it has been in your pantry.) If the flavor doesn't come through I add more. I should throw out and replace, but I have a hard time wasting food or money.
Black Peppercorns
"The dried dark ...
Ice Castles in Midway, Utah
We had the opportunity this week to visit the Ice Castles in Midway, Utah. This was our first time at the Ice Castles, but because we had just seen Frozen so I knew my Little Chefs were going to make parallels to the movie and enjoy this experience even more. We arrived at dusk, just before the sun set, which seems to be SO early now days! We were able to see the Ice Castles in some light and then enjoyed them in the dark. The castles are lit from the inside with changing colors. They glow in ...
Herbs
Herbs are a great way to add flavor to your food. They can be used fresh or dry. Herbs are divided into two categories, tender and robust. We will learn about 8 common herbs.
When I was teaching my Little Chefs about these herbs, we got to the bay leaf and they said remembered when we were eating with Grandma, Grandpa and Great Grandma and we had the stew and Great Grandma found the leaf. She took it out because we don't eat that. Now they know it is called a bay leaf and they know from ...
Knife Skills
Now that we have learned about knives we are ready to practice our knife skills by learning how to chop, dice and mince. We started out with a cucumber because even though it has a tough exterior it has a soft interior. Bananas are too soft and they stick to the knife which is distracting and makes them touch the blade too much trying to get the stuck banana off.
I started by giving my Little Chefs a cucumber only 4" long.
The first thing they do is cut lengthwise a thin slice off the ...
Knives
Knives are most precious to chefs. They are the most commonly used tool. Using the right knife makes the job easier and faster. A knife should be razor sharp. When knives are used properly dull knives are more dangerous then sharp. Knives should cut through the food not bruise and smash the food. Knives should always be manually washed, carefully, as soon as you are done using them.
When cooking with kids they are intimidated by the large knives. I always start my Little Chefs out with ...
Cooking Tools
In my search for information to teach my children about cooking, I located a book originally printed in 1896 called The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer, now reprinted by Dover Publications. It is interesting to note that the original book was updated and revised through 1990, the thirteenth edition! Fannie Farmer wrote the original edition teaching the reader cooking methods and techniques and sharing over 1200 recipes. (Is Martha Stewart our modern Fannie Farmer?). I ...
