10 kitchen secrets from home cooks you’ll want to use too, part 2
The previous edition of tips from home cooks was such a success that we’re more than happy to treat you to even more handy tips from home cooks! The kind of little secrets that can be complete eye-openers, and that we’re very glad these people shared…
Because here too: whether it’s a trick that has been in the family for years or something they discovered purely by chance, these tips can be very useful in your kitchen too!
A squeeze of lemon in soup
This is a really good tip for many soups (except very creamy ones, which may curdle because of it). Chicken soup, for example, or harira, becomes so much tastier and fresher with a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Lime works too, of course.
Super-fast salsa
Fancy a tasty tomato salsa with your nachos but don’t feel like painstakingly removing the seeds from tomatoes? Or is it not tomato season and are the only ones available nasty, watery or (ugh) mealy? You can also make it with canned tomatoes, for a real cheat salsa. Simply blitz a can of whole peeled tomatoes (make sure to use the best quality you can find) in a food processor or blender with a small sweet onion cut into quarters, one whole jalapeño pepper cut into pieces, a bunch of fresh cilantro, the juice of half a lime and a pinch of salt. Blend for thirty seconds, taste and adjust the seasoning, and you’re done!
Citric acid powder in bread dough
We’ve written before about this miracle ingredient, which can be found in some supermarkets and virtually all Asian grocery stores. According to this home baker, it makes the yeast go a little wild in a good way, and can help even ‘heavy’ breads rise much higher. You could probably use a little lemon juice too, but the great thing about this powder is that you can store it for a long time, so you can always keep some in your pantry.
Instant mashed potato powder
If you sometimes use cornstarch or flour to thicken stews, you’ll definitely want to try this too: instant mashed potato powder. The home cook who revealed this secret opts for the flavored varieties, adding her secret deeper layers of flavor this way.
Pickle juice for everything
Remember when we said you should never throw away your pickle juice? You can use it very well to brine chicken, make dressings with it and, as this home cook suggests, add a splash to tuna salad or use it in chicken salad! It makes it wonderfully fresh and, yes, pickley.
Soy sauce as a surprise
Another golden tip for tuna salad? Add a splash of soy sauce or tamari! It won’t necessarily make it taste Asian, but it does give it a richer umami flavor. Delicious with plenty of sliced scallions mixed into the salad, and of course you can put it straight into your tuna melt sandwich.
Thick yogurt for French toast
And not just a delicious dollop of thick Greek yogurt on your plate next to the fried French toast, but instead of dipping the bread in milk, make a yogurt bath for the slices of bread. Season it to taste with sugar and cinnamon in a deep plate, place the bread in it and fry as you normally would.
Marrow bone with the beans
When you’re cooking a delicious pot of dried beans (which are just that little bit tastier than canned beans in terms of flavor and texture), try cooking a piece of marrow bone with them for the entire cooking time. The beans absorb the fat and flavor, giving them a full, rich taste and texture.
Butter in the red sauce
Making tomato sauce yourself is incredibly simple, and many times tastier than sauce from a supermarket jar. A golden trick is to add a generous knob of butter, which makes it incredibly flavorful and balances the acidity of the (canned) tomatoes.
Read also:
- 7 tips for cooking safely
- 12 surprising kitchen hacks – you didn’t know it could be done this way too
- This dish is the secret weapon of Italian cuisine
