HowToDoThings.com Recent Cooking Tips Articles

How To Prepare for Meals in Advance

melhow36 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:01:02 -0500

There are many reasons to prepare a meal in advance. Some basic skills and routines will make creating a delicious and wholesome meal easier.

Preparing in Advance to Make a Meal

How To Follow a Low Sodium Diet

Elizabeth69 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:32:30 -0500

How To Make and Freeze Tomato Sauce

mcdesign — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:30:56 -0500

How To Cook a Steak To Perfection

mobile mom — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:31:43 -0500

How To Create a Family Album Recipe Book

mcdesign — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:29:01 -0500

How To Peel a Hard Boiled Egg

tmiller158 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:42:04 -0500

How To Peel an Orange

meloukhia — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:18:06 -0500

Peeling an orange, or any other form of citrus fruit, is relatively easy, but there are a few tricks which can make the process simpler. Once you master the basic art of orange peeling, you can also learn how to peel an orange without handling it, which can help reduce the spread of food-borne illness if you are preparing orange slices for someone else.

How To Make a Brine

Mr. Mom — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:42:32 -0500

How To Grill Food Without Burning It

teacher — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:54:21 -0500

How To Cook Coconut Rice

omotoed — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:20:31 -0500

Rice is a very light food but also very rich in carbohydrates. It is a staple in many parts of the world and can be prepared in countless ways. One of the ways of preparing rice in the coastal region of Kenya is by using coconut. This unique way has largely contributed to one of the sweetest yet simplest preparation of this kind that I have ever seen.

To add a little excitement for the eyes of your guests, being one of the hardest shells with numerous values, the coconut shell can be trimmed so that it remains hollow like a bowl. Then it can be used as a substitute for a plate.

Ingredients:

2 cup of rice
½ cup of water
Salt to taste
2 tbsp of ghee (clarified butter obtained from cow's milk)
½ cup of coconut juice

Method:

How To Use Leftovers

teacher — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:22:53 -0500

You have just finished another meal. Like usual, you made too much. Of course, wasting such good food is out of the question, but how can you serve these leftovers a few days in a row without boring your family's tastebuds? Well, change what you can and reintroduce them to your family. There are three ways to use the same leftovers, over and over, without encouraging your kids to desperately seek friends' invitations to have dinner at their home rather than with you. How? Simply follow these useful tips.

How To Feed Your Family on a Budget

QueenMum — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:13:55 -0500

All over North America, grocery prices are going up. The increase in cost of simple staples like bread, cheese, and milk from five years ago can seem overwhelming. But before you let the anxiety of feeding your family lead to the loss of your hair, take a few moments to consider what you already have in your cupboards, and what your family likes to eat. You might find you have more meal options than you thought.

How To Bring Out the Flavors in Your Food

teacher — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:29:45 -0500

Herbs and spices have been used for centuries to bring various flavors out of your favorite food. It doesn't matter if you boil, grill, bake or roast your food -- these precious condiments will delight your palate beyond your expectations. In fact, history was even built around herbs and spices; explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo based journeys on them. Herbs and spices were so much in demand at one point that they were considered as cherished as buried treasures. Anyone selling them built their wealth on them. Let's discover their special powers!

How To Maximize the Bagel Experience

glassartisan — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:59:08 -0500

The eating of bagels was a strictly Jewish activity when I was a child. Nowadays it has come to be almost as American as apple pie. Over the years, I have come up with a few tips relating to bagels and the most traditional accompaniment to them, lox and cream cheese, which I feel are truly an improvement to the traditions I grew up with. Give these ideas a try, and I think you will be pleased.

Slice Your Bagels in Thirds

This is the most significant tip I’m stating in this article. Have you ever eaten a half-bagel slice and thought it was just too much bread for the amount of stuff you could pile onto it? I have felt this often. To rectify this, I have come up with a way to maximize the pleasure of eating bagels: by cutting them in three slices instead of the traditional two. This vastly improves the bread-to-toppings ratio, and greatly improves the bagel-eating experience.

