Tips and tricks

morning glory said:
I saw something on TV recently where a Chef said that it was completely pointless to sieve flour these days, and that it dates from the days when there were creepy crawlies in the flour. Obviously this may apply nowadays if you decant your flour and store it in a barn or something. But if its used straight from the packet (unless it has lumps for some reason) there is no need to sieve. The chef said the idea that it made cakes lighter was a fallacy. I wish I could remember who it was...

I never do sieve flour (even for sponge cakes). But that is mainly because I'm lazy!
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If your flour has creepy crawlies, you throw it out.
And yes, I have gotten creepy crawlies in a bag of whole wheat flour that I hadn't decanted and put in a canister.
Our flours typically come in paper bags.
 
creative said:
It's hard to see from that diagram what makes that garlic press special (aside from the quality metal). Does it do something over and above other garlic presses?
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The video lost me totally. I have a garlic press that not only crushes but slices as well. And the best part is that it has a gadget that fits in the handle and you use it to clean out the holes in the crusher part. Just line up the pokies up with the hole and push out all the left over garlic. No waste of the food product. If you are using a typical garlic press, you shouldn't have to peel them. Every garlic press I have ever used, has always left the peel behind.

I think I bought it on Amazon a looong time ago. .
 
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Addie said:
The video lost me totally. I have a garlic press that not only crushes but slices as well. And the best part is that it has a gadget that fits in the handle and you use it to clean out the holes in the crusher part. Just line up the pokies up with the hole and push out all the left over garlic. No waste of the food product. If you are using a typical garlic press, you shouldn't have to peel them. Every garlic press I have ever used, has always left the peel behind.

I think I bought it on Amazon a looong time ago. .
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What video are you referring to, @Addie?
 
IDk about you but when I have to drain something - bacon, sausage, fried food - I always used paper towels. Problem - the food often gets soggy. Or I would put the food on a rack over paper towels. The food did not get soggy but I had to clean the rack.

I do not remember where I heard this but I have been using this trick for several years now.

Crumple a piece of aluminum foil. Open it up leaving lots of bumps and ridges. Place your food on the foil. The food is supported by the ridges and the drippings collect in the valleys. Crispy food and easy clean up.
 
Cinisajoy said:
If your flour has creepy crawlies, you throw it out.
And yes, I have gotten creepy crawlies in a bag of whole wheat flour that I hadn't decanted and put in a canister.
Our flours typically come in paper bags.
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Those creepy crawlies are usually flour mites or weevils which tend to be already in the flour when you buy it (or at least the eggs are). I always now keep flour in sealed plastic boxes so if I get an infected bag it can be contained rather than spreading to the rest of the flours in the cupboard. They aren't apparently harmful to most people, but I still wouldn't want to knowingly eat something baked with infested flour :yuck:

One way that I've found to prevent them is to always freeze your flour for a couple of days when you get it home from the shop - just put the paper bags of flour inside a plastic shopping bag and stick them in the freezer. After a couple of days (or when you remember) simply get it out and store as normal in the cupboard. The flour doesn't freeze solid and freezing it doesn't affect its future use, but it supposedly does kill off any insect eggs that are already present. I've found it works well and haven't had an infestation for years....though now I've said that I'll probably find the cupboard crawling with them lol.
 
I keep opened flour in the fridge (with a paper clasp to seal it). For batter this an ideal temperature; if I'm using it for bread I allow it to return to room temperature first.
 
Tip for finding crab shells in crab meat (assuming you didn't buy a whole crab):

1. Spread out crab meat on a baking sheet
2. Place baking sheet under the broiler for a minute
3. Remove from oven: the shells should be a brighter red than the meat, making them easier to find.

I remember hearing this tip a while ago; it works, but I had a hard time finding anyone else that does this, until I saw this:

https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/tools-test-kitchen/article/crabmeat
 
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