Cooking tips (Kopie)

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• Whenever you barbecue, use tongs to rotate the meat oppose to a fork. A fork pokes holes in the flesh the meat to lose natural juices and flavor and can become chewy.

• Do not use metal bowls when mixing salads. Use wooden, glass or china.

• Microwave a lemon for 15 seconds and double the juice you get before squeezing.

• Microwave garlic cloves for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off.

• No "curly" bacon for breakfast when you dip it into cold water before frying.

• Noodles, spaghetti and other starches won't boil over if you rub the inside of the pot with vegetable oil.

• Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

• Poke a hole in the middle of the hamburger patties while shaping them. The burgers will cook faster and the holes will disappear when done.

• For fluffier, whiter rice, add one teaspoon of lemon juice per quart of water. To add extra flavor and nutrition to rice, cook it in liquid reserved from cooking vegetables.

• To remove eggshells from a batter, use the remaining shell to attract the piece.

• You can correct greasy gravy by adding a little baking soda to it

• Bread will stay fresh longer if a celery rib is stored with it in the package.

• Pancakes are lighter and fluffier when you substitute club soda for milk in the batter.

• Marinate chicken in buttermilk to tenderize.

• Don't just keep dental floss in your medicine cabinet. Keep some in the kitchen. It's a great tool. Unflavored dental floss is often better than a knife to cleanly cut all kinds of soft foods, soft cheese, rolled dough, layered cake and cheesecake.

• Thicken gravies with milk or broth blended in the blender with flour. Be sure to cook long enough to remove the raw flour taste. You'll never notice the lack of fat.

• To make fat-free broth, chill your meat or chicken broth. The fat will rise to the top, and you can remove it before using the broth.

• Rescue stale or soggy chips and crackers: Preheat the oven to 300F. Spread the chips or crackers in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool, then seal in a plastic bag or container.

• Cook a day ahead of time. Stews, boiled meat, soup stock or other dishes in which fat cooks into the liquid can be refrigerated. Then the hardened fat can be removed from the top.

• When a recipe calls for browning the meat first, try browning it under the broiler instead of in a pan.

• Buy "choice" or "select" grades rather than "prime." Select lean or extra lean ground beef.

• Preserve the nutrients and colors in veggies. Cook them quickly by steaming or stir-frying.

• Substitute some whole grain products for all-purpose flour in your cooking. Try whole wheat flour, or flax in bread and muffins, or add some bran or wheat germ to your meatloaf. Try using some soy flour in biscuits and breads.

• If a recipe calls for 1/2-cup fruit sweetener, substitute 1/4-cup concentrated apple juice plus 1/4-cup granulated fructose.

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