How To Make Hollandaise Sauce

Mr. Mom — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:40:33 -0500

As early as the first century, people began applying sauces to their foods. Although the term "sauce" has its roots in French cuisine, it is known that early Romans employed them to make their food more appetizing. Whether it be to mask the smell or appearance of possibly spoiled meats and fish or just as a tasty addition to the meal at hand, sauces have played a big part in the culinary development of numerous cultures. Most sauces fall into one of three categories: Emulsions, Reductions, and Deglazes. Classically speaking, the French recognize five distinct sauces as "mother sauces," or sauce bases, that lay the foundation for other more elaborate concoctions. Perhaps the most influential of these is the hollandaise.

How To Keep Blue Cheese Dressing from Going Bad

glassartisan — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:21:49 -0600

Blue cheese dressing is my favorite. I generally have a bottle sitting in my refrigerator. I like it on many things, not just salads. One of my favorite non-salad uses is dipping the crust from an almost-all-eaten slice of pizza into blue cheese dressing. Yum!

Blue cheese is based on a mold to begin with, so it's an ideal medium for growing new molds. Because of this, it has to be treated in a way that will keep it as sterile as possible. In the past, my bottle of blue cheese dressing would go bad before I could use it all up. This happened so often that I came up with the solution. Here it is.

How To Make Flour Tortillas

bronwyn — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:57:09 -0600

If you've ever been to Mexico, chances are that you've seen women effortlessly rolling out tortilla after tortilla. Although flour tortillas are actually much harder to make than they appear – especially if you're watching someone with decades of practice – it is a skill that you can learn. It's worth the effort, especially when you consider how much better flour tortillas taste when made by hand!

Ingredients:

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cup warm water.

Lard is traditionally used, but most people today prefer to use vegetable shortening for health reasons.

Directions:

How To Make Gyros

bronwyn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:06:12 -0600

Gyros are traditional Greek rolled sandwiches that are delicious in any form. This recipe is for gyros with lamb meatballs, but beef, lamb slices, or just about any other meat can be substituted for the lamb.

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground lamb
1/4 cup of chopped golden raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg (beaten)
1 bunch of scallions (chopped)
4 pieces of pita bread
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of fresh mint.

Directions:

How To Cook Rice

Alicia Donatone — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:27:04 -0600

Rice is one of the oldest foods. It is also an extremely versatile food, which can be used as a base ingredient for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Below will be described the basic recipes for white rice and brown rice with tips on how to make the perfect rice to star or complement any meal.

For both recipes your will need:

A medium saucepan with lid
Rice of choice
A 1 cup measuring cup
Water
Timer or clock

White Rice

White rice is rice that has had the bran removed from the outside of the grain. White rice cooks faster than brown rice and has a milder flavor making it usually used for desserts instead of brown rice. White rice uses a one to two ratio for rice to water. So you can alter this basic recipe to meet your personal rice needs. The below recipe make about 3 cups of rice.

How To Make Lamb Kebabs

Rohanthi — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:33:56 -0600

These lamb kebabs are marinated in a spicy blend of herbs, creating an authentic Sri Lankan taste.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs lamb fillet
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 onion, finely chopped
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped coriander

PREPARATION:

How To Clean a BBQ

teacher — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:15:45 -0600

Remember the delicious smells of grilling steaks, pork chops, chicken skewers, hot dogs or hamburgers? Well, as tasty as they are, they also have something in common...they stick to the grill of your barbecue! You know that the sticky residue could not only affect the cooking process of your next meal, but it could also change the flavor and stick to it. Cooking time could also be affected by this residue, but cleaning the grill may seem to be a tedious task. But there is a way to clean it thoroughly without spending hours soaking the grill, dealing with unbreathable sprays or turning your hands into prunes. It is as easy as 1-2-3! Just try this!

How To Season a Turkey

teacher — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:30:18 -0600

As the holidays are upon us, so are the traditional celebrations and feasts. Of course, every feast could not be called one without a turkey. I have always liked turkey, which is kind of strange since both my grandmother and my mother made a dry and tasteless one. It looked really good, but unfortunately, all I could taste was the potential of a great tasting meat covered in gravy. I soon discovered that it did not matter who cooked it, it was always so dry and gravy was the hero of the meal. Now I love turkey since I have learned the problem and how to cook a juicy and tasty turkey. The secret? Well, actually, there are a few!

