What You Should Be Doing In Your Kitchen: Part lll

Its here!  Part THREE!  Tips, tricks, advice, and good ‘ol fashioned wisdom from food bloggers around the web.  Click HERE to see Part I and click HERE to view Part II!  Can I just say that I am loving the variety of topics from these bloggers?!  These are smart women, I tell ya.  I hope to continue this series and maybe get round two from all my contributors!

The Galley Gourmet–Nicole Kosowski

Hello!  My name is Nicole and I am the writer and photographer behind The Galley Gourmet.  It is a pleasure to be a part of Brittany’s guest post.  When Brittany first contacted me about my favorite kitchen tips, tricks and ideas, I was immediately caught in a whirlwind of thoughts.  But when it came down to it, I thought I would share three things that I absolutely cannot be without in my kitchen.

My first partner in culinary crime– SHARP KNIVES.  If I had to work with a dull knife, I would just plain quit cooking (ok, not really…).  Chopping or peeling with a dull knife is not only difficult, it is dangerous.  I keep a steel on hand and brush up my blades before just about each use. But if keeping a honed blade is not a skill of yours, check with your local market or hardware store.  They will most likely do it for free.  If there is any fee, think of it as a small price to pay for not losing fingers!

Next up– SALT.  If there is one thing that can bring out the best in your food, it is salt.  I am not talking about the bitter iodized stuff.  I’m talking sweet kosher or sea salt.  These salts highlight and balance the natural flavors of foods from tomatoes to chocolate.  Whether it is sweet or savory, season to taste.  And after you have seasoned to taste, leave some on the table.  We all have different taste buds.

And lastly– EGGS.  Yes, I said eggs.  When all else fails or you have meal menu brain fry, pull out a carton of eggs.  A meal of eggs is quick, easy, economical, protein packed, and darn right tasty.  You can whip up the usual breakfast suspects like scrambled eggs, omelets, or sunny side up.  But don’t forget about poached or soft boiled eggs on a salad or on a tartine with roasted vegetables– yum!.  That golden and creamy center makes for a fine dressing and/or sauce.  Breakfast, lunch, or dinner– eggs are a winner!

Happy cooking!

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A Spoonful Of Photography–Sabrina Witzlau

1. Get that muffin top – on purpose! Ever dreamed of having that perfect high domed muffin, just like the ones from your bakery of choice? There’s actually no magic needed, just a thick muffin batter (I’ve found out that the ones with yogurt or applesauce in place of other liquids work best) that is filled into muffin pans about 2/3 up and last and least a hot oven. It should be at around 220 C when you put the muffins in. Leave them to bake like this for 7 minutes, then lower the temperature to about 170-180 C and continue baking until they’re done!

2. Applesauce as a substitute for fat.
The sauce that is created by pureeing cooked apples works out magic as a substitute for butter or oil in most cake recipes (ratio 1:1).

3. Toast your flour! Toasting flour (in a pan or in the oven) really brings out the wholesome flavours included, giving the baked good a much deeper and complex flavour.

4. Work with contrasts! One thing that  is always important to me when creating recipes and dishes is the use of contrast: it makes everything interesting! Yes, the salt will make those supersweet chocolate cookies much better and a plain soft cake with some nice, crunchy crumbs on top will sure be a hit in your family. Salty and sweet, smooth and crisp or hot and sweet – try it out and be impressed!
Thank you so much for reading and be sure to click on the links of ALL the contributors to this series and check out the food blogs of these amazing women!