HowToDoThings.com Cooking Tips

How To Grill Salmon

Annette165 — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:33:00 -0500

Salmon is great on the grill and good for you! Its relatively high fat content (for fish!) means it can stand up to grilling with less chance of drying out than some of its leaner relatives.

Choose filets about one inch thick.
Remove skin if desired. Some people prefer to grill it with skin intact and then season or sauce afterward, but if you want to pre-season, it's best to remove skin first so the fish is seasoned on both sides.

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How To Cook Food on Your Car Engine

The2 — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:44:56 -0500

You might wonder why you would ever want to cook food on your car engine. I say, why wouldn't you?

It can be a practical solution on long road trips: Now you won't have to eat that crappy fast food. Or it can be something to try just for fun. It's really easy to do. All you need is aluminum foil, a car and some food.

Decide what you want to cook. You can cook almost anything on your car engine. It works like a slow-cooking microwave, so, depending on how long you'll be driving, you can make most meals work. I wouldn't suggest soup, but other than that, have at it!

I chose a chicken sausage since I knew it was pre-cooked (so I wouldn't kill myself if I messed it up), easy to wrap and wouldn't take long to be ready.

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How To Freeze Strawberries

Carrie122 — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 15:50:00 -0500

Freezing strawberries is a fabulous way to enjoy their fresh sweet taste all year round. Generally speaking, strawberries that have been frozen and then thawed will not retain their original shape and texture, so they are best used as an ingredient in sauces, preserves, jams, smoothies, or in baked goods. Frozen strawberries make a great garnish for cocktails or mixed drinks like margaritas or daiquiris.

Who doesn't love frozen strawberries in their smoothies? We recommend the #1 smoothie recipe ebook:
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How To Barbecue Chicken

Annette165 — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:24:00 -0500

Chicken is actually one of the trickier foods to barbecue well. People get sick every year from undercooked chicken at picnics and cookouts, and we've all had chicken cooked to sawdust as well. It is possible to get perfect chicken off the grill with a few tools and your choice of cooking methods.

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How To Dry Peppers

Carrie122 — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:49:00 -0500

If you grow or buy hot peppers in quantity, drying them is a great way to store them long term for use in recipes all year long. There are several different ways to dry peppers, so let's check them out!

Drying Peppers with a Dehydrator

Slice your peppers in half. If desired, remove the seeds, stem, and membranes from each pepper half.

Lay the halves, cut side down, in single layers on the dehydrator screens.

Take your dehydrator to a well-ventilated area. The fumes from very hot peppers will make your eyes water, and since this process can take several days, you'll want to make sure that the location is closed off and well ventilated. Outdoors would be even better, if possible.

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How To Cook The Best Baked Potato

teacher — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:29:29 -0500

A baked potato is usually loaded with butter, sour cream, bacon bits and cheese in order to add some taste. Once you follow this recipe, you will not only want to taste a potato without it being fully loaded but I assure you that you will enjoy it beyond your wildest expectations. In fact, you will not only enjoy the tasty, tender and fluffy tuber of the potato, you will also lick your fingers while savoring the crispy and delicious skin of this succulent side dish. Hungry yet? The question that is now on your mind, torturing your taste buds is: "How do I cook the best baked potato?" Simple, just follow these useful steps!

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How To Freeze Peaches

Carrie122 — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 15:22:00 -0500

Freezing peaches is a great way to preserve their fresh, juicy taste to enjoy year-round. Frozen peaches can be used for pies and other baked goods, in sauces or chutneys, and in blender drinks like milkshakes or smoothies. You can defrost peach halves and sprinkle with cinnamon to serve over vanilla ice cream. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

For every ten pounds of peaches, you'll get about four to five pints worth for freezing. You can freeze peaches in a few different ways, but the preparation for all of them is the same.

Choose ripe, ready-to-eat peaches -- not too firm, and not too soft or mushy. Handle them with care to avoid bruising the tender fruit.

Wash your peaches in very cold water, then pat them dry with paper towels. Peel the peaches and cut them in half.

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How To Fix Common Cooking Mistakes

Michael 129 — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 13:43:00 -0500

When it comes right down to it, cooking is actually chemistry with benefits. Most of the time, our experiments work because the right chemicals in the food meet under precisely the right conditions. But just like in chemistry class, one false move in the kitchen can turn a triumph into a tragedy. Food can be overcooked, undercooked, overseasoned, watery, thick or simply burnt to a crisp. What should a cook do to fix these common cooking mistakes? Sometimes starting over from scratch is the only real solution, but if things haven't fallen apart completely, you can still salvage an edible meal from the ruins.

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How To Season a Cast Iron Skillet

Michael 129 — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:04:00 -0500

Even in an age where non-stick cookware appears to reign supreme, many cooks still keep a cast iron skillet in their kitchen arsenal. Few modern frying pans can match the even cooking temperatures and natural non-stick coating of well-seasoned cast iron cookware. In fact, many professional chefs prefer to use cast iron skillets over chemically-coated modern non-stick pans. Cast iron skillets only require minimal maintenance, and often last over a hundred years or more.

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How To Dry Fresh Herbs

Carrie122 — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 10:30:00 -0500

Whether you have your own herb garden or purchase your fresh herbs from the grocer or market, drying herbs is a great way to preserve them for later use. Drying herbs isn't a complicated procedure, and you don't need any special equipment or appliances to be successful.

There are two basic ways to dry fresh herbs: air drying and heat drying. Air drying takes longer, but results in a more flavorful product. Heat drying is quicker, but the addition of heat to the process can, in effect, cook the herb and cause it to loose some of its flavor. Both methods, however, result in aromatic dried herbs that can last up to two years if stored properly.

The Air Drying Method

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