How To Prepare the Wartime Neapolitan Spaghetti

marcosriso — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:52:16 -0600

My Grandfather, Mr. Tulio Riso, was born in Neapolis in the first half of the XX century. He was a teenager in the middle of the World War II, and he used to cook this recipe, kept with him for the rest of his life. It is natural and do not use any industrialized products (except for the spaghetti itself).

How To Make a Vegan Christmas Dinner

Kat Yares — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:51:38 -0600

Christmas dinner for the vegan can be just as delicious as Christmas dinner in the meat-eating world. It's all a matter of making delicious choices and putting together a meal that even your meat-eating friends would be willing to try. The secret to a great vegan dinner is to serve foods that make non-vegans forget that the foods do not include dairy, eggs or meat.

How To Make Old Fashioned Giblet Gravy

cyntajean — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:56:45 -0600

Do you have to cook for a large crowd for the holidays? Then this is the recipe for you. It's simple and easy to make.

To make this gravy, you will need the following ingredients:

Turkey giblets (the parts that are stuck inside of your turkey)
Self-rising flour
Baked turkey drippings
Salt and pepper
Wire whisk
A couple of large pots

Directions:

How To Cook Tender Calf Liver

teacher — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:13:57 -0600

Liver can be either the toughest or the tenderest meat you will ever put into your mouth. My mother used to overcook it, which would make it as hard as the sole of your shoe. Of course, it was tough to swallow and had to literally swim in ketchup or mustard to help it go down your throat more easily while disguising the bad taste of it. One Sunday, my father decided to make supper for us. What we thought was a delicious, juicy and tender steak shook us to the core as we soon found out that it was, in fact, liver. From that day on, my father was the only one cooking liver for us. What was his secret? Let's find out!

How To Smoke Salmon

Thomas Hart — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:10:51 -0600

Smoked salmon seems to involve a delicate and complicated process, but now you can learn how to get that nice smoked taste in a few simple steps.

How To Deep Fry a Whole Turkey

genepooldesign — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:08:27 -0600

Deep fried turkey? Whole?? Many people have never heard of such an idea, and I only heard of it a few short years ago. I saw a sales display of a turkey fryer at the local big box store. It consisted of an extra-large stockpot, a basket, a burner and a propane canister. I was immediately intrigued, so I bought the set. From that point on, Thanksgiving Day has never been the same! One of the things I love about the fried turkey is that when you submerge it into the oil, it immediately sears the skin, which keeps the moisture in. In addition to that, cooking time is cut considerably. Best of all, you won't have to remember to baste the bird!

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How To Cook a Cheap and Easy Thanksgiving Dinner

bronwyn — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:43:19 -0600

Holidays are a time for family... and a time when many people worry about the time and expense of cooking. There are actually some very easy ways to save time and money when hosting Thanksgiving dinner!

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How To Do English to Metric Conversion

Thomas Hart — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:35:04 -0500

It can be confusing having to cook with metric measuring utensils when the recipe is in Imperial. Now learn how to convert.

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How To Make the Perfect Salad

Thomas Hart — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 18:16:04 -0500

Learn how to make unique and delicious salads from scratch in minutes. It is the easiest thing to do.

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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 Cook Delicious Shepherd's Pie

teacher — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:35:22 -0500

Shepherd's pie is a full meal that was mainly used to fill tummies in a cost-efficient way. After all, it would meet both criteria and taste good as well. What if you could make it tastier, reduce the amount of fat and have more on your plate while still being cost-efficient? Well, just follow this recipe and you will meet all these criteria!

Ingredients:

8 to 10 medium-size white potatoes

1/4 cup of 2% milk

2 tablespoons of margarine

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of crushed garlic

1 pouch of onion soup mix

2 lbs of ground beef

1 can of sliced mushrooms

2 cans of corn kernels

Cooking tools:

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How To Make a 3 Minute Egg

Uninvited Writer — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:33:28 -0500

I am extremely picky about my boiled eggs. I like them soft, but I don’t like the white to be runny. A runny egg white will ruin my entire breakfast. I will eat hard-boiled eggs, but they are not my favorite. I like to be able to dunk my toast into the yolk and I like how the salt melts into it, like snow melting on a lake. Eating the perfect soft-boiled egg can be a sensuous experience.

I have tried many different ways to cook the perfect soft-boiled egg and none have worked as well for me as the directions listed below. Three minutes is the perfect time for the perfect egg.

Ingredients and tools:

1 egg

1 small saucepan and lid

Water

Egg timer

Salt

Teaspoon

Egg cup

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How To Prevent Food Contamination

Adeleah — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:55:28 -0500

What are the Potentially Hazardous Foods? They are cooking ingredients that have the highest possibility for contamination due to methods used to produce and process them, and have characteristics that usually allow microorganisms to increase. They are often moist, high in protein, and chemically neutral or slightly acidic.

These are the TOP 13 potentially hazardous foods:

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How To Roast Marshmallows

ralexander — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:18:20 -0500

Roasting marshmallow is an excellent way to bring families and friends together on a chilly outdoor evening. Children and adults alike enjoy sitting around the campfire and toasting their own marshmallows. Whether it be for making s'mores or eating them alone, make sure you know these basic tips so you can safely and effectively roast a marshmallow.

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How To Get New Cooking Ideas

J. London — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:08:53 -0500

Deciding what to cook day in and day out can be a challenge. It's easy to cook the same food over and over again but our families may get bored with it. Let's face it; some of us just aren't that creative when it comes to deciding on what dishes to cook. If we really take the time to think about it, we are surrounded by an abundance of dinner ideas.

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How To Make Your Own Baby Food

J. London — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:29:12 -0500

Mothers know that purchasing baby food can be quite expensive. In addition to the expense, there is no assurance that the baby food you are getting does not contain added sugar and/or preservatives.

However, a simple and smart method can help mothers save on the purchase of baby food, and guarantee that the baby food does not contain additives. In addition, like the slogan often used by the restaurant Burger King, you can “Have it Your Way.” You won’t be forced to make food choices with limited selections.

In order to get started, you will first need to make sure you have the following items:

Blender

Ice trays

Plastic snack-size food storage bags

There are 3 simple steps on how to make your own baby food.

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How To Thaw a Frozen Turkey

teacher — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:05:37 -0500

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas is coming faster than you think. You are getting stressed out by the idea of serving the turkey dinner since it is your turn to welcome your family for that special occasion. Every time you shop in a grocery store, you are facing the outrageous prices of fresh turkey compared to the more reasonable prices of frozen turkeys. You budget can only stretch so far and as time passes by you are facing the option of a frozen turkey, which by the way, you have no clue how to thaw out safely. How do you do it so you won't end up dealing with a bacterial invasion? Well, just follow these steps!

There are two ways to thaw a turkey that are popular: in a pail or in the refrigerator. Both ways have some advantages and inconveniences. The decision is yours as both time and your hectic schedule are the main elements that will affect your final selection.

The Pail Thawing Process:

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How To Make a Roux

Mr. Mom — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:24:15 -0500

Roux ain't scary. Anyone with a heat source, some fat and some flour can make this classic French cuisine base for everything from soups to souffles. With varying degrees of color, flavor, and thickening power, the roux is a versatile and tasty way to build a dish from the ground up. For the purposes of this article, we will use the terminology "fat" as a catchall for everything from butter, to oils, to rendered fats. All types of fats can be used successfully to make a roux, albeit with different flavor characteristics. However, the starch must be some type of dry flour. Today, you're going to make a simple roux, using butter and flour. The ratio of fat to flour will always be 1:1, but the quantities can be increased or decreased as needed.

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How To Barbecue Fresh Beans

teacher — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:05:47 -0500

You are in the mood for barbecuing a juicy steak, you put some tasty baked potatoes in the oven and now you wish to add a delicious side dish. What type of side dish could be barbecued? Fresh beans, of course! Now your main question is: "How to barbecue fresh beans?" Here is the answer! Just follow these useful steps!

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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 Build a Charcoal Cooking Fire

Mr. Mom — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:59:59 -0500

Unless you live in an area where the climate is always warm and sunny, chances are you're thinking of packing up that charcoal grill and relegating it to the shed with the rest of your summery seasonal items. This need not be the case! Possibly the most underutilized and unappreciated kitchen accessory, the grill can do things no other kitchen tool can accomplish. Although daunting to some, charcoal cooking with a living flame is easy, fun and delicious! It's versatile and dependable in the hands of someone who understands and respects it. In order to build a good charcoal fire, we need to put a few things in order first:

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How To Make Tomato Sauce

Bob del Grosso — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:41:31 -0500

I've been making this sauce for almost as long as I have been cooking. I'd love to say that I invented it because it embodies so much of the ideology – which mandates simplicity, speed, focus on technique and ingredients – that I like to practice in my craft, but alas, I did not. I learned it from an old friend who learned in from her Abruzzeze mother-in-law. And now, I hope, you will learn it from me.

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How To Cook Filipino Adobo

cjadidas@yahoo.com — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 19:28:23 -0500

Have you been to the Philippines? If not, the Philippines are a magnificent country to visit. They are well known for their breathtaking white beaches, unique artistry, preserved historical sites, hospitable people and their delicious food. Thanks to many diverse cultural influences throughout history, a unique cuisine has developed in the Philippines. Filipino food has a very exquisite taste, always using the freshest and strictly picked ingredients. Among the all-time most popular Filipino foods is adobo. Here's some procedure for you to follow.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

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How To Choose Seafood

Staff468 — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 12:44:00 -0500

Maybe your doctor told you to limit yourself to one serving of red meat per week. Maybe you're looking for a way to satisfy your desire for meat on Fridays without really eating "meat" (you're Catholic and it's Lent). You might be trying out the South Beach diet. Or maybe you're proactively looking for a good way to improve your overall health by making smarter dietary choices. Seafood is a good solution in all of the aforementioned scenarios and more.

However, due to some of our industrial practices, we find ourselves facing the tragic pollution of our oceans. As a result, seafood - an otherwise healthful food source - is becoming increasingly questionable. Here are some tips for utilizing seafood's nourishing potential without incurring possible health issues as a result.

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How To Prepare a Low-Fat Thanksgiving Dinner

Victoria116 — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 08:46:00 -0600

Thanksgiving dinner can be one of the most fattening meals you eat all year. With a plate full of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and dessert, you can easily exceed your calorie limit for the entire day--in one sitting. So how can you trim some of the fat off of your Thanksgiving holiday meal? Read on for some tips on how to prepare a low-fat Thanksgiving dinner:

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How To Open a Pomegranate

Brian263 — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:42:00 -0600

According to Greek mythology, Persephone had to remain in the Underworld because she couldn't resist the seeds of a pomegranate. After you try this fruit for yourself, you just might decide that you would willingly accept a similar fate for one more helping!

It might seem fitting that something this tasty should come at a price but, in truth, nothing could be less transgressive than eating pomegranate. The healthful nature of pomegranate - with its bountiful antioxidants and vitamin C to boot - partially explains its increasing popularity. But all the health benefits in the world wouldn't make it such a hit if pomegranate didn't taste so good. Neither too sweet nor to tart, each seed bursts with juicy goodness.

Despite all its merits, extracting the edible seeds from a pomegranate can be difficult. If you find yourself struggling, here are some quick ways to reap your delicious pomegranate rewards.

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How To Know If Food is Kosher

W.J.592 — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:40:00 -0600

Perhaps now, more than any other time in history, it is easy to determine what foods in the supermarket are kosher. With pre-printed packaging, it is as easy as reading the label!

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How To Prepare Traditional Food for Hanukkah

Annette165 — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:44:00 -0600

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, lasts eight days and celebrates the miraculous way a small amount of oil, enough for one night, lasted for eight until more could be found. Unlike Christmas, Thanksgiving or Passover, there isn't one major feast or dinner. It is more about children and family now than it is about food. For this reason, Hanukkah foods tend to be more snack items and sweets rather than a complete dinner.

Because of the oil that is central to the celebration, a lot of the traditional foods for Hanukkah are fried. Many of the dishes are also made with cheese, in honor of the heroic widow Judith, who lulled an Assyrian general to sleep with wine and cheese before killing him to save her people.